Tommorrow we meet the old foe. In the year of my birth 1965 we were both on for the double. An FA cup semi at Hillsborough was a rough fought draw. Nobby Stiles started the violence with an evil tackle on Albert Johanneson, the first black top flight player, warmly heald in the hearts of the Leeds faithful.
The fighting on the field spread to the terraces. The violence continued 4 days later at the replay which we won with a last minute goal by Billy Bremner. This was Leeds first season in the first division and the scum, sadly, won the title and Leeds lost the cup final. Leeds, however, under the inspired and way ahead of his time Don Revie went on to dominate football until 1975. In 25 games we lost 3 until the holy year of 1974 when the scum were relegated.
The Leeds United story is a tragedy that has inspired bitterness from virtually all angles. Leeds clearly should have won the eoropean cup final in 1975 were it not for a clear conspiracy of referee and linesmen. The Leeds fans vented thier frustration on Paris that night.
Revie has been maligned by most football historians as having a dirty cynical team. A more accurate assesment is that he did in the '60s what it took the rest of football till the '80's to mimic.
In 1994 Matt Busby died and where every ground in the country heald a minutes silence and impecably observed it was at all but Eward Park where the Leeds fans sang 'theres only one Don Revie'. All the pundits were disgusted. There was a serious point though. Revies genius has never been recognised, when people refer to the scum as United it sticks in the craw. Which United? Manchester United are the Coca Cola, the McDonalds of football. They are not the team of the true Mancunion even, every northerner knows City are.
We take 9000 tommorrow and though divided by 42 league places and outnumbered in the streets and terraces 5 to 1, we will fight and whether we win or lose we will be Leeds.
Come On!
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