Players past and present have joined countless fans in bidding an emotional farewell to Leeds United legend, Luke Ayling, as he departs the club to join Middlesborough after more than seven long years at Elland Road.
Ayling, who has been a stalwart in the side since 2016, spending some of the best years of his career and the club's recent history as the first-choice right-back, was officially unveiled as a Boro player on Wednesday — but not before a proper goodbye.
Having been part of the side that led Leeds back to the Premier League after their 16-year absence and serving as a trusted deputy to team captain Liam Cooper during his injury setbacks, the fans and those around the club are gutted to see him go.
The club shared a number of fond farewells from Cooper, Patrick Bamford, Archie Gray and Stuart Dallas on Thursday.
Leeds stars say bye to the bloke simply known as 'Bill'.
Making a total of 268 appearances (93 in the top flight) keeping 83 clean sheets and serving as captain 81 times started as captain, not to mention registering 11 goals and 21 assists from full-back, he has been a key cog in how Leeds play for a long time.
Surviving nine different managers across eight whole seasons, experiencing all the highs and the lows, the 32-year-old has seen every side of the Peacocks and things won't be the same without him. His former teammates made that abundantly clear.
Cooper wrote in his own personal tribute post on X: "Think I speak for everyone, there isn’t many who come and get us like Bill. I’d want him in the trenches with me everyday of the week. Enjoyed the highest of highs and dragged each other through the tough times. Gonna miss you pal. Nothing but respect."
Dallas also joined, adding, "A leader both on and off the pitch. An absolute warrior who I would pick to go to war with every day of the week. A club legend that will be remembered forever. It’s been a pleasure my mate." The fan farewells have been even more emotional:
Ayling now joins the fellow Championship side on loan until the end of the season but with his contract expiring at the end of the season, there is the obvious expectation that a move to Michael Carrick's side or otherwise will be made permanent.
The former Arsenal academy graduate hasn't played in the league for the Whites since 3 November but was given a cameo by manager Daniel Farke in the FA Cup win over Peterborough United this past Sunday.
Speaking on his decision to leave, Ayling himself thanked the club for the unwavering support, insisting: "I can't tell you what a great time I've had... I've got no words".
Reeling off the highlights from his time in Yorkshire in a lengthy sign-off, he ended by simply writing, "Thank you for everything, I hope I've done you proud".
An enormous fan park is set to open in Leeds this month, ahead of Leeds United's FA Cup semi-final clash against Chelsea.
The Whites will be heading to Wembley on Sunday 26 April, but Leeds fans will be able to cheer them on in our home city too, thanks to this massive event from 4TheFans.
4TheFans will be turning the O2 Academy Leeds into an immersive, dedicated Leeds United fan park experience for this historic day.
Expect to watch all the action on the biggest screen in Leeds, plus there'll be world-class sound, a Sky Sports presenter, a fully-stocked bar, a dedicated 4TheFans presenter, DJs, and a genuine Leeds football legend providing analysis and banter.
And every time the ball hits the back of the net, pyrotechnics and other special effects will only add to the atmosphere.
It's been 39 years since our beloved Leeds reached an FA Cup semi-final, and now Daniel Farke’s side are just 90 minutes away from a place in the FA Cup Final.
Nearly 2000 fellow supporters will be able to come together under one roof in one of the city's most iconic venues, for what's shaping up to be the best atmosphere outside Wembley itself.
This really is the best alternative to being at the actual match, with 4TheFans’ proven track record of creating atmospheric fan parks for major sporting events.
A huge FA Cup semi-final fan park is opening in Leeds, with the biggest screen in the city
And whether it ends in ecstasy or heartbreak, this is a match that Leeds fans need to see together.
Hundreds of tickets have already been sold from pre-registration.
General Admission tickets start at £7.50 and provide standing access to the entire fan park, while premium seated tickets start from £9.50 and secure a balcony seat with unobstructed views of the screens.
This family event is for anyone over eight years old (under 14s must be accompanied by an adult on the balcony).
The 4TheFans FA Cup semi-final fan park will be open at O2 Academy Leeds on Sunday 26 April, with doors open at 1pm ahead of a 3pm kick-off.
Estimated to be worth around £45 million, the Grade II-listed structure renovations won't begin for a little while just yet, but it is set to increase the capacity of the space by more than 50%.
Announced on Tuesday, 24 March, the major refurb will be partly funded by public money and topped up by the private sector and "philanthropic partners".
The UK government and Sheffield City Council will be pumping in approximately £35m, with a further £10m being added through the investment mentioned above.
Soon to allow the theatre to scale up or down in size, the hope is that the new 'in the round' format will enable the Crucible to serve its arts and sporting audiences for decades to come, as well as opening the big Northern stage up to new opportunities.
Due to start in the summer of 2028, it's still unclear as to the exact completion date, but the plans are in support of confirmation that the annual snooker tournament will stay put.
A fresh agreement with the WSC will see them stay in Sheff until at least 2045, with the Crucible's number of seats set to jump from just under 1,000 to 1,480.
It's also said there is an option in the deal to extend the contract until 2050, and as one of the biggest competitive events that comes to the city year in and year out, you would expect them to push hard for the Council and partners to push hard for this, too.
Credit: Bread and Butter PR (supplied)
Dan Walker, Chair of Sheffield Theatres Trust, said in a statement: "The Crucible is a wonderful theatre with a brilliant reputation, and the positive impact of this investment will be seen for years to come.
"As a proud resident of Sheffield, I know the importance of snooker to our city, but this isn’t only good news for Sheffield: this is amazing news for the north of England and the whole of the UK."
If all goes to plan, the overhaul should take around 18 months, with productions being hosted in the Lyceium and the newest room, the Montgomery.
All the while, the Sheffield Theatres will continue to present new work both domestically and around the globe over this period, with more details coming this autumn 2026.
Danny Jones -
11th January 2024 
