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Controversy”- Inside Elland Road as controversial referee appointed for Leeds United vs Preston North End
Leeds United have faced some frustrating refereeing decisions this season, with Tuesday’s match being a particularly glaring example.
The disallowed goals from Ao Tanaka and Patrick Bamford against Middlesbrough caused widespread anger among Leeds supporters.
While the errors ultimately didn’t affect the result, they could have been costly, and for one assistant referee, it marked the third questionable call in a Leeds match this season.
Other officials have also drawn criticism from fans this year. Referee John Busby, who has been assigned to officiate this weekend’s game against Preston North End, was involved in a controversial decision during the reverse fixture in December.
Busby opted not to show Ben Whiteman a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Jayden Bogle, and the fact that manager Paul Heckingbottom substituted Whiteman at halftime highlighted the severity of the mistake.
Several former referees, along with Leeds’ head coach Daniel Farke, criticized the decision, leaving supporters hoping for a smoother officiating experience this time around. If another controversial decision occurs, reactions could be intense.
Ramazani’s Personality
Joe Rothwell has singled out Largie Ramazani as the most charismatic player in the Leeds United dressing room, describing him as someone who lifts the whole squad with his infectious personality.
While Farke has encouraged Ramazani to improve his consistency in matches and training in order to earn more playing time, he also praised the Belgian for his emotional nature and positive energy.
Ramazani joined Farke in acknowledging fans after the recent match, sharing a smile with the crowd.
Rothwell, speaking on the More Than A Match podcast, elaborated on Ramazani’s lively character, saying: “Top guy, but off his head. He’s just zero to a hundred all the time, he has no filter, nothing.”
Gnonto and Schmidt Support Youth Teams
Over the holiday period, several youth football sessions were held at Thorp Arch to give local kids a chance to engage with the sport, sometimes overlapping with the first team’s training schedule.
After a recent session, Wilfried Gnonto and Isaac Schmidt stayed behind to present medals to local under-13 teams who had participated in the activities.
Youngsters from Horsforth St Margaret’s FC, Kirkstall Crusaders, Leeds City Juniors FC, and Yorkshire Amateurs were thrilled to receive medals from the Leeds duo.
The Leeds & District FA shared their gratitude on Twitter: “We would like to say a huge thank you to @LUFC players Isaac Schmidt and Willy Gnonto for staying behind after their training to support the U13 teams and hand their medals to the teams!”
