Leeds United v Chelsea: hosts suffer the Blues with bitter rivalry renewed as Rafael Benítez’s boys deliver five-star show
Nobody is clear when it started or why. But there is no doubt that the animosity between Leeds and Chelsea, the grumbly hangover of Seventies bickering, was a lucrative little business in its rekindling on Wednesday.
The whole of Leeds seemed to be up for this game. Bars were packed for several hours before kick off. And Elland Road was heaving for the first meeting between the two here in nine years, a house packed with those wishing to experience some old-school loathing. Clearly absence has not made the heart grow fonder.
Inside this grand old footballing theatre, the stands were fizzing with insults. The Leeds fans sang of using their “father’s gun to shoot the Chelsea scum”. Their visitors responded by suggesting Jimmy Savile was “one of your own”. It was safe to say future reservations at the Algonquin Round Table will not be required.