Chelsea Rivalries: Leeds United

Leeds United

Chelsea wins: 34; Leeds United wins: 39; Games drawn: 29

Why do Chelsea and Leeds United hate each other so much?

In truth, Leeds have rivalries going on with pretty much everyone but why Chelsea? Traditionally, rivalries are based on local geography but Stamford Bridge and Elland Road are nearly 170 miles apart.

Some people think it started with the 1970 FA Cup Final but in truth it started a few years earlier.

In the mid-sixties, Chelsea and Leeds United were two of the emerging sides of the era. With just one League title between them, neither could claim to be footballing powerhouses but both wanted to be the ones to break the established order.

There was also a perceived culture clash. Leeds were the gritty northerners known for their cynical style of play while Chelsea were the flashy cockneys* from the Kings Road.

So far, so standard but it’s obviously more than North-South divide. After-all, Sheffield Wednesday were a decent side around this time but no one ever speaks of a great Chelsea-Wednesday rivalry.

I would say when it really started was in 1967 in the FA Cup Semi-final at Villa Park. This was Chelsea’s third semi-final in as many years at the same venue but this time they were determined they weren’t going to lose it.

Tony Hateley gave Chelsea the lead in the first half with a clever back-flick-header. In the second half however, Leeds had two goals disallowed. The first we can give the officials the benefit of the doubt, as the old newsreels don’t have the multiple angles we’d have today but the second, a last minute screamer from Peter Lorimer, looks an admittedly perfectly good goal. And as anyone who has ever watched Game of Thrones knows, the North remembers. Leeds United fans of a certain age still complain about that ‘goal’ to this day.

From that point, everything went into overdrive. The hooliganism element sadly, can’t be ignored. The Chelsea Headhunters and Leeds Service Crew were two of the most notorious hooligan firms of the era and would clash frequently, even if Chelsea and Leeds weren’t playing each other.

It could be argued however, that they were merely reflections of what was happening on the pitch. Both sets of players of the era have admitted Chelsea-Leeds games were a chance to settle scores. Occasionally, games of football were said to break-out.

It all culminated in 1970 when Chelsea played Leeds United in the FA Cup final. On an awful Wembley pitch (following the Horse of the Year show just two weeks prior) both teams battled to a 2-2 draw, the first final since 1912 that would need a replay and the first in a Wembley final. This led to one of the most notorious games in English football history. In 1997, referee David Ellerary re-watched the game and declared had he been in charge, he would have issued six red cards and 20 yellow cards. 28 million people tuned in at home because everyone loves to see a bloodbath. Chelsea were more known for the swagger in their play but they were more than happy to get physical with their opponents.

The replay was played at Old Trafford and Leeds took the lead in the first half when Mick Jones went round Peter Bonetti, in one of the rare moments of football. Peter Osgood equalised in the second half with a diving header to keep up his record of having scored in every round.

Extra-time, Chelsea get a throw-in and Ian Hutchinson delivers his trademark long-throw that reaches the back post and David Webb came steaming in at the back post to head home and give Chelsea their first FA Cup win against their hated rivals.

There haven’t really been any high profile matches since then, though Chelsea may point to wins in both 1984 and 1989 that sealed them promotion. The animosity always remained though and their were several ill-tempered encounters in the 90’s.

It was off field activities that will have upset the Leeds fans most though. In 2006, former Chelsea owner Ken Bates became Leeds United chairman and appointed Dennis Wise as manager. The Leeds fans wanted ‘the Chelsea out of Leeds’.

And it can't have helped that when both clubs were in financial difficulties in the early 2000's, Chelsea were bought up by a billionaire and went on to win multiple trophies. Leeds United on the other hand suffered relegation to the Championship and then to League One for a few years.

Chelsea and Leeds may not have been in the same division since the latter’s relegation in 2004 but they are never far from the others thoughts. As evidenced in 2012 when the two were drawn together in the League Cup at Elland Road, an increased police presence and Chelsea had their ticket allocation cut from 5000 to 3000.

Chelsea won 5-1.

Maybe one day, Leeds United will end their exile from the top-flight and they can renew their rival with Chelsea. And you can bet it will be heated.

*debate rages as to what actually constitutes this but with the area Chelsea are in, it is widely accepted they are most definitely not ‘cockneys’.