Doing a Leeds

「Doing a Leeds」是專指英格蘭一些足球俱樂部因財政管理不善而可能造成嚴重後果的一個代名詞。這詞源於2000年代，當時仍在英超的里茲聯（Leeds United A.F.C.，即此術語所指的「Leeds」）投入巨大的資金而打進歐聯四強，不過在過程中卻欠下大量債務。當里茲聯未能再次取得歐聯資格後，俱樂部遇上嚴重的「財務危機」，隨後降級至英甲，這是俱樂部歷史上首次第三級別聯賽。

殞落的里茲聯

1992年，里茲聯成為新成立的頂級聯賽—英超的22位創始成員之一。1990年代末，俱樂部在聯賽的表現一直是名列前茅的，最終俱樂部更打進2000/01賽季歐聯四強。由於俱樂部希望爭取好成績，他們的消費水平已經超過所有其他足球俱樂部，里茲聯的債務逐年上升，從 900萬英鎊至2100萬英鎊、3900萬英鎊、8200萬英鎊和最高峰時達1.19億英鎊，大部分金錢都是用來支付轉會費和球員的工資。當里茲聯因只能在英超取得第5名，而失去參加2002/03賽季歐聯的資格後，由於，俱樂部失去歐洲賽的門票和電視直播的收入，因此亦再也不能償還債務，所以必需出售球員來套現^[1]。

2003/04賽季結束後，俱樂部以倒數第二位的成績降級至英冠。2006/07賽季，受持續財務問題影響的里茲聯自願受接管，使她們在聯賽被罰扣10分，結果降級至英甲；在這之前，俱樂部從未在第三級別聯賽比賽過^[2]，比賽4年後在2009/10賽季回歸英冠。

降級後經過16年的掙扎，俱樂部終於在2020/21賽季回到英超。

「Doing a Leeds」

「Doing a Leeds」或「（to）do a Leeds」這個詞的意思已等同於足球俱樂部因財務管理不善而帶來嚴重後果的一個詞彙。它可以具體提及任何未能取得歐聯資格而又沒有充分計劃好財務問題所帶來的影響的足球俱樂部，或是指於英超降級後，未能作出充分調整來避免再次降級的足球俱樂部，更籠統來說是指任何迅速消亡的足球俱樂部^[1]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]。

總教練和主席，雖然有時不得不「追逐夢想」^[10]^[11]（這通常是「Doing a Leeds」的前奏），但在經過一些分析人士指出他們大型的投資可能會超出預算後，他們往往會否認他們是"doing a Leeds" ^[12]^[13]。同樣，足球俱樂部高價買進球員和無法保留歐聯的參賽資格時，球迷可能會擔心俱樂部是否會成為 "do a Leeds"^[14]，或者是從英超降級，從而未能「實踐夢想」^[15]。

相反，避免「Doing a Leeds」已經成為總教練出售最好球員來籌措資金的理由，從而避免因足球俱樂部受到接管而導致以降級作為處罰的危機^[16]。未能在預期的「正常」投資中，維持足球俱樂部的聯賽地位，也都被稱為「Doing a Leeds」^[17]。

2009年，當紐卡索聯成為自里茲聯後另一支大俱樂部從英超降級後，這詞組的使用情況很顯著。紐卡索聯的新老闆米克·艾殊利（英語：Mike Ashley (businessman)）說他的投資實際上是將俱樂部從「Doing a Leeds」中拯救出來^[18]。無論如何，在紐卡索聯降級前後，人們都擔心俱樂部「（to）do a Leeds」及在缺乏調整下進一步降級到英甲^[19]^[20]。

在曼聯於2010年的公佈中顯示，俱樂部自債券問題纏身的馬爾科姆·格拉沙成為老闆後，需要籌集資金來償還巨債，這引起媒體懷疑是否連作為最成功的英超時代的足球俱樂部，亦有可能陷入「Doing a Leeds」的危機中^[21]。

參見

參考資料

[1]
（英文）Road to ruin. The Herald (Newsquest). 17 February 2007 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. The first thing which comes to mind about Leeds United today is...their freefall, the collapse into the state they are in now because of Ridsdale's ruinous decision-making. They have become the biggest victim of all the money which has washed around English football in the Premiership era. Every other board of directors in the land is frightened of "doing a Leeds".
[2]
（英文）Relegated Leeds in administration. BBC Sport. 4 May 2007 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）.
[3]
（英文）Everton 0 Manchester 2: Irresistible United march on. The Times. 20 February 2005 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. those erstwhile fans turning on him now should ponder the fact that his £28m transfer probably saved their club from 「doing a Leeds」, as financial meltdown has come to be known
[4]
（英文）Damned to football. The Times. 25 March 2009 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. This is the fate to which Peter Ridsdale, the chairman from 1997 until 2003, consigned the club with his profligacy and risk-taking; the phrase 「doing a Leeds」 is now a recognized one to describe a major club that fades away
[5]
（英文）Catchy Toon could be a classic. The Guardian. 23 March 2003 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. ...'doing a Leeds' has entered the language of English football. There is now an understandable worry that any club trying to haul themselves up on the Champions League ladder will crash spectacularly to earth in a couple of seasons.
[6]
（英文）North East’s elite outfits fear a fate as ‘next Leeds’. The Journal (njcMedia). 24 March 2009 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. the "L" word sends them into a cold sweat. What they most fear is "doing a Leeds". Leeds United famously chased the dream and fell flat on their face, a monument to mismanagement lurking in League One as a warning
[7]
（英文）Birmingham City in danger of 'doing a Leeds'. Daily Mirror. 28 May 2008 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. David Gold fears relegated Birmingham could end up dropping another division to League One - like Leeds - unless the club's mutinous mood changes
[8]
（英文）City Diary. The Telegraph. 29 April 2004 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. He's trying to raise £450,000 by selling a quarter of the company and as his spokesman put it: "We're doing a Leeds." What, selling all the players and going down? "No, I mean a Wimbledon."
[9]
（英文）Bates still focused on grand vision. The Times. 16 January 2007 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. But were Chelsea not hugely in debt and on the brink of 「doing a Leeds」 when Roman Abramovich made Bates an offer he could not refuse?
[10]
（英文）Pompey pay for chasing the dream. BBC Sport. 11 February 2009 [11 February 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2009-02-14）.
[11]
（英文）Manchester City making their voice heard as United pushed all the way in Carling Cup. telegraph.co.uk. 28 January 2010 [2010-02-11]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-31）.
[12]
（英文）Sullivan: Bitter manager wouldn't have been good for Birmingham City. Birmingham Mail (Trinity Mirror). 24 November 2007 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2012-03-13）. As for a lack of funds, Sullivan said: "We've spent all the money we can afford as a club, without doing a Leeds United.
[13]
（英文）Dean is no Messiah. The Sun. 12 January 2005 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Worthington denied Norwich were mortgaging their future by signing England Under-21 star Ashton. The club plan to use part of their parachute payments if they are relegated to help fund the deal. Worthy added: 「We are not doing a Leeds because the board would not put the club in that position.
[14]
（英文）Parry Vows To Keep Top Players. Daily Post (Trinity Mirror). 6 February 2003 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. RICK PARRY has promised Liverpool will not be forced into `doing a Leeds' by selling off their best players - even if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.
[15]
（英文）Crunched creditors call time on living the dream. guardian.co.uk. [11 February 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-02-13）.
[16]
（英文）More Big Footie News. The Sun. 6 February 2004 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Chelsea saved West Ham from doing a Leeds this season according to Hammers boss Alan Pardew...Pardew says the club could have gone into administration, or worse, if Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had not bankrolled a £12.6m raid for Cole and Johnson.
[17]
（英文）No compensation for Robbie amid a rising tally of missed sitters. Irish Independent. 7 December 2008 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Liverpool fans may think that if they had not lost Fernando Torres for much of the season they would now be 12 points clear. This would, however, increase the possibility of them "doing a Newcastle" something that cannot be countenanced while their American owners appear intent on "doing a Leeds".
[18]
（英文）Mike Ashley pledges to do 'what’s best for Newcastle’. The Telegraph. 15 September 2008 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Ashley insisted that he had saved Newcastle from 「doing a Leeds」. 「Unless I had come into the club then it might not have survived,」
[19]
（英文）Geordies need another messiah to justify immaculate deception. Irish Independent. 2 August 2009 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. People warn that Newcastle United are in danger of "doing a Leeds" but it can be argued that when it comes to hubris, Newcastle United make Leeds look as modest as Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra
[20]
（英文）What the back pages say: The world ponders Alan Shearer's future as he cites a million reasons for Newcastle's relegation while Sbragia quits Sunderland. Daily Mail. 25 May 2009 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Daily Star - Alan Shearer will tell Newcastle's money men to swing the axe and make massive changes to stop the relegated club doing a Leeds.
[21]
（英文）Are Manchester United doing a Leeds?. The Guardian. 12 January 2010 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Scrutiny of the Premier League champions' financial results makes for eerily familiar reading. Will the weight of their debts drag them out of the Premier League in the next five seasons?

[Herald17Feb2007-1] [1]
（英文）Road to ruin. The Herald (Newsquest). 17 February 2007 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. The first thing which comes to mind about Leeds United today is...their freefall, the collapse into the state they are in now because of Ridsdale's ruinous decision-making. They have become the biggest victim of all the money which has washed around English football in the Premiership era. Every other board of directors in the land is frightened of "doing a Leeds".

[BBC4May2007-2] [2]
（英文）Relegated Leeds in administration. BBC Sport. 4 May 2007 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）.

[Times20Feb2005-3] [3]
（英文）Everton 0 Manchester 2: Irresistible United march on. The Times. 20 February 2005 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. those erstwhile fans turning on him now should ponder the fact that his £28m transfer probably saved their club from 「doing a Leeds」, as financial meltdown has come to be known

[Times25March2009-4] [4]
（英文）Damned to football. The Times. 25 March 2009 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. This is the fate to which Peter Ridsdale, the chairman from 1997 until 2003, consigned the club with his profligacy and risk-taking; the phrase 「doing a Leeds」 is now a recognized one to describe a major club that fades away

[Guardian23Mar2003-5] [5]
（英文）Catchy Toon could be a classic. The Guardian. 23 March 2003 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. ...'doing a Leeds' has entered the language of English football. There is now an understandable worry that any club trying to haul themselves up on the Champions League ladder will crash spectacularly to earth in a couple of seasons.

[Journal24Mar2009-6] [6]
（英文）North East’s elite outfits fear a fate as ‘next Leeds’. The Journal (njcMedia). 24 March 2009 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. the "L" word sends them into a cold sweat. What they most fear is "doing a Leeds". Leeds United famously chased the dream and fell flat on their face, a monument to mismanagement lurking in League One as a warning

[Mirror28May2008-7] [7]
（英文）Birmingham City in danger of 'doing a Leeds'. Daily Mirror. 28 May 2008 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. David Gold fears relegated Birmingham could end up dropping another division to League One - like Leeds - unless the club's mutinous mood changes

[Telegraph29Apr2004-8] [8]
（英文）City Diary. The Telegraph. 29 April 2004 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. He's trying to raise £450,000 by selling a quarter of the company and as his spokesman put it: "We're doing a Leeds." What, selling all the players and going down? "No, I mean a Wimbledon."

[Times16jan2007-9] [9]
（英文）Bates still focused on grand vision. The Times. 16 January 2007 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. But were Chelsea not hugely in debt and on the brink of 「doing a Leeds」 when Roman Abramovich made Bates an offer he could not refuse?

[10] [10]
（英文）Pompey pay for chasing the dream. BBC Sport. 11 February 2009 [11 February 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2009-02-14）.

[11] [11]
（英文）Manchester City making their voice heard as United pushed all the way in Carling Cup. telegraph.co.uk. 28 January 2010 [2010-02-11]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-31）.

[BirminghamMail24Nov2007-12] [12]
（英文）Sullivan: Bitter manager wouldn't have been good for Birmingham City. Birmingham Mail (Trinity Mirror). 24 November 2007 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2012-03-13）. As for a lack of funds, Sullivan said: "We've spent all the money we can afford as a club, without doing a Leeds United.

[TheSun12Jan2005-13] [13]
（英文）Dean is no Messiah. The Sun. 12 January 2005 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Worthington denied Norwich were mortgaging their future by signing England Under-21 star Ashton. The club plan to use part of their parachute payments if they are relegated to help fund the deal. Worthy added: 「We are not doing a Leeds because the board would not put the club in that position.

[DailyPost6Feb2003-14] [14]
（英文）Parry Vows To Keep Top Players. Daily Post (Trinity Mirror). 6 February 2003 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. RICK PARRY has promised Liverpool will not be forced into `doing a Leeds' by selling off their best players - even if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.

[15] [15]
（英文）Crunched creditors call time on living the dream. guardian.co.uk. [11 February 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-02-13）.

[TheSun6Feb2004-16] [16]
（英文）More Big Footie News. The Sun. 6 February 2004 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Chelsea saved West Ham from doing a Leeds this season according to Hammers boss Alan Pardew...Pardew says the club could have gone into administration, or worse, if Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had not bankrolled a £12.6m raid for Cole and Johnson.

[IrishIndependent7Dec2008-17] [17]
（英文）No compensation for Robbie amid a rising tally of missed sitters. Irish Independent. 7 December 2008 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Liverpool fans may think that if they had not lost Fernando Torres for much of the season they would now be 12 points clear. This would, however, increase the possibility of them "doing a Newcastle" something that cannot be countenanced while their American owners appear intent on "doing a Leeds".

[Telegraph15Sep2008-18] [18]
（英文）Mike Ashley pledges to do 'what’s best for Newcastle’. The Telegraph. 15 September 2008 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Ashley insisted that he had saved Newcastle from 「doing a Leeds」. 「Unless I had come into the club then it might not have survived,」

[IrishIndependent2Aug2009-19] [19]
（英文）Geordies need another messiah to justify immaculate deception. Irish Independent. 2 August 2009 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. People warn that Newcastle United are in danger of "doing a Leeds" but it can be argued that when it comes to hubris, Newcastle United make Leeds look as modest as Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra

[Mail25May2009-20] [20]
（英文）What the back pages say: The world ponders Alan Shearer's future as he cites a million reasons for Newcastle's relegation while Sbragia quits Sunderland. Daily Mail. 25 May 2009 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Daily Star - Alan Shearer will tell Newcastle's money men to swing the axe and make massive changes to stop the relegated club doing a Leeds.

[Guardian12Jan2010-21] [21]
（英文）Are Manchester United doing a Leeds?. The Guardian. 12 January 2010 [23 January 2010]. （原始內容存檔於2010-01-23）. Scrutiny of the Premier League champions' financial results makes for eerily familiar reading. Will the weight of their debts drag them out of the Premier League in the next five seasons?

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