Patrick Bamford’s incredible gesture to Leeds United fans hints he may be following in the footsteps of club legends 

Add as preferred source on Google

Leeds United’s promotion celebrations continued this time in front of their home crowd as they hammered Bristol City at home. 

The Yorkshire side went back to the top of the table, in prime position for the Championship title, after winning 4 – 0 with goals from Ao Tanaka, Willy Gnonto and Largie Ramazani. 

Leeds are now equal on points with Burnley, with goal difference making sure they stay on top with one game to go. 

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	45	28	13	4	93	29	64	97
2	BurnleyBurnley	45	27	16	2	66	15	51	97
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	45	28	7	10	62	35	27	89
4	SunderlandSunderland	45	21	13	11	58	43	15	76
5	Bristol CityBristol City	45	17	16	12	57	53	4	67
6	CoventryCoventry	45	19	9	17	62	58	4	66

With 3 points looking secured, Patrick Bamford came on for Joel Piroe with just under 10 minutes left of play.

Bamford has spent the last seven years of his career at Elland Road, but his pre-match gesture to the fans suggests this could be about to change.

Patrick Bamford puts £5k behind the bar in Leeds’ Old Peacock pub 

The infamous Leeds United pun. The Old Peacock, shared on it’s Facebook page before last night’s game that Bamford has generously put £5,000 behind the bar. 

Meaning fans could get a free first drink ahead of their clash versus Bristol City, a very generous gift from Bamford. 

The former Chelsea player isn’t the first Leeds star to perform this benevolent act, and it could be a sign of things to come. 

Luke Ayling saw his career transform during his time at Leeds United. He departed the Yorkshire club in January last year after eight years at Leeds.

He joined Middlesbrough on loan before becoming a permanent signing, and after his departure he was honoured by the Old Peacock temporally being renamed ‘The Luke Ale Inn.’ 

After seeing the renaming of the pub, Ayling reposted it on his Instagram story, saying: “What an honour. Can’t wait to get in and have a pint once the season is over.

“Obviously I am really focused on making sure I do everything I can to push on at Middlesbrough but one day I’ll be back to say goodbye and the drinks are on me.” 

And he was true to his word, visiting the pub in March 2024 and putting £500 behind the bar for all the loyal supporters to enjoy. 

Another former Leeds star who has performed a similar courtesy is Liam Cooper. 

Cooper left Elland Road after 10 years in September 2024, and was invited back to Elland Road as a special guest for their match on New Years Day versus Blackburn Rovers. 

Posting on Facebook, the team at The Old Peacock wrote: “We would like to send a massive thank you to Liam Cooper for coming into the pub today and putting £1,000 over which we handed fans a free can of ALAW Lager on his behalf.”

Given that Ayling and Cooper gave back to the fans with this thoughtful gesture, it does make the fan wonder about Patrick Bamford’s place next season.

With the club’s Premier League status confirmed, Bamford’s place in the team could be in danger given the different level of competition the top flight presents, and the likely squad reshuffling over the summer.

With this in mind, Bamford clearly saw it as the perfect time to pay back to the fans.

Patrick Bamford’s time at Elland Road 

With Bamford’s somewhat goodbye gesture, it pays to look back at his time at Elland Road.

Bamford arrived in the summer of 2018 from Middlesbrough, becoming Leeds’ most expensive signing since Robbie Fowler in 2001, for a fee believed to be £7 million. 

He made his debut that August in a 4-1 win at Derby County. His time at Leeds began with an injury, which has been a reacurring theme throughout his time at the club.

Two months after joining he suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury and spent months on the sidelines.

He played a huge role in Leeds’ Championship winning season in 2019-20, scoring 16 goals that season. 

Back in the Premier League for the 2020-21 season, injuries meant Bamford only featured in 9 games. 

The following season saw him feature in 28 league games but a fall in his goal total. The 2023-24 Championship season also saw him frequently out of the starting 11, making 33 appearances with 8 goals scored.

This season has followed a similar path for Bamford, with a hamstring injury keeping him out for a significant period. 

He returned to team training in March 2025, gradually coming back into match day squads. 

So far this season, given there’s only one match to go, he has made 11 appearances with no goals. 

It remains to be seen if Bamford will feature in Leeds’ last game of the season as they close in on a record-breaking feat.