Distant Day Out - Leeds (Part 2)

It may have not been too obvious from the previous post on Leeds, but I went to see Millwall play in the FA Cup. It's fair to say that neither side likes each other that much, and that I'm not that big a fan of Leeds either. There was a heavy horse and police presence, guiding fans in specific directions just to keep the sides separate. One man queried "Millwall?" at me since I was wearing a non-affiliated blue-white scarf. All this for a mere ninety minutes (+injury time, +extra time, +penalties) of watching unrelated men kick a ball around, in a competition which has been getting more and more disrespected every year by the participating clubs, and no one involved in the match truly cares that much about the fans beyond a cursory letter here and there.

However, I did also visit Holbeck.

Holbeck

A rather dull, not so photogenic suburb in southern Leeds, Holbeck used to be a key industrial centre during the Industrial Revolution. Centred on the Hol Beck - a stream that flows into the Aire - Holbeck was originally a mere village that was later absorbed into Leeds, more renowned for its spa water and hand weaving trade, though not before mills and factories opened in the 19th century and changed it into the suburb that it is today.

The small stretch of Holbeck that I walked down whilst heading to Elland Road didn't have many notable features, however there were some aspects which are curious:

The (former) end of the M1

The M1 starts out by the unappealing Brent Cross, and after weaving past Luton, Leicester, Nottingham, and Sheffield, finds itself on the outskirts of Leeds. It used to terminate by Holbeck, before the stretch of motorway westward would become the M621 which would transport drivers onto the local IKEA. However, this changed in 1999, when the M1 was diverted towards the village of Aberford to link up with the A1(M) - and so the M621 took on the M1's duties by Holbeck. So now Holbeck is merely a bypass for the third highest numbered motorway in the UK. 

It's not a pleasant sight, the motorway, and it blends in perfectly with grey cloudy skies. As you walk towards Leeds United's stadium, you border the M621 all the time, and admittedly Elland Road was built in 1897, before motorways were ever considered - but that doesn't make me dislike the stadium any less.

St Matthew's Church

Holbeck is also home to a rather lovely building. Originally, this was the site of a chapel which was constructed in the 12th century, yet as Leeds's population grew, there was a need for a new church in the area. St Matthew's was built in 1830, and served as a church until 1980, when it became a community centre. I didn't have time to look inside, unfortunately, since we already had little time to make it to the stadium from here.

Elland Road

 

 

I'd consider Elland Road to be my least favourite stadium out of the ones I've been to. Admittedly the brick-built façade gives it an old-fashioned look which I can appreciate, but the experience didn't make up for it. There wasn't particularly any charm about the surrounding area, motorway and all, what with it feeling distant from the outside world, and the away end was (perhaps expectedly) quite glum and aged. Now, admittedly I went to watch Millwall play Leeds, so it shouldn't be alarming if there was lots of police standing around and slowing down the general flow of people into the stadium. It did mean that I missed out on more of the match than I would have hoped for, standing by a tunnel hoping to finally proceed inside. There were also several horses here, as expected.

Loads more people turned up than I would have predicted, or maybe it was just that the away end isn't that large and so those arriving later had to get into the nosebleeds with a restricted view of the pitch. I will also add that most stadiums I've been to don't blare advertisements during the start of half time; at least it didn't last longer than a few minutes, because it would have driven me more insane. All this is to say that Elland Road is likely better to visit if there's a match going on, and most certainly not to just wander around the fenced perimeter which also has massive advertising banners on it.

I could discuss the match for an extended period of time, but I've already talked about a Millwall - Leeds match before so don't feel a need to go into too much detail. I will say that Millwall did win 2-0, thanks to two good goals from Femi Azeez, who looks quite the player. Millwall dominated throughout, even with some reserve players, including the goalkeeper, Liam Roberts, who was great and made many key saves. It was fun to chant to the sound of Joy Division, too, although the notion of Leeds falling apart doesn't really apply if it's the FA Cup, and Leeds weren't playing well at all in the first place. Come the end of the match, whilst fans were waiting too leave at snail speed, a stand revealed itself to be covered in an Adidas triangle - more proof of Leeds's concerning profit-first stances - whilst Millwall players returned to run and children tried to get them to hand over their shirts.

I will also add that at the end of that previous blogpost, I commented on Wilfied Gnonto as a highlight of the game, and said:

I can only hope he stays [in the Championship] next season, if only so I can watch this match again in a year's time with him involved.

And sure, it was the FA Cup, but it still counts. He wasn't that impressive - he did win a very weak penalty, which on replay doesn't look warranted, yet Roberts saved it regardless so it was a non-issue. I will also say that that blogpost reminds me of a time when I wasn't all too good at writing - if I could go back, I wouldn't write it like that. 

As I headed back home on the train, content with the away win and the promise of another FA Cup fixture, I felt happy to have gone to Leeds. It may have been rather sullen and empty at times, but it was overall a nice city to visit. Obviously the win helped, not least as Millwall lost to Plymouth 5-1 a few days later in the league. On to the fifth round, then - and an away game to Crystal Palace, which is far, far closer to home.