It’s a reunion at Buxton FC for two Leeds United old boys

Buxton FC seems a popular place for Leeds United players of yesteryear now that both Matthew Kilgallon and Chris Dawson are plying their trade at the Tarmac Silverlands Stadium. The pair joined in the summer of 2020 but due to a curtailed season that was eventually suspended, neither player has been able to officially play for the club yet. The hope is that the 2021/2022 season brings about a change in the fortunes of both players as they look to help the Bucks win the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

With this in mind, what can supporters expect from the two players when they pull on the club’s famous blue kit for the first time?

Matthew Kilgallon

Mathew Kilgallon has certainly had the most distinguished career out of the two having come through the famous Leeds United academy. The problem for Kilgallon was that his rise through the ranks at Leeds coincided with the Whites beginning to go into a stall after flying high in Europe. There was, however, a chance for Kilgallon and the Leeds team of 2006 to correct the stall and the catastrophic engine failure that Leeds were suffering from given that the Whites made it to Cardiff to contest the Championship play-off final against Watford in 2006. Unfortunately, a lacklustre Leeds team turned up on the day and got rolled over 3-0 by the Hornets which resulted in the West Yorkshire club crashing down to earth and plummeting through the football league. Seven months after that day in Cardiff, Kilgallon was off to the Premier League, having signed for Sheffield United.

Over the course of the next 13 years, Kilgallon would make his way to another seven clubs as he racked up 433 professional appearances in a journey that would take him to some far-flung places. Indeed, the defender’s last stint in football before joining Buxton was in India with Hyderabad FC who compete in the Indian Super League.

That may seem like quite a peculiar destination but there is evidence that football in India is getting more competitive and perhaps isn’t the retirement home that many back in the UK believe it to be. Additionally, the interest in football in India is now at an unprecedented level. In fact, a visit to asiabet.org will show how popular football betting is in India in 2021. The most popular competitions to bet on are still European tournaments given that these often feature the most widely-followed teams, competing for the biggest prizes. But the point still stands: the popularity of football in India is growing at a rapid rate and Kilgallon would have been put through his paces whilst over there.

The man who brought his A-game tonight! Matt Kilgallon is the Jai Raj Steel: Strongest Player of the Match.#AbHyderabadKhelega #HFCOFC #HyderabadFC #HeroISL #IndianSuperLeague #Hyderabad #LetsFootball #TrueLove pic.twitter.com/62pNn3p0Bx

— Hyderabad FC (@HydFCOfficial) January 15, 2020

As for the 37-year-old’s current ability, he has without a doubt lost the pace that made him such a valuable defender during his time in the Premier League. In fact, Kilgallon played as a left-back for Leeds for a while and would go on long marauding runs as he left defenders in his wake. Buxton won’t be getting that version of Kilgallon but they will have a centre-back who has bags of experience and the ability to read the game. Kilgallon seems to have that prized sixth sense when it comes to knowing where the danger is, and should be more than able to cut it at non-league level still.

Chris Dawson

Chris Dawson also came through the Leeds academy but has failed to reach the heights that were expected of him after Neil Warnock gave him his debut at the age of 18 during a 2-1 loss to Derby County in 2013. Since then, Dawson has primarily drifted around the non-league pyramid with stints at Bradford Park Avenue, Scarborough Athletic, and Grantham Town, who of course recently named ex-Sheffield player Carlton Palmer as their manager, as this article from thenonleaguefootballpaper.com reports in detail.

One does fear for Dawson’s future prospects in football given his nomadic existence since leaving Leeds. The obvious hope was that he would find his feet at a level not far off that of the Championship but that ship looks to have sailed now that the diminutive midfielder finds himself in the seventh tier of the English football league system.

PHOTO: Under-21s captain Chris Dawson in action at Elland Road tonight. #lufc pic.twitter.com/rlhsSb61SI

— Leeds United (@LUFC) October 20, 2014

That’s not to say that Buxton will be getting a player who isn’t a good footballer, far from it. Despite his size, the midfielder can ride a challenge and has an eye for a devastating through-ball. One feels that the problem may be his approach to life as a professional footballer rather than his ability on the pitch.

But hope springs eternal in football and the stars may have finally aligned for Dawson now that he will share a change room with the consummate professional Matthew Kilgallon at Buxton. Indeed, an arm around the young midfielder from the 37-year-old could finally be the catalyst for some much-needed change in the direction of travel of Dawson’s career.