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Promotion from League One, 2010: Leeds United Return to the Championship
Leeds United finally escaped League One in 2010, finishing runners-up with 86 points and returning to the Championship after a dramatic promotion campaign.
The end of the League One years
The 2009-10 season was about getting Leeds United back where the club felt it belonged. After two painful play-off failures, Simon Grayson's side finally secured promotion from League One and returned to the Championship.
A season of pressure and momentum
Leeds finished second with 86 points from 46 matches: 25 wins, 11 draws and 10 defeats. They scored 77 goals and conceded 44. Charlton Athletic finished behind Leeds, while Norwich City won the title. The promotion race went down to the final day, when Leeds defeated Bristol Rovers 2-1 at Elland Road to secure automatic promotion.
The Old Trafford moment
The season's most famous individual moment came months earlier. On 3 January 2010, Jermaine Beckford scored at Old Trafford to give Leeds a 1-0 FA Cup victory over Manchester United. That result became one of the defining moments of the modern Leeds story and gave the squad and supporters a memory that would live long after the promotion celebrations.
The key players
Beckford was the main goal threat, scoring 25 League One goals. Robert Snodgrass supplied seven goals and eight assists in the league statistical record, while Jonny Howson was another important young player. Michael Doyle provided midfield durability, and players including Max Gradel, Luciano Becchio, Neil Kilkenny, Bradley Johnson and goalkeeper Shane Higgs contributed to the promotion campaign.
The goal achieved
Leeds finished second rather than winning the League One title, but promotion was the prize that mattered. After years outside the Championship, Leeds United were finally moving upwards. The next chapter would be played against bigger clubs, with the long-term objective of returning to the Premier League.