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What a difference a year makes.

It was the news that the annual Elland Road open day (dubbed the “Sunday Funday”) will take place on August 3rd this year and that the club are hoping beat the 3,000 attendance figure for last season, that set me thinking about the changes over the last year. Beating that attendance shouldn’t be difficult considering the different circumstances that prevail at Leeds United compared to just a year ago…

Twelve months ago an unpopular Dennis Wise, seen more as an ex-Chelsea player than Leeds Utd manager, was suffering fans’ protests at pre-season friendlies. He had to put a team together in just eight days following a relegation season and weeks of legal wrangling over administration and there was a real doubt that the team would even start the season.

Finally, the club faced what many felt would be certain relegation into the fourth tier of English football following the imposition of an unprecedented 15 point penalty, by the vindictive Football League, before the club to get its “golden share” back.

Pass the valium!

Fast forward twelve months and the club achieved 91 points on the pitch and missed the championship of League One by one point. Because of the 15 point penalty the Leeds fans got to see Leeds United play at the new Wembley rather than next season in the Championship.

But off the pitch Leeds Utd fans set over twenty new League One attendance records and had the highest single attendance, average attendance and aggregate attendance in the whole Football League, including the Championship clubs - despite the police moving over 50% of kick-off times at away grounds to try and reduce the numbers of Leeds fans attending. In fact half-a-dozen Premier League chairmen would have swopped their clubs’ dismal attendances for that of the United faithful.

On the pitch a new local hero emerged, Jonny Howson and Paul Huntington rose from the reserves to shake off the Carlisle United boo-boys and keep his place through the play-offs and on to Wembley. The previous season had seen Jermaine Beckford star in a promoted Scunthorpe United side as Leeds were being relegated; this year he won the League One Player of the Season Award in the white shirt of Leeds United.

In February Dennis Wise was replaced with the surprise choice of Gary McAllister who introduced a new passing game at Elland Road and made one low-key signing - Dougie Freedman - a striker in a squad that boasted Beckford and Kandol - but it was a masterstroke and the Leeds fans got one more, unlikely, hero in one of the most incredible season’s in its history.

The reviving stature of Leeds United was demonstrated at the end of May when Andy Robinson left new League One Champions Swansea City and Championship football next season to join Leeds United back in League One. Anthony Elding rejected a summer move to Crewe Alexandra, prefering to stay and fight for his place.

Although there will be departures of Dennis Wise’s signings - Matt Heath has already joined relegated Colchester United - Gary McAllister knows that he does not have to sell our best players, as has occurred in recent seasons, and he has a reasonable transfer budget that has come from the pockets of the Leeds faithful turning up in droves at Elland Road rather than borrowed from the banks.

To paraphrase a famous saying, twelve months is certainly a long time in the history of Leeds United and I think the club can look forward to a record attendance at the 2008 “Sunday Funday” at Elland Road, and deservedly so this time.

Sky Sports is claiming that Leeds United are lining up a move for former Bristol City striker Darren Byfield who is, unexpectedly, now a free agent.

Although fourth-placed Bristol City reached the Championship Play-off final at Wembley, defeat by Hull City means another season in the second tier and the reaction of the Ashton gate club has been to release their top scorer after just one season in the Robins shirt!

Admittedly, Byfield only netted eight times as top scorer last season and City may see that lack of goals in their squad as the reason they finished fourth instead of gaining automatic promotion, but the numbers do not point to Byfield being the weak link.

Byfield scored eight goals in 17 starts plus 16 subs; a former Leeds target Dele Adebola scored 6 in 16 starts and one sub appearance, McIndoe scored only 5 in 45 starts and Elliot got only 5 in 44 starts plus one sub; finally former Swansea City superstar, Lee Trundle, got just 5 in 21 starts plus 14 subs - and its Byfield who walks?

So the Jamaican international played his part in City’s promotion push and is available but will he move to Leeds? Swansea City and Doncaster Rovers have been linked to 31 year-old Byfield and notionally have the advantage of being in the Championship, however, football is about money - which means it is down to Leeds to say, in money terms, whether they want Byfield more than the others.

Is an eight goal-a-season striker good enough for Leeds United - over to you!

Despite a storming finish to the 2007-08 season with Leeds United and a Wembley appearance, former loanee Dougie Freedman has told The Croydon Advertiser that he has yet to speak to Crystal Palace Manager Neil Warnock to sort out his future since his return to Selhurst Park.

Such inexplicable treatment of a player who has reiterated his commitment to Palace on a number of occasions and is meant to be part of the coaching set-up at Palace only offers hope to the thousands of Leeds fans who saw the impact the 34 year-old Scotsman had on a stuttering team last season and who would like him to sign on permanently at Elland Road.

Dougie has made it clear that for family reasons he would like to see out the remaining 12 months on his Crystal Palace deal. But he also gave hope to Leeds fans when he made it crystal-(palace)-clear that if he doesn’t play he will walk.

“I’ve not spoken to Neil Warnock since the end of the season,” Freedman told The Croydon Advertiser.

“I’ve heard that there’s a meeting scheduled but I’ve not heard from the manager. As far as I know I’m still reporting for pre-season training on July 2.

“I want to stay at the club (Palace), that’s for sure.

“If the manager turns round to me and says he wants me to fight for my place then I will do that. But if he tells me that there’s no chance of me playing then I’ll have to look elsewhere.”

Apparently Neil Warnock needs to work on his man-management skills, but that’s not news, but Palace are selling tickets for Freedman’s testimonial so what is Freedman meant to read into that - a golden goodbye? (hopefully, from a Leeds UnIted perspective!)

Despite his age would Leeds fans want to see him in the side from the start next season?

Young Leeds United midfielder Jonny Howson has agreed a new contract that ties him to Leeds United until 2011.

The deal provides an unusual clause that automatically extends Howson’s contract by a year if Leeds United are promoted to the Championship.

Leeds manager Gary McAllister told the official club website,

“We’re all delighted. He’s a player who has come through the academy and is a local lad.

“He’s got an eye for goal and has a nice mix to his game.

“He has a lot of potential and a lot of ammunition to develop his game and I’m pleased I’ve got the opportunity to help his development.”

The 20-year old made his Leeds United debut versus Barnet in the Carling Cup in September 2006 and has since gone on to be captain of his home-town club twice, score 5 goals and make 46 appearances. He memorably scored both goals in Leeds United League One, play-off semi-final, second-leg, victory at Carlisle United last season and played at the new Wembley in the final against Doncaster Rovers where he came within a whisker of giving United the lead in the first half.