2005–06 Leeds United A.F.C. season

Leeds United
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
	← 2004–05 2006–07 →

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 v t e	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

Updated to match(es) played on 2 December 2011. Source: RSSSF
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; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	SCO	Neil Sullivan
2	DF	IRL	Gary Kelly
3	DF	SCO	Stephen Crainey
6	DF	IRL	Paul Butler
7	MF	ENG	Jermaine Wright
8	MF	ENG	Sean Gregan
9	FW	NIR	David Healy
10	FW	ENG	Rob Hulse
11	MF	USA	Eddie Lewis
12	MF	ENG	Danny Pugh
13	GK	ENG	Ian Bennett
14	MF	ENG	Steve Stone
15	DF	ENG	Frazer Richardson
16	MF	ISL	Gylfi Einarsson
17	MF	IRL	Liam Miller (on loan from Manchester United)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
18	MF	ENG	Simon Walton
19	MF	NOR	Eirik Bakke
20	MF	IRL	Jonathan Douglas
21	MF	ENG	Shaun Derry
22	FW	ENG	Ian Moore
23	DF	ENG	Dan Harding
24	DF	ANG	Rui Marques
25	FW	ENG	Richard Cresswell
26	DF	ENG	Matthew Kilgallon
27	MF	AUS	Joel Griffiths
28	FW	ENG	Robbie Blake
30	FW	ENG	Michael Ricketts
32	FW	ENG	Jermaine Beckford

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
17	MF	ENG	Matthew Spring (to Watford)
32	FW	ENG	Justin Bowler (to Halifax Town)
34	DF	ENG	Brenton Leister (to Halifax Town)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
34	FW	ENG	Danny Graham (on loan from Middlesbrough)
35	FW	SCO	Kevin Smith (to Sunderland)

Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.