1990–91 Leeds United A.F.C. season
# 1990–91 Leeds United A.F.C. season

The 1990–91 season saw Leeds United A.F.C. return to the Football League First Division for the first time since 1982 after winning the 1989–90 Football League Second Division. Manager Howard Wilkinson spent heavily on building a team capable of thriving as well as surviving in the First Division, signing goalkeeper John Lukic and midfielder Gary McAllister, as Leeds finished fourth in the league and reached the semi-finals of the Football League Cup.

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | - | - | - |
| — | GK | ENG | Mervyn Day |
| — | GK | ENG | John Lukic |
| — | DF | IRL | Jim Beglin |
| — | DF | ENG | Chris Fairclough |
| — | DF | ENG | Peter Haddock |
| — | DF | ENG | Chris Kamara |
| — | DF | MLT | Dylan Kerr |
| — | DF | NIR | John McClelland |
| — | DF | ENG | Glynn Snodin |
| — | DF | ENG | Mel Sterland |
| — | DF | ENG | Mike Whitlow |
| — | DF | ENG | Chris Whyte |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | David Batty |
| — | MF | ENG | Simon Grayson |
| — | MF | WAL | Vinnie Jones |
| — | MF | SCO | Gary McAllister |
| — | MF | WAL | Gary Speed |
| — | MF | SCO | Gordon Strachan (captain) |
| — | MF | ENG | Andy Williams |
| — | FW | ENG | Bobby Davison |
| — | FW | ENG | Lee Chapman |
| — | FW | ENG | John Pearson |
| — | FW | ENG | Carl Shutt |
| — | FW | ENG | Imre Varadi |

## Competitions

### Football League First Division

**League table**

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | Liverpool | 38 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 77 | 40 | +37 | 76 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Crystal Palace | 38 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 50 | 41 | +9 | 69 | |
| 4 | Leeds United | 38 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 65 | 47 | +18 | 64 | |
| 5 | Manchester City | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 64 | 53 | +11 | 62 | |
| 6 | Manchester United | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 58 | 45 | +13 | 59 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |

* ↑ Arsenal deducted two points; Manchester United deducted one point due to a brawl in a game between both teams.

**Matches**

| Win | Draw | Loss |
| - | - | - |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 25 August 1990 | Everton | Away | 3–2 | Fairclough, Speed, Varadi | 34,412 |
| 28 August 1990 | Manchester United | Home | 0–0 | — | 29,172 |
| 1 September 1990 | Norwich City | Home | 3–0 | Chapman (2), Varadi | 25,684 |
| 8 September 1990 | Luton Town | Away | 0–1 | — | 10,185 |
| 15 September 1990 | Tottenham Hotspur | Home | 0–2 | — | 31,342 |
| 23 September 1990 | Sheffield United | Away | 2–0 | Pearson, Strachan | 26,078 |
| 29 September 1990 | Arsenal | Home | 2–2 | Chapman, Strachan (pen.) | 30,085 |
| 6 October 1990 | Crystal Palace | Away | 1–1 | Speed | 21,676 |
| 20 October 1990 | Queens Park Rangers | Home | 2–3 | Whyte, Chapman | 27,443 |
| 27 October 1990 | Aston Villa | Away | 0–0 | — | 24,219 |
| 3 November 1990 | Nottingham Forest | Home | 3–1 | Chapman, Strachan (pen.), McAllister | 30,409 |
| 11 November 1990 | Manchester City | Away | 3–2 | Chapman, Shutt, Strachan | 27,782 |
| 17 November 1990 | Derby County | Home | 3–0 | Chapman, Strachan, Speed | 27,868 |
| 24 November 1990 | Coventry City | Away | 1–1 | Chapman | 16,183 |
| 1 December 1990 | Southampton | Home | 2–1 | Fairclough, Shutt | 29,341 |
| 8 December 1990 | Manchester United | Away | 1–1 | Sterland | 40,927 |
| 16 December 1990 | Everton | Home | 2–0 | Strachan (pen.), Shutt | 27,775 |
| 23 December 1990 | Sunderland | Away | 1–0 | Sterland | 23,773 |
| 26 December 1990 | Chelsea | Home | 4–1 | Sterland, Chapman (2), Whitlow | 30,893 |
| 29 December 1990 | Wimbledon | Home | 3–0 | Chapman, Speed, Sterland | 29,292 |
| 1 January 1991 | Liverpool | Away | 0–3 | — | 36,975 |
| 12 January 1991 | Norwich City | Away | 0–2 | — | 17,786 |
| 19 January 1991 | Luton Town | Home | 2–1 | Strachan (pen.), Fairclough | 27,010 |
| 2 February 1991 | Tottenham Hotspur | Away | 0–0 | — | 32,253 |
| 2 March 1991 | Southampton | Away | 0–2 | — | 16,585 |
| 9 March 1991 | Coventry City | Home | 2–0 | Davison, Whyte | 28,880 |
| 17 March 1991 | Arsenal | Away | 0–2 | — | 26,218 |
| 23 March 1991 | Crystal Palace | Home | 1–2 | Speed | 28,556 |
| 30 March 1991 | Chelsea | Away | 2–1 | Shutt, Fairclough | 17,585 |
| 2 April 1991 | Sunderland | Home | 5–0 | Chapman (2), Shutt, Speed (2) | 28,132 |
| 6 April 1991 | Wimbledon | Away | 1–0 | Chapman | 6,800 |
| 10 April 1991 | Manchester City | Home | 1–2 | McAllister | 28,757 |
| 13 April 1991 | Liverpool | Home | 4–5 | Chapman (3), Shutt | 31,460 |
| 17 April 1991 | Queens Park Rangers | Away | 0–2 | — | 10,998 |
| 23 April 1991 | Derby County | Away | 1–0 | Shutt | 12,666 |
| 4 May 1991 | Aston Villa | Home | 5–2 | Price (o.g.), Chapman (2), Whyte, Shutt | 29,188 |
| 8 May 1991 | Sheffield United | Home | 2–1 | Sterland, Shutt | 28,978 |
| 11 May 1991 | Nottingham Forest | Away | 3–4 | Chapman (2), Shutt | 25,067 |

Source:

### FA Cup

| Win | Draw | Loss |
| - | - | - |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| Third round | 6 January 1991 | Barnsley | Away | 1–1 | Sterland 81' | 22,424 |
| Third round replay | 9 January 1991 | Barnsley | Home | 4–0 | Smith (o.g.) 2', Chapman 6', McAllister 83', Strachan (pen.) 86' | 19,773 |
| Fourth round | 27 January 1991 | Arsenal | Away | 0–0 | — | 30,905 |
| Fourth round replay | 30 January 1991 | Arsenal | Home | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Chapman 59' | 27,753 |
| Fourth round second replay | 13 February 1991 | Arsenal | Away | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | — | 30,433 |
| Fourth round third replay | 16 February 1991 | Arsenal | Home | 1–2 | Chapman 69' | 27,190 |

Source:

### Football League Cup

| Win | Draw | Loss |
| - | - | - |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| Second round first leg | 26 September 1990 | Leicester City | Away | 0–1 | — | 13,744 |
| Second round second leg | 10 October 1990 | Leicester City | Home | 3–0 | Walsh (o.g.) 75', Speed 85', Strachan 87' | 19,090 |
| Third round | 31 October 1990 | Oldham Athletic | Home | 2–0 | Chapman 22', Speed 33' | 26,327 |
| Fourth round | 27 November 1990 | Queens Park Rangers | Away | 3–0 | McAllister 2', Fairclough 14', Chapman 19' | 15,832 |
| Fifth round | 16 January 1991 | Aston Villa | Home | 4–1 | Chapman 17', 80', McAllister 54', Speed 77' | 28,176 |
| Semi-final first leg | 10 February 1991 | Manchester United | Away | 1–2 | Whyte 70' | 34,050 |
| Semi-final second leg | 24 February 1991 | Manchester United | Home | 0–1 | — | 32,014 |

Source:

### Full Members' Cup

| Win | Draw | Loss |
| - | - | - |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| Second round | 19 December 1990 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Away | 2–1 | Varadi 20', McAllister 74' | 11,080 |
| Third round | 22 January 1991 | Derby County | Home | 2–1 | Shutt 25', Chapman 30' | 6,334 |
| Northern semi-final | 20 February 1991 | Manchester City | Home | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | Williams 117', Strachan 120' | 11,898 |
| Northern final first leg | 19 March 1991 | Everton | Home | 3–3 | Sterland 1', Chapman 37', 70' | 13,387 |
| Northern final second leg | 21 March 1991 | Everton | Away | 1–3 (a.e.t.) | Sterland 21' | 12,603 |

Source:

## Transfers

Total spending: £1,250,000

Loaned out

Start date

End date

P

Player

To club

1 Dec 1990

1 Jun 1991

DF

Jim Beglin

Blackburn Rovers

1 Mar 1991

1 Jul 1991

DF

John Pearson

Rotherham :

