Keep Fighting

by paul harrison

  However, the goal and the game were not without further incident and controversy. The ball had hardly struck the net when the Arsenal players began to remonstrate with match referee Mr Hamer. They furiously claimed that there had been an initial foul on their keeper Jim Furnell by Leeds centre half Jack Charlton. The referee remained firm and would have none of it; he dismissed all Arsenal protestations and correctly allowed the goal to stand.

  From the scoring of the opening goal onwards, Arsenal had essentially controlled affairs and pushed Leeds back into defensive mode. So committed and serious were the Leeds outfield that goalkeeper Gary Sprake had just one serious save to make during the entire game. As the final whistle blew, signalling a Leeds victory and the winning of their first major domestic trophy, Wembley erupted into choruses of Leeds songs and the stadium was a sea of white, blue and gold. The late Don Revie was ecstatic about the victory and at last winning a domestic trophy: ‘My lads have done me and the city of Leeds proud today. Every one of them gave me 110 per cent. At times it wasn't pretty but we worked hard and rightly lifted the trophy.’ Revie looked on with much pride as his skipper raised the Football League trophy above his head to the sound of 40,000 enthused Leeds supporters.

  ‘I shall never forget the final few minutes,’ Bremner recalled. ‘The crowd were whistling so loudly that I could hardly hear the referee's whistle blowing for fouls and throw-ins. I kept my eyes firmly fixed on him when our defenders had the ball; I think all our players stared at him, anticipating him blowing the final whistle. It seemed an eternity before he did. When I heard it go I couldn't take it all in and I kept asking other players if it was all over. It was as though I felt it was going to be taken away from us at the last moment. My relief was truly great. Marching round Wembley stadium with that trophy was, I have to say, an awful nice feeling. The support was fantastic, people were crying with tears of joy, I wanted to take them all by the hand and thank them individually. That first trophy was won in honour of them.

  ‘When we arrived back in Leeds thousands of supporters filled the streets. The last time I had seen this was after our FA Cup final defeat to Liverpool back in 1965 but the mood had been a little more sombre then. This time it was one massive party, people dancing and shouting and singing. Every player had a lump in their throat that day when we saw how happy we had made so many people. I like to think we gave every Leeds supporter a great deal of pleasure in what we achieved. Without our supporters, we as footballers would have been nothing and today's players should really bear that in mind.’

  Afterwards, the Leeds match winner Terry Cooper told colleagues and reporters that he had dreamed he was going to score in the game, a self-fulfilling prophecy!

  FERENCVAROS v LEEDS UNITED

  Inter Cities Fairs Cup Final (Second Leg)

  11 September 1968

  Nepstadion

  Ferencvaros, Hungary's most successful club side, had been previous winners of the Inter Cities Fair Cup in 1965. Nicknamed ‘the Fradi’ or ‘the Green and Whites’ they were founded in Budapest in 1899 and were deemed ‘formidable opponents’ by Leeds boss Don Revie. Bremner and his troops went into this game eager to protect a 1-0 lead they had managed to secure at Elland Road in the first leg. There, before just 25,268 spectators, Leeds had successfully breached the Hungarian side's defence in the fortieth minute with a less than pretty Mick Jones goal that typified his penalty area prowess. On the night, Ferencvaros had proven themselves to be equal foes and had created a number of opportunities to score. However, some heroic defending and some fine goalkeeping from Gary Sprake had kept the intruders at bay.

  The Nepstadion, ‘The People's Stadium’, was first opened in 1953 and constructed with the voluntary assistance of a mass of people, allegedly including Ferenc Puskas. On the night in question, when Leeds were the opposition it was a cauldron of tension and noise. Some 76,000 people filled the terraces, the majority believing that the hosts would be victors. Leeds had suffered defeat in the final of the same competition in the previous season and were not about to submit so easily this time. Experience had taught these Leeds players well.

  Revie told his players to defend in numbers and to break with pace and with support from the midfield.

  ‘I remember the boss telling me to play my usual game, get close to the man with the ball and to intimidate with my physical and vocal presence. I knew that very few of the Hungarians would understand my Scottish dialect. Yet most footballers, despite their background, nationality and the language barrier can understand a fellow player's desire and tenacity. I was really fired up for this game and wanted to show everyone that I was fully committed to every tackle and challenge.’

  The Hungarian supporters booed every Leeds player and every pass in a desperate attempt to knock their confidence. Undeterred, the Leeds stars battled on, ignoring the hostility of the whole affair. Ferencvaros ran at the Leeds defence each time they won the ball, and playing neat interchanging passing moves they came close to scoring several times in the opening half hour. Gradually Leeds rose in confidence and began to realise that they needed to, and could take control of the game. Cooper and Reaney were magnificent in the timing of their tackles. Bremner and Giles were at their industrious best, utilising every ball they played to maximum effect. A floated free kick from Mike O'Grady found Mick Jones in the Ferencvaros penalty area and the striker met the ball with his head and directed it goalwards only for the ball to thump against the Hungarian team's crossbar and be kicked to safety. The Ferencvaros support began to turn against their own team for not scoring as freely as they had anticipated which worked in Leeds’ favour.

  ‘We always knew that our backs would be against the wall in Hungary. Ferencvaros needed an early goal really. That would have settled them and the supporters down but it didn't happen and we slowly grew in confidence. We gave as gritty a performance in that game as I can ever remember. It became clear to us that as a unit in order to compete at the top of the game we had to consistently work for and support one another through-out the full ninety minutes and more. There was enough quality in our team for individuals to produce their own moment of brilliance in any game.

  ‘That night in Hungary we proved we were able to compete with the very best Europe had to offer. It was a real milestone in my career and that of Leeds United and our second trophy in six months. We could now force our critics to recognise that we had the capability to progress to even greater achievements, and that we were not too bad a team in the process. The boss was ecstatic about winning the trophy. To him the desire to make Leeds United a major football force was not only limited to British shores, he wanted us to be regarded as the best in Europe and we had now achieved a very small portion of that goal. We were the first British side to win the Inter Cities Fairs Cup; we had achieved a lot in a relatively short space of time, now it was up to us to maintain that momentum with even more success.’

  LIVERPOOL v LEEDS UNITED

  Division One

  Monday, 28 April 1969

  Anfield

  Anfield, home of Liverpool FC, has never been a welcoming place for visiting teams to play their football. The Liverpool side of 1969 were as good as any club side in the world, especially at Anfield. They had strength in every department, and that season had lost just one game at their home ground. This game took on additional major importance by virtue of the fact that the First Division championship would be decided by the result. It was a two-horse race between Liverpool and Leeds. United needed just one point to secure the championship, Liverpool needed a win to keep their hopes alive. The tiny terraced-house-lined streets surrounding much of Anfield stadium were packed almost three hours before the 7.30pm kick off. Street parking was a virtual impossibility and the flow of traffic around all routes close to the ground was at a virtual standstill. The Stanley Park car parking areas were crammed to capacity resulting in cars being abandoned wherever any space to stop and park was found. This included on complete strangers’ driveways, pavements and
garage forecourts. An estimated 10,000 loyal Leeds fans were in a partying mood as they filled much of the Anfield Road end of the stadium. Loud and raucous, they were there for one reason: to cheer their team on to success and to celebrate the occasion.

  Meanwhile, Liverpool's famous Kop was typically filled to the rafters an hour before kick-off, with fans chanting their usual anthems. The Anfield stadium was bursting at the seams and crackling with tension and anticipation as early as 7pm with thousands of fans being locked outside.

  In the Leeds dressing room the importance of the occasion was not lost, but was somewhat dismissed by Don Revie. Bremner recalled:

  ‘A season was over forty-two league games and we were continually reminded by the boss that this game was no different from any other game we had played. We all knew the rewards that one more good performance would bring, yet none of us dared to mention it. The usual pre-match routines were being carried out, players and staff wandering round talking to themselves or having a chat with other players. This was to psych themselves up in preparation for the final push on the pitch. Looking back, it was an incredibly tense time; everything we had competed for all season was now potentially going to be determined by this one game.

  ‘An official popped his head round the dressing-room door and told us to make ourselves ready to go out onto the pitch. The strange-looking little man was greeted with comical abuse from us all. This was our signal that it was time for us all to come together and to fight for the cause of Leeds United. As I walked down the passageway and steps and out onto the pitch, the noise the spectators were making inside the stadium was incredible, it was easily the loudest I have ever heard. I couldn't hear our players or my own voice. It was intimidating and quite scary.’

  As the game kicked off, Liverpool surged forward towards the Leeds goal. Time and again they attacked, wave after wave of intense pressure. Gary Sprake played one of his finest games that evening, impeccable in his handling and awareness of the Liverpool threat. One save in particular from Ian Callaghan was spectacular, as the Welshman somehow changed direction middive, spun backwards and managed to tip a wicked spinning shot over the bar. The Liverpool front line swarmed round the Leeds goal like bees round a honey pot. Bremner marshalled and rallied his troops magnificently, throwing himself into challenges and acting as a human shield, repelling shots from reaching their intended target.

  It has been said that Billy Bremner worked as hard that night as he ever did for Leeds United. Every so often he would slow play down, controlling the ball, putting his foot on it and allowing his team mates to regroup and push up towards the Liverpool goal. Liverpool, eager to get a goal, were not about to stand on ceremony and thumped into Bremner with strong challenges time and again. They should in fact have taken the lead through young striker Alun Evans who somehow contrived to miss two easy chances.

  The longer the game went on, the stronger the Leeds rearguard became. Each man gave his all, continually roared on by the tigerish Bremner and the Leeds supporters: ‘There can be no doubt that it was an almighty battle we found ourselves engaged in that evening. I kept encouraging the players to use the ball wisely, make easy passes and make movement off the ball. It was all about keeping possession. Liverpool kept at us and big Tommy Smith, the Liverpool defender, seemed to be urging his players to kick us off the park if needs be. Emlyn Hughes, a good friend of mine, worked really hard and was his usual playing self, a pain in the arse – he was continually moaning.

  ‘At one point he said to me: “Come on Billy, you are not being fair mate, give me a chance to get close enough to kick you into the stand.” I always had a lot of respect for Liverpool and their style of football, but that night in April 1969 I don't ever recall seeing them chasing a game as much as they did that evening against us. Liverpool's game is all about possession and patience, but that night they were different. Bill Shankly, God bless him, really had them going for it. Eventually we had them covered in all areas and displayed patience and control.’

  As the ninety minutes mark came and went, the referee Mr Dimond played out injury time but for Leeds it seemed like an eternity. On the touchline, Don Revie paced up and down like a man possessed, continually looking at his watch, nervous, irritated, excited. In the space of a few seconds just about every emotion was expressed upon his face. Eventually the referee blew the full-time whistle, some Leeds players sank to their knees, tears streaming down their cheeks, and it was all over. For the first time in the club's history Leeds United were the League Champions. The players at once saluted the Leeds support. Revie, who was not a man to outwardly express emotion in public, had the smile of a Cheshire cat. Bill Shankly, the Liverpool supremo, congratulated him on a marvellous season, shaking his hand whilst bearing a somewhat disconsolate smile.

  Bremner meanwhile was being congratulated by members of the Liverpool team: ‘Ron Yeats gave me a pat on the back and told me that we deserved to be champions. Most of the Liverpool players did the same. I went over to congratulate the boss and I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, scream or sing. As I ran to him he typically gave me a greater challenge when he said to me: “Bill, take the team round the pitch, round the ground. You are Champions Bill, the best team in England. Celebrate it in style.”

  ‘As we made our way round the Anfield pitch I looked into the sea of red and white Liverpool support wherever we went. The Merseyside supporters were reciprocating our gesture and openly applauding us. I admit, all the time I kept one eye fixed firmly on the Kop. I didn't think it would be right to go to them and rub salt into their wounds. I was more nervous about that than through any footballing reason – everybody had respect for those supporters who stood in the Liverpool Kop. It was strange because as we got closer to that end suddenly their supporters started singing “Champions, Champions” and they were singing it in honour of us. It was one of the most amazing and humbling experiences I have ever encountered in football. Those supporters are superb. I never feel sorry for losing opponents, but I remember apologising to some of the Liverpool supporters stood at the front of the Kop, for winning the Championship on their soil. I cried, the emotion and relief was all too much for me and some of them on witnessing this sang my name. The memories of that night will never be far from my mind, I didn't want to leave the pitch.’

  ‘In the dressing room the celebrations continued but they were though, momentarily, brought to a halt when Bill Shankly walked in. He simply said: “Well done boys, worthy Champions, good luck for next season.” Champagne was produced courtesy of Liverpool FC and we all gladly accepted this kind gift – why not, and it would rude to waste it! While we were all celebrating in some style the boss came over to me and whispered: “Bill, there is the little matter of Nottingham Forest for us to beat in Leeds next Wednesday. Let's save our full celebrations till then.” Typical of the boss really, forever the professional.’

  LEEDS UNITED v SK LYN OSLO

  European Cup, First Round (First Leg)

  Wednesday 17 September 1969

  Elland Road

  With the English League Championship under their belt, United entered the European Cup competition for the first time in their history. The first-round draw had been somewhat fortunate to them, providing opposition in the form of Norwegian parttimers SK Lyn Oslo. The Norwegians had an outstanding record in their own country where they were League Champions and Cup winners in 1968. Indeed, they had been crowned League Champions four years previously and had also won the Norwegian Cup on no less than seven occasions. In 1969 they reached the quarter-final stage of the European Cup Winners Cup, narrowly going out 5-4 to Barcelona.

  Leeds’ preparations for the tie had gone well. Four days earlier they had defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at Hillsborough and, in fact, the team had suffered just one defeat in its first ten competitive first-team fixtures of that season.

  ‘To be fair to Oslo, we knew little about them; the papers said that their team consisted of office clerks, teachers, and students – in fact any
occupation you could think of other than footballers. Knowing how reporters operate I don't think any of us really believed what we read of them, after all this was the European Cup, a competition in which only Europe's very best compete. Even if the reports were true, there is no side playing in the European Cup which deserves anything but complete respect. The boss had told us to ignore all the press speculation, Oslo would not lay down and die without a fight. He told us we had to be on top of our game from the start and, as usual, to fight for everything.’

  The Norwegians arrived at Elland Road without Olsen their goalkeeper. Travel delays had held him up and he eventually arrived at the ground with less than half an hour to spare before kick off. By the end of ninety minutes one can only suspect that he wished he had missed the game completely. Leeds’ precise football and determination to succeed saw them crush their opponents. After just thirty-five seconds Mike O'Grady shot United into a 1-0 lead, with what has commonly been agreed to be the quickest goal ever scored in the competition. Two minutes later, Mick Jones nodded the ball past the bewildered Olsen, and on nine minutes the same player added a third. The Oslo defence was in tatters as Leeds continued to force proceedings. Before half time two further goals were added to the home side's total, one from Allan Clarke and one from Giles, making the half time score an incredible 5-0 to Leeds:

  ‘It was unbelievable; we went in at half time believing we could really thrash this team. It was obvious that more goals would come if we kept up the pressure in the second half. We threatened to score every time we attacked them. From my perspective it was a classic Leeds performance and although I don't like to scorn another club's misfortunes, this tie was a clear mismatch. We were head and shoulders above them in everything we did. The fans loved it and so did we. We were a team in every sense of the word. Performances like this really forge a close bond between the players, it is all about aspiring to achievement and that night we truly achieved.’