Trevor Cherry’s move from Huddersfield Town to Leeds United one of Don Revie’s shrewdest signings

In terms of transfers between Yorkshire clubs, it ranks as one of the most significant – and certainly successful for the purchaser – of all time.

In the here and now, Town supporters are coming to terms with disappointment, while their United counterparts are in a chirpier mood. The same can be said of June 1972, albeit for different reasons.

Huddersfield were contemplating life back in the second tier following relegation from the top flight, while recently-crowned FA Cup winners Leeds, despite narrowly missing out on a league and cup double, were at the top of the tree in domestic football and were the team to play for, quite simply.

Not long into the close season, Don Revie’s attention was drawn towards Leeds Road, Huddersfield and an immaculate defender called Cherry.

A stand-out in Town’s line-up since emerging on the scene in the late Sixties, the local lad, a good age at 24, was the subject of considerable interest following Huddersfield’s demotion from the first division. He was far too good for the second tier.

Birmingham City – who beat Town in an FA Cup quarter-final a few months earlier with Cherry scoring for the visitors in a 2-1 loss in front of 52,500 at St Andrew’s – threw their hat into the ring. As did Spurs, who had won the UEFA Cup against Wolves the previous month.

But interest from Leeds United proved the game-changer. Cherry grew up as an avid Town fan and was a regular at Leeds Road with his father from a young age. Despite Huddersfield’s rivalry with Leeds, there was only one decision that the defender could make and it was an easy one, heading across the A62 for £100,000.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post several years ago, Cherry – who sadly died at the age of 72 in April 2020 – recalled: “It was an unbelievable move for me.

“I’m a Huddersfield lad and I remember when I heard Leeds United wanted me –in those days, everyone could name their team.

“I do think the Town supporters did forgive me over a period of time. But my father was a mad Town fan and he wasn’t too happy at one stage! I used to walk to Leeds Road with my dad from being five or six years old. In those days, it wasn’t a case of ‘Are you going to the match’. Rather ‘What time does it kick off?’ But I knew what I wanted to do, which was better myself.

“Huddersfield gave me a great start, but I couldn’t go on and do what I wanted to with them. I obviously wanted to play for England, for instance.

“I could have gone to Birmingham or Tottenham. But then Leeds came in and there wasn’t a decision to make.”

What happened after soon vindicated Cherry’s decision, and a bit more besides.

Cherry would serve Leeds with distinction over the next decade, making 476 appearances for United – many as captain – and claiming 27 England caps in an exemplary career.

The club highlight arrived in an imperious 1973-74 title campaign when United’s feats were the talk of football.

The following season in 1974-75, Leeds reached the European Cup final. It coincided with Town finishing bottom of the old third division and being unceremoniously relegated to the Football League’s basement for the first time.

Cherry quickly assimilated into one of the most talented and close-knit sides ever to grace English football. Billy Bremner took him under his wing ‘from day one’ and many happy days and nights followed.

One night in September 1972 in the Turkish capital of Ankara when United played in a Cup Winners’ Cup first leg, helped in Cherry’s ‘integration.’

Cherry said:“In the early days, I remember playing in Turkey and we kicked bricks off each other in a nothing of a game. I remember going back to the airport and I think it was my third game and Les Cocker just said to me: ‘You will be alright with us, son.’”

Cocker and Don Revie missed nothing. Leeds were not just a successful team, but an extended family. Just as players made great, lifelong friendships, so did their loved ones. And their happiness was also paramount in the thinking of Revie.

Cherry continued: “I remember I had only been there six months or so and used to go in early to do my fitness things. Les Cocker said to me: ‘What is up with you, you seem a bit down?’ I had agreed to sell my house and move into a new one in Mirfield and there was a gas strike on. Les said: ‘Go and see the gaffer.’

“Because I was new, I didn’t go. But the next morning, I came in and Les said: ‘Morning, get down to see him now.’

“He just said: ‘Give me this bloke’s (gas fitter’s) number’. So I did and he rang my house and said to my wife: ‘I cannot get there this weekend, but I can put a pipe in on Monday.’

“There were so many houses on this estate, but we had the one and only gas pipe.

“When I got to know Revie and had a drink with him with England, I asked: ‘How did you do that?’ and he said: ‘Simple, I rang the bloke up and said: ‘Do you like your football? I will give you four tickets for Elland Road and two for the (1973) FA Cup semi-final at Maine Road and two for the final. All I want is a gas pipe’.”

Revie would eventually leave Leeds for England, but the revered United manager never left Cherry. He handed him his first international cap in 1976.

The versatile defender took to the international stage consummately, man-marking Johan Cruyff out of the game in the European Cup semi-final second leg against Barcelona in front of 110,000 at the Camp Nou in April 1975.

After winning 2-1 in the first leg, Leeds held their nerve to draw 1-1 and become the first English team to reach the final since Manchester United in 1968.

Controversially, Cherry was overlooked for the final against holders Bayern Munich at Paris.

As the stars of the Super Leeds era grew old, with many departing, Cherry was later handed the captaincy of the club.

He later captained England in a game against Australia in 1980.

After leaving Leeds, Cherry went onto wind down his playing career as player-manager at Bradford City in the early to mid 80s and became a member of an exclusive club – someone to be held in high esteem by West Yorkshire’s three professional clubs. Trevor Cherry. A class act.