Limited Time Discount! Shop NOW!
An illustration of Mateusz Klich and Gjanni Alioski as beefed-up rugby league players in Leeds Rhinos shirts. It's quite disturbing, tbh, although the kits look nice with a TSB Smiley badge
Rhinos x LUFC

Two-club city

Words by: Josh Heffernan
Artwork by: Rob Palmer

2004 was a year to forget for Leeds United fans, relegated to the second tier after finishing joint bottom of the Premier League. A season in which we conceded four or more goals in a single match seven times. The dull but steady era of George Graham, never mind the dizzy heights of David O’Leary’s babies, seemed a long way away at this point, as we entered a, erm, new exciting era of lower league football with Kevin Blackwell at the helm.

I was 14 in 2004 and experiencing relegation for the first time as a football fan. It’s a feeling that battle hardens you, ready for a life spent following Leeds. Across the city, however, I was experiencing another first in my sporting world, something completely different.

To read the rest of this article, you need to join TSB+ — members get access to this plus extra podcast and video episodes, all podcasts advert-free, can read every issue of our magazine online and much more. You can join or log in below.

Join TSB+

Support TSB and get all this:

TSB+ Monthly

£6.99 p/m

TSB+ Yearly

£4.99 p/m

TSB+ Mag

£5.66 p/m

Other options

TSB Magazine

£1.50 p/m

Gift Memberships

full_badgeCreated with Sketch.

reveal more of our podcast gems

NEW IN THE SHOP!