Leeds United, Graham Smyth, and the Chief Football Writer

There are many jobs around the world that are hazardous to your health. Firefighters routinely run into burning buildings to save people running in the opposite direction. My dad is a huge fan of Deadliest Catch, a show whose title comes from the very real danger faced by fishermen battling the Bering Sea. Logging, meanwhile, carries one of the highest workplace fatality rates in the world, with an average of around 91 to 128 deaths per 100,000 workers. To be perfectly honest with you, you wouldn’t catch me doing any of them. 

Thankfully, writing about football clubs doesn’t involve running into burning buildings or battling 40-foot waves in the Bering Sea. The chances of being crushed by a falling tree are also reassuringly low. Phew! Writing probably won’t feature on any official list of dangerous professions. That said, if there were a study into the long-term effects of transfer windows on blood pressure and anxiety, I’d happily volunteer.

On the other hand, reporting on Leeds United is a whole other beast. There’s the never-ending cycle of tweets and messages from needy fans (myself included) desperate for transfer news; the arguments online because you had the audacity to give Brenden Aaronson a 6/10 in your player ratings; and wondering why a complete stranger on the internet has decided your opinion is further proof that you’re a club shill.

Of course, that’s just the public-facing side of the job. It’s the part we all see. What we don’t see are the hours spent chasing stories that go nowhere, the endless phone calls, the late-night messages, the long journeys to away games, the relationships that have to be built, and the pressure of trying to be right when thousands of supporters are hanging on every word. As transfer journalism continues to descend into a race for clicks, “exclusives” and social media engagement, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the reporters who quietly go about their work without turning themselves into the story.

And after seven years as Chief Football Writer at the Yorkshire Evening Post, I think it’s fair to say that Graham Smyth has done a phenomenal job of looking after this crazy fan base. 

It wasn’t an easy gig stepping into the shoes of the much-loved and hugely respected Phil Hay, but Smyth quickly established himself as a trusted voice with a Leeds fanbase that had spent years hanging on Phil’s every word. Perhaps Hay simply reached his limit of replying to “Any news, Phil?” every waking hour. Or the request to “post a pic of your bird on here”. If Smyth has decided to get out before the same fate befalls him, I can’t say I blame him.

Just think about everything he has covered in those seven years. A Championship title under Marcelo Bielsa. A brief stint in the Premier League. Relegation. A takeover. Play-off heartbreak. Another Championship title. Survival in the Premier League. When you stop and look at it like that, he and the rest of us have certainly had our money’s worth.

I sat down with Graham Smyth to ask him about his seven years covering Leeds United for the Yorkshire Evening Post. And by “sat down”, I mean I nervously fired him a message online late at night and hoped he’d reply.

Thankfully, he did.

I have nothing but respect and gratitude for Graham. He was incredibly generous with his time, honest and thoughtful, and happy to indulge this fool with a small Leeds United blog who wanted to know what life is really like on the other side.

So, with that said, here are the questions I put to Graham, along with his responses. 

1. You’ve spent years covering Leeds United on a daily basis. Looking back now, was it everything you imagined when you first got the job, or were there parts of it that surprised you?

The size of the club definitely caught me by surprise. Just the sheer appetite for news and information. Going from something like 3,000 followers on Twitter to 23,000 in what felt like a few hours was a bit of a head-melter. But what I wanted was a step up and Leeds United certainly provided that. The quality of football, the atmosphere at games, the opportunities to watch football in brilliant places – it was exactly what I hoped for. 

What I didn’t bank on was just how dramatic it would be on a near-constant basis. Never, ever boring.

2. Supporters often think football journalism is all about breaking transfer news, but what’s a typical working day actually like during the season?

Every day is just about trying to convey the thoughts and opinions we have, in an interesting way. So coming into each shift with ideas on what to write about, who to interview, which player to analyse and keeping an ear to the ground for what it is supporters are currently debating.

3. Leeds is a football club where every result, every rumour and every article is analysed to death. What’s been the most demanding part of covering the club day in, day out?

Probably the steady stream of rumours, many of which are fabricated, and the need to check things out with sources. You would not believe how many lies are told during a transfer window. Whether it’s an agent drumming up interest or just a bored Leeds fan, you wade through incredible levels of pure waffle most days.

4. What’s the most difficult Leeds story you’ve ever had to report, either because it was emotionally challenging or because you knew it wouldn’t be well received by supporters?

I knew there would be a lot of flak and whataboutery when I wrote about the Jimmy Savile chants. Some people will never accept a level of responsibility or accept that there is an issue that needs to be resolved. 

There were a few stories that left their mark – the death of Adam Hall was one. Interviewing the mum of little ‘Bob’ was a humbling experience because I don’t know where she got her strength from to even speak about his passing.

Calling for Andrea Radrizzani to sell up wasn’t a comfortable moment, but it was necessary.

5. Has social media made football journalism better or harder? It feels like supporters expect instant updates now, and rumours spread faster than ever.

It allows greater levels of interaction and a window into the hive mind, but it has its pitfalls too. People do expect to be kept abreast of almost minute-by-minute progression in transfer business, when often things can take days to progress. Patience is in shorter supply than ever. Kindness too. But there’s a lot to laugh about most days thanks to Leeds fans and that’s the main thing on any day.

6. From your perspective, how different is Leeds United now compared to the club you first started covering? What do you think the 49ers have changed behind the scenes that supporters perhaps don’t fully appreciate?

A club that was being run on a lot of emotion and passion seems like it’s being run on a lot of information and reasoning. The club is calmer, generally. They don’t kick off with the media or get offended by stories. The recruitment always seems to have a thread of common sense through it, it’s not as scattergun or hit-and-miss.

7. Finally, where do you see Leeds finishing this season?

I can see midtable, especially if the window continues to go this week. I’d take 14th and upwards though.

Some of you will probably be disappointed by the lack of transfer questions, but that was never my intention when I reached out to Graham. He gets enough of those every single day.

Whatever comes next for Graham, I wish him every success. Because after 7 years of writing about Leeds, he’s now become part of the fabric. He’s Leeds. And he knows he is.

Enjoyed this? After The Bell will always be free. If you'd like to support the site, you can buy me a coffee and cake. It's Farke's favourite. 🤍💙💛