Date: Saturday 14th October 1978.

Venue: Elland Road, Leeds.

Competition: First Division.

Score: Leeds United 1 West Bromwich Albion 3

Scorers: Leeds United: Stevenson. West Bromwich Albion: Brown, Regis (2).

Attendance: 25,931.

Teams:

Leeds United: Harvey; Stevenson, F. Gray; Flynn, Hart, Madeley; E. Gray, Hankin, F. Gray, Currie, Graham.

West Bromwich Albion: Godden: Batson, Statham; Cunningham, Wile, Robertson; B. Robson, A.Brown, Regis, Cantello, A. (Tony) Brown. Unused Sub: Trewick..

Referee: K. McNally (Nannerch, Clwyd).

For most of the 1970s, describing Leeds United as "Elland Road pushovers" would have prompted laughter throughout West Yorkshire. The United team who lifted the Division One title in 1974 did so with only one home defeat and the decade as a whole provided little merriment for clubs visiting Elland Road. But the start of the 1978-79 season opened a chink in United's armour as three defeats from their first five league games at home raised concerns that their fortress was crumbling.

"Elland Road pushovers" was how the Yorkshire Evening Post described Leeds, who were in the hands of caretaker manager Maurice Lindley following Jock Stein's sudden resignation after they were beaten 3-1 by the Baggies. United's home schedule had started with a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, while Tottenham had also taken maximum points from Elland Road, and the loss to Albion left captain Trevor Cherry scratching his head. "We will have to have a rethink about our play at home," he said. "In fact, about a lot of things. It should have been our day. We are playing with some flair but without consistency at home. We are far too vulnerable."

The victory was a creditable one for Albion, although the West Midlands club could not have known that the result would begin a wait of almost three decades for a win at Elland Road. That victory on October 14, 1978, was the last occasion when Albion claimed United's scalp in West Yorkshire until 2007 and their boss on that day, Tony Mowbray, could not have wished for a more comfortable afternoon than Ron Atkinson endured back in 1978.

The game was twenty minutes old when Leeds opened the scoring with a goal which Arthur Graham and Byron Stevenson attempted to claim. Both players appeared to drive the ball into the net after a free-kick caused havoc in Albion's box and the goal was later awarded to Stevenson, his first senior effort for Leeds, through the toss of a coin. The strike should have given United a grip on the fixture, but West Brom reached the interval on level terms after Tony Brown beat goalkeeper David Harvey with a thirty-ninth-minute strike which clipped the post and bounced into the net.

Trevor Cherry was twice denied after the break by brilliant saves from Tony Godden and Albion turned the screw with two goals from Cyrille Regis in the final ten minutes. Eleven days later, United named Jimmy Adamson as their new manager and their home form took a rapid upturn. Leeds suffered just three more defeats from their remaining 16 games at Elland Road and finished the season in fifth position, eighteen points behind champions Liverpool.

Match Action: (Photo courtesy of Mark Ledgard)

Byron Stevenson and Arthur Graham practice synchronised shooting as the Welshman scores the United goal, his first for the club.

Team:

Leeds United 1978-79: with Maurice Lindley as caretaker Manager

Back Row: Geoff Ladley (Physio), Jim McInearney (Coach), Paul Madeley, John Hawley,

Paul Hart, David Stewart, Ray Hankin, David Harvey, Keith Parkinson, Tony Currie,

Byron Stevenson, Brian Green (Coach), Bob English (Physio).

Front Row: Frank Gray, Eddie Gray, Peter Lorimer, Brian Flynn,

Maurice Lindley (Caretaker Manager), Trevor Cherry, Arthur Graham, Carl Harris,

Peter Hampton.

Players:

Tony Brown and Cyril Regis (2) scored for West Brom Byron Stevenson scored Arthur Graham also had a

for Leeds claim to the Leeds goal

Trevor Cherry was twice denied by fine saves from Tony Godden Ron Atkinson the West Bromwich Albion Manager