Relegated after going into administration - The demise of Leeds Utd

Leeds United have been put out their sorry misery and been relegated to League One after being deducted 10 points for going into administration. The 10-point deduction - in accordance with Football League rules - means Leeds will finish the season at the bottom of the Championship.

However on the flip-side, they will not lose any points for the start of their first season in League One in August. Administrator KPMG has already agreed to sell the club to a newly-formed company led by chairman ex- Chelsea fat-cat Ken Bates, scuppering any hopes of a fan's buyout. Cheer up Leeds Fans, there is always 'My Football Club!'.

The demise of Leeds Utd, from defeat in a Champions League Semi-Final against Valencia in 2001, to being relegated to League 1 in 2007 has been fast and brutal. In a chase for success, Leeds under Peter Risdale ran up massive debts in an effort to compete for honours at the top of the Premiership and in Europe. With a team starring the likes of Paul Robinson, Rio Ferdinand, Alan Smith, Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka... the list goes on, Leeds continually overspent on mediocre players and their ridiculous wage demands.

Leeds still have a huge fan-base, with Elland Road capable of holding 40,000 fans. Whether that number will ever arrive through the turnstiles again is a different story. The diagram to the left shows what has been the ultimate fall from grace. The failure to qualify for the Champions League in seasons 2000-2001, and 2001-2002 after the £100 million gamble on players proved to be the straw that broke the camels back.

A host of failed management attempts culminated last year, when Leeds fell at the final hurdle in their quest for the return to the big-time, when under Kevin Blackwell they reached the play-off final. Sadly for Leeds fans, Boothroyd's Watford clinched the result that day. After now finishing bottom of the Championship this season, they now face the prospect of losing the majority of their remaining 'quality players', such as Northern Ireland international, and Euro 2008 leading scorer David Healy.

One glimmer of hope for Leeds Utd is that Manchester City were relegated to the same division in 1999-then called Division Two - and bounced back a year later with a play-off final victory that eventually led to a return to the Premiership.

So, all is not lost for Leeds and their fans. But when you look at what they have lost over the years, it is not only unbelievable but also quite disturbing. Could Newcastle eventually face the same fate? Only time will tell.