Don Revie
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Donald George Revie (10 July 1927 – 26 May 1989) was an English
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
and manager. He is best known for managing
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
from 1961 until 1974, winning the
Football League First Division The Football League First Division was the top division of the Football League in England from 1888 until the end of the 1991–92 season, when its teams broke away to form the Premier League. From 1992 to 2004, the name First Division was g ...
twice and the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
once, before being the
England national football team manager The role of an England national football team manager was first established in 1946 with the appointment of Walter Winterbottom. Before this, the England national football team was selected by the "International Selection Committee", a process ...
for three years. A forward, he began his career with Leicester City in August 1944, before a £19,000 move to Hull City in November 1949. He was sold on to
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
in October 1951 for a fee of £25,000, where he became the main focus of the " Revie Plan" which saw him named as FWA Footballer of the Year in the 1954–55 season, after innovating the role of the first deep-lying centre forward in England. He won the FA Cup in
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
, having finished on the losing side in the 1955 final. He was bought by
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
for £22,000 in October 1956 before moving on to Leeds United in November 1958 for a £14,000 fee. In total, he scored 108 goals in 501 league and cup appearances in an 18-year professional career, also scoring four goals in six
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
appearances, as well as winning representative honours for the Football League XI and the England B team. In March 1961, Revie was appointed player-manager of Leeds United, then a Second Division club that had never won a major trophy. Under Revie's management, Leeds became a major force in English football, winning the Second Division in the 1963–64 season, the First Division in the 1968–69 and 1973–74 seasons, the FA Cup in
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
, the League Cup in
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
, the
FA Charity Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier ...
in 1969, and the
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, most commonly referred to as the Fairs Cup and sometimes as the European Fairs Cup or Fairs Cities' Cup, was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The Fairs Cup was the idea of FIFA vice-presid ...
in
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
and
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
. Additionally, Leeds were First Division runners-up five times, three times FA Cup runners-up and runners-up in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the
European Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European association football, football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The competition's official name was originally the European Cup Winners' Cup; it was renam ...
. In July 1974, he accepted the job as the England manager. He had an unsuccessful three years in the role before quitting in highly controversial circumstances to take the management role with the
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. He later had spells in Middle Eastern club football with Al-Nasr and Al-Ahly. As Leeds manager, he was criticised for his teams' physical and often negative approach, though the period was noted for its highly physical football across the country. His resignation as England manager fuelled criticism of him as money-obsessed, and unproved allegations of bribery and financial misconduct tarnished his reputation. He retired in 1984 but was diagnosed with
motor neurone disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...
in May 1987, which led to his death two years later. He remains a highly popular figure in Leeds and has a stand named after him at
Elland Road Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
and a statue outside the ground.


Early life

Revie was born in
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
,
North Riding of Yorkshire The North Riding of Yorkshire was a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point was at Mickle Fell at . From the Restoration it was used as a lieutenancy area, having b ...
, on Sunday, 10 July 1927. His father, also named Donald, was a joiner who found himself frequently out of work during the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. His mother, a washerwoman, died of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
on 27 November 1939, aged 50. He played youth football for Newport Boys' Club and then Middlesbrough Swifts, who were coached by influential manager Bill Sanderson. He learnt the rudiments of the game using a small bundle of rags in the tiny yard behind his home. This influenced his thinking in later life, and he argued that young players should learn using smaller footballs on smaller pitches so they would be more adept in control when progressing to a bigger football.


Club career


Leicester City

He signed as a professional footballer for Leicester City in August 1944, choosing them ahead of local club
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
primarily due to the close links between Middlesbrough Swifts and Leicester City; he also worked as an apprentice bricklayer. Leicester originally thought he was not good enough to turn professional, but he was taken under the wing of Leicester player
Sep Smith Septimus Charle Smith (15 March 1912 – 28 July 2006) was an English footballer who played as a creative wing half and originally as an inside forward. Born in Whitburn, County Durham, in 1912, he was the seventh son born in his family, hen ...
, who mentored Revie on many of his ideas about the game. Smith instructed Revie that "When not in position, get into position; never beat a man by dribbling if you can beat him more easily with a pass; it is not the man on the ball but the one running into position to take the pass who constitutes the danger; and the aim is to have a man spare in a passing move. Soccer would then become easy." He played in the wartime league before making his debut in
the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
on the opening day of the 1946–47 season, a 3–0 defeat to
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
, who would go on to win the Second Division that season. He showed good form at Filbert Street before breaking his right ankle in three places after a tackle from
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
's Ron Burgess; the injury could have ended his career, but he recovered to full fitness within 19 weeks. Manager Johnny Duncan identified Revie as the player to build his team around for the 1947–48 and 1948–49 seasons, and though the ''Foxes'' fared poorly in the league they managed to reach the 1949 FA Cup final. Revie scored the opening goal of the semi-final victory over First Division champions
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
, having been told pre-match that opposition goalkeeper Ernest Butler tended to palm the ball over the attacker's head before reclaiming possession Revie positioned himself to take advantage of the situation when teammate Jack Lee challenged Butler for the ball, leaving Revie with a simple conversion. However Revie suffered a nasal haemorrhage caused by a burst vein one week before the final, and the condition became so severe it would threaten his life and see him miss his first chance to play at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
. He could only listen on the radio as Leicester lost 3–1 to
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
in the final. Revie left Leicester after Duncan left the club, having already been dissatisfied with the club's lack of progress in the league.


Hull City

In November 1949, he joined Second Division club Hull City for a transfer fee of £19,000. He chose to join the ''Tigers'' ahead of bigger clubs like
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
, who had shown interest in signing him since Hull were managed by Raich Carter, who had been a great player before and after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Carter did improve Revie's game but was not a success as Hull manager, as City finished mid-table in the 1949–50 and 1950–51 seasons, before becoming involved in a relegation battle in the 1951–52 season. Teammate Andy Davidson later said Revie failed to fulfil his potential at Boothferry Park as he was not a tough player. The rest of the Hull team were not physically dominant enough to protect him and allow him to dictate play with his accurate passing. As at Leicester, Revie felt the time had come for him to move on and handed in a transfer request once Carter departed.


Manchester City

Revie was sold to First Division side
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
for £25,000 (including a part-exchange for Ernie Phillips, valued at £12,000) in October 1951. The ''Citizens'' struggled in the 1951–52 season and then went on to finish just one place above the relegation zone in the 1952–53 campaign. Revie was often isolated from the rest of the team due to his lack of pace. The sale of Ivor Broadis then allowed Revie to drop deeper down the field and allowed manager Les McDowall to put Revie in what eventually proved to be a pivotal role, introducing to English football the position of deep-lying centre forward. This evolved into the so-called " Revie Plan", with Revie as the central figure. His role derived from the more traditional inside right position and was based on the style of the successful Hungary national team, and in particular
Nándor Hidegkuti Nándor Hidegkuti (3 March 1922 – 14 February 2002) was a Hungarian football player and manager. He played as a forward or attacking midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career at MTK Hungária FC. During the 1950s he was also a ...
, who invented the role. Revie devoted 20 pages to analysing and explaining the plan in his autobiography ''Soccer's Happy Wanderer'' written in 1955. Revie had improved his goal tally to 13 in the 1953–54 season, but only once the Revie Plan was implemented in the 1954–55 campaign were Manchester City able to fully make use of his abilities. The new tactic opened with a 5–0 defeat to Preston North End, but then Ken Barnes replaced John McTavish at inside-forward and the team clicked. Though the tactic was named after Revie, it had initially been introduced at the reserve team level by Johnny Williamson. However, Revie's superior passing talents meant Williamson was overlooked for the position at first team level. City's league title campaign fell away, but they went on to reach the 1955 FA Cup final at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
, where they were beaten 3–1 by
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
; a first-half injury to Jimmy Meadows left City down to ten men and unable to compete effectively. At the end of the season, Revie was named as FWA Footballer of the Year. McDowall fined Revie £27 for missing two weeks of training for a family holiday in
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
, which infuriated him as he had received permission from trainer Laurie Barnett and had promised to train whilst on holiday. McDowall dropped Revie for much of the 1955–56 season, preferring instead to play Bobby Johnstone. Revie played only one
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
match that season before being named in the team for the 1956 FA Cup final against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
, with Johnstone being moved to the wings. He provided the assist for Joe Hayes's opening goal and instructed Ken Barnes to deviate from the manager's instructions at half-time, with the result being a more dominant second half display and a 3–1 victory; Revie was named as Man of the Match. However the rift with his manager was not forgotten, and he was moved to right-half in the 1956–57 campaign, leaving him to seek a move away from
Maine Road Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest attenda ...
.


Sunderland

In October 1956,
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
manager
Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...
bought Revie for a £22,000 fee. Poor results left the ''Black Cats'' facing relegation towards the end of the 1956–57 campaign, but a late seven-game unbeaten run lifted them to safety, just one place above relegated Cardiff City. A financial scandal over illegal payments to players resulted in harsh sanctions at Roker Park from
The Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...
and forced Murray's resignation. His replacement, Alan Brown, preferred a more physical style of play that did not suit Revie. Sunderland suffered relegation from the First Division for the first time in the club's history in the 1957–58 season, and Revie was dropped for the 1958–59 Second Division campaign in favour of a youth policy. In September 1958, he rejected the opportunity to sign for hometown club Middlesbrough – had he joined the club then he would have played alongside captain Brian Clough and goalkeeper Peter Taylor.


Leeds United

Revie returned to the First Division when he joined
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
in November 1958 for a £14,000 fee. Manager Bill Lambton had hoped that Revie's creativity would help the ''Peacocks'' to turn their poor form around and appointed him as captain. Leeds avoided relegation in the 1958–59 season, but new manager Jack Taylor took Leeds down in the 1959–60 campaign with the division's worst defensive record. Revie recognised his playing days were coming to an end and relinquished the captaincy to Freddie Goodwin.


International career

In October 1953, he was called up to The Football League XI to face the League of Ireland XI at
Maine Road Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest attenda ...
, and scored a hat-trick in a 9–1 victory. He went on to play for the England B team in March 1954. He scored on his
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
debut on 2 October 1954, in a 2–0 British Home Championship victory over
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
at
Windsor Park The National Football Stadium at Windsor Park (officially the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park for sponsorship reasons), or the National Football Stadium, also known as Windsor Park is a association football, football stadium in B ...
. He also scored during his second appearance on 2 April 1955, a 7–2 victory over
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
. He made three further appearances that year, playing in defeats to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
at the
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir The Stade Yves-du-Manoir (officially Stade olympique Yves-du-Manoir, also known as the Stade olympique de Colombes, or simply Colombes to the locals) is a rugby, track, and association football stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France, Paris, Fra ...
and
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
at
Ninian Park Ninian Park was a association football, football stadium in the Leckwith, Cardiff, Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales, that was the home of Cardiff City F.C. for 99 years. Opened in 1910 with a single wooden stand, it underwent numerous renovatio ...
, and scoring twice in a 5–1 win over
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
at Idrætsparken. His sixth and final cap came in a 1–1 draw with Northern Ireland on 6 October 1956. He was one of many signatories in a letter to ''The Times'' on 17 July 1958, opposing "the policy of apartheid" in international sport and defending "the principle of racial equality which is embodied in the Declaration of the Olympic Games".


Management career


Leeds United

Revie was made
player-manager A player–coach (also playing coach, captain–coach, or player–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make chang ...
at
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
in March 1961 following the resignation of Jack Taylor, who left after Leeds found themselves struggling in the Second Division. He had initially applied for the vacant job at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, but they were unable to find the £6,000 Leeds demanded, and the Leeds directors decided to appoint Revie as manager instead. At the time the club was in debt and was located in a
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
territory, with very little football tradition. Fewer than 7,000 turned out for the final home game of the 1960–61 season, while
Leeds Rhinos The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home games at Headingley Rugby Stadium, AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium and compete in the Super League, the top tier of British rugby lea ...
' championship game of the 1960–61 Rugby League season had an attendance of over 50,000. He immediately began to institute radical changes, such as ensuring the players stayed at higher-quality hotels. He instilled a "family atmosphere" at
Elland Road Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
, making sure to take an interest in the lives of everyone at the club, from the cleaning staff to the star players and ensuring there were no "big egos" at the club. He showed trust in his players, leaving them mainly to their own devices, though he always made sure he was fully informed as to what they were up to off the pitch, even going so far as to tell them to dump their girlfriends if he viewed them as unsuitable. He also introduced lengthy dossiers on opposing teams to ensure his players knew every detail about the opposition and were able to exploit weaknesses and nullify threats. Other changes were based on some of his many superstitions, such as his belief that birds were bad luck which resulted in him getting rid of the owl on the club badge and the discontinuation of the "Peacocks" nickname in favour of the "Whites". Leeds struggled in the 1961–62 season, as aside from
Billy Bremner William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professional Association football, footballer who played for Leeds United F.C., Leeds United, Hull City A.F.C., Hull City, and the Scotland national football team, Scot ...
and Jack Charlton, his playing squad was filled with journeymen pros; he did though inherit a good coaching staff that included Les Cocker, Maurice Lindley and Syd Owen who would all spend many years with Revie at Leeds. He developed a youth policy at the club, notable graduates of which would be Eddie Gray, Norman Hunter, Peter Lorimer and Paul Reaney. He had a difficult task in persuading young players to join Leeds over more glamorous clubs. Still, he made sure he put in extra effort to make the youngsters feel happy at Leeds, and in one instance, drove to Scotland to talk to Bremner's girlfriend to successfully persuade her to encourage Bremner to stay at Leeds rather than return to Scotland to be with her. Revie played his last game in March 1962 before concentrating entirely on management. After new investment at board level, Revie was able to spend £25,000 on Everton's
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
international Bobby Collins, who he installed as captain. Other arrivals included former
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
teammate Billy McAdams, forward Ian Lawson and left-back Cliff Mason. He spent £53,000 to bring
John Charles William John Charles (27 December 1931 – 21 February 2004) was a Welsh association football, footballer who played as a centre-forward or as a centre-back. Best known for his first stint at Leeds United F.C., Leeds United and Juventus FC, Ju ...
back from
Juventus Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
. Though he proved not to be as effective as during his first spell at Leeds, Revie was able to sell him on to Roma for a £17,000 profit within just a few months. Leeds pushed for promotion in 1962–63, but the harsh winter caused many postponements and a backlog of games at the end of the season proved too much for Leeds, who fell away to finish in fifth place. United secured promotion as champions of the Second Division in the 1963–64 season, helped by the late signing of striker Alan Peacock from
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
for £53,000. However, the overly physical approach typified by captain Collins earned Leeds a reputation as "dirty" that would shadow the club throughout Revie's tenure as manager and continue to this day. Leeds adapted well to the First Division early in the 1964–65 campaign but caused controversy in Collins's return to
Goodison Park Goodison Park is a Association football, football stadium in Walton, Liverpool, Walton, Liverpool, England, it was the home of Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton from 1892 until 2025. It is now the home of Everton F.C. (women), Everton's ...
as the game against Everton descended into a brawl. The referee ordered the players off the field after 35 minutes to prevent further violence. Leeds went on to maintain a strong title challenge, finishing second to
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
on goal average after failing to beat
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
on the last day of the season. They also reached the final of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
, losing 2–1 to
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
after extra-time. Revie felt he did not have to strengthen his squad for the 1965–66 campaign, and made no new signings. With Leeds in the
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, most commonly referred to as the Fairs Cup and sometimes as the European Fairs Cup or Fairs Cities' Cup, was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The Fairs Cup was the idea of FIFA vice-presid ...
he showed his gamesmanship, sending his team out against Italian club
Torino Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
wearing unfamiliar numbers in an attempt to confuse the Italian club's tight man-marking system. However, Collins had his leg broken by Torino's Fabrizio Poletti, meaning Revie had to partner Giles and Bremner in central midfield and sign
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football. Huddersfield Town we ...
winger Michael O'Grady for £30,000. Although Collins would be missed, the partnership of Giles and Bremner would prove highly effective. Leeds again finished second in the league, trailing Liverpool by six points. They reached the semi-finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, losing on aggregate to Spanish side Real Zaragoza despite Revie ordering the fire brigade to flood the pitch before the replay at Elland Road. Leeds struggled at the start of the 1966–67 Football League, 1966–67 season, though despite winning just three of their opening eleven games, they finished in fourth place. They reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, losing 1–0 to Chelsea F.C., Chelsea at Villa Park. They reached 1967 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final, the final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup against Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavian side GNK Dinamo Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb, but were unable to scout the opposition due to Syd Owen having his flight cancelled on him; Leeds lost 2–0 on aggregate and Revie was criticised for his negative tactics. With his team coming close but failing to land a trophy, he brought in a Romani people, gypsy to lift a curse he believed had been placed on Elland Road so that there would be no bad luck for the 1967–68 Football League, 1967–68 season. A more practical measure he took to increase United's fortunes was to nearly double List of Leeds United F.C. records and statistics, the club's record transfer to buy Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United centre-forward Mick Jones (footballer, born 1945), Mick Jones for £100,000, who would replace the frequently injured Peacock as the main striker. Soon after the purchase, Leeds recorded a 7–0 victory over Chelsea, though ironically, Jones was not on the score sheet. Revie's first trophy would be the League Cup, as they eliminated Luton Town F.C., Luton Town, Bury F.C., Bury,
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
, Stoke City F.C., Stoke City and Derby County F.C., Derby County to reach 1968 Football League Cup final, the final against
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
; Terry Cooper (footballer, born 1944), Terry Cooper scored the only goal of what was a dour and tense final as Revie told his players to "shut up shop" and defend their 1–0 lead. This success did not immediately translate into league and FA Cup success, however, as they finished in fourth place and were beaten in the FA Cup semi-finals by Everton. They instead reached a second successive Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final, beating CA Spora Luxembourg, Spora (Luxembourg), FK Partizan, Partizan (Yugoslavia), Hibernian F.C., Hibernian (Scotland), Rangers F.C., Rangers (Scotland), and Dundee F.C., Dundee (Scotland) to reach 1968 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final, the final against Hungary, Hungarian club Ferencvárosi TC, Ferencvárosi. Leeds won the first leg 1–0 and a month later defended their lead with a 0–0 draw in Budapest, by which time Jimmy Greenhoff, a substitute in the first leg, had been sold to
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
. Having found success in domestic and European cup competitions, Revie focused exclusively on the league for the 1968–69 Football League, 1968–69 campaign. They went the rest of the season unbeaten in the league following a 5–1 defeat to Burnley F.C., Burnley at Turf Moor on 19 October, and secured the title with a 0–0 draw with challengers Liverpool at Anfield; after the game Revie led his team back out onto the pitch to applaud the Liverpool supporters, who in turn applauded the Leeds team. His team set several records: most points (67), most wins (27), fewest defeats (2), and most home points (39); a still-unbroken List of Leeds United F.C. records and statistics, club record is their 34 match unbeaten run that extended into the following season. Revie strengthened his front line by breaking the Progression of British football transfer fee record, British transfer record with a £165,000 purchase of Allan Clarke (footballer), Allan Clarke from Leicester City, who would partner Mick Jones up front. This allowed him to sell O'Grady to
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
for £80,000 and move Lorimer to a more attacking role. He targeted Treble (association football), the treble in 1969–70 Football League, 1969–70 and came close to achieving his aim only to fail on all three fronts in a congested close season, finishing second in the league to Everton, losing the 1970 FA Cup final to Chelsea (after a replay), and exiting the UEFA Champions League, European Cup with a semi-final defeat to Celtic F.C., Celtic in front of a European Cup and UEFA Champions League records and statistics, competition record crowd of 136,505 at Hampden Park. Rejecting a £100,000 four-year contract offer to manage Birmingham City, Revie elected to remain at Leeds and stick with the same squad for the 1970–71 Football League, 1970–71 campaign. Leeds and Arsenal soon pulled away from the rest of the pack, though it would be the Gunners who would claim the league title, finishing one point ahead of Leeds after the latter lost to West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion following a controversial offside goal in front of the ''Match of the Day'' television cameras late in the season. United were embarrassed in the FA Cup, being knocked out by Football League Fourth Division, Fourth Division side Colchester United F.C., Colchester United in a famous "giant-killing". Leeds again found success in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup though, beating Sarpsborg FK, Sarpsborg (Norway), Dynamo Dresden (East Germany), AC Sparta Prague, Sparta Prague (Czechoslovakia), Vitória F.C., Vitória (Portugal) and Liverpool to reach the final against Juventus. They drew 2–2 at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino before claiming the trophy on away goals after a 1–1 draw at Elland Road. The previous season's defeat to West Bromwich Albion led to Revie criticising referee Ray Tinkler. As punishment, Leeds were forced to play their first four home games of the 1971–72 Football League, 1971–72 season at a neutral venue; they played at Huddersfield's Leeds Road and boasted four wins and two draws from the opening seven matches. Leeds played good football, particularly winning praise for their 7–0 and 6–1 wins over Southampton F.C., Southampton and Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest respectively, but again could only finish as runners-up after a late collapse and final day defeat at Wolves, allowing Derby County to claim the title by a single point. Revie had attempted to strengthen his squad before the final run-in with a £177,000 bid for Asa Hartford, but the deal was cancelled by the medical team who spotted a heart defect in the attacker's medical records. United reached the 1972 FA Cup final after beating Bristol Rovers F.C., Bristol Rovers, Liverpool, Cardiff City,
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
and Birmingham City, and lifted the trophy after a 1–0 victory over Arsenal in the final. Looking for a successor to Jack Charlton, early in the 1972–73 Football League, 1972–73 season, he signed Gordon McQueen from St Mirren F.C., St Mirren for £30,000. He also spent £100,000 on defender Trevor Cherry and £35,000 on centre-half Roy Ellam, both from Huddersfield Town, and started playing young Scottish forward Joe Jordan more regularly. Leeds again came close to a Treble, but their league title campaign tailed off and they finished third, some seven points behind champions Liverpool. They did reach the 1973 FA Cup final to face Second Division Sunderland, but despite manager turned pundit Brian Clough's remark that "there is no way Sunderland can beat Leeds", United lost 1–0. Leeds also reached 1973 European Cup Winners' Cup final, the final of the
European Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European association football, football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The competition's official name was originally the European Cup Winners' Cup; it was renam ...
against Italian club A.C. Milan at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium, where they were beaten 1–0. The match saw a controversial refereeing performance from Christos Michas, which eventually saw Norman Hunter get sent off after he reacted badly to being consistently fouled by pushing Gianni Rivera to the ground. In 2009, Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency), Yorkshire and the Humber Member of the European Parliament, MEP Richard Corbett unsuccessfully petitioned the European Parliament to reverse the result of the match over allegations that Michas accepted a bribe from the Italian side. Revie was offered a five-year £100,000 contract (plus £50,000 signing-on fee) by Everton in the summer, but remained with Leeds after the move broke down due to a new law introduced in Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament that prevented wage rises to curb inflation. He chose to continue with largely the same line-up for the 1973–74 Football League, 1973–74 season. He told his squad that the aim for the season would be to go unbeaten throughout the campaign. Though Leeds failed to achieve this as they lost three successive games in February/March, they did secure the title with a five-point lead over Liverpool. Completely focused on the league, and finally accepting that he was asking too much of his players to try and win every competition he played weakened teams to allow an early exit from the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Cup. He chose to take the job of
England national football team manager The role of an England national football team manager was first established in 1946 with the appointment of Walter Winterbottom. Before this, the England national football team was selected by the "International Selection Committee", a process ...
ahead of leading a European Cup challenge at Leeds and breaking up the aging team he had stuck with for many years, and though he was well loved at the club he was not popular with the Leeds boardroom members, who appointed Brian Clough, a fierce critic of Revie, as his successor. Despite lasting just 44 days in the job, Clough spent more in transfer fees than Revie had in his 13 years at the club.


England

In July 1974, Revie accepted the offer of the
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
manager's job, succeeding Alf Ramsey and caretaker-manager Joe Mercer.
The Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...
, particularly Ted Croker, were impressed with Revie's personality and ideas. He was a popular appointment with the press and supporters; noted journalist Brian Glanville wrote that "Revie was the obvious choice". Revie attempted to build a relationship with the media, and also invited 81 prospective and established England players to a meeting in Manchester to make everyone feel included, where he announced that he would establish extra pay for international players as well as bonus payments for wins and draws. He held a meeting with Alan Hardaker, chairman of the English Football League, Football League, but Hardaker had long resented Revie and was very reluctant to accept his proposal to rearrange league fixtures to benefit the England team. He also had difficult relationships with figures within the FA, most notoriously with chairman Harold Warris Thompson, Sir Harold Thompson, who allegedly attempted to influence Revie's team selections and undermine him publicly. As well as this he found difficulty in his attempts to introduce the Leeds traditions into the England camp, such as carpet bowls and Bingo (United Kingdom), bingo, which were met with resentment and disdain by some England internationals. Colin Todd stated that Revie was ill-suited to the England job, with his strengths lying in the day-to-day contact found only in club management rather than the politics and committee meetings of international management. For UEFA Euro 1976, England were drawn in a tough UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying, qualification group including Czechoslovakia national football team, Czechoslovakia, Portugal national football team, Portugal and Cyprus national football team, Cyprus, with only the winner progressing to the finals. England began the campaign well with a 3–0 victory over Czechoslovakia at Wembley, Mick Channon and Colin Bell (footballer, born 1946), Colin Bell scoring the goals. However, a 0–0 home draw with Portugal was a minor setback, despite Malcolm Macdonald scoring all the goals in a 5–0 win over Cyprus following a morale-boosting 2–0 friendly win over 1974 FIFA World Cup champions Germany national football team, West Germany. Kevin Keegan scored the only goal of the game at the Tsirion Stadium to secure maximum points in Cyprus and leave England in a strong position going into the two tough final group games in Czechoslovakia and Portugal. Though only drawing with
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
and
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
, a 5–1 victory over
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
secured England the 1974–75 British Home Championship title and left England in confident mood for the crucial qualifying games. However, despite Channon opening the scoring, they fell to a 2–1 defeat to the Czechoslovakians in Bratislava after playing with what was for Revie uncharacteristic attacking tactics. A 1–1 draw in Lisbon then allowed Czechoslovakia to clinch the group with a win over Cyprus. Czechoslovakia then went on to win the whole tournament. Revie was criticised for his constant changing of players during the qualifying group, particularly his decision to drop captains Emlyn Hughes and Alan Ball Jr., Alan Ball from his squad entirely, his mistrust of flair players like Charlie George and Alan Hudson, and his willingness to play players out of position. With England unseeded, Revie was handed opponents for 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), qualifying for the 1978 FIFA World Cup, 1978 World Cup of Italy national football team, Italy, Finland national football team, Finland and Luxembourg national football team, Luxembourg. Only the winner would progress to the finals. Just before the campaign began, England suffered a 2–1 defeat to Scotland to finish second in the 1975–76 British Home Championship. England made heavy work of both Finland and Luxembourg, winning 4–1 away and 2–1 at home against the Finns and 5–0 at home and 2–0 away against the Luxembourgers. The failure to inflict heavier defeats on these sides was ultimately the reason why Italy qualified for the finals on goal difference alone. England fell to a 2–0 defeat in Rome, where Revie was criticised for his previously untested back four selection of Emlyn Hughes, Dave Clement, Roy McFarland, and Mick Mills; he also played Trevor Brooking out of position and surprised many by selecting Stan Bowles ahead of Stuart Pearson. Sensing that he was disliked by FA chairman Sir Harold Thompson, and with further criticism coming his way after England could only finish third in the 1976–77 British Home Championship, Revie began to look for a way out. He missed a friendly with Brazil national football team, Brazil in Rio de Janeiro for what he claimed was a scouting assignment on the Italians, when in fact he had travelled to Dubai for contract negotiations with the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
. Revie asked for his contract with England to be cancelled but the FA refused although they offered Revie their full support despite having already approached Bobby Robson to replace him. The game with Brazil ended in a 0–0 draw, and their tour of South America concluded with draws with Argentina national football team, Argentina and Uruguay national football team, Uruguay. On 12 July 1977, Revie revealed in an exclusive to the ''Daily Mail'' that he was quitting the England job to become manager of the UAE. The FA suspended Revie from football for ten years on a charge of bringing the game into disrepute; Revie contested his suspension in a lawsuit against the FA, and the court overturned the suspension after ruling that the FA had overreached its powers. When Revie departed, England were three points behind Italy in the qualification group, with two matches remaining, including an encounter with the Italians at Wembley. Revie's replacement Ron Greenwood led the national team to victory in both remaining matches. England thus finished level with the Italians on points but behind them on goal difference. Since only the winner of the group qualified for the finals, England missed their second consecutive World Cup tournament.


Middle East

His contract at the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
ensured him a £340,000 four-year contract, though caused irreparable damage to his reputation in England. Selling the story to the ''Daily Mail'' also earned him £20,000, but only furthered the criticism that he was a "mercenary". In April 1979 the UAE finished sixth in the seven-team 5th Arabian Gulf Cup in Iraq, but it was his work in helping to improve the footballing facilities in the country in the long-term that were more important, helping the UAE qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He left the UAE coaching role in May 1980 as the UAE searched for an Arabic language, Arabic speaking manager. He returned to club management with Dubai club Al-Nasr SC (Dubai), Al-Nasr of the UAE Pro-League, UAE Arabian Gulf League, but was sacked in 1984 with the club sitting third in the league. The next year he had a brief stint with Egyptian Premier League club Al-Ahly of Cairo, but did not settle in Egypt and returned home to England. He was approached to replace Alan Mullery as Queens Park Rangers F.C., Queens Park Rangers manager by chairman Jim Gregory (football chairman), Jim Gregory, but the deal was not completed, and Revie never worked in football again.


Personal life

Revie married Elsie, the niece of Leicester City's Scottish manager Johnny Duncan, on 17 October 1949. They had a son and a daughter. Elsie died of cancer on 28 March 2005 at the age of 77. He published an autobiography, ''Soccer's Happy Wanderer'', in 1955. He was appointed an Order of the British Empire, OBE for his services to football. In April 1974, shortly before departing from Leeds for the England job, Revie was a special guest on the TV guest show ''This Is Your Life (UK TV series), This Is Your Life''. Revie was an active Freemasonry, freemason attending Leodiensis Lodge No. 4029 based at Westbourne House in Otley from 1965 until his death.


Illness and death

After living in Surrey for two years, Revie moved to Kinross, Scotland, in 1986, where he intended to spend his retirement. He was diagnosed with
motor neurone disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...
in May 1987. He publicly announced his illness in August of that year and made his final public appearance on 11 May 1988 at
Elland Road Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
in a wheelchair, at a charity football match held to raise money for research into the disease. He died in Murrayfield Hospital in Edinburgh on 26 May 1989, aged 61, and was cremated four days later at Warriston Cemetery, Warriston Crematorium in Edinburgh. Though his funeral was well attended by representatives of Leeds United and many others involved in football such as Kevin Keegan, Brian Moore (commentator), Brian Moore, Lawrie McMenemy, Denis Law and Alex Ferguson,
The Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...
did not send any representatives.


Legacy

The family atmosphere Revie instilled at
Elland Road Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
ensured that many
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
players remained friends and fiercely loyal to Revie long after their playing days had ended; his players also generally avoided financial, addiction or family problems, enjoying largely stable lives even after retirement. In May 2012, a statue of Revie was unveiled outside Elland Road. The North Stand of Elland Road is formally known as the Revie Stand. In a survey of leading football writers, historians and academics by ''Total Sport'' magazine, Revie's Leeds United was voted one of the 50 greatest football teams of all time. James Corbett of the Guardian wrote that Revie "had been the most innovative manager of his generation" and "not until Arsène Wenger would a manager exert such a profound influence on his club - and the English game as a whole".


Criticism


"Dirty Leeds"

The combative nature of his teams earned United the moniker of "dirty Leeds", as key player Eddie Gray admitted that "it was brutal stuff and, definitely win-at-all-costs". Alan Peacock said that one of the attractions for joining Leeds was that he would not have to play against them and "then they won't be kicking me". In 1963 Leeds were labelled by the Football Association's own ''FA News'' as "the dirtiest [team] in
the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
". On more than one occasion referees had to order Leeds players off the pitch for a break mid-match to break up mass brawls. His teams were notorious for dour play and playing to defend 1–0 leads, though he allowed a more attacking style later in his career. Nevertheless, the unpopularity and poor reputation stuck with Leeds throughout Revie's time as manager and afterwards. George Best said that he "hated playing against them" and that the only time he needed to wear shinpads was when he was playing against Leeds. One of Revie's most notable critics was Brian Clough, who initially gave some degree of praise to Leeds following the 1969–70 season in which Clough managed Derby County F.C., Derby County to fourth place, commenting that "they have made the season". However, Clough's attitude soon changed as the competition between their clubs intensified, and in subsequent seasons he would use his newspaper columns to attack Revie and Leeds. A particular example of this was in August 1973 in which he branded the Leeds players "cheats" and called for the club to be relegated to the Second Division on disciplinary grounds, though Clough would surprisingly succeed Revie as Leeds manager in 1974 in an ill-fated tenure that lasted only 44 days. In 2009, Revie was portrayed by Colm Meaney in the film ''The Damned United'', which focused on Clough's reign as manager of Leeds United.


Allegations of financial misconduct

Revie's reputation suffered in the late 1970s after his highly controversial England resignation. Both the ''Daily Mirror'' and ''The Sunday People'' claimed that Revie had attempted to bribe
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
players to lose a crucial match in May 1972. The papers quoted Wolves midfielder Danny Hegan and former Leeds United goalkeeper Gary Sprake's claims that Revie's captain
Billy Bremner William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professional Association football, footballer who played for Leeds United F.C., Leeds United, Hull City A.F.C., Hull City, and the Scotland national football team, Scot ...
had tried to arrange a bribe. Bremner sued for libel and won £100,000 libel damages and legal costs after both Hegan and Sprake refused to repeat their allegations under oath in court. Wolves player Derek Dougan, who had scored against Leeds in the match, testified that he had heard no mention of the alleged bribes. Neither the police nor FA investigations found any evidence of wrongdoing. Additionally, Bob Stokoe would later claim that while managing Bury F.C., Bury on Good Friday 1962, Revie had offered him a bribe of £500 to "go easy" on his Leeds side who were at the time struggling against relegation to the Football League Third Division, Third Division and that he had become enraged when Revie responded to his refusal to accept the bribe by asking "in that case, may I speak to your players?". Alan Ball Jr., Alan Ball also alleged that Revie made an illegal approach for him, and despite pocketing the £300 bribe, he signed for Everton instead of Leeds; both men were charged with bringing the game into disrepute. The allegations of corruption earned him the nickname of "Don Readies". Though Joseph Cantley, Mr Justice Cantley lifted the FA's ten-year ban on Revie, during his conclusion of the case the judge said that Revie "lacked candour", was "greedy" and "prickly", focused on "imagined wrongs" and his resignation as England manager showed a "sensational, outrageous example of disloyalty, breach of trust, discourtesy and selfishness".


Career statistics


Club


International

:''Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Revie goal.''


Managerial statistics


Honours


Player

Manchester City *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
: 1955–56 FA Cup, 1955–56; runner-up: 1954–55 FA Cup, 1954–55 England * British Home Championship: 1954–55 British Home Championship, 1954–55, 1955–56 British Home Championship, 1955–56 (shared), 1956–57 British Home Championship, 1956–57


Manager

Leeds United *
Football League First Division The Football League First Division was the top division of the Football League in England from 1888 until the end of the 1991–92 season, when its teams broke away to form the Premier League. From 1992 to 2004, the name First Division was g ...
: 1968–69 Football League First Division, 1968–69, 1973–74 Football League First Division, 1973–74 *FA Cup: 1971–72 FA Cup, 1971–72 *EFL Cup, Football League Cup: 1967–68 Football League Cup, 1967–68 *FA Charity Shield: 1969 *Football League Second Division: 1963–64 Football League Second Division, 1963–64 *
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, most commonly referred to as the Fairs Cup and sometimes as the European Fairs Cup or Fairs Cities' Cup, was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The Fairs Cup was the idea of FIFA vice-presid ...
: 1967–68 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 1967–68, 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 1970–71 England *British Home Championship: 1974–75 British Home Championship, 1974–75


Individual

* FWA Footballer of the Year: 1954–55 *Officer of the Order of the British Empire: 1969


See also

*List of longest managerial reigns in association football


References


Specific


Further reading

* * * * * * * *


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Revie, Don 1927 births 1989 deaths Footballers from Middlesbrough English men's footballers Men's association football forwards Leicester City F.C. players Hull City A.F.C. players Manchester City F.C. players Sunderland A.F.C. players Leeds United F.C. players English Football League players English Football League representative players England men's B international footballers England men's international footballers English football managers Leeds United F.C. managers England national football team managers United Arab Emirates national football team managers Al-Nasr SC (Dubai) managers Al Ahly SC managers English Football League managers UAE Pro League managers Egyptian Premier League managers English Football Hall of Fame inductees English expatriate football managers English expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates English expatriate sportspeople in Egypt Expatriate football managers in the United Arab Emirates Expatriate football managers in Egypt Officers of the Order of the British Empire English autobiographers English male non-fiction writers Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England Neurological disease deaths in Scotland Deaths from motor neuron disease in the United Kingdom 20th-century English male writers 20th-century English sportsmen