THE O’LEARY YEARS: FOOTBALL’S GREATEST BOOM AND BUST by Rocco Dean

The O’Leary Years charts the rise and fall of Leeds United at the turn of the 21st century.

When David O’Leary took the managerial reins from taskmaster George Graham, he promoted a gifted crop of youngsters into the first team, transforming a well-oiled machine into a free-flowing bundle of joy.

This often-scorned club enjoyed popularity like never before, but things are never straightforward at Elland Road. Criminal charges against star players, the tragic murders of fans, a perpetual injury curse and a ‘spend, spend, spend’ attitude eventually brought the club to its knees – but not before it was one match from reaching its holy grail: a European Cup final rematch with Bayern Munich.

The journey lasted four seasons, each one a rollercoaster, and the story is told through the memories and match reports of the author, from a 14-year-old travelling the country with his dad, to an 18-year-old on the bus with his mates, with nostalgic tales of the good old days along the way.

(Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd. January 2022. Hardback: 256 pages)