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“United are back” has been the soundtrack to Leeds United’s resurgence under Daniel Farke in what has already proved an historic campaign.
A team who won reached the Premier League with 100 points last season have moved to 40 points in the top flight and look an increasingly decent bet to stay up.
Stiles: 'The noise from the Leeds end before kick-off was unbelievable'
Now a first FA Cup semi-final appearance in 39 years beckons on Sunday as the Whites take on old adversaries Chelsea at Wembley.
Leeds’ last FA Cup semi-final, against Coventry City at Hillsborough on April 12, 1987, was a classic which had just about everything. Everything except a Whites win, of course.
A side managed by club legend Billy Bremner lost 3-2 to the Sky Blues after extra-time in an epic clash at Hillsborough in front of 51,372. There was another sob story for Bremner’s side later that season as they lost the Second Division Play-Off Final to Charlton.
Ex-midfielder John Stiles – son of Manchester United great and 1966 England World Cup winner Nobby and nephew of Leeds icon Johnny Giles – played a key role in the run to the semi-finals.
Stiles, 61, recalled: “We beat Telford and Swindon before playing QPR at home in the fifth round.
“In the quarter-finals, it was Wigan away and a special one because we won 2-0 and I scored, plus my dad was in the crowd.
“Then came the semi-final at Hillsborough and I remember my dad getting interviewed on television – I’d never seen him so nervous.
“The noise from the Leeds end before kick-off was unbelievable and I get quite emotional thinking about it now.
“Dave Rennie and Keith Edwards scored for us but Steve Ogrizovic made some great saves for Coventry and Dave Bennett, their tricky winger, won it for them in extra-time.
“I tried to maim Bennett during the game and years later, when I saw him at a function, he came up to me and pulled his trouser leg up.
“Bennett said ‘you f***ing did that!’ but he’s a great lad and was on fire that day and of course Coventry went on to beat Tottenham in the final.
“The end of the season was disappointing but the excitement during it was fantastic, especially the Cup run.
“There was a lot of anti-Leeds sentiment and Billy harnessed that with a siege mentality within the group.
“Billy would get us so wound up that you’d run through brick walls for him.”
By his own admission, Stiles did not boast anything like the talent his father had.
John now works as an after-dinner speaker and stand-up comedian – and can certainly laugh at himself.
He admitted: “I used to get a bit of stick off the Leeds fans and I’m not sure whether that was because my dad was a Man United legend or because I was crap!
“At the time I thought the criticism was a bit harsh but now I look back at the videos and agree with them.
“But 1986-87 was my best-ever season and I played a lot of games, so to get as far as we did in the FA Cup meant everything.”
Stiles’ mother Kay married Nobby in 1963 after they became acquainted through her brother Johnny.
John explained: “Dad met Uncle John when they were apprentices together at Man United.
“Uncle John took my dad over to Dublin one summer and that’s when he met my mum.
“When my dad left Man United, they didn’t look after him and the great Leeds team was in its pomp with my Uncle John a key player.
“Dad took me to Wembley to watch Leeds beat Arsenal in the 1972 FA Cup final.
“Uncle John – who I am named after – brought me onto the pitch afterwards on what was my eighth birthday.
“I remember going down the tunnel and into the dressing room afterwards with Don Revie and having a sip of champagne!
“I was there again the following season when Leeds lost to Sunderland and I cried my eyes out.
“I was also in Paris in 1975 for the European Cup final when they got cheated, so I just wanted to play for Leeds.
“To then pull the shirt on in some huge games was an honour, so I don’t look back at that 1986-87 season without any regret or even disappointment.
“We were that close to getting to the FA Cup final and the supporters were so much with us.
“That’s a big part of Leeds United – the fans are so passionate – and I see that same togetherness now with Daniel Farke, his players and the fanbase.
“Leeds have taken four points off Chelsea this season, so why can’t they beat them and reach the FA Cup final?
“I give them every chance and would love to see them do it.”
For a number of years, Stiles has been campaigning to raise awareness of ex-players suffering with dementia and helping provide them and their families with greater support.
Stiles’ much-loved father Nobby died of dementia in 2020 and Sir Bobby Charlton was living in a care home with the degenerative brain disease when he passed away in 2023.
Now John is leading the Football Families For Justice campaign group as they bid to receive far greater financial support for relatives affected by dementia.
He warned: “A number of my ex-Leeds team-mates are struggling with neuro-degenerative brain diseases and are going to get early onset dementia.
“I wonder how many others are going to get it – including myself – as Professor Willie Stewart has said we are three to five times more likely than the general population to get dementia.”
The Stiles family are among a number of claimants taking legal action against some of the sport’s governing bodies over the brain injuries their fathers allegedly suffered during their careers.
As the campaign group seek funding from the game’s authorities, they have the formal backing of the Football Supporters’ Association and the mayors of Manchester and Liverpool, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram, and culture secretary Lisa Nandy.
Legends such as Kevin Keegan, Graeme Souness, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir David Beckham are also supporting the campaign.
Stiles added: “Every week we’re hearing more heartbreaking stories and the most common quote from families is ‘we don’t know what we’re going to do’.
“The players in our group are seeing this heartbreak and that’s why we’re fighting like hell to get the financial support we need to help families care for their loved ones with dementia.
“You’ve got families now selling their homes to pay for care and we believe that the dementia care home costs were caused by their job as a footballer.”
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