Don Revie: Fresh blood and the will to win

When Don Revie embarked on the start of his managerial career in March, 1961, he did so in a city whose sporting affections were dominated not by football but rugby league and cricket. The sale of John Charles to Juventus four years earlier had robbed Leeds United of its one true sporting icon, the only man capable of competing with the crowd-pulling charisma of Lewis Jones at Headingley during the winter months or Fred Trueman in the summer.

So disaffected had supporters become that the last two games at Elland Road of Jack Taylor's managerial reign attracted a combined attendance of slightly more than 20,000. Six weeks after Revie had taken charge, the final home game of the season against Scunthorpe United was watched by a paltry 6,975.

It was not just the battle for the Leeds public's affection that was being lost at Elland Road, either, but also the fight for sporting supremacy in the city. A crowd of 52,177 had watched the Loiners be crowned the kings of rugby league in the 1961 championship final at Bradford's Odsal Stadium.

A few months earlier, Yorkshire had clinched back-to-back County Championship successes. United, in contrast, were the very epitome of mediocrity. The malaise afflicting the club was best illustrated in that 10 successive seasons had brought not even one solitary victory in the FA Cup. Even Hunslet and Bramley, Leeds's two other senior rugby league clubs, were considered superior to United in a city where football was still viewed by many to be an inferior sport. Apathy ruled at Elland Road but Revie had big plans. Helped by Harry Reynolds, who had by now retired from the family's steel firm and had an increasing say in the running of a club where he had become a director in 1955, Revie set about implementing the changes he felt were needed to revive Leeds.

First, though, he made it a priority to seek the views of those he considered to be role models. Revie's son Duncan was seven years old when his father was appointed manager. He recalls: "Dad said one of the first things he did after taking over at Leeds was to ring Matt Busby at Manchester United and ask if he could spare an hour of his time one afternoon. Matt invited him across one day and was so helpful that dad ended up spending the whole day there.

"Dad always said the advice he got that day was priceless and he never forgot what Matt Busby did for him. It meant in later days when young managers such as Alex Ferguson and Lawrie McMenemy rang up, he would always spare time for them just as Matt had done for him. He would invite them over to Leeds or to the England camp."

Armed with advice from the likes of Busby and Bill Shankly at Liverpool, Revie set about the changes he had felt needed making ever since arriving at Elland Road as a player in 1958.

One of the first major decisions taken by Revie was to permanently change the team's shirts from the traditional Leeds city colours of blue and gold. United had played in white under Revie's predecessor, Jack Taylor, as long ago as September 1960 in a 4-4 draw at home to Middlesbrough. Revie was captain that day and Leeds continued to sport white shirts with blue and gold trimmings periodically for the rest of the season.

It was, however, on Revie's insistence during the summer of 1961 that the club permanently adopted an all-white kit in the style of Real Madrid as a statement of intent designed to change the defeatist mindset that seemed embedded at Elland Road after decades of struggle.

Suggestions have been made since, most notably by Jack Charlton, that the switch was a purely practical one on Revie's part, with the new Leeds manager feeling his players would be more able to pick each other out against the background of the crowd when dressed in white. But the Earl of Harewood, United's president since 1961 and a close confidant of Revie during his time as manager, insists: "Don was a huge admirer of Real Madrid and he did definitely change the team colours to show his desire to make Leeds United a success."

Revie's son Duncan is equally sure of the reasons behind the switch. "I am told the players looked at him at first as if to say, 'You must be mad'," he recalls. "But dad just replied, 'We are going to be the best in the world, just like Real Madrid'. It was an amazing thing to say about a club near the bottom of Division Two, but it showed just how determined dad was to be a success."

For the first 18 months, the change of colours looked little more than a gimmick that had gone badly awry as United struggled. Revie had inherited a mediocre squad that, for all the promise of a young Billy Bremner, was full of journeymen pros, so he knew that the only way to fulfil his ambitions of building a side in the mould of Real Madrid would be to develop the very best youngsters. The foundations of a youth set-up were in place, with Norman Hunter already on the groundstaff, but Revie knew he had to spread the search as wide as possible.

Harry Reynolds, whose growing influence at Elland Road was reflected in him being named Sam Bolton's successor as chairman in December 1961, agreed and the pair would regularly tour the country to speak to the parents of boys the club wanted to sign.

There were times when such a direct approach failed, but more often than not they would return to Leeds with the requisite signature. One such capture was Eddie Gray, who recalls: "I was only 14 and had never even heard of Leeds, never mind Leeds United. I remember thinking, 'Why would I want to sign for them?'"

Revie was well aware of how unattractive a move to Leeds might seem compared to the pull of the bigger teams. He set to work on the parents, offering reassurances that their son would be much better looked after at a club where he mattered.

The ace up Revie's sleeve was his personable manner and, having come from one himself, an ability to empathise with working-class families. He was the master at sitting in front rooms up and down the country, sipping tea and chatting with everyone from a boy's father through to his ageing grandmother as if he would like to do nothing more for the rest of the day. Above all, he made them feel special. The Lorimer family were one of many to receive the personal treatment from Revie. Peter recalls: "I had been down to Leeds for a trial at 14 and it looked like I was going to sign but then after playing really well when Scotland Schoolboys beat England, suddenly every club in the country wanted to sign me.

"Manchester United put the pressure on by leaving a suitcase full of money at my mother's house. Mum, who liked Don because of how he had treated the family, rang Leeds to explain what had happened and straight away Don said: 'Don't sign anything – I'll be there as quick as I can'.

"He jumped in his car and raced up to Scotland, being so keen to get there he picked up a speeding ticket on the way in Perth. He got me in the car and drove straight back to Leeds, before Manchester United could come back to the house in the morning. And that was that, I had joined Leeds."

Revie's determination to build a side around youngsters was an admirable – and, ultimately, successful – policy but it also meant progress would be slow and patience vital. What could change immediately, though, was the ethos of a club for whom second best had become acceptable. Jack Charlton, whose Leeds debut had come a little over eight years before Revie's appointment as manager, recalls: "Don changed the club overnight. Where before, we would get on the bus and travel to the game on the day, now we were suddenly staying overnight in nice hotels. Instead of things being done to suit the directors, things were being done for the players. It was a big change but one Don felt important."

Revie's son, Duncan, remembers his father being adamant that improvements had to be made. "The directors were skint but he just said, 'I don't care. I want to instil in these players' minds that they are the best. We can't do that if they are staying in third-rate hotels or travelling on the same day'. So that is what happened. Tony Jacklin, who dad played a lot of golf with at one time, once said he had learned a lot from what dad said in that respect. When he became captain of the Ryder Cup team, he made sure everyone got new bags, new cashmere sweaters, new shoes etc. He also made sure they flew on Concorde, the thinking being that when they stepped on the first tee they would not feel inferior."

As much as improving standards off the field helped to raise morale at Elland Road, there was one player whose own unhappiness troubled Revie during those early days in charge. Bremner, after being rejected by Chelsea for being "too small", had signed for Leeds in December, 1959, and been quickly taken under the wing of Revie, then the club's senior pro. When, just a month or so after his 17th birthday, Bremner made his debut at Chelsea, Revie arranged for them to room together on the Friday night.

Revie, almost twice Bremner's age, then made sure the teenager was up bright and early to enjoy a walk before the trip to Stamford Bridge.

Bremner's debut was a success as United won 3-1 but the Scot soon became disillusioned with life in West Yorkshire and pined for a return to his native Stirling to be with his fiance, Vicky. It was a problem Revie inherited from predecessor Jack Taylor and, before long, Bremner had submitted his first transfer request to the new manager.

Hibernian immediately bid 25,000 but Revie, desperate to keep hold of a player whom he felt was integral to a brighter future for Leeds, held out for 30,000. The deal fell through, much to the disappointment of Bremner who continued to badger for a move.

Bremner's fellow Scot Eddie Gray recalls: "Billy and Don became very close but in those early days Billy did cause him a few problems over wanting to go back home to Scotland. He was really homesick and missing Vicky. They had met at school, whereas most of the boys at the club had met girls in Leeds and that made it hard for Billy because he missed her a lot."

Revie, recognising how important the flame-haired midfielder was to his own ambitions, decided to sort the problem out once and for all by, unbeknown to Bremner, travelling to Scotland. Once there, he explained to Vicky that her future husband was integral to what he was trying to build at Leeds and that by leaving he would be doing himself a real dis-service. Revie's charm worked and, when the couple married, they set up home in Leeds – all thoughts of returning to Scotland had been banished. Leeds United's path to the top of English football had been cleared.

Next week: "He was a great football manager but an even better dad."

Extract from Revie: Revered and Reviled by Richard Sutcliffe. Order your copy @ 14.99 plus 2.75p&p and save 2 on the list price of 16.99. Call our order line 01784 821122 Mon-Sat 9am-5pm or by post send cheque /postal order made payable to Yorkshire Books Ltd to Yorkshire Books Ltd, 1 Castle Hill, Richmond, DL10 4QP.

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