Yorkshire clubs get set for more play-off thrills, spills and heartaches

All the nerves, tension, joy and heartache that have characterised what equates to deciding promotion by a footballing equivalent of ‘Russian roulette’ could be found in that first foray by Leeds United.

Billy Bremner’s side had finished fourth in the old Second Division and seven points behind Oldham Athletic in what, just 12 months earlier, would have been the final promotion place.

But, thanks to a revolutionary shake-up by the Football League, Leeds and the Latics joined Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic in a series of matches to decide who would kick-off the following season in the top flight.

The format was not quite as it is today, Charlton having finished fourth bottom in Division One and the final being a two-legged affair played on a home and away basis. Those maiden play-offs, however, proved every bit as dramatic for Yorkshire’s sole representative as anything that followed in the intervening years.

Keith Edwards, the Leeds striker who netted the first two play-off goals by a Yorkshire side, recalls: “A lot was made of the new format being unfair due to the team who finished third not going up automatically.

“But everyone knew the rules when the season started and the play-offs have brought so much to football.

“I remember Oldham making a lot of noise after we beat them in that first year, but maybe if they had marked me a bit better then they might have gone up.”

Edwards gave Leeds a precious first-leg lead by netting the only goal at Elland Road with just 85 seconds remaining.

This advantage, however, was wiped out inside 18 minutes of the return when Gary Williams latched on to Ian Ormondroyd’s flick to beat Mervyn Day.

Oldham were formidable on their own plastic pitch, but the tie remained a tight, cagey affair until the 89th minute when Mike Cecere silenced the 10,000 travelling fans by putting the hosts in front on aggregate.

“We thought that was it,” recalls Edwards. “The second leg had been a bitty game and after Oldham’s second goal, Joe Royle and Willie Donachie were dancing about on the touchline, which was fair enough.

“But the game wasn’t over and I can visualise it now – Ian Baird going up for the ball and me then getting enough on it to score.

“Those two legs were great to be involved in. I remember at Elland Road shouting to (Oldham left-back) Denis Irwin, ‘Will you stop going forward as much; I’m supposed to go with you and I’m knackered’. He just laughed.

“I didn’t play as much as I would have liked at Leeds. But those two goals against Oldham, plus the one I scored in the FA Cup semi-final a few weeks earlier, are the ones you remember after your career is over.”

Edwards’s dramatic late strike at Boundary Park was the type for which the play-offs have since become renowned for producing.

Over these past three decades, almost all the dozen Yorkshire clubs to have taken part have experienced the huge swing in emotions that Leeds went through that May afternoon at Boundary Park.

Eight penalty shoot-outs involving our sides is testament to this, as are the host of iconic moments that come to mind such as ‘that’ volley from Dean Windass for Hull City and the tactical master plan from Chris Kamara that took Bradford City to Wembley in 1996 after overcoming a two-goal, first-leg deficit.

As for Leeds, Edwards’s late, late leveller at Oldham set up arguably an even more dramatic encounter with Charlton.

In the days before finals became one-off affairs at Wembley – a change that did not come in until 1990 – promotion was decided over two legs.

However, with the ties at Selhurst Park and Elland Road both finishing 1-0, a replay was needed.

Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s was chosen as the neutral venue and when John Sheridan curled in an exquisite free-kick to break the deadlock nine minutes into extra-time, Leeds seemed to be on their way up. Those dreams, however, were shattered by two goals inside four minutes from Addicks defender Peter Shirtliff.

Edwards, who left Elland Road early the following season, did not play again in the play-offs. But, as an expert summariser for BBC Radio Sheffield for the past 21 years, he has witnessed plenty of further disappointments covering former club Sheffield United.

The Blades share with Brentford the unenviable record of having featured in the play-offs eight times without winning promotion.

“United haven’t gone up via the play-offs, but there have been some fantastic games,” added Edwards. “Nottingham Forest in the (2003) semi-finals was a tie that had a little bit of everything.

“I felt for Forest a little bit because they were a good side. But that is what the play-offs are all about; it is joy for someone and heartache for the other.”