2004–05 Leeds United A.F.C. season

During the 2004–05 English football season, Leeds United competed in the Football League Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the previous season after 14 years in the top flight. With debts of over £100 million, Leeds were not expected to make a push for an automatic return to the Premiership, with preventing a second successive relegation the priority.

Season summary
In 2004–05 season, Leeds began signing players prepared to accept lower wages. The club were eventually forced to sell both their training ground, for £4.2m, and their Elland Road stadium in the autumn of 2004.

On 21 January 2005, Krasner announced the sale of a 50% stake to Ken Bates for £10m and Bates became the club's new chairman, replacing Krasner. This investment effectively saved Leeds United from going into administration. Bates had previously headed three other league football clubs, most famously Chelsea.

Blackwell was forced to sell most of the remaining players, including Aaron Lennon; somehow he managed to build a team using loan players and experienced professionals nearing the end of their careers. Despite a promising opening day win against Derby County, Leeds's form at the start of the 2004–05 Coca-Cola Championship was little better than in the previous season, and they spent the first half of the campaign looking in serious danger of a second successive relegation. Their form gradually picked up after the club was taken over by Bates and Leeds finished in a relatively safe 14th place.

Kit
Leeds United's home kit was manufactured by Diadora.

Final league table

Results
Leeds United's score comes first

Legend

Football League Championship

Top scorers
  David Healy 7
  Brian Deane 6
  Rob Hulse 6
  Danny Pugh 5
  Clarke Carlisle 4
  Simon Walton 3
  Jermaine Wright 3
  Julian Joachim 2
  Shaun Derry 2
  Frazer Richardson 1
  Steve Guppy 1
  John Oster 1
  Aaron Lennon 1
  Nathan Blake 1
  Gylfi Einarsson 1
  Seth Johnson 1
  Matthew Spring 1

FA Cup

League Cup

Top scorers
  Danny Pugh 1
  Michael Ricketts 1
  Brian Deane 1

First-team squad
Squad at end of season

Left club during season

Reserve squad

Statistics

Starting 11
Considering starts in all competitions
 GK: #1,  Neil Sullivan, 50
 RB: #2,  Gary Kelly, 47
 CB: #6,  Paul Butler, 41
 CB: #4,  Clarke Carlisle, 32
 LB: #15,  Frazer Richardson, 31
 RM: #18,  Simon Walton, 25
 CM: #8,  Sean Gregan, 37
 CM: #7,  Jermaine Wright, 35
 LM: #12,  Danny Pugh, 36
 CF: #9,  David Healy, 28
 CF: #30,  Brian Deane, 24 (Matthew Kilgallon has 28 starts as a centre-back)

Transfers

In
  Julian Joachim -  Coventry City, 14 June, free
  Michael Ricketts -  Middlesbrough, 23 June, free
  Jermaine Wright -  Ipswich Town, 30 June, free
  Matthew Spring -  Luton Town, 1 July, undisclosed
  Brian Deane -  West Ham United, 22 July, free
  Neil Sullivan -  Chelsea, 31 July, free
  Stephen Crainey -  Southampton, 10 August, £200,000
  Serge Branco -  Stuttgart, 20 August, free
  Sean Gregan -  West Bromwich Albion, 16 September, £750,000
  Shaun Derry -  Crystal Palace, 18 February, undisclosed
  Kevin Pressman -  Leicester City, 25 February, free
  Ian Moore -  Burnley, 23 March, £50,000
  Paul Butler -  Wolverhampton Wanderers, free
  Gylfi Einarsson -  Lillestrøm, January
  Craig Hignett -  Leicester City
  Steve Guppy -  Leicester City
  Danny Cadamarteri -  Bradford City
  Clarke Carlisle -  Queens Park Rangers
  David Healy -  Preston North End
  Danny Pugh -  Manchester United
  Saša Ilić

Out
  Paul Robinson -  Tottenham Hotspur, 14 May, £1,500,000 
 Alan Smith -  Manchester United, 24 May, £7,000,000 
  James Milner -  Newcastle United, 2 July, £5,000,000
  Stephen McPhail -  Barnsley, 2 July, undisclosed
 Mark Viduka - Middlesbrough, 2 July, £4,000,000
  Ian Harte -  Levante, 3 July, undisclosed
  Nick Barmby -  Hull City, 6 July, free
 Dominic Matteo -  Blackburn Rovers, 7 July, free
  Danny Mills -  Manchester City, 13 July, free
  Craig Hignett - released, 8 September (later joined  Darlington on 8 September)
  Steve Guppy - released, 8 September (later joined  Stoke City)
  Danny Cadamarteri -  Sheffield United, 30 September, £50,000
  Scott Carson -  Liverpool, 21 January, £1,000,000
 Andy Keogh -  Scunthorpe United, 14 February, undisclosed
  Brian Deane -  Sunderland, 24 March, free
 Barry Corr - released (later joined  Sheffield Wednesday on 19 April)
  Kevin Pressman -  Coventry City, March
  Jason Wilcox -  Leicester City, free
  Danny Milosevic -  Celtic, free
  Michael Bridges - free
  David Batty - retired
  Serge Branco -  Queens Park Rangers
  Henry McStay -  Halifax Town
  Jamie Winter -  Aberdeen
  Shaun Allaway

Loan in
  Brett Ormerod -  Southampton, 19 September, one month
  John Oster -  Sunderland, 5 November, one month
  Shaun Derry -  Crystal Palace, 23 November
  Nathan Blake -  Leicester City, 31 December, one month
  Leandre Griffit -  Southampton, 6 January, one month
  Michael Gray -  Blackburn Rovers, 3 February, three months
  Rob Hulse -  West Bromwich Albion, 9 February, season-long
  Marlon King -  Nottingham Forest, 4 March
  Paul Harrison -  Liverpool

Loan out
  Michael Duberry -  Stoke City, 15 October, three months
  Harpal Singh -  Stockport County, 18 February, one month
  Jamie McMaster -  Chesterfield, 7 January, season

References

Leeds United
Category:Leeds United F.C. seasons
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