I've been chopped up bit by bit - Wise fury at League chairmen

The 40-year-old Londoner and assistant Gus Poyet did little to hide their despair after 75 per cent of the 71 rival Football League clubs voted in favour of the governing body's unprecedented sanction.

Furious: Leeds boss Dennis Wise

But Wise, who carved out a playing career at the highest level on the back of an indomitable spirit, vowed Leeds will come out fighting when they launch their first season in Coca-Cola League One at Tranmere on Saturday.

Wise said: "It's laughable. Not only have they taken my arms and legs off, now they've cut my b***s off as well.

"It's just not funny at all. We'd like to know deep down the real reasons.

"If you look at the teams in our division I'm sure they probably wouldn't have voted for us if I'm being totally honest.

"I'm disappointed with the whole thing. Minus 15 points. We have to get 106 points to win the league, 92 points to get in the play-offs and 70 points to stay up. Lovely. Thank you very much.

"It's so disappointing, but these players, these fans are going to stick together and be strong and try to achieve it.

"It's going to be very difficult. A lot of people want to see us fall flat on our faces and they've helped make the situation as well.

"So we've got to fight against it, pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and get on with it."

In between learning the bad news and relaying it to his players, Wise has been working tirelessly to strengthen his squad and succeeded with the capture Norwich midfielder Andrew Hughes.

The 29-year-old has signed a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee and will be involved in the opening-day fixture at Prenton Park.

Wise said: "You know the pleasing thing about it? I've just signed Andrew Hughes from Norwich.

Not popular: But Dennis Wise says Leeds are stuck with him and Ken Bates

"I told him we were minus 15 points because we lost the appeal and he said 'no problem gaffer we'll just brush ourselves down and let's get on with it'.

"That's someone who wants to join this club. He doesn't care. He wants to give it a real go.

"Every other player I've got here, Alan Thompson, Tore Andre Flo, Leon Constantine, David Prutton, all the ones I've recently spoken to, have said we'll have a go with you and that's the type I want."

Wise conceded neither he nor chairman Ken Bates were popular among Leeds fans, but warned the pair were going nowhere and urged supporters once again to unite behind the club.

He said: "They don't like Batesy and they don't particularly like me, but at the end of the day they've got us, we're part of this club and we're part of them.

"And how many people would take on this? But we will take it on and we love it. We love the challenge and we need them behind us.

"It's difficult because of your background and where you come from. They find it very difficult I think to accept that.

"But this is part and parcel of what football is all about sometimes and it takes a bit of time for them to get used to you and I've got to give them that time and so has Ken Bates.

"He's turned other things around and so have I and in time we can do it again."

Wise chose his words carefully when asked how he felt towards the other Football League chairman who had voted against Leeds' appeal.

He added: "I can't really say. I don't think grudge is the right word. Fair is the word and I think a lot of them will go home and deep down inside will know they haven't been fair.

"Some will have done it for their own reasons and probably not the right reasons.

"Everyone wants to get a head start, so 23 teams in our league have got a very good head start on us."

Wise, still hoping to bring in "three or four" more players during the next couple of weeks, admitted he and his players will feel they have a point to prove ahead of every match, with the first target to avoid another relegation.

"After that there's other targets we want to achieve, but the first is to get to 70 points.

"It's been a nightmare for us and we've been tested to the limit."

But Wise also had a warning for those clubs in League One who feel the former Wimbledon and Chelsea dynamo is about to buckle under the pressure.

He added: "There is a point to prove. There's a massive point to prove for everyone here and we're looking forward to it."