Until The World Stops Going Round

This Week: Leeds in Small Heath, FA Cup 5th round draw, Political flags, Back to Birmingham.

Leeds win in Blinder country.

On Saturday Leeds travelled to Birmingham for their 4th round FA cup tie. Birmingham are a club who haven't been shy to splash the cash in recent years; they spent a silly amount of money (£12 million for Jay Stansfield, anyone?) getting out of the notoriously quality-ridden League One. They cantered to a record points total, but that success hasn't quite rolled over into the Championship as they are currently scrapping for their share of mid-table mediocrity.

Of course the reason that the Blues have been able to flex some financial muscle is down to their American owners. When acquiring the club, the new owners were keen to capitalise on as much cultural cachet as possible; what better way to do that than with Peaky Blinders, the TV show that has become synonymous with the Small Heath area that birthed the club?

Obviously the Americans went about it with as much subtlety as, well, Americans, and named the holding company Shelby Companies Ltd (yes, really). Not content with this ham-fisted attempt at paying homage to the club's roots, the ownership has revealed the design for the new stadium, complete with 12 brick chimneys built into the stands as a nod to the region's ‘industrial heritage’. Obviously, Arthur Shelby was used as part of the unveiling. And I always thought that retiring a teenager's number and hiring Wayne Rooney were the most embarrassing things Birmingham had done.

Thankfully the second hand embarrassment of losing to such a tinpot club was avoided.....just. Leeds made hard work of the tie, giving up a 1-0 lead with a minute to go. Extra-time came and went, but thankfully Leeds prevailed by order of a penalty shootout.

Birmingham fans will undoubtedly feel aggrieved having come so close to knocking out a club twice their size. Maybe posting a vague motivational quote underneath a moody looking picture of Tommy Shelby smoking a cigarette will help them get over it.

Cup Run?

Are Leeds on a cup run? Can 2 games count as 'run'? Either way Leeds have made it to the 5th round of the FA cup where we will welcome our old Championship foes Norwich City. We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves - as Leeds fans we know how easily these opportunities can be spurned - but this is a great chance to make it to our first quarter-finals since 2003, and with it the chance to banish some very unhappy memories.

Pretty much any Leeds fan of a certain age will remember that fateful day. The cracks in the club were well and truly running deep by that point as Leeds travelled to Bramall Lane to face Stephen Warnock's Sheffield United. Leeds were sliding towards the abyss, while the Blades were flying high in what was then the First Division. The inevitable upset was duly delivered as Warnock's team won 1-0. Losing a local derby to team a division below is one thing, but seeing Warnock, Brown, Tonge et al, in a state of smug jubilance is beyond the pale. Proper nightmarish stuff.

Losing to Norwich might not have the same sting to it, but still, best to be avoided.

Political Flags

In more depressing news, the 'keep politics out of football' lot were at it again; this time a picture was doing the rounds on Twitter of some young Leeds fans carrying a flag showing the club's colours, badge, and....Reform UK. Why? Even if it was a party whose politics I broadly agree with, I wouldn't stick their name on Leeds flag. Fucking bizarre behaviour. 

I don't doubt the lads holding the flag are disaffected by the state of the country, but voting for a party who want to lower the minimum wage, destroy the NHS, and make it easier for companies to fire and rehire, is hardly a recipe for a prosperous future. If people could look beyond the anti-immigrant bullshit, maybe they'd realise a bunch of posh, millionaire ex-bankers and Tory rejects aren't actually their friends after all. You can lead a horse to water etc, etc.

Back to Brum

Anyway, back to Birmingham again this weekend, this time to face Villa in the Premier League. They seem to have separated themselves from their wheels somewhat in recent weeks, so could be ripe for a beating. As always, though, best not to get ahead of ourselves.