When Leeds United handed Don Revie the reins to shape their destiny

The Peacocks – they wore blue and yellow then – were 10th in Division Two and seeking a seventh manager since World War Two after Jack Taylor’s resignation. They chose 33-year-old Don Revie, and the modern Leeds were born.

The identity of many of the biggest football clubs are defined by one man, be it Bill Shankly at Liverpool or Johan Cruyff at Barcelona. Leeds are permanently associated with the qualities and characteristics, good and bad, Revie brought to Elland Road, even down to the Real Madrid-style all-white kit he introduced.

It almost did not happen. Director Harry Reynolds was writing a reference to Bournemouth extolling the former England international’s qualities when he realised they might be put to good use at Elland Road. The letter was ripped up and the Leeds board decided unanimously to give Revie a three-year contract.

The player-manager was “introduced” to his squad at training at 10am and had to pick the team then get to Leeds Central for 12.15pm to catch the train for the following day’s game at one-from-bottom Portsmouth.

It was clear Revie was no puppet. He made it known he had full power to pick the team, organise training and decide on transfers “in and out”. Secretary Cyril Williamson was in charge of administration, but the position of “liaison director” was scrapped.

“Revie will know all his men and they will do as he says,” wrote Richard Ulyatt in The Yorkshire Post.

He inherited a team in a mess. The first paragraph of Phil Brown’s Yorkshire Evening Post report of Taylor’s final match spoke volumes: “Again one has to admire Leeds United’s spirit while criticising their lack of skill.”

Revie said: “I understand that I have a difficult job, but it can be done if we all pull together. My aim is to be firm, but fair.”

Middlesbrough-born Revie joined recently-relegated Leeds in November 1958 for £8,000, taking his combined career transfer fees to a then-record £83,000. He had shown his intelligence at Manchester City, where he became one of English football’s first “false nines”.

“Revie in his heyday was an outstanding inside-forward or wing half-back,” wrote Ulyatt.

“He never dominated a game as John Charles did, but his subtle method, his shrewd passes and intelligent interceptions frequently changed the course of play.

“I believe that he is a man able to control his emotions as ably as he controls a football, and if that is the case he will in all probability be successful as a manager once he has learnt the ropes. This is a job in which individuality and personality count for much, and Revie has both to a large degree.”

Posing for pictures at home with wife Elsie and son Duncan, Revie said: “I aimed at being a manager when I finished playing, and this is my breakthrough. I shall do my best with United’s difficult situation. One and all will have to get down to it at Elland Road.”

He started with a crowd-pleasing move.

“Jack Charlton plays centre-forward for Leeds United tomorrow at Portsmouth (do I hear cheering?)”, read the first paragraph of the Evening Post’s team news piece.

It was all the rage. England left-back Ray Wilson played centre-forward for Huddersfield Town against Middlesbrough.

With Revie out with an ankle injury, Billy Bremner wore the No 10 shirt. He was the only Leeds player at Fratton Park to line-up at Queens Park Rangers in Revie’s final game in April 1974.

The Portsmouth match was a battle Leeds lost, 3-1, despite a Charlton goal.

Goodwin – who resigned as captain nine days earlier, saying: “I feel that the captain should work with the management of a club but it seems that all United want is a man to toss the coin” – picked up ankle and eye injuries, while Peter McConnell went off for 20 minutes having six stitches put into an eye wound.

“Weakened United not disgraced”, was the Evening Post headline.

Already Revie’s attention for details was obvious. “I am trying to improve our play. For instance, throw-ins and corners,” he revealed.

Dietary restrictions were introduced and Revie insisted his players stay at the finest hotels.

With Revie not featuring, Leeds won just one of their last nine matches – a 7-0 hammering of Lincoln City – and finished 14th.

“How long he will go on playing he told me today, he did not know,” Brown had written on day one. “My guess is that he will finish at the end of the season, when his new and presumably much higher salary as team manager (the maximum wage limited him to £20 a week while registered as a player) could begin immediately his player registration was cancelled with the Football League.”

Revie made his final seven appearances in 1961-62 as Leeds finished 19th. It would be another 46 years before they ended a season lower.

Promoted as champions in 1964, Leeds won two First Division titles, the FA Cup, League Cup, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and Charity Shield, as well as 10 runners-up finishes in the following decade before Revie left to take charge of England.

The mark he left on Leeds remains today.