20 police pictures from a Leeds v Man Utd clash 40 years ago

Match-day drama at Elland Road as the teams and fans kick off.

Footage from Yorkshire Film Archive


On 2 October 1976, Leeds United played Manchester United at home. 


 

Elland Road football ground match day programme for Leeds United v Manchester United match in 1976

The West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police filmed a record of crowd control operations that day, covering Elland Road football ground and the wider city of Leeds.

1. West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police briefing.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

2. The football special arrives at Leeds railway station, and the away fans flood out.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

3. More travelling fans, herded en route to Elland Road.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

4. Nearer the ground, one group play up for the camera.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

5. Home fans are searched.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

6. The crowds begin to snake along the west side of Meadow Lane, past Frank Fletcher Motorcycles.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

7. Fans began to gather outside the gates. Tickets cost 75p (equivalent to £5.68 today). For the 2015-16 season, adult ticket prices range from £21 to £37 per match.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

8. Outside The Old Peacock, located opposite the ground. It’s a meeting point for fans, and is still in business.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

9. Inside the pub, police advise drinkers not to overdo it.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

10. Badges, presumably confiscated from local supporters.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

11. Leeds United players emerge from the tunnel, led by Trevor Cherry.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

12. ‘Big’ Gordon McQueen (holding ball) strides out. The 6ft 3in defender joined the team on a £30,000 transfer from St Mirren, making 140 appearances before moving to Manchester United for a price of almost £500,000.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

13. Sammy McIlroy trips over the ball.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

14. Police book in arrests at the ground. The year before, it was the site for a daring desecration by one of Slade Prison’s old lags in a classic episode of Porridge (actually filmed at Loftus Road in London).

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

15. An injured fan is shown to camera.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

16. Outside the ground, the more limber supporters attempt entry.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

17. After the match, home fans head home.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

18. In a different area, the away crowd do the same.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

19. Some trail past the Dragonara Casino (now the Hilton Leeds City on Neville Street). One contributor to a local forum recalls a family windfall at the gaming tables. “Overnight we were moving into the biggest house in the street – fish pond, car port – the lot,” he recalls. “Next thing the keys for the big house went on the roulette table and we moved back into the back-to-back.”

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

20. The police version of a match scorecard.

Elland Road Football Control (1976)

Leeds United finished the 1976-1977 season in tenth place and made it to the FA Cup semi-finals.

The film and stills on this page are taken from Britain on Film, a digital archive of UK places that mean the world to you. 10,000 film and TV titles from 1895 to now will be digitised and can be watched for free on BFI Player.

Britain on Film is funded by the National Lottery funding and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.


The National Lottery and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

 


 

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