Is it always like this?

“How long’s left?” We’re both anxious, albeit for entirely different reasons. “Fifteen minutes,” I reply. “You said fifteen minutes last time though.”

Introductions to Elland Road aren’t always so good. My first game was a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on 23 August 1997. The weather was set fair, Leeds were okay, Palace were shit. Of course we lost — even if Leeds finished fifth that season and Palace came rock bottom.

I was excited to see Attilio Lombardo play because I’d seen him on Football Italia, but not so excited to see him net Palace’s second. The game has changed a lot since then. Fifth gets you in Champions League these days, 33 points keeps you up, and fading stars are hardly flavour of the month now.

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