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Football

15th May 2019

Leeds United earn unwanted record after playoff defeat to Derby County

Frank Lampard's Derby County made history with their playoff victory on Wednesday night, as did Leeds United, but not in a good way

Reuben Pinder

It goes from bad to worse

Derby County made history on Wednesday night as they became the first team to lose the first leg of their playoff semi-final at home and overturn the deficit away from home to go through to the final.

Leeds United also made history, but not in the way they will have hoped.

This Championship season has been a rollercoaster. Constant twists, turns and drama have reminded us what makes English football’s second tier so magnificent. While Norwich City clinched the title and Sheffield United took the other automatic promotion spot, Leeds actually led the pack at Christmas.

Their failure to get promoted, which was confirmed on Wednesday night, makes them the first team to be top of the Championship at the midway point of the season and fail to secure promotion to the top flight since 2007.

https://twitter.com/bettingvillage/status/1128766785803685893?s=19

Every team since 2008 who was top at Christmas has sustained that run of form to reach the promised land of the Premier League. That run came to an end this season, because Leeds did a Leeds.