An extraordinary event took place at the Hotel Metropole Leeds in October 1919 as the players of disgraced club Leeds City were auctioned to other clubs.  The Nottingham Evening Post carried an advertisement on 16 October 1910 announcing the sale: ‘if you desire the transfer of any player of the club, will you please meet the committee at the hotel named at 2p.m on Friday next.  Every club will have an equal chance, and arrangements will be made for the players to be accessible, so that negotiations may be completed at once.’  The objective was to ‘keep the players in League football, to see that they do not lose wages until re-engagement, and to provide out of transfer fees a fund whereby the players can be rewarded for past services, either by payment of percentage of increase in fee or percentage in lieu of presumed accrued share of benefit’.  City were formed in 1904 and moved into Elland Road where, in 1912, they were joined by their new manager Herbert Chapman.  Before he could establish himself the First World War resulted in the club being put into the hands of the receiver.  Soon after the war the revived club was rocked by a financial scandal amid allegations that certain illegal payments had been made to players during the war. After allegations made by a player earlier in the year, the FA and Football League set up a joint commission to investigate the club’s affairs.  During the war years, no fewer than 35 “guest” players had tuned out for Leeds, including seven internationals. When the club refused to hand over its accounts for inspection, City were found guilty of ‘irregular practices’ and expelled from the League.  Port Vale inherited their fixtures in the Second Division as well as the 10 points already won from the eight games Leeds City had played at this point. The League and FA also banned four Leeds directors and two previous managers, Herbert Chapman and George Cripps from asking any further part in football management or even attending football matches. The players fetched a more than £10,000, going at bargain prices ranging from £250 and £1,250 to managers who flocked to Leeds from clubs across the country. According to the Sheffield Evening Star, ‘at the end day, which, in sporting sense, will one of the saddest ever experienced in Leeds, the following fifteen transfers were made: The Wednesday: A. Price (inside-left), J. Edmundson centre-forward). Rotherham County: Millership (right fullback) and H. Lounds (outside-right). Lincoln City: F. Linfoot (centre-half). W. Ashhurst (left or right back). F. Chipperfield (centre-half). Notts County: W. McLeod (centre-forward). Preston North End: S. Bainbridge (outside left). Manchester City: T. Lamph (half-back). South Shields: W. Hopkins (centre-half), W. Walker (goalkeeper). Grimsby Town; A. Wainwright (inside-left), Sheffield junior last season. Aston Villa: H. Hampson (centre-half), W. Kirton (left or right full-back). We believe that quite a number the lesser-known men have not obtained berths. These men will be paid their wages by the League out of the transfer fund referred to.’  Football in the city did not end of course. A new club, Leeds United, was formed and were voted into the Midland League in 1919, taking the place vacated by Leeds City Reserves. The following year  were elected to the Football League.