Leeds United 1968-69 A Season in Brief DIVISION ONE Preview The manager was clear in his objective, ‘this year we want the title he declared’. He also hinted at a more attacking policy, many people thought that they had thrown the title away the previous season by being too cautious. Success in Europe The home leg against Ferencvaros took place on the 7th August, before the league season had begun. An undercooked Leeds scraped a 1-0 win courtesy of Mick Jones, but the Hungarians were confident of overturning this slender lead. The second leg was not played until five weeks later, by which time United were fully in to their stride and enjoying an unbeaten start to the season. They produced a typical away performance and strangled the life out of the opposition. Gary Sprake gave a wonderful performance to show why Don Revie was prepared to overlook the occasional error. Once more Bremner surrounded by ecstatic teammates held the trophy aloft. The ‘always the bridesmaids’ tag, could now be firmly banished. The Season United hit the ground running, winning six of the first seven games-, including beating Liverpool. After winning the Inter Cities Cup, they had to begin their defence of the trophy only a week later. The manager had decided where his priorities lay and used this competition along with the League Cup to blood youngsters. On August the 24th Leeds visited the City Ground to play Nottingham Forest. In their preview of the game, the Goal feature writer claimed, ‘Leeds ready to set fire to Forest’. Never can a headline been more accidentally correct, when the game was abandoned at half-time as the Main Stand went up in flames. Luckily there was no loss of life, but all the players belongings were lost. There was a slight wobble in October and November, when in the space of two weeks, they were knocked out of the League Cup by Crystal Palace, suffered a bad 5-1 defeat at Burnley and then drew three successive games 0-0. This proved to be the last league defeat of the season, as they stayed unbeaten for the remaining twenty eight games. Early on in the season, Jimmy Greenhoff was surprisingly allowed to leave for Birmingham City. Almost a regular the previous season, he wanted first team football, but surely he was better than Division Two? After a 2-2 aggregate draw against Napoli, Billy Bremner kept up his 100% record when he won the coin toss that allowed Leeds to progress. It is unbelievable that such a system was still in place for a major competition. The year ended in great style, firstly Hannover were beaten 5-1 and then there was revenge when Burnley were thrashed 6-1. Leeds were two points off top spot. It may have turned out to be a blessing when they were knocked out of the FA Cup in third round by Sheffield Wednesday. For the first time in years they only had two competitions to worry about and though it might have just been a coincidence, they didn’t suffer the amount of injuries to key players that they had in previous years. They eventually hit the top, overtaking Liverpool after a routine 2-0 win over Ipswich in February and never lost it. Whilst Liverpool were still involved in the cup, Leeds were able to get points in the bag and pull eight points clear. There was some disappointment though, old foes Ujpest Doza knocking the holders out in the quarter finals. Bill Shankly and Liverpool were not pleased when United applied to have the fixture between the two teams postponed because they had ten players unavailable for a variety of reasons, they accused Revie of gamesmanship. With the season on the final stretch, only results mattered and there was no better team in the country at keeping things tight. The final nine games were dour tense affairs, United scored only seven times, but more importantly only conceded two goals during this run in. They couldn’t have chosen a better place to clinch the title, a 0-0 draw at Anfield, in a hard fought game that perhaps surprisingly didn’t spill over. The players were generously applauded off by the Kop, whilst things weren’t quite as friendly outside the ground. In just eight seasons, Don Revie had turned Leeds United from a team at the bottom of Division Two, playing in front of small crowds in a ramshackle stadium into the champions of England. Postscript The chance to regularly pick a settled team and concentrate only on one competition clearly was beneficial. Finally becoming winners after so often going close, had increased the team’s confidence, so that this time they never looked like losing their nerve. With more money available to strengthen the squad and signs that more young players were capable of stepping up, the signs of a dynasty were there. 84 /((’681,7(’
((’681,7(’ 85
- Page 1 and 2:
LEEDS UNITED ANDREW S. DOLLOWAY Max
- Page 3 and 4:
FOREWORD The years between 1963 and
- Page 5 and 6:
CONTENTS Chapter One Chapter Two Ch
- Page 7 and 8:
Albert Johanneson LEEDS UNITED /((
- Page 9 and 10:
WILLIE BELL Leeds United /((’681,
- Page 11 and 12:
((’681,7(’ 11
- Page 13 and 14:
((’681,7(’ 13
- Page 15 and 16:
((’681,7(’ 15
- Page 17 and 18:
((’681,7(’ 17
- Page 19 and 20:
HAT TRICK! GARY SPRAKE, of Leeds Un
- Page 21 and 22:
((’681,7(’ 21
- Page 23 and 24:
((’681,7(’ 23
- Page 25 and 26:
((’681,7(’ 25
- Page 27 and 28:
When I got to Leeds I realised how
- Page 29 and 30:
((’681,7(’ 29
- Page 31 and 32:
Leeds United skipper exchanges a ha
- Page 33 and 34: WHO’S WHO AT LEEDS UNITED ? /((
- Page 35 and 36: LEEDS UNITED Division 1 Runners -up
- Page 37 and 38: PAUL REANEY Leeds United /((’681,
- Page 39 and 40: ((’681,7(’ 39
- Page 41 and 42: ((’681,7(’ 41
- Page 43 and 44: ((’681,7(’ 43
- Page 45 and 46: -$ &. ,( &+$ 5/ 721 / HHGV8QLWHG /
- Page 47 and 48: JACK CHARLTON, right & NORMAN HUNTE
- Page 49 and 50: They play at Elland Road! Leeds Uni
- Page 51 and 52: ((’681,7(’ 51
- Page 53 and 54: ((’681,7(’ 53
- Page 55 and 56: MANAGER OF CLUB - CLAIMS DON REVIE
- Page 57 and 58: ((’681,7(’ 57
- Page 59 and 60: ((’681,7(’ 59
- Page 61 and 62: LEEDS UNITED F.C. LEEDS UNITED F.C.
- Page 63 and 64: ((’681,7(’ 63
- Page 65 and 66: ((’681,7(’ 65
- Page 67 and 68: The player is then congratulated by
- Page 69 and 70: ((’681,7(’ 69
- Page 71 and 72: ((’681,7(’ 71
- Page 73 and 74: ((’681,7(’ 73
- Page 75 and 76: ((’681,7(’ 75
- Page 77 and 78: CHAMPIONS /((’681,7(’ 77
- Page 79 and 80: ((’681,7(’ 79
- Page 81 and 82: ((’681,7(’ 81
- Page 83: ((’681,7(’ 83
- Page 87 and 88: ((’681,7(’ 87
- Page 89 and 90: ((’681,7(’ 89
- Page 91 and 92: ((’681,7(’ 91
- Page 93 and 94: ((’681,7(’ 93
- Page 95 and 96: ((’681,7(’ 95
- Page 97 and 98: ((’681,7(’ 97
- Page 99 and 100: ((’681,7(’ 99
- Page 101 and 102: David Harvey, Gary Sprake, Paul Mad
- Page 103 and 104: ((’681,7(’ 103
- Page 105 and 106: The Girl Behind The Man! /((’681,
- Page 107 and 108: ((’681,7(’ 107
- Page 109 and 110: ((’681,7(’ 109
- Page 111 and 112: king who is beating a hate campaign
- Page 113 and 114: ((’681,7(’ 113
- Page 115 and 116: ((’681,7(’ 115
- Page 117 and 118: ((’681,7(’ 117
- Page 119 and 120: ((’681,7(’ 119
- Page 121 and 122: HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
- Page 123 and 124: MADE HISTORY /((’681,7(’ 123
- Page 125 and 126: Jackie Charlton takes time off in s
- Page 127 and 128: 7+(
- Page 129 and 130: ((’681,7(’ 129
- Page 131 and 132: ((’681,7(’ 131
- Page 133 and 134: ((’681,7(’ 133
- Page 135 and 136:
((’681,7(’ 135
- Page 137 and 138:
((’681,7(’ 137
- Page 139 and 140:
((’681,7(’ 139
- Page 141 and 142:
((’681,7(’ 141
- Page 143 and 144:
ED 1970-71 BACK ROW: Chris Galvin,
- Page 145 and 146:
((’681,7(’ 145
- Page 147 and 148:
((’681,7(’ 147
- Page 149 and 150:
TERRY YORATH Leeds United and Wales
- Page 151 and 152:
((’681,7(’ 151
- Page 153 and 154:
((’681,7(’ 153
- Page 155 and 156:
((’681,7(’ 155
- Page 157 and 158:
((’681,7(’ 157
- Page 159 and 160:
((’681,7(’ 159
- Page 161 and 162:
((’681,7(’ 161
- Page 163 and 164:
((’681,7(’ 163
- Page 165 and 166:
Leeds United’s hour of glory . .
- Page 167 and 168:
N AT WEMBLEY I felt very dopey. Wit
- Page 169 and 170:
LEEDS BACK ROW: Rod Belfitt, Norman
- Page 171 and 172:
((’681,7(’ 171
- Page 173 and 174:
((’681,7(’ 173
- Page 175 and 176:
Leeds H-bombs another defensive bla
- Page 177 and 178:
((’681,7(’ 177
- Page 179 and 180:
Collision!! Norman Hunter (Leeds Un
- Page 181 and 182:
((’681,7(’ 181
- Page 183 and 184:
((’681,7(’ 183
- Page 185 and 186:
185
- Page 187 and 188:
((’681,7(’ 187
- Page 189 and 190:
((’681,7(’ 189
- Page 191 and 192:
((’681,7(’ 191
- Page 193 and 194:
((’681,7(’ 193
- Page 195 and 196:
((’681,7(’ 195
- Page 197 and 198:
((’681,7(’ 197
- Page 199 and 200:
GOAL /((’681,7(’ 199
- Page 201 and 202:
((’681,7(’ 201
- Page 203 and 204:
BACK ROW: Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray
- Page 205 and 206:
((’681,7(’ 205
- Page 207 and 208:
((’681,7(’ 207
- Page 209 and 210:
((’681,7(’ 209
- Page 211 and 212:
((’681,7(’ 211
- Page 213 and 214:
((’681,7(’ 213
- Page 215 and 216:
((’681,7(’ 215
- Page 217 and 218:
((’681,7(’ 217
- Page 219 and 220:
((’681,7(’ 219
- Page 221 and 222:
((’681,7(’ 221
- Page 223 and 224:
Norman Hunter, Trevor Cherry, Joe J