A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| 2005–06 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Ken Bates |
| Manager | Kevin Blackwell |
| Stadium | Elland Road |
| Championship | 5th (qualified for play-offs) |
| Play-offs | Runners-up |
| FA Cup | Third round |
| League Cup | Third round |
| Top goalscorer | League: Rob Hulse (13) All: Rob Hulse (14) |
| Highest home attendance | 27,843 vs Sheffield Wednesday (21 January 2006, Championship) |
| Lowest home attendance | 14,970 vs Oldham Athletic (23 August 2005, League Cup) |
| Average home league attendance | 22,355 |
The 2005–06 season was Leeds United's second consecutive season in the Football League Championship.
Season summary
With new players brought in over the summer, the club's goal during the 2005–06 season was promotion. Blackwell's shrewd tactics away from Elland Road and attacking style at home proved highly effective, and by the end of February, Leeds were third in the Championship. However, from that point onwards Leeds slumped, gaining just 4 points from a possible 18, and eventually had to settle for a play-off place. In the first round of the play-offs, against Preston North End, Leeds drew 1–1 at Elland Road, but won the return leg 2–0 to advance to the final, played on 21 May at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. However, in a dismal performance, Leeds crashed to a 3–0 defeat to Watford.[1] While some fans predicted that Leeds would go one better and finally return to the Premier League the following year, others were concerned by the fact that, with the exception of the bottom four teams, Leeds's form going into the play-offs was the worst of any team in the Championship, their only two wins in the final months of the campaign being the play-off victory against Preston and a narrow 1–0 victory against relegated Crewe Alexandra.
Final league table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Watford (O, P) | 46 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 77 | 53 | +24 | 81 | Qualification for Championship play-offs |
| 4 | Preston North End | 46 | 20 | 20 | 6 | 59 | 30 | +29 | 80 | |
| 5 | Leeds United | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 57 | 38 | +19 | 78 | |
| 6 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 75 | |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 16 | 19 | 11 | 50 | 42 | +8 | 67 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Results
Leeds United's score comes first[2]
Legend
| Win | Draw | Loss |
Football League Championship
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 August 2005 | Millwall | H | 2–1 | 20,440 | Healy (2, 1 pen) |
| 9 August 2005 | Cardiff City | A | 1–2 | 15,231 | Blake |
| 13 August 2005 | Luton Town | A | 0–0 | 10,102 | |
| 20 August 2005 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–0 | 21,229 | Lewis, Hulse |
| 27 August 2005 | Norwich City | A | 1–0 | 25,015 | Hulse |
| 10 September 2005 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 3–3 | 21,212 | Healy (2), Douglas |
| 13 September 2005 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 0–1 | 29,986 | |
| 17 September 2005 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–0 | 15,523 | Hulse |
| 24 September 2005 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–2 | 21,676 | |
| 28 September 2005 | Derby County | H | 3–1 | 18,353 | Hulse (3) |
| 1 October 2005 | Watford | A | 0–0 | 16,050 | |
| 15 October 2005 | Burnley | A | 2–1 | 16,174 | Lewis, Hulse |
| 18 October 2005 | Southampton | H | 2–1 | 18,881 | Hulse, Blake |
| 21 October 2005 | Sheffield United | H | 1–1 | 23,600 | Richardson |
| 29 October 2005 | Reading | A | 1–1 | 22,012 | Healy |
| 1 November 2005 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–1 | 7,220 | |
| 5 November 2005 | Preston North End | H | 0–0 | 22,289 | |
| 19 November 2005 | Southampton | A | 4–3 | 30,173 | Butler, Blake, Healy (pen), Miller |
| 22 November 2005 | Burnley | H | 2–0 | 21,318 | Healy (pen), Blake |
| 26 November 2005 | Millwall | A | 1–0 | 8,134 | May (own goal) |
| 3 December 2005 | Leicester City | H | 2–1 | 21,402 | Healy, Kilgallon |
| 10 December 2005 | Cardiff City | H | 0–1 | 20,597 | |
| 17 December 2005 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 26,821 | |
| 26 December 2005 | Coventry City | H | 3–1 | 24,291 | Douglas, Blake, Cresswell |
| 28 December 2005 | Stoke City | A | 1–0 | 20,408 | Lewis |
| 31 December 2005 | Hull City | H | 2–0 | 26,387 | Douglas (2) |
| 2 January 2006 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 3–0 | 17,726 | Cresswell, Blake, Hulse (pen) |
| 14 January 2006 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–2 | 7,415 | Blake (pen) |
| 21 January 2006 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 3–0 | 27,843 | Butler, Cresswell (2) |
| 31 January 2006 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–1 | 25,845 | Healy (pen) |
| 4 February 2006 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–0 | 21,807 | Cresswell, Butler |
| 11 February 2006 | Derby County | A | 0–0 | 27,000 | |
| 14 February 2006 | Watford | H | 2–1 | 22,007 | Blake (2, 1 pen) |
| 18 February 2006 | Leicester City | A | 1–1 | 25,497 | Blake (pen) |
| 25 February 2006 | Luton Town | H | 2–1 | 23,644 | Douglas, Lewis |
| 4 March 2006 | Crystal Palace | A | 2–1 | 23,843 | Blake, Hulse |
| 11 March 2006 | Norwich City | H | 2–2 | 24,993 | Hulse, Lewis |
| 18 March 2006 | Coventry City | A | 1–1 | 26,643 | Healy (pen) |
| 21 March 2006 | Crystal Palace | H | 0–1 | 24,507 | |
| 25 March 2006 | Stoke City | H | 0–0 | 21,452 | |
| 1 April 2006 | Hull City | A | 0–1 | 23,486 | |
| 8 April 2006 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 0–0 | 20,650 | |
| 15 April 2006 | Reading | H | 1–1 | 24,535 | Hulse |
| 18 April 2006 | Sheffield United | A | 1–1 | 29,329 | Healy |
| 22 April 2006 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–0 | 21,046 | Healy |
| 30 April 2006 | Preston North End | A | 0–2 | 20,383 |
Championship play-offs
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF 1st Leg | 5 May 2006 | Preston North End | H | 1–1 | 35,239 | Lewis |
| SF 2nd Leg | 8 May 2006 | Preston North End | A | 2–0 | 20,283 | Hulse, Richardson |
| F | 21 May 2006 | Watford | N | 0–3 | 64,736 |
FA Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R3 | 7 January 2006 | Wigan Athletic | A | 1–1 | 10,980 | Hulse |
| R3R | 17 January 2006 | Wigan Athletic | H | 3–3 (lost 2–4 on pens) | 15,243 | Healy (2, 1 pen), Kelly |
League Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 23 August 2005 | Oldham Athletic | H | 2–0 | 14,970 | Ricketts, Richardson |
| R2 | 20 September 2005 | Rotherham United | A | 2–0 | 5,445 | Cresswell (2) |
| R3 | 25 October 2005 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–3 | 15,631 |
First-team squad
- Squad at end of season[3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
