Leeds’ debts grow bigger than dreams

WHEN Robbie Fowler walks out of Elland Road for Manchester City it will represent one more sorry and spectacular failure for the club that dared to reach for the stars but fell so dramatically to earth.

Selling Fowler will rake in around £7 million to chip away at the £77.8 million of debt which has seen Leeds United's share price plummet from 18p on flotation to 4.87p yesterday.

But the striker's exit says much more about a club which, little more than a year ago, dreamed of a place in the Champions League sun but now must rely on the coaching talents of manager Terry Venables to keep it from an ignominious drop into the Nationwide League.