Old and new, past & present, Leeds United players have often been cited along with the all-time greats. It would appear, however, that the wider talents of many of United’s old guard have been cruelly undermined. For the players in this rock ‘n’ roll dream team, football was just a CV-filler, a stopgap career change along the road to pop stardom.
Revealed properly for the first time, their glamorous pop past…
David Stewart.
After being understudy to the dextrous, ape-like David Harvey during the ‘70s and only playing for Scotland once, despite saving a penalty on his one & only appearance, our Dave grew disillusioned with life as a bit-part player and formed The Tourists with Annie Lennox. Consequently, as the moody musical brains of The Eurythmics, he amazed millions with the trimness of his beard and the unfeasible length of his glittery showbiz overcoats.
Richard Jobson.
Jobson came straight outta Dunfermline and ‘into the valley’ as frontman with punk also-rans The Skids. Using, to his advantage, the prestige gained from being part of Oldham Athletic’s greatest-ever side, Jobbo then juggled ‘defending’ (of a sort) with a slot on late night VH-1; eulogising, in an irritatingly mock-passionate manner, over the relative merits of Echo & the Bunnymen, Crowded House and other bands who really meant it, man!
Chris Whyte.
As a member of The Zombies, Whyte enjoyed huge chart success when the classic ‘She’s Not There’ hit number 12 in 1964. Later, his partnership with Chris Fairclough at the heart of Leeds’ defence helped clinch the 1992 League Championship. The highlight of an unremarkable footballing career, this prompted him to re-record his group’s biggest hit; re-titling it ‘It’s Not There’ in reference to hair on parts of his head and the championship trophy in Man Utd’s cabinet.
Carl(ton) Palmer.
After thumping the tubs with the ridiculously-named Atomic Rooster, Palmer joined up with Emerson & Lake and set about creating many a prog-rock odyssey. Sadly, the advent of punk left him over-qualified as a drummer and, reverting to his full name of Carlton, joined West Brom, Sheff Wed and later Sgt. Wilko’s revolution at Leeds where he kicked people, gave the ball away and ran around like a headless (atomic) rooster. A real tryer, though.
Andy Williams.
As Uber-crooner and easy listening paradigm, Williams delighted millions worldwide with hits like ‘Music To Watch Girls By’, ‘I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You’ and ‘Can’t Get Used to Losing You’. Vocal chords wavering, Howard Wilkinson gave him another shot at the big time and signed him from Rotherham United in 1988. Ironically, though, after seeing him play, the Elland Road faithful found it all too easy to take their eyes off of him and very quickly got used to losing him to Leicester City 4 years later.
Billy Bremner.
Leeds’ greatest ever skipper, the flame-haired Glaswegian found he could no longer ‘break himself in two’ for the sake of Leeds United and teamed up with Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds and Terry Williams to form pub-rock supergroup, Rockpile. Remembered solely yet fondly as the man who played the guitar lick on the Pretenders’ ‘Back On The Chain Gang’, he later became manager when Elland Road had become a mid-80s talent-vortex.
Bobby ‘Rob’ Collins.
Bremner-prototype and former Celtic legend Collins helped add steel and leadership to Don Revie’s then-inexperienced bunch of superstars-in-waiting in the mid-60s. He later retired from the game to concentrate on a career more befitting his mature years…. as keyboardist with floppy-fringed shuffle-rockers, The Charlatans. Also started wearing Berghaus fleeces, necking E’s, getting jailed for armed robbery and insisting people now called him Rob.
Mickey Thomas.
This mullet-haired Welsh midfield midget had played with more clubs than Tiger Woods by the time Howard Wilkinson signed him in 1989. Thomas had earlier been a member of 80’s US cringe-merchants, Starship, who recorded ‘We Built This City (On Rock ‘n’ Roll)’ about Leeds. ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now!’ thought the police when they later came to arrest lil’ Mickey for passing on forged tenners to apprentice players at Wrexham.
Allan Clarke.
Scrawny, whippet-like goal-getter, Clarke was an instant hit following his record-breaking transfer from Leicester City in 1969. This United legend had previously been vocalist with The Hollies, whose ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ was written for and about his similarly lazy-eyed, wiry footballing siblings Frank and Wayne. Later, as manager of Leeds, his nickname of ‘Sniffer’ took on a new meaning when empty tins of Evo-Stick were found in his desk drawer soon after he’d signed Peter Barnes for almost £1 million.
Mick Jones.
As Leeds’ first £100,000 player, this bulky, Worksop-born workhorse formed a fruitful partnership with ‘Sniffer’ Clarke until injury cut short his career in 1974. Undaunted, he turned to punk-rock and formed The Clash with his mate, Joe ‘Sniffer’ Strummer; enjoying huge global success. Created an unlikely alliance between no-nonsense ‘70s football and Albert Einstien when his later band, Big Audio Dynamite troubled the charts with ‘E=MC 2’.
Jacob Burns.
Leeds’ midfield starlet, Burns surprised many when, upon being thrust into the footballing cauldron that is the Champion’s League, he displayed an assurance and maturity far beyond his tender years. However, as frontman with Stiff Little Fingers, ‘Jake’ (as he likes to be known), had actually always relished the big stage, albeit ‘At The Edge’ of first team selection. Wanted an ‘Alternative Ulster’ so much that he shed 20 years & became Australian.
On the bench…
Peter Lorimer.
Famed record-producer and prolific ‘90-miles-an-hour’ hotshot jock. Did a wicked remix of The Happy Mondays’ ‘Wrote For Luck’ & later played for York City & Vancouver Whitecaps.
Eddie Gray.
As a footballer, he was better than George Best. As a member of Tommy James & the Shondells, he was better than, erm… someone out of Emile Ford & the Checkmates (probably).
Andy Couzens.
Now-forgotten, early Pete Best-like member of The Stone Roses before being chucked out. Wasn’t much cop at footy either, as Carlisle and Blackpool fans will also tell you.
Marc Ford.
Clueless Wilko-era thug; soon ushered off to ply his trade for Burnley reserves. Should’ve stuck to being The Black Crowes’ guitarist.
Rush (Ian).
Dextrous, Canadian prog-metal show-offs. Nothing at all to do with moustachioed Welsh centre forwards with humungous hooters.
Randomia Hebditica 
“Rush (Ian).
Dextrous, Canadian prog-metal show-offs. Nothing at all to do with moustachioed Welsh centre forwards with humungous hooters.”
Have you ever seen him and Geddy Lee in the same room?
LikeLike
No, but… wow! What a dinner party that'd be if they were! Oh, look… there's Ken Loach over there too, talking to Stuart Hall!
LikeLike