Each week Simon Bunn looks back at a Premiership ‘Cult Hero.’ – And this week its former Leeds United man Tony Yeboah.
Anthony “Tony” Yeboah arrived in England having been a cult hero with Eintracht Frankfurt. After topping the German goal scoring charts for two seasons in a row, fans set up support groups known as ‘Zeugen Yeboahs.’ Translated into English it means ‘Yeboah’s Witnesses,’ in reference to the door-to-door knocking religious group. In England he would reach the same status, minus the Jehovah’s Witnesses link.
Tony Yeboah was signed by Howard Wilkinson’s Leeds United, in 1995, for a fee of £3.4m. His goal scoring exploits quickly embedded him into the hearts of the Elland Road faithful. During three injury-interrupted seasons, Yeboah netted 33 goals in 62 games for Leeds, including 3 hat-tricks. For the mathematicians out there that accounted to a goal every 1.88 games.
But it wasn’t so much his goal scoring regularity that made him a cult hero; it was the spectacular fashion that he often scored them in, as well as his love of the local culture. Yeboah claimed that his power and remarkable form was due to his fondness for Yorkshire Puddings. ‘Yeboah goals’ were regularly featured on Match of the Day’s ‘Goal of the Month’ competition. Few fans, privileged enough to witness them, will ever forget the goals that he scored against Liverpool and Wimbledon. Both were ferociously hit from long range and crashed against the underside of the crossbar, before crossing the line. The goal against Wimbledon went on to win ‘Goal of the Season’ for 1995-96. Leeds United folklore will also tell you that one of Yeboah’s shots was unofficially measured at 96mph, a statistic meaning that he had a harder shot than Leed’s legend Peter Lorimer.
When George Graham took over at Elland Roadhe didn’t see eye to eye with Yeboah and promptly sold him back to the German League. By that time however the Ghanaian striker had well and truly endeared himself to Leeds United fans forever. So much so that the letters ‘OAH’ were regularly added to the ‘Yorkshire Electricity Board’ signs dotted around the city. For those slow on the uptake ‘YEB’ was of course the acronym.
Tony Yeboah remains the only player to have won the ‘Goal of the Month’ competition, on Match of the Day, for two months running. And to this day, whenever a goal is scored that hit’s the underside of the crossbar; it is still referred to by many as a ‘Yeboah’ or ‘Tony.’
image: © leedsyorkshire
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