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IT WAS A REAL<br />
SEASON TO<br />
REMEMBER<br />
by ALAN PEACOCK<br />
<strong>LEEDS</strong> UNITED<br />
“At one time, I thought my<br />
career might be over”.<br />
Professional football is a tough game. One day<br />
you’re on top of the world. Next you have the<br />
troubles of the world on your back.<br />
That’s how it has been for me during the past two<br />
seasons. Up till then, as a Middlesbrough player, things<br />
had gone fairly smoothly for me.<br />
Then began my two years of ups and downs. During<br />
which I was transferred from my home town club of<br />
Middlesbrough to Leeds.<br />
The Second Division championship medal and<br />
medals I won at Elland Road for being runners-up in First<br />
Division and FA Cup last term add up to the bright part of<br />
my story. But there were also times when I really thought<br />
I might never play football again. My tale of calamity<br />
began in my last season with Middlesbrough. I got an<br />
injury to my left knee. The specialist saw it, and whipped<br />
me straight into hospital for the cartilage operation.<br />
It was a pretty rotten business–darned painful-but<br />
when I eventually recovered and got back into the team, I<br />
thought my troubles were over. Particularly when Leeds<br />
came along and paid £55,000 for me. I got through the<br />
rest of the season unscathed, scoring eight goals for my<br />
new club as we beat Sunderland for the Second Division<br />
title after a cracking race for promotion.<br />
Early in the close season Leeds went on a European<br />
tour. In the very first game, in East Berlin I picked up<br />
another injury. This time to my right knee.<br />
I was immediately flown home for another date with the<br />
specialist. Before I knew where I was he had my leg in<br />
plaster. And it was to stay there for three weeks.<br />
Again Leeds went off on tour. This time to Ireland. I was<br />
picked for the first game-and yes, you’ve guessed it. Off<br />
I went again with the same knee giving out. This time I got<br />
special manipulative treatment, but broke down as soon as I<br />
tried to train. Again I was sent for a cartilage operation.<br />
By this time I was beginning to fear my career was in<br />
danger. I couldn’t help but think about Brian Clough and<br />
how he had to call it a day because of a knee injury.<br />
Out of hospital at last I began light training again. Then<br />
came the day I was given a try-out in the reserves. Just 15<br />
minutes after the start I was back in the dressing-room, with<br />
my knee swelling fast.<br />
Another operation-and another 14 stitches. Right at<br />
the back of the knee joint. The scar is still there and I’ve<br />
taken a bit of kidding from the team mates asking if I’ve got<br />
my seams straight! Once again I dragged myself back to the<br />
training field to begin the slow process of getting back to<br />
the forefront.<br />
Thank goodness all went well and I won my place back<br />
in the side to help chase the League and Cup double. But<br />
my run of bad luck was not yet over...<br />
A fortnight before our date with Liverpool at Wembley in<br />
the Final, we met Manchester United in a vital league game<br />
at Elland Road.<br />
A combination of a gale force wind and a goal by<br />
England winger John Connelly saw us go down and lose<br />
our chance of winning the First Division.<br />
Worse still-I found my ankle had swollen up badly and I<br />
was listed as doubtful for Wembley. Wasn’t I relieved when<br />
I was declared fit for the big day-though all I got out of it<br />
was another runners-up medal.<br />
Still it was a tremendous thrill. Worth all the pain and<br />
anxiety of those months on the treatment table.<br />
38 /((’681,7(’
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