English game the best for scrapper Pul
LEEDS HEROES: Hunter, Lorimer and Gray
reminder of the glory days under Don Revie.
Eddie Gray, Norman Hunter and Peter Lorimer attended the unveiling of Bremner Square, an impressive area celebrating the club’s illustrious history surrounding a statue of the late, great Billy Bremner outside Elland Road.
Gray said: “Every year out of the Premier League increases the desire amongst supporters to get back there but also makes it more difficult.
“Teams come down with a bigger war chest every year to go and spend big.
“Look at Stoke, who we play first-up next weekend, and the players they have signed during the course of the summer.
“It’s going to be difficult but our support is incredible so hopefully that can play a big part for us.
“We’ve got over 20,000 season ticket holders and, home and away, Leeds United commands the best support in the league.”
Hopes are high of a promotion push under
to come out singing his praises certainly bodes well.
“Time will tell, and we can’t hark back to the Don Revie era.
“But for me there’s no better place than playing for Leeds United at Elland Road.”
Gray, Hunter and Lorimer remain closely connected to the club.
And on Thursday they reminisced about Bremner and Paul Madeley, who recently passed away having made 711 appearances for Leeds.
Lorimer retains fond memories of his 17 years in the white part of Yorkshire: “We joined Leeds as kids and it became our club.
“It was a very successful period, too, when we won league titles and cups under Don.
“Billy was our leader, inspiration and captain and we would have ‘England versus Scotland’ games in training because there were that many of us Scots.
“We made Leeds what they became and the city is now crying out for Premier League football again.
“Let’s hope this could be our year.” MIDDLESBROUGH boss Tony Pulis insists the English game is “the greatest in the world’’ thanks to its intense competition.
Pulis (below) led Boro to a Championship play-off semi-final loss to Aston Villa last season after his Boxing Day appointment followed Garry Monk’s sacking.
And the Welshman reckons two of his former clubs, West Brom and Stoke – along with fellow relegated side Swansea – will make it every bit as tough to win promotion in the new campaign.
Wolves stormed to the Championship title last season with a 99-point haul that left them nine clear of Cardiff. Third-placed Fulham joined them in the Premier League by beating Villa in the play-off final.
And Pulis said: “I don’t think
West Brom have sold many players, so they’ll be very strong if they keep the rest of their squad.
“Swansea have a group who have played in the Premier
League for a long period.
“And Stoke have come down and spent a lot of money, so those three will be there or thereabouts.
Then there’s the rest of us, if we can be up there. I’ve never known any league in this country, having worked in all four divisions, be anything but competitive.
“That’s why, for me, it’s the greatest football nation in the world because every game you go to, whether it’s in the league or out of the league, you usually get two teams really working hard against each other.’’
Pulis is desperate to hang on to flying winger Adama Traore, who is wanted by Wolves and Huddersfield. But the Spaniard, 22, has an £18million buy-out clause and Pulis knows he is powerless if that is met.
He said: “Everybody, especially me, wants Adama to be here. But he has a clause in his contract and if that money is reached, it’s almost taken out of the club’s hands.
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