Today marks the start of another season in the Championship for Leeds United and as ever expectations are running high amongst the mighty Whites legions of fans including yours truly. Can Bielsa work his magic in the Elland Road Bear pit? Will Bamford, the prancing Unicorn, flourish in a Leeds shirt? Will this year be Leeds' year? All questions that will get answered over the coming season. It is with a heavy heart that although I will be there in person every step of the way I won't be blogging my musings on the games. After 11 years I have decided to retire Travels of a Leeds Fan together with the Urinal Philosophers with immediate effect. Work and family commitments have made it more challenging to devote the time needed to produce the blog and with social media awash with Leeds United blogs, podcasts and websites I feel now is the time to gracefully retire.
It's been a blast writing the blog from the depths of depressing trips to Histon, Sutton, Hereford, Sheff Wed and many others to the sheer adrenaline fuelled elation of seeing Beckford's goals against Man U, Spurs and Bristol Rovers, Becchio's against Millwall and Boro and a certain Mr Delph's at a rain soaked Withdean against Brighton. There were many more highs and lows but one constant has been the humour, loyalty and sheer bloody mindedness and passion of my fellow Leeds fans during my travels.
Thank you for reading my blog over the years. I will still be going home and away so I will be there on the day they finally get promoted.................whenever that will be. For now I would be happy with 3 points against Stoke City to get the juices flowing for another difficult season ahead.
Can't wait.
MOT.
43 comments:
Not sure this season will be the same without you Andrew. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to follow your musings over the last several years. Always the first blog I turned to to try and work out what´s going on at Elland Road and away. "Prancing Unicorn" - great sign off! Enjoy the rest and let´s see where we get this season!
If you feel the urge to pick up the pen again, please don´t hesitate. There may be plenty of other stuff out there but yours is unique. I live "in Europe" and my links list covers El Pais, Le Soir, The Guardian, the European Commission´s home page (don´t ask) and Travels of a Leeds Fan....in reverse order
Cheers, Martin
well been in Australia for the last 20 years you have been my eyes and ears at all the games, so thanks for all your time and efforts it posting all those great and honest reports on the games. bets of luck to you and your family after 11 years you have earned it.
lets hope its a good season for the great team we all have in our hearts and blood
MOT and thanks
Steven Emsley Perth Western Australia
Your posts were the ones that gave me a real feel of what it was like to be there, in the crowd and the urinals! Not a sanitised view from the Press Box that most reporters knock out.
You could even raise a smile after some of our worst defeats.
Thanks for the fun reads and best of luck with whatever you do next.
Andrew I have always looked forward to your honest match reviews over the last 11 years, I have lived in Perth Western Australia for the last 22 years so you have been a god send. Thanks for your time and efforts over the last 11 years. All the best to you and your other family, our world wide supporters will be all wanting a good season so lets hope we get one at long last.
MOT
regards
Steven Emsley Perth Western Australia
Thanks for the comments guys. Really appreciate them.
Sorry you are signing off. One of my essential reads. Will miss the humour and honesty but understand about your work and family.
Let's hope this season is the one...we've waited long enough but what a great start.
Andrew, as an exiled Leeds fan of some 57 years standing, but now living in Devon and managing at most 4/5 home games per season, your match reports have been greatly appreciated for the past 11 years.
Your reporting has been through the eyes of a real supporter containing all things good but equally all the bad, and there has been a lot of bad over the past 15 years since relegation from the mercenary league that is the Premier League these days.
Enjoy your new ound freedom - thanks again. MOT
Thanks for all the time and effort you have put in to your blog your comments and wit will be sorely missed
Oh no!
Dear Andrew
I'm so sorry that you are 'retiring'. Your reports on the homes games were so accurate and amusing that we knew that the away reports were just as honest.
Take care and I hope all goes well with you in the future.
Kath
Good luck mate, really enjoyed your blogs. Great your still going to the games. MOT
Really enjoyed reading all your blogs sad your finishing. Great your going to all the games Andrew keep the faith. MOT
Sat and watched today's game in sunny Spain with my wife, son and two grandsons....great win to start the new era and soon after watching, ,I thought, I'm looking forward to reading Andy's blog later. Very sad to hear that it's no longer to be, it's become the first place I always look for a review of the latest game, home or away. Your reports always tell it as it is, and are delivered with humour and above all, passion that we all feel as proud supporters of our great club. The urinal philosophers will miss your blogs as will a great number of others who looked forward to your musings, won lose or draw, Thanks the last 11 years mate....will miss your b!ogs
start the new era, but sad
I’m gonna miss reading this blog. Big time.
Just to echo the other comments: Thanks a lot. Yours was the first write up I would read. It’s gonna feel a bit weird for a while. Onwards... MOT.
Thank you for all your writings Andrew. It never easy being a LUFC fans, but we still here before, now and always.
Sign: a Leeds fan from abroad.
I didn't see that coming, very sad at your decision which I totally understand, the others never featured for me as I don't do social media, yours was the one I always read first because they were honest, humerous and a bloody good read. Sorry to see you go, enjoy the season because yesterday was magnificent.
Only discovered your blog a couple of seasons back but it's been a pleasure to read every Sunday morning, you deliver a real authentic feel of the Leeds games that fans can easily relate to, with vivid images of aerial duels, crunching challenges and a roaring south stand fresh in the mind. Your witty comments and quips make even the most embarrassing defeats worth a read, so thanks for all your efforts with this blog
MOT
Only discovered your blog a couple of seasons back but it's been a pleasure to read every Sunday morning, you deliver a real authentic feel of the Leeds games that fans can easily relate to, with vivid images of aerial duels, crunching challenges and a roaring south stand fresh in the mind. Your witty comments and quips make even the most embarrassing defeats worth a read, so thanks for all your efforts with this blog
MOT
Andrew
You are the go-to-place for exiled Whites. Thanks for all the blogs - please come back, as you are a long time retired (in football).
Jon
I can't believe there will be no more Blogs from you. My late husband, daughter and myself have read every word for years, and will miss your extremely knowledgeable and very amusing writings on Leeds ups and downs. I am sure you enjoyed yesterdays match, as we all did and I was so looking forward to what you had to say.
It has been a great pleasure to read your blogs and I hope Leeds rise to the dizzy heights for your sake, you deserve it.
Barbara
Andrew,
Have always followed your blog to get a fans true view of every performance.
You were always fair in your commentary and assessment. As a reader it felt we the reader were there with you at every game, especially the urinal commentary.
I for one will miss the reports and even more so when after yesterday's performance against Stoke with Biesla this could be a great season ahead.
If we get to the Premiership, you will have to bring the blog back.
Take care mate,
Regards,
Dermot
Andrew
It's been a great blog and I've thoroughly enjoyed it over the years.
Thanks
Tony
Oh no!
Andrew, your thoughts following a game have always been eagerly anticipated by me. Like many others, I'm a Leeds lad living too far away to regularly attend matches, but you have made me feel like I was there.
I totally understand the work/family commitments thing - and I'm glad you'll still be going along to the games.
I think you might consider writing a one-off on the day we finally go up (or win the cup) - I'll keep a look out for that one!
All the best
Andy
Will miss your reports written from a true fan of our beloved team. You shared the highs and lows of following the team home and away. Your discriptive stories were always a good read for a fan 12000 miles away in oz . Enjoy the new season and maybe you will have second thoughts and restart the blog. Can't wait.
Andrew
Your blog was an excellent read maybe you could do a undercover one for square ball under a pseudonym.... you need to do one for bielsa’s debut championship game .... as a PhD thesis ! Good luck #mot Danny ( from ) London ����
I'm absolutely gutted Andrew. Here in South Africa I will certainly miss your blogs. Face book etc just doesn't compare to the quality of your writing. We you WE WERE THERE.
Thanks Andrew and just want to mirror the comments above. Living in Singapore it has made it a pleasure to read your witty and exceptionally well written musings over the last few years and I just want to say a big thanks.
Andrew. Thanks very much for your superb reports, they have been an enjoyable must-read after every game whether I have attended or not. Best of luck in your retirement, and thanks again!
Absolutely genuinely overwhelmed with your responses and kind words. Really appreciated. Now when I'm retired from my day job in a couple of years I'll have more time I suppose..........................
MOT
Having looked out for your blog over the last few years you will be missed. Even after watching the game live i still read the blog (If only to see if you saw what i saw).
You were honest in your views so i knew i had a true reflection of the game.
I hope for your sake this is the season but we are Leeds so who knows.
Thanks again. MOT
Stephen
Leeds fan from Shropshire
Noooooooo!
The Number One top writer about our beloved LUFC has hung up his keyboard.
I can't thank you enough for all the information and entertainment you have given this expat over the years.
The only good thing is that now when I do go to games, I won't have to carry on talking loudly about Nietsche and Plato whenever I go in for a piss at halftime, in the vain hope I'll be quoted!
Oh no what a bummer I have so looked forward to your humorous updates going to really miss you all the best going forward
Nietsche and Plato. Love it! One of Nietsche quotes seems quite appropriate for Leeds fans:
"In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule"
MOT
Just won't be the same without your blog Andrew..il miss it so much..thanks for all the wonderful summaries..all the best to you and your companions for the future..I just hope another wizard with the pen will take up where you left off and start a blog if even half as good as yours it would be worth a read.MOT
Andy mate, your words have kept me in the Leeds frame of mind and propelled me to Elland Road and across the UK on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Your blog will be sorely missed. I understand your motivation to retire and wish to thank you for your great effort to give the true uncensored version of being a Leeds fan. I hope your retirement will be rewarded with greater time with your loved ones as I know you truly deserve. So this is the end of an era and I wish you all the best and always know you will be part of my Leeds Family. Take care mate. And as we say in Western Australia, "Love Your Work" Andy.
What a shame, guess I will have to find another blogger to catch up on games when I miss them. I know for sure that it want be with the same feeling I have had when reading yours. Thanks for taking your time to enlighten all us hopeful but mostly dissapointed leeds united united fans. Its been an absolute pleasure reading your post. As always onwards and upwards to yourself and the damn united. Thanks Andrew!
Carl
P.S any recommendations to other blogger that could be half as good as you?
I am so sorry I will no longer be able to read your match comments. Your blog was the first one I would look for following a Leeds match. I felt you gave a true perspective on what you saw on the field and the atmosphere in the ground. You were funny and the blog was very satisfying to read. Good luck with everything you do in the future.
Thanks for the latest comments really appreciated. As for alternative blogs try Heidi haigh's follow me follow Leeds United and or David Watkins dlw100.wixsite.com
As two retired very senior citizens in London, we don't get to as many games as we used to when we started supporting them in 1960. We have come to rely on you for reliable info on LUFC. When we do go to games, our views and opinions nearly always coincide with those of your own. Already missing your blog and would love to have read your musings on the Stoke and Derby games - once we came down from seventh heaven, that is.
Keith & Steve
Sorry to hear that you have retired.But what a time to
Go when we are sweeping all before us.
Andrew, I've always loved your blog and it was a fantastic way of following Leeds whilst I was been away from Yorkshire (so for that I thank you).
But one thing I must know, what must the urinal philosophers think of this high press swashbuckling effervescent Leeds United side.
You might just have gone one season early!!!!
#MOT
from a delighted united fan.
I'm going to pile on to the thank you's and appreciation's you've received. Here's some from Michigan. Going to miss your reports.
Keep checking back in the hope that all these performances might tempt you back into the blogs! No such luck... But thanks for all the reading over the past few years. Always looked forward to reading your report after a match
Once again Thank you for all the kind comments. Can't believe how well we are playing!
MOT
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