TOWN seem certain to renew rivalries with Leeds next season.

And manager Andy Ritchie admits he is both excited and saddened at the prospect.

Like many in the game, Ritchie, a former Leeds player and Academy coach, is finding it hard to believe the club have been consigned to the drop to League I amid rumours they could go into administration.

Mathematically, they could still escape.

But given that Hull, the only team they can catch, have a goal difference of -15 to Leeds' -24, Dennis Wise's team are as good as down.

To make matters worse, Leeds face a Football Association inquiry after an injury-time pitch invasion led to a delay of 30 minutes before the 1-1 home draw with Ipswich could be completed.

A combination of Alan Lee's 88th-minute leveller for Ipswich at Elland Road and Dean Windass's winner for Hull at Cardiff did for Leeds, who reached the Champions League semi-finals only six years ago.

"This situation was on the cards, but it's still hard to take in," said Ritchie, scorer of 44 goals in 159 games for Leeds between 1983 and 1987 and Academy coach between 2002 and 2004.

"As a manager, the prospect of locking horns with a big club like them is appealing.

"And I'm sure the two Leeds games will be the first our fans look for when the list comes out in June.

"We might have lost the Bradford derby (their drop to League II was confirmed on Saturday) but a Leeds game is a great replacement.

"But I also have to say that as a former player and employee, I'm saddened.

"I enjoyed both my spells there, and while there was cost cutting going on when I was at the Academy, it was still a good set-up.

"It's no good Leeds feeling sorry for themselves and saying they are too big to be in League I.

"They will have to dust themselves down and get ready to battle like the rest of us.

"They'll certainly want to get back up to the Championship at the first attempt.

"But the experience of other clubs like Nottingham Forest shows it's not always that easy."

Town and Leeds last clashed in the League in the old Division II (now Championship) in 1987-88.

The Leeds Road clash was goalless while Leeds were 3-0 winners at Elland Road.

The last competitive meeting was in the first round of the Carling Cup in August 2004.

Leeds won the Elland Road tie 1-0 in front of a crowd of 30,115.