Had the court of public opinion the power to sentence, there would be no football match at Elland Road this afternoon. Leeds United would be serving time at Her Majesty's Pleasure. As it does not, Leeds will host Newcastle United and fight it out for Christmas leadership of the Premiership.

However, the public trial of Leeds United will go on. If, as seems certain, Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate are active participants in the afternoon's events, it will go on and on and on. In Leeds and Yorkshire many will applaud this selection decision by David O'Leary and his chairman Peter Ridsdale, but nationally it is guaranteed to provoke further condemnation of the sort that has seen the London Times and the Daily Mail, hardly Sarfraz Najeib's natural allies, vilify Leeds United, Bowyer and Woodgate .

Last Friday, within Elland Road there must have been a sense that at least closure was coming to an episode that began with the vicious attack on Najeib in Leeds city centre two years ago next month. If Bowyer and Woodgate were found guilty the club was bracing itself for strong criticism for sticking by them during the two trials. If they were found innocent, and Bowyer was on all charges, Leeds were prepared for a couple of days' debate that would inevitably follow the judgment. It did not work out like that.

"This last week has been a bit like a year," said Ridsdale yesterday afternoon. He was not seeking sympathy. "I knew we hadn't come to the end of a cycle last Friday because we always knew there would be a week of critique from the press about what had gone on in court.

"But I think the surprise has been that although one player was innocent and one almost innocent, we appear to have been found guilty. I think the world had made its mind up. Perhaps the reputation of one or more of the individuals and the history of the football club played its part."

The volume of opinion unleashed on the club - and its ferocity - has been considerable. First there was the judgment itself, and Woodgate's punishment. "Thug and liar walk free," was the headline in the London Times. Then there was the book written by O'Leary and its serialisation in the News of the World. How could he be so insensitive as to profit from such an incident was the charge. Then there was Bowyer's initial refusal to pay the four-week fine imposed by the club. Sack him, said the Mail. Finally, on Thursday, with Bowyer's retraction, came the Najeibs' formal announcement of a civil action. Each day the noise has grown. Closure still looks a long way off.

While Ridsdale might put that reaction down to history, surely the timing of the serialisation of O'Leary's book was also a significant factor in the national reaction. Did he not anticipate that?

"Why must I have known about the book? I didn't know Eddie Gray was writing a book until a few weeks before it came out."

Ridsdale explained that O'Leary, Gray and Brian Kidd have contracts in which they do not have to inform Leeds United that they are publishing a book unless there are financial details within it that would be of harm to the club.

"The first I knew about the serialisation of the book was at the press conference (last Friday)," said Ridsdale. "The implication is that if I had known, I would have stopped it. But I probably wouldn't have stopped it. Do I wish it had not appeared? Of course I do."

Ridsdale knew that Leeds United On Trial was unlikely to help, despite O'Leary's "pride" in the publication. But then wouldn't it have taken a great book to have eroded the instant assumption throughout the land, if not in Leeds, that the assault of January 2000 was a racist incident and that its perpetrators were motivated by racism as well as alcohol?

"I find it hard to answer that without choosing words that might be misinterpreted," Ridsdale said to the race question. "But those who have been intimate with the case - the prosecution, two trial judges, police officers - deemed it not to be (racially motivated) early on. I understand why it might have been perceived by others to have been that way but that was not what was decided in court. I respect that judgment."

If Ridsdale did not know it beforehand, then he understands now that Leeds United have sustained massive national damage over the past 23 months. He has, in his description, been "pilloried" as much as anyone over that time and he risks more criticism today when in his programme notes he writes that he is "totally satisfied" that if he had to go over everything again he would do so "in the same way. Nobody has been able to describe to us what we could have done differently given the knowledge available to us at that moment in time."

Well, showing some sympathy for the victim might have been a good starting point. Ridsdale's reply was that had the accused or Leeds United been seen showing remorse before or during the trials then they would have implied guilt on their part. Fair enough, as he repeated: "Leeds United were not in the dock."

Ridsdale also said that in his private meeting with the Najeibs' consultant, Suresh Grover, he had expressed sympathy with Sarfraz Najeib's suffering. "But we were instructed to make no contact with the Najeib family because it could have been misconstrued," said Ridsdale.

But now, now that Woodgate at least has been found guilty of affray, does Ridsdale not think it time for Woodgate to demonstrate some public remorse toward Najeib?

"I think that would be wholly appropriate," said Ridsdale, "I think there are a lot of things that would ease tension. But all that has been further complicated (by the Najeibs' civil action).

"To my knowledge, Jonathan and Lee Bowyer have been given legal advice not to say anything in public and we now, once again, have got to keep our own counsel because of implication.

"I know how Jonathan feels because he phoned me last Friday night. He knows he's let himself, the club and his family down. He has shown remorse wholeheartedly to me and David O'Leary. I believe Jonathan Woodgate will learn a lesson."

After a week in which professional football has been identified as the occupation of the lout, everyone in the sport needs to start learning fast. Events at Elland Road today will illustrate whether anyone has made a start. Don't hold your breath.