SHERIDAN DICTATES

DAVE MANGNALL - A PERFECT TEN


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Signed from Maltby Main Colliery, Dave Mangnall had to wait nearly two years for his chance in Leeds United's first team.

Born in Wigan in 1905, Mangnall had a keen eye for goal but despite unsuccessful trials with Huddersfield Town and Rotherham County he found himself playing for Doncaster Rovers as an amateur. His time there was brief and the quick, deceptive centre forward joined Maltby Main where he played on a Saturday and delivered coal during the week.

His goal scoring exploits were recognised by Leeds United and in November 1927 he was handed his second chance in league football. He scored goals for fun in the Central and Midland Leagues and and on the afternoon of Wednesday the 25th of September 1929 he scored ten goals as Leeds United's third team hammered Stockport County's equivalent 13-0 in the Midland League.

County brought a very inexperienced young side to Elland Road and were no match for United who, as the scoreline suggests, ran riot. 

Mangnall put Leeds in front after 16 minutes, he scored his second three minutes later and by the half hour mark, United were 6-0 up and the former colliery worker had bagged the lot. He had to wait until the 51st minute to score his and Leeds' seventh and it was 8-0 moments later, Mangnall again finding the net. 

Eric Longden made it 9-0 and Brooksbank, a youth team player who never made the first team at Elland Road, scored the tenth. Mangnall scored two more, one from the penalty spot, before Longden, with his second, had the final say to round off a more than comprehensive victory but the afternoon belonged to Mangnall.

Three days later, the striker was handed his league debut in a 3-0 home win over Burnley and although he was unable to mark his first appearance with a goal, he kept his place for the next eight games. He scored a brace in a 4-1 win at Roker Park against Sunderland in his second outing and scored again in a 2-1 home win over Bolton Wanderers.

He failed to score in his next game, a 1-0 win over Birmingham City at Elland Road before his strike at Leicester City ensured a point as United fought back from 2-0 down. He notched Leeds' fourth goal in a 6-0 home win over Grimsby Town and found the net again the following week in a 3-2 defeat at Bramall Lane. That proved to be his last goal for Leeds United's first team, despite playing the next two games.

Remarkably, after six goals in nine games, the lethal marksman was dropped for the home encounter with Middlesbrough on the 30th of November which proved to be Leeds' fourth successive loss as the away side recorded a 2-1 win.

Meanwhile, whilst the first team were in action, Dave Mangnall was playing in the Central League against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Leeds won the game 5-2 and the striker gave his manager, Dick Ray a timely reminder with four goals, three of which came in a five minute spell.

Two days after the latest defeat, Leeds United announced that the clubs ninth annual report and accounts would be presented to members at a meeting at Salem Hall on the 9th of December. The accounts showed a record profit of £1,893.

The following Saturday, Leeds lost again, 2-1 away at Blackburn Rovers. Mangnall was left back in West Yorkshire to play in the reserves against Stockport County. United triumphed 3-1 and Mangnall scored two more. Between Stockport in the Midland League in September and Stockport in the Central League in December, the striker had started 12 games in all competitions and had found the net an incredible 21 times.

Despite the record profit announced by the club and despite the astounding goal scoring feats of Dave Mangnall, the striker was sold to Huddersfield Town on the 11th of December 1929. The move caused outrage among the Leeds United faithful. 

Town, who had earlier seen a £5,000 bid rejected by Leeds for Tom Jennings, returned to Elland Road with a bid of £3,000 for Mangnall and this, a record amount for an outgoing Leeds player, was accepted by the board. Charlie Keetley was making good progress in returning from an illness and he and Jennings were seen as the preferred partnership in the United attack.

Whilst plying his trade at Leeds Road he smashed 73 goals in 90 games in all competitions and Leeds United were left to wonder what might have been.