1953-57 Raich Carter: Promotion Realised
The Leeds board replaced Buckley with former England legend Raich Carter. Initially, the new manager caused unrest among the players; Carter was convinced of his abilities, but scathing and dismissive in his put downs of the players, whom he deemed lesser talents. Team spirit suffered as he lavished all his attention on John Charles, who rewarded his manager's devotion with 42 goals in 39 games. Despite the goals, Leeds were still erratic, and finished the 1953-54 season in 10th position.
The 1954-55 season saw the club settle down into a winning routine under Carter, eventually finishing 4th and missing out on promotion by just one point. However, Charles was unsettled by attention from First Division clubs, and submitted a written transfer request, which was rejected by the board.
Carter switched Charles back to defence for the 1955-56 season, and Leeds finished as Second Division runners-up - returning to the First Division for the first time since 1947. Team regulars included Charlton, Eric Kerfoot, Jimmy Dunn and Grenville Hair.
Leed's return to the First Division in the 1956-57 season saw them finish a creditable 8th, with John Charles playing a pivotal role. However, in September 1956, fire gutted the West Stand at Elland Road; the fire was so ferocious that large sections of the pitch were scorched by the heat. The blaze consumed the entire structure, offices, kit, club records, physiotherapy equipment, dressing rooms, directors' rooms and the press box. Damage was estimated at £100,000, and the club's insurance cover had been woefully inadequate. In order to raise funds to replace the stand, the clubs directors reluctantly listened to offers for Charles. Carter did his best to persuade his star player to stay, but Charles was hungry for success at the highest level, and Carter was unable to convince him that Leeds could satisfy his ambitions. Charles was sold to Juventus for a then world record of £65,000.
The loss of such a key player was reflected in the performances on the pitch, and the following 1957-58 season saw Leeds finish in 17th place. At the end of the season, the club directors decided not to renew Carter's contract after just one season in charge.
Read more about this topic: History Of Leeds United A.F.C.
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