Rous was a ref between 1927 and 1934 (I think he was the first referee to use the system of having each assistant referee running only half of the line), after which he re-wrote the rules of the game as secretary of the FA. There are shots of footballers in training, and then another local man who has been made redundant, Barry Pennington, goes into his back garden to his aviary. As Spanish defenders backed away, Jones headed towards the penalty area and his shot was well directed but parried away by Barcelona goalkeeper Tenas. Mel Sterland’s autobiography – Boozing, Betting and Brawling – describes Lloyd as a “right stuck up cow” on set, so perhaps it’s fair enough.

With the Highlander himself, Christopher Lambert, among the producers, this was already destined to be a high-class affair. After 11 years at his boyhood club, the 27-year-old Sterland fancied a change of scenery and Edmiston Drive was his next destination. Gary Pallister may have the best: 1/1 by scoring against Blackburn in 92/93 when the league was already secured. This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package. Sterland became an immediate favourite with the Elland Road fans as his five goals in 42 league games that season sealed Leeds the Second Division title and promotion back to the First Division after eight years away.

On a cold December afternoon in 1989, Sterland delivered a trademark Exocet missile onto the head of Ian Baird to seal a late win over promotion rivals Newcastle United, having first left defenders in his wake with a deep run from his own half. Despite that, there were still plenty of highs in a stint that, strangely, did not include so much as one derby appearance against United. He played for the Owls 129 times, scoring 12 goals, between 1982 and 1985 and was an integral figure in Howard Wilkinson's side which won promotion to the top flight in 1984. Running out at Ibrox with a full house was absolutely magnificent and it was a pleasure to play for them.

Sports Reference Purpose: We will be the trusted source of information and tools that inspire and empower users to enjoy, understand, and share the sports they love. One such player was Gary Stevens, the England international was signed by Graeme Souness the previous summer from Everton. Ally said, ‘I think you might’ve been robbed there, it should’ve only been about a fiver or a tenner’.You talk about Man United v Man City, Everton v Liverpool, Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield United, you can forget that, nothing compares to Rangers v Celtic, the atmosphere was absolutely frightening. Great things are expected of the Class of ‘23 their goal came deflected off the back of Curtis Jones as the Liverpool midfielder crouched down in front of the defensive wall, diverting Cole Palmer’s free-kick. Sharing a proud South Yorkshire upbringing, Wilkinson knew all about Sterland’s qualities from the time they spent together at Sheffield Wednesday, and for Sterland to play over 300 games for his boyhood club but still take on the challenge of Leeds United with such gleeful relish says everything about his character.

It is why the former full-back, brought up on the Manor estate in the Steel City and a regular on the Kop back in the days when supporters were still open to the elements, is eagerly looking forward to tonight’s gala dinner to celebrate the Owls being formed exactly 150 years ago. There is a cameo role in the training session for a permanently fuming Mel Sterland, whose near-400 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday qualified him perfectly as a convincing captain for their cross-city rivals. The manager Howard Wilkinson didn’t let me travel up to Rangers for the first leg and I was absolutely gutted I couldn’t get fit for the second leg as well. Darrell explained how it was a personal tragedy which inspired her mum to dedicate her life to helping others. It was the quiet after the storm, and after monumental exertions some well-deserved peace, because Sterland left absolutely nothing on the pitch, and soon after, you realised they just don’t make footballers like Mel Sterland anymore.

It instantly felt right, and Sterland brought exactly the right charisma and personality to the functional and pragmatic Leeds team that Wilkinson was creating.