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Leeds head for third division

Leeds head for third division

LONDON – Leeds United were all but relegated to the third tier of English soccer for the first time in their 88-year-history when they drew 1-1 with Ipswich Town in astonishing circumstances at Elland Road on Saturday.

The match finally finished after being halted for more than 30 minutes when players and officials ran off following a pitch invasion by Leeds fans just before the end of stoppage time. Leeds, who needed a win to retain any real chance of staying up, took the lead after 12 minutes when Richard Cresswell headed home and held on until the 88th minute when Alan Lee equalised for Ipswich.Scuffles were later reported to have broken out between Leeds fans who had stayed in their seats and the pitch invaders.Play eventually re-started with a Leeds corner and the match soon ended in the 1-1 draw.A Football League spokesman was quoted as telling the BBC: “These actions by a minority of Leeds supporters could have serious consequences for the club.”Clearly, passions will run high at this stage of the season.However, it is deplorable for supporters to enter the field of play at any time.”Ipswich manager Jim Magilton said: “It was a shambolic but brave decision…The players were worried about going back out.”If any of them had got hurt, I would have been knocking on the referee’s door.”Leeds, a dominant force in English football in the 1970s under the late Don Revie, are three points behind Hull City with a nine-goal inferior goal difference and one match to play.It means Leeds will almost certainly be playing in the third division in 2007-08, just seven years after their 2000-01 Champions League campaign which took them all the way to the semi-finals.From beating AC Milan and drawing with Barcelona at Elland Road in the first group stage of Europe’s flagship competition, they will be hosting the likes of Cheltenham and Gillingham.Birmingham City went back to the top with a 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday despite finishing with 10 men.Sunderland, who beat Burnley 3-2 on Friday, slipped back to second but they and Birmingham are set to return to the Premier League if Derby County fail to win at Crystal Palace on Sunday.Nampa-ReutersLeeds, who needed a win to retain any real chance of staying up, took the lead after 12 minutes when Richard Cresswell headed home and held on until the 88th minute when Alan Lee equalised for Ipswich.Scuffles were later reported to have broken out between Leeds fans who had stayed in their seats and the pitch invaders.Play eventually re-started with a Leeds corner and the match soon ended in the 1-1 draw.A Football League spokesman was quoted as telling the BBC: “These actions by a minority of Leeds supporters could have serious consequences for the club.”Clearly, passions will run high at this stage of the season.However, it is deplorable for supporters to enter the field of play at any time.”Ipswich manager Jim Magilton said: “It was a shambolic but brave decision…The players were worried about going back out.”If any of them had got hurt, I would have been knocking on the referee’s door.”Leeds, a dominant force in English football in the 1970s under the late Don Revie, are three points behind Hull City with a nine-goal inferior goal difference and one match to play.It means Leeds will almost certainly be playing in the third division in 2007-08, just seven years after their 2000-01 Champions League campaign which took them all the way to the semi-finals.From beating AC Milan and drawing with Barcelona at Elland Road in the first group stage of Europe’s flagship competition, they will be hosting the likes of Cheltenham and Gillingham.Birmingham City went back to the top with a 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday despite finishing with 10 men.Sunderland, who beat Burnley 3-2 on Friday, slipped back to second but they and Birmingham are set to return to the Premier League if Derby County fail to win at Crystal Palace on Sunday.Nampa-Reuters

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