User:Chappy84/History of Leeds United A.F.C. (1961-1974)

thumb|250px|Don Revie and [[Billy Bremner with the 1972 FA Cup]] Between 1961 and 1974 Leeds United A.F.C. were managed by Don Revie. Don is Leeds United's most successful manager in terms of success rate in matches, progression in cup competitions, and Trophies won. After a mediocre season in 1960-61 the Leeds board felt that a managerial change was required. Jack Taylor was asked to resign as manager and Revie was installed as player/manager in March 1961. Revie's first full season in charge wasn't the most successful with Leeds escaping relegation by three points. Leeds' famous white strip was introduced by Revie in the same season, and two seasons after Leeds were promoted as division champions to the top flight. Leeds first major trophies came in 1968 and over the following 6 years Leeds won five major domestic and European trophies. Revie left Leeds at the end 1973-74 season to manage England, leaving the Football League Championship as a parting gift.

Trophies

 * 1963-64
 * Division 2 - Champions
 * 1967-68
 * Football League Cup - Winners
 * Inter-Cities Fairs Cup - Winners
 * 1968-69
 * Division 1 - Champions
 * 1969-70
 * FA Charity Shield - Winners
 * 1970-71
 * Inter-Cities Fairs Cup - Winners
 * 1971-72
 * FA Cup - Winners
 * 1973-74
 * Division 1 - Champions

Seasons
1960-61 - 1961-62 - 1962-63 - 1963-64 - 1964-65 - 1965-66 - 1966-67 - 1967-68 - 1968-69 - 1969-70 - 1970-71 - 1971-72 - 1972-73 - 1973-74

1960-61
Don Revie took charge of Leeds United on 17 March 1961 but his first few matches in charge weren't exactly the most successful. Revie lost his first match in charge away at Portsmouth 3-1 and it took until his third match before Leeds managed to get any kind of result, with a 1-1 draw away at Luton Town. Don's first and only win this season was a 7-0 drubbing of Lincoln City at Elland Road but more defeats and draws followed, with the dismal streak only coming to a halt thanks to the end of the season.

Record:

1961-62
1961-62 was a season to forget. Don had yet to fully learn his trade and hadn't fully stamped his mark on the Leeds squad. There was little progress in the short term, however, and for many weeks in 1961-62 Leeds United seemed destined for the Third Division.

Bobby Collins was brought in from Everton towards the end of the season assuming the captaincy. He was a tiny man, but he brought a huge desire to win, one which had been missing from the Leeds side since Charles departed. Burnley reserve forward Ian Lawson and Sheffield United's Cliff Mason also arrived at Elland Road just prior to the transfer deadline and all three newcomers were in the side for the home game against Swansea. Collins opened the scoring in a vital 2-0 victory. It was a crucial result and, although Leeds lost 4-1 the following week at Southampton, set the team up for a phenomenal run in, during which they remained unbeaten.

They battled manfully through their remaining fixtures, building on a stout defence. Just four goals were conceded in eight matches following the Southampton reverse. Leeds still had much to do to survive with a point required away to Newcastle United to survive. An extraordinary performance saw Leeds triumph 3-0 to preserve their Second Division status. Skillful South African left winger Albert Johanneson gave an outstanding performance, opening the scoring and laying on the second goal.

In the FA Cup Leeds managed to get a draw against Derby County at home but the return leg saw Leeds lose 3-1 and the exited the competition. In the League cup Leeds beat Brentford 4-1 and Huddersfield Town 3-2 at Elland Road before receiving a bye to the 4th round. Leeds drew with Rotherham United at Millmoor requiring a replay which leeds lost 2-1 and went out of the competition.

Record:

1962-63
The successful battle for survival brought Reynolds, now chairman, and Revie new heart and they spent a record £53,000 to bring old favourite John Charles back from Juventus. The move was not a successful one and Charles played just 11 matches before returning to Italy, this time to Roma for £65,000. Leeds lost three of the first six games of 1962/63 and it looked like another season with not much to hope for.

Revie had had enough, and threw caution to the wind, drafting in youngsters. The move was a great success. On 8 September 1962, a leeds team containing Paul Reaney (17), Norman Hunter (18) and Gary Sprake (17) won 2-0 with goals from Rod Johnson (17) and Billy Bremner (19). Four games later, Scottish winger Peter Lorimer became the youngest player in the club's history at 15 years, 289 days old. Lorimer played only one more match that season and Johnson quickly faded, but Sprake, Reaney, Hunter and Bremner were there to stay, mainstays of the team for the next decade.

The big freeze that winter left Leeds without a game from 22 December until March 2, resulting in a run of 22 games in just 78 days. The youngsters emerged unaffected and Leeds stormed through the spring, with only a run of three defeats in May preventing promotion. Leeds missed out by just four points.

Record:

1963-64
Don Revie kicked off 1963-64 by tempting right winger Johnny Giles away from Cup winners Manchester United for a miserly £35,000. It was an astonishing signing, and many well known judges questioned Giles' sanity. He was leaving one of the biggest clubs in the country, now back winning honours after the disaster of the Munich air crash, for a move to a down at heel Second Division side. But Giles saw something in the urgency of Revie and the ambitions of Leeds United which excited him. Giles missed only two games that season. All round, it was a very settled side - Norman Hunter was the only ever present, but Gary Sprake, Paul Reaney, Billy Bremner, Bobby Collins and Giles missed only eight matches between them, while Willie Bell, Don Weston and Albert Johanneson all played more than 35 times. Such stability brought consistency and the defence was now almost flawless, conceding just 34 goals in the League. Leeds stayed unbeaten at Elland Road and lost just 3 games away in the league

The battle went down to the wire as Leeds, Preston and Sunderland pulled away from the pack, but in the end a run of eight wins and two draws at the end was crucial. Leeds brought in England centre forward Alan Peacock for £55,000 from Middlesbrough and he got 8 crucial strikes in the last 14 matches.

When Leeds beat Southampton 3-0 at home on 7 March, it was the first time they had scored more than two goals in any game since they had beat the same side 4-1 the previous October. The win eased the pressure which had built up and promotion back to Division One was secured on 11 April with a 3-0 win at Swansea.

In the FA Cup Leeds put Cardiff City out 1-0 and managed a 1-1 draw at Elland Road with Everton before losing 2-0 in the replay away. In the League cup Leeds beat Mansfield Town with ease 5-1 with both Lawson and Johanneson scoring 2 each before beating Swansea Town 2-0. However Leeds' run ended with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City

Record:

1964-65
Leeds had never got anywhere near winning either the League Championship or the FA Cup, but they nearly won both in a single season as they took the English game by storm in 1964-65. They won their opening three matches, including an astonishing victory against reigning champions Liverpool, and were in the running for the title all year. The hatred they inspired outside the club by their harsh style of play only served to drive the team closer together. They enjoyed a run of 13 wins in 15 matches at one point and it was only a stumble in the run, with two defeats and a draw in the last five games, that let eventual champions Manchester United in. The 1-0 loss at Elland Road on 17 April against their main rivals was crucial, but even then victory in the final match away to Birmingham would have given Leeds an unlikely title. They fell three goals behind before fighting their way back to level. It was not enough however, and Manchester United took the title on goal average after winning their last game.

The form also sustained a marvelous FA Cup run. Leeds knocked out Southport, Everton, Shrewsbury Town and Crystal Palace before a late goal from Billy Bremner saw off Manchester United after a replay in the semi finals. Leeds managed to take the final into extra time, and the indomitable Bremner equalised against the run of play before Ian St John's diving header won the Cup for Liverpool.

In the League Cup Leeds knocked out Huddersfield Town before losing 3-2 to Aston Villa. One Leeds player received a trophy however with Bobby Collins, the captain, being voted Footballer of the Year.

Record:

1965-66
There was a new experience in 1965-66. Leeds entered European football for the first time in their history playing in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Revie left his squad unchanged for the new challenge, but a purchase was prompted when Collins broke a thigh in the second leg of their first European tie against Torino. It cost £30,000 to bring Huddersfield right winger Mike O'Grady in as a replacement, and the player brought fresh options up front, although the unique fire and determination of the skipper was sorely missed. However, Johnny Giles slotted into Collins' central midfield slot alongside Bremner as if born to it and an awesome new partnership was formed.

Leeds finished runners-up in the League again, although they always lagged behind pace setters Liverpool, finishing six points away.

Their first foray into Europe brought both controversy and glory, with some violent clashes and a run which took them to the last four knocking out such clubs as Valencia. Eventually, a far more experienced Real Zaragoza side beat them 3-1 in a semi final play off. In the FA Cup Leeds were disappointing compared to their previous seasons efforts. The competition started with a 6-0 mauling of Bury at Elland Road but Leeds lost 1-0 away to Chelsea in the following round. The League Cup was also disappointing losing 4-2 at home to West Bromwich Albion in the third round.

Record:

1966-67
The defensive unit of Sprake, Reaney, Charlton, Hunter and Bell was normally on duty, but the versatile Paul Madeley had become a useful addition to the squad, featuring in eight different shirts as injuries disrupted things. Peter Lorimer now regularly featured on the right flank with any one of Albert Johanneson, Terry Cooper or the gifted Eddie Gray on the left. This brought a more creative approach, but the lack of a regular goalscorer was noticeable. Giles was the leading marksman with just 12, and there was never a consistent combination up front. Rod Johnson, Mike O'Grady, Alan Peacock, Jim Storrie, Jimmy Greenhoff and Rod Belfitt all got their chances, but only Greenhoff managed more than 14 games.

They brushed aside Crystal Palace (3-0) and West Bromwich Albion (5-0) before a battling Sunderland took two replays to defeat. Manchester City were then beaten 1-0 before. The FA Cup semi finals clash in the last four with Chelsea was a torrid affair and Leeds lost out 1-0, having a late equaliser controversially disallowed. The League Cup run wasn't anything to shout about. A replay was required to beat Preston before West Ham dumped Leeds out of the competition 7-0 away in the 4th round.

The furthest they went was in the Fairs Cup beating Hibernian, Rangers and Dundee before reaching the two legged final against Dinamo Zagreb. They had to wait until the start of the following season to settle matters because the tie was postponed due to a fixture congestion. Leeds lost the first leg in Yugoslavia 2-0 and then an over cautious approach in the second leg condemned the side to a goalless draw and another runners up spot.

There was some good news however when Jack Charlton became the second Leeds player in three seasons to win the Footballer of the Year award for his performances at the heart of the defence.

Record:

1967-68
Revie reacted to the shortcomings in attack in October and laid out a club record £100,000 to buy Sheffield United's hard Mick Jones. He made a difference but only managed 8 goals in the League. However, it was his brave and unselfish running, together with an ability to hold the ball up long enough to bring others into play, which really counted. Terry Cooper and Eddie Gray were now regulars, working in tandem on the left, and their attacking skills added greatly to the side's creative dimension. Leeds were impressive at home and brushed aside sides such as Chelsea 7-0 however they lost too many games away from Elland Road to mount a serious challenge in the League, but still repeated their fourth place finish, ending just five points behind champions Manchester City.

Disappointment also followed in the FA Cup after beating Derby County, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United along the way, Leeds again went down 1-0 in the semi final, this time to Everton. Their first major trophy came courtesy of the Football League Cup. Leeds conceded just a single goal in their run to the final and defences were on top again in a drab battle for the trophy against Arsenal. Leeds were understandably interested more in victory than contributing to a showpiece, and once Cooper had hammered home a long range goal after 20 minutes, United simply shut up shop but Leeds finally had something to show for their efforts.

Six months later, they won more silverware. The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final was once again held over until the start of the following season, with Leeds facing Ferencvárosi. Leeds looked to have missed their chance when they could only manage a solitary goal in the first match at Elland Road, but another great rearguard performance secured a goalless draw in the away leg and an aggregate 1-0 win, leaving Leeds United as the first British winners of the trophy.

This was Leeds' first and only double trophy winning season.

Record:

1968-69
Revie had told his players at the start of the season that they were going to win the League Championship and do so without losing a single match. They did in fact go nine games undefeated before reigning champions Manchester City ended their run at Maine Road with a 3-1 win. Four games later Leeds were humbled 5-1 away to Burnley, but after that the side strode through the next 28 matches undefeated. They conceded just 26 goals all season, and won the championship with a record haul of 67 points.

Don had guided the club from the brink of relegation to the Third Division when he took over as manager to become one of the biggest clubs in the country, feared and respected throughout the land. Their dominance in the 1968-69 league was frightening and when Leeds United were on their game there were few clubs who could live with them. It was Leeds' first League Championship in their history.

In the FA Cup Leeds weren't so un-beatable having been beaten 3-1 by Sheffield Wednesday in the replay at Elland Road. The League Cup was just as unsuccessful and after beating Charlton Athletic and Bristol City, Leeds lost 2-1 away to Crystal Palace. The Inter Cities Fairs Cup was slightly more successful and Leeds even brushed aside Hannover 96 7-2 on aggregate, but the following round they were beaten 3-0 on aggregate by Újpest Dozsa and went out of the competition.

Leeds however finally after forty-nine years had their hands on the ultimate prize in English football.

Record:

1969-70
In pre-season Don had made a foray into the transfer market for a new striker, signing Allan Clarke from Leicester for £160,000 for Allan Clarke. The season started in the usual style with the FA Community Shield between the League champions Leeds and FA Cup champions Manchester City. Leeds won the match 2-1 with goals from Eddie Gray and Jack Charlton. Leeds were still on an unbeaten run in the league since loosing at Burnley in October 1968. This continued for the opening six fixtures, however Everton ended the sequence at Goodison Park beating Leeds 3-2. This however had set a football league record of 34 games without defeat had been established by United in a staggering run that had stretched over ten and a half months. The record lasted until 2004 when Arsenal broke the record, eventually going 49 league games unbeaten.

Leeds went out with the intention of destroying any side that stood in their way, with the players having a massive belief in their own ability. Leeds scored a total of 127 goals from their 62 competitive matches in the 1969-70 season, answering the criticism of many people who had often criticised their football in the past. An illustration of Leeds' new approach away from home came at Chelsea in front of 57,221 at Stamford Bridge. Leeds were 2-1 down at the half-time. Leeds were un-phased by the scoreline however and went out for the second-half intent on showing their ability and determination. Leeds left that day with a 5-2 victory behind them.

In the European Cup Leeds started their campaign against SK Lyn Oslo intent on proving they deserved their place in the competition. Leeds piled 10 goals past the Norwegian side without reply at Elland Road, scoring a further 6 without reply in the away leg to go through to the second round 16-0 on aggregate. Leeds progressed with a 6-0 aggregate win over Hungarian side Ferencvárosi TC and a 2-0 aggregate win over Belgian side Standard Liège before being drawn against Celtic in the semi-finals. Leeds lost 3-1 on aggregate to the Scottish side, but not before helping to set a European match attendance record of 136,505 at Hampden Park. (The Final was only attended by 50,000)

In the F.A. Cup Leeds progressed with ease brushing aside sides such as Sutton United 6-0 being drawn against arch-rivals Manchester United. Matches at both Hillsborough and Villa Park ended goal-less with only a goal by Billy Bremner separating the sides in the second replay at Burnden Park. The Finals were against Leeds' other arch-rivals Chelsea and they were a bitterly fought games. The match at Wembley ended 2-2 after extra-time in front of 100,000 fans and it took extra-time in the replay at Old Trafford to separate the two sides, with Leeds eventually loosing 2-1. In the League Cup Leeds also went out to Chelsea loosing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge after a 1-1 draw at Elland Road.

It was the Treble that never was for Leeds Fans, having appeared in the Final of the F.A. Cup, the Semi-finals of the European Cup and loosing the title to Everton.

Record:

1970-71
The first match of the season saw Leeds travel to Manchester United with Leeds winning 1-0. Leeds won their next four League fixtures to bounce back after the disappointments of the Previous season. At one stage of the season Leeds United were seven points in front of their only serious rivals Arsenal, at the summit of the First Division table, but the Gunners had two or three games in hand and when they won those matches the gap closed considerably, before vanishing when West Brom came to Elland Road with only four League fixtures remaining. The match ended disappointingly for Leeds, 2-1 to West Brom. Leeds picked themselves up winning 3-0 at Southampton. Championship rivals Arsenal were next to visit Elland Road two days after, for the 'crunch' game of the season. Leeds finished victors winning 1-0 thanks to a Jack Charlton goal. The result was academic however as Arsenal travelled to Tottenham needing only a scoreless draw to win the title on goal average. Arsenal beat Spurs 1-0, with Leeds finishing 1 point behind them.

The trophy cabinet at Elland Road did however get another addition. In the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Leeds were inconsistent, brushing aside sides such as Sarpsborg F.K. (6-0 on aggregate) and Sparta Prague (9-2 on aggregate) however they needed an away goals win against Dynamo Dresden to win in the second round. In the all English semi-final against Liverpool a goal by Billy Bremner in the first leg at Anfield was all that could separate the two sides and Leeds went through to the Final against the Italian side Juventus. The first leg finished 2-2 away at the Stadio Comunale and a 1-1 scoreline at Elland Road saw Leeds win the competition on away goals. The competition was re-structured after the Final into the UEFA Cup. UEFA arranged a special play-off match between the first and last winners and the competition to decide who kept the trophy. Leeds lost the match 2-1 to FC Barcelona on 22 September 1971.

The F.A. Cup saw Leeds progress to the 5th round before one of the biggest F.A. Cup giant killings occurred. Leeds went to fourth division side Colchester United with many just expecting the result to be a formality, but Colchester had other ideas. The match ended 3-2 to Colchester and had at one point been 3-0, but Leeds had been unable to save their blushes and the match went down in F.A. Cup folk lore. The League cup was almost as embarrassing for Leeds loosing in the second round to second division side Sheffield United.

Record:

1971-72
The season started strangely for Leeds. Due to a pitch invasion by fans and a linesman being hit by a can in the home match against West Brom the previous season Leeds were fined a ban on home League matches being played at Elland Road for a 21 day period. The four scheduled home fixtures had to be staged on neutral grounds. Two of those games were played at Leeds Road, Huddersfield and a point was dropped in one of them, whilst at Boothferry Park, Hull another point was lost in a drawn encounter with Tottenham Hotspur, but at Hillsborough the match with Newcastle United produced a 5-1 victory.

Christmas provided a turning point that led to a string of good results, with Derby County's visit to Elland Road in late December setting the trend. Brian Clough's highly placed outfit were beaten 3-0, and that was followed up by a 2-0 victory away at Anfield to complete a League double over Liverpool. Leeds also beat arch-rivals Manchester United 5-1 in an impressive display at Elland Road. Leeds competed well and finished second in the league on goal average, ahead of Liverpool and Manchester city on the same points total, However lost the title to Derby County by one point.

In the newly created UEFA Cup Leeds were upset by Belgian side SK Lierse in the first round loosing 4-2 on aggregate. It was a shock for the champions of the competitions predecessor to go out so early. The League cup wasn't much more successful either with Leeds being eliminated 1-0 in a replay at Elland Road by West Ham in the third round after beating Derby 2-0 in a replay at Elland Road in the previous round.

It was the F.A. Cup that provided the silverware for this season however with Don guiding Leeds to their first and only FA Cup Victory. Leeds faced Bristol Rovers in the third round at Elland Road, beating them 4-1, before facing Liverpool in the fourth round. The first match at Anfield ended goal-less yet Leeds beat the Liverpudlians 2-0 at Elland Road in the replay to progress. Leeds carried on through the rounds beating Cardiff City 2-0, Tottenham 2-1 and Birmingham City 3-0 in the semi-final at Hillsborough. The final was Leeds' third appearance and Leeds were determined not to Leave empty handed for the third time. Leeds won 1-0 over Arsenal, the same team they had beaten four years earlier in the League Cup Final by the same score with Allan Clarke scored the winning goal.

Record:

1972-73
Don guided Leeds to the final of the Cup Winners' Cup. The final however was marred by controversy. Leeds had goals and penalty appeals disallowed and AC Milan won the game 1-0. Later the Greek official, Christos Michas, was convicted of match fixing in a court in Greece relating to events in the final. He was sent to jail & fined by the Greek court and banned from football for life by UEFA. Leeds, however, were not granted the replay they requested and AC Milan were allowed to keep the title and trophy by UEFA.

Record:

1973-74
1973-74 was Don's last season as Leeds manager. He left at the end of the season to become England manager. He however left the club as League Champions.

Record: