How Don Revie inspired Leeds United to success

They may not have been to everybody’s taste, including a certain Mr Brian Clough, but Leeds United, under Don Revie in the late 1960s and early 1970s, were amongst the best teams of their time in the English top flight.

Much of the team’s success was due to the manager, Don Revie. Like his team, Don Revie will arguably be judged to be among the best that England has ever produced.

Who is Don Revie?

Don Revie started in football first as a player for the likes of Leicester City and Manchester City before ending his playing career with a four-year stint at the club, which he would later bring glory to as a manager.

His record of 108 goals scored in 501 career games was respectable rather than impressive. He would undoubtedly make a bigger splash as a manager than he did as a player.

Leeds United was his first managerial position. In 1961, as he approached the end of his playing career, he was appointed player-manager.

The club and team he inherited were a mess. Leeds was struggling in the English second tier, the club was in debt, and United was constantly competing with the Rugby League for the attention of the city.

In fact, only 7,000 fans turned up for the Whites’ final home game of season 1960/61. Compared to Leeds Rhinos’ 50,000 highest attendance, it showed where the people’s attention in the city lay.

Revie made big changes to shake things up at Leeds

The club’s dynamic new player-manager knew that significant changes were needed if they were going to get back on track. One of the first things he did was make sure that the hotels that the players stayed in on away trips were of a better standard. This helped the players prepare better for games.

Revie also attempted to turn the club into more of a family atmosphere by being connected with every club employee, from the club cleaning staff to the players who starred on the pitch. It didn’t matter. He would take an interest in everybody.

He was so interested in the players that he sometimes asked them to break up with partners he felt were unsuitable for them.

 

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When it came to football, Revie looked at every detail of the opposition to gauge any strengths and weaknesses in order to get the upper hand. He would produce dossiers with all kinds of information for his players.

Leeds didn’t enjoy the best of campaigns in 1961/62, as apart from Jack Charlton and Billy Bremner, the squad was filled with players who were not good enough for where the team wanted to be.

One of the most important things Revie did as Leeds boss was to implement a youth policy at the club. This policy yielded excellent results, producing players such as Eddie Gray, Paul Reaney, Norman Hunter, and Peter Lorimer, who would all become key players for Leeds during the manager’s reign.

The turnaround of the club’s fortunes

At the end of the 1961/62 season, Don Revie retired from playing and decided to dedicate his time to management. He struggled to convince players to join Leeds over some of the bigger clubs at the time.

However, he did manage to sign Scottish star Bobby Collins from Everton and bring back the great Wales international John Charles for a second spell. The Yorkshire finished fifth place in the Second Division table in season 62/63.

The White secured promotion the following season, with Collins playing a vital role. Revie’s team earned a reputation for being a physical team, which was a big part of Collins’ game.

Thought I would share my favourite verbal crossfire on radio:

Don Revie : “You criticise my teams and tactics , but how many caps did you win, Brian?

Esteemed writer Brian Glanville: “Don, you don’t need to be a murderer to play Macbeth”

— Ian Darke (@IanDarke) March 8, 2024

The label of being a ‘Dirty’ team stuck with United throughout Revie’s reign in the Leeds hot seat. The Yorkshire club fared well on their return to the English top flight, finishing as runners-up to eventual winners Manchester United. They also finished as runners-up in the FA Cup.

The season was a sign of things to come later on under Revie. The following season, they once again finished second, with Johnny Giles and Bremner forging a partnership in midfielder after an injury to the combative Collins.

In the 1966/67 season, United reached the final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup against Dinamo Zagreb of then-Yugoslavia but suffered a 2-0 aggregate defeat. This result led to criticism of Revie’s perceived negative approach.

Despite talk of a curse on Elland Road, Revie led Leeds to their first trophy under him in 1968. The Whites lifted the League Cup, beating Arsenal 1-0 in the final. The win was just the start for the Yorkshire outfit, although they finished fourth in the table.

However, they reached a second straight Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final. This time, Revie’s team won on aggregate by 1-0 against the Hungarian giants Ferencvaros.

In 1968/69, Leeds’ objective was clear: to win the English First Division title. The Whites did just that, securing the triumph with a goalless draw at title rivals Liverpool.

The Yorkshire team set records in that title-winning campaign, including the most wins (27), the fewest defeats (2), and a club-record unbeaten run of 34 league games, which continued into the following campaign.

A few seasons of near misses

The following season, they experienced heartbreak. United was beaten to the English top-flight title by Everton. The Yorkshire outfit also lost the FA Cup final to Chelsea after a replay. The Whites suffered a semi-final exit from the European Cup against Scottish giants Celtic.

After finishing as runners-up in the next campaign to Arsenal, Leeds once again found success in the Inter-Cities Fair Cup, winning the trophy after an away goals aggregate victory over Torino in the final of the competition.

The following season saw another runners-up spot, as they lost the league title by just a point to Brian Clough’s Derby County. However, they claimed the FA Cup, beating Arsenal 1-0 in the final.

The league title continued to elude Revie and Leeds the following campaign, as they finished third place in the table and lost the FA Cup final 1-0 against Sunderland. Worse was to follow, as United were beaten 1-0 by Italian giants Milan in the European Cup final after the controversial dismissal of Norman Hunter.

Revie going out with a bang at Elland Road

In the summer of 1973, Don Revie was linked with the Everton job. However, the deal broke down due to financial issues. He stayed with the Whites, and it proved to be an inspired decision. The Yorkshire team claimed the First Division title, five points ahead of Liverpool.

The Leeds boss was so focused on winning the English top-flight title that he decided to play weakened teams in the early rounds of the UEFA Cup in order to rid the team of the distraction of another competition.

Winning the English top-flight title in season 1973/74 turned out to be one of Revie’s last actions as Leeds United boss. In July 1974, Don Revie accepted the invitation to become the manager of the England National Team.

Revie was replaced in the Leeds managerial hot seat by former rival Brian Clough, who famously lasted just 44 days. Don Revie’s time as England boss was also less than successful.

However, his time as the national team manager should not overshadow the mostly successful 13 years at Leeds United. He revived the club and turned them into a force to be reckoned with. His time at Elland Road earned him a reputation as one of England’s best managers, and his legend lives on at the Yorkshire club.

No manager since has come close to matching Revie’s achievement with Leeds United Football Club, and maybe no manager will ever do so again.