Leeds United: 2023/24 Season Stats
This page is a record of red cards received by Leeds United in competitive matches since 1920. Billy Poyntz became the first Leeds player to be sent off against Bury in February 1922.
Remarkably, the club went through a period of 36 years before receiving their next red card when Archie Gibson was given his marching orders against West Brom in 1958.
Gaetano Berardi has received a club record eight red cards for Leeds United, although his last against Millwall was rescinded by the Football Association. Officially, Gaetano Berardi holds the joint-club record for most sendings off alongside Alan Smith with seven dismissals each.
Other notable disciplinary records include John Sheridan (5 red cards) and Kalvin Phillips (4 red cards). Leeds have received seven red cards against Middlesbrough, the most against any single opponent in the club's history.
The only three Leeds players to have been sent off on their Leeds debuts are Olivier Dacourt (August 2000 v 1860 Munich), Gaetano Berardi (August 2014 v Accrington Stanley) and Giuseppe Bellusci (August 2014 v Watford).
Lewis Cook remains the last Leeds player to score and receive a red card in a single match in 1-1 draw at Doncaster in the League Cup in 2015.
The card system was experimented with at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico following the idea by English referee Ken Aston. It was introduced to the Football League by the Football Association six years later in 1976. In January 1981, the card system was abolished by the FA council because the FA believed that "demonstrative referees" were becoming a problem. The International Board reintroduced red and yellow cards at the start of the 1987/88 season.
The Premier League introduced red and yellow cards to managers and team officials for misconduct ahead of the 2019/20 season. Leeds' managerial sendings off have also recently been added to the records.
Leeds United Red Cards
COMPLETE RECORD: LEEDS RED CARDS
[1] Gaetano Berardi's eighth red card was rescinced after a successful appeal on October 8th 2019. The statement read "An independent Regulatory Commission has removed Gaetano Berardi's one-match suspension with immediate effect following a claim of wrongful dismissal."
[2] Uefa confirmed referee Costas Kapitanis made a mistake in his report of sending off of Leeds United's Eirik Bakke in Champions' League. He reported that the Leeds midfielder had received a straight red card which incurred an automatic three-match ban, but instead the player was booked twice which resulted in a one-match ban.
[3] Dutch Referee Leo Horn took the players off the pitch for eleven minutes following a mass brawl that required the police to intervene. When the teams re-emerged from the tunnel, the game resumed without Jack Charlton and Valencia full-back Francisco Vidagany who had both been sent off.
[4] Referee Frederick Nicholson gave the reason for sending off Billy Bremner post-match: "I booked Bremner for foul play. I then sent him off after a comment he made to me." Sunday Mirror - Sunday 3 September 1967.
[5] The Sunday People reported that Ian Baird was given a straight red card against Wimbledon for "spitting at an opponent" on Sunday 8 December 1985. The Sunday Mirror reported Baird was sent off for "violent conduct."