Sports for All - Jack White, Leeds City

Another of the Baines cards? This one of Jack (Jabez) White who played for Leeds City between 1908 and 1910. It seems there was some controversy with football and payments to team members and Leeds City was expelled from the Football League in 1919.

The same day as the players were sold off there was a meeting held with more than 1,000 of the current supporters leading to the formation of Leeds United Association Football Club with Elland Road as their home.

Audrey Pigeon hand stitched this piece.

Sports for All - John Charles CBE (1931-2004)

The ‘Gentle Giant’ was born in Swansea in 1931 and was signed by Leeds on his 16th birthday. In 1953-54 he scored 42 League goals to set a new United seasonal record, breaking another record 3 years later when he was sold to Juventus for £65,000. Charles returned to Leeds in 1962 but left for Roma after only 11 league games. He is said to have been Leeds greatest player outside of the Revie era and he earned his nickname by never being sent off or cautioned.

He has been honoured in Leeds with one of the stands at Leeds United being named after him and as we saw yesterday the South Leeds Stadium, once the home of Leeds Reserves is now renamed in his memory.

Hand stitched on printed fabric by Janet Carding(42 hours), all is not as it appears in the embroidery. Thanks to pictures in a 1950s football annual and a bit of photoshopping, his right arm (borrowed from Gary McAllister) and the football were added out of the frame.

Sport For All - Billy Bremner (1942-1997)

A sigh of relief from one whose extended family has both Leeds United and Hartlepool season tickets. For the last few seasons Boxing Day, and even once my birthday, have brought 'the family Derby' and the inevitable 'we was robbed'.

Next season Hartlepool stay in Division 1 and Leeds go up.

So, I add Billy Bremner to the blog.

Bremner was born in Stirling in 1942 and after being rejected by Arsenal and Chelsea for being ‘too small’ he joined Leeds in 1959. To quote Leeds United - A Complete Record he was ‘skilful, and his passing, leadership, never-say-die attitude and eye for the goal made him one of the game’s great midfielders’. He led United to 2 league championships, an FA Cup win and 2 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups. Billy Bremner moved from Leeds to Hull City in 1976.

"My family have always been supporters of Leeds United and it was such an honour to stitch Billy Bremner's statue on the Sporting Life panel. Most of my work however, was done on the Leeds in Bloom panel and I was thrilled to see it completed after many hours of work.
I have so enjoyed being involved in the creation of such a magnificent work of art and hope that future generations will enjoy it and that they too will be inspired."
Muriel Gabbitas 2003

Hand stitched on printed fabric, the image had been treated using Photoshop.

Sport For All - Leeds United players

Eirik Bakke (A Norwegian, he currently plays for SK Brann)


Olivier Dacourt (born in France he is currently without a club)


Alan Smith (Local lad now playing at Newcastle)


David Batty (Local lad, retired 2004)


Lucas Radabe (used to play for the Kaiser Chiefs - hence the name of our local band, named in his honour)


Today Leeds United fans find out whether the club get promotion, from league 1 to Championship. Once upon a time life was straight forward and the Leagues were numbered, now I believe, there are two divisions above 1 - Championship and Premier.

When the Sports Panel was planned and the book written (2002) the four players above were still playing for the team in the Premiership League. Since then fortunes have changed, the club was relegated from the Premiership in 2004 and the Championship in 2007.

Apologies to football fans if I've not been accurate - sifting through material as a non football fan is a bit of a nightmare.

Dorothy Wrench, who embroidered these footballers on printed cotton, is a football fan and totally approved of the choice of team members chosen by my then 13 year old son (2000) when she embroidered them. Wonderful socks and not a yellow boot in sight.

Good luck this afternoon Leeds.