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Matches
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8
February 1967 - Valencia 0 Leeds United 2
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Inter Cities Fairs Cup Third Round Second Leg - Campo de Mestall - 48,000 |
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Scorers: Giles 7, Lorimer 87 |
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Valencia: Pesudo, Tatona, Tota, Paquito, Mestre, Roberto, Claramunt, Waldo, Ansola, Poli, Guillot |
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Leeds: Sprake, Madeley, Bell, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Giles, Lorimer, Belfitt, Gray, Hibbitt |
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So it came as no great shock when the draw for the Inter Cities Fairs
Cup third round in 1966/67 paired United with Valencia of Spain in an
exact repeat of the tussle at the same stage of the competition twelve
months previously. The Spaniards were a fast, powerful side, described in the Evening
Post as 'young and workmanlike', and had been battling closely with
Real Madrid at the top of the Spanish championship all season. Manager
Edmundo Suarez, formerly a Spanish international centre-forward, commented
before the tie, 'We know United are a good side, but they will find us
playing more businesslike football this season.' The Yorkshire Evening Post gave a run down on the Spaniards following
news of the draw. 'A danger man is the 30-year-old Brazilian centre-forward
Waldo, now leading scorer in the Spanish League with 12 goals. Waldo and
Fernando Ansola, a superb header of a ball, make up a powerful two pronged
attack, and backing up this twin spearhead are 20-year-old winger Jose
Claramunt, who is at home on either flank, and Vicente Guillot, 25-year-old
schemer. Outstanding player in the defence is 30-year-old goalkeeper Jose
Pesudo, who has let in only nine goals in this season's 10 matches.' When the two clubs met at Elland Road in February
1966, the football was eclipsed for the most part by testy confrontation.
A memorable 1-0 victory in Spain saw the Whites through, but only after
an acrimonious draw in West Yorkshire, with Jack
Charlton and two Spaniards sent off. Just before half-time, keeper Pesudo was laid out after a frenetic United
onslaught and five minutes' treatment was required before the referee
could restart play. With the custodian refusing to get up, the Leeds crowd
bayed with bad tempered scorn, convinced that he was playing for time.
He was ultimately replaced by Abelardo; goalkeeper was the only position
that was allowed a substitute under the UEFA regulations in force at the
time. The other clash was reported by Eric Stanger in the Yorkshire Post:
'There was nearly a flare up early in the second half when in a fierce
goalmouth tussle Cooper tried to hack the ball out of the new goalkeeper's
hands. It took all the tact of a good referee and Collins,
the Leeds captain, to calm Spanish tempers.' The Spaniards exacted retribution
when Paquito scythed Terry Cooper down. By then, we had seen all the goals we were going to. Jimmy
Greenhoff's scorcher from 15 yards gave United a 12th minute lead,
but it was nullified by Valencia right winger Claramunt's effort after
39 minutes. The Spaniards had proven themselves able opponents, as reported by Stanger:
'Valencia unquestionably looked a better side last night than a year ago.
They fought a brilliant tactical battle, their close ball control, superb
team work and covering finally extracting the sting from a Leeds side
which played with rare dash from the start until they almost ran themselves
into the ground trying to pierce the prickly barrier of the Valencia defence.' United could never exploit their early advantage and Don
Revie conceded after the 1-1 draw that it would be difficult in Spain,
adding, 'You never can tell though with these boys. They surprise even
me sometimes.' The recently introduced away goals counting double rule
meant that Leeds would need at least one score in Valencia to stand a
chance of getting through. The second leg, three weeks later, looked daunting, given United's injury
crisis. England Under-23 right-back Paul Reaney was ruled out after a
calf injury suffered days earlier at Everton and joined Jimmy
Greenhoff, Mike O'Grady, Albert
Johanneson, Terry Cooper, Alan Peacock
and Rodney Johnson in the Elland
Road treatment room. Revie took a party of 13 players to Spain, omitting both Bobby Collins,
in discussion with Bury about a prospective move, and Jim
Storrie, who had come on as sub at Everton but was also looking for
a new club. The emphasis was on youth - seven players were 21 or less,
including reserve keeper David Harvey, who turned 19 during the trip.
Eddie Gray, Terry Hibbitt and Mick
Bates were also 19, with the latter two having just 205 minutes of League
football between them. Peter Lorimer (20), Rod
Belfitt and Gary Sprake (both 21) completed the youth brigade. Remarkably,
the only members of the party who had seen their 27th birthdays were Willie
Bell and Jack Charlton. Bates was the player omitted, and versatile Paul Madeley deputised for
Reaney at full-back with Rod Belfitt ploughing a lone furrow up front.
United were familiar by now with the archetypal waiting game in Europe,
a prototype 4-5-1 with midfielders breaking at pace when the opportunity
arose. Midfield general Johnny Giles
forced a breakthrough after seven minutes. The ball eluded Valencia left-back
Tota near the halfway line and Giles was on it in an instant. He broke
into space with magnificent control and, resisting challenges by Paquito,
Mestre and Roberto, he veered at pace towards the area. He coolly drew
out keeper Pesudo before firing home an unstoppable left footed drive.
As Billy Bremner said afterwards, 'They never saw him for dust on his
way to his goal.' Giles had other reason to rejoice as his wife had been heavily pregnant
with their second child: 'I felt terrible at having to be away at a time
like that and found it almost impossible to concentrate on the match.
Even just before the kick-off, when Don Revie was giving us our tactical
instructions, I kept worrying about what was going on back home. Fortunately
the suspense was lifted when we took the field, for it was then that Les
Cocker handed me a telegram which read: "We've had a little girl
- Anne!" I felt so elated at that moment that I knew I would have
a good game.' It was the first time United had scored on their travels since Christmas
Eve, and they nearly snatched a second goal moments later, but Belfitt
was blocked as he made to shoot. The shock of the score provoked a forceful
response and the Spaniards battered the Leeds rearguard with a will, though
United always threatened on the break. Phil Brown reported in the Evening Post that the goal 'rocked
the Valencia team, who had been playing commandingly and well. They came
back at United with every trick and move in the book, all at speed on
a lovely fast pitch, but United's defence, brilliantly marshalled all
through by Bremner, trumped all their aces. United, naturally, concentrated
on protecting their lead … Valencia's almost frenzied, best half dozen
efforts were met either by superlative saves by Sprake or by the ball
whizzing narrowly wide.' Jack Charlton: 'To be fair to Valencia, this goal did not see them throw
in the towel - instead, they fought like demons to demolish that lone
goal lead. They mounted attack after attack, they surged forward and often Despite a number of scares, Leeds looked capable throughout an exhilarating
match of getting the result they required. Valencia grew hasty in their
approach play and increasingly ragged. Given confidence by their lead
and cool ability to retain possession, United played poised football,
always in control of the game. The Spanish forwards and midfielders were clearly frustrated; they carried
the ball too far or played directionless passes. With Poli directing their
play, Valencia tried everything they knew, but the English team made the
clearer opportunities, even with so few men in advanced positions. The
youngsters performed far beyond their years, as noted by Eric Stanger:
'With only two men up for the most part Leeds were often able to make
more running than Valencia. Belfitt, the reserve centre-forward, worked
himself into the ground chasing up and down the middle while little Hibbitt
on the left wing played as if a Fairs Cup occasion was no more awe inspiring
than a Central League match.' Three minutes from the end, United got the critical second goal that
their display merited. Jack Charlton: 'Valencia became desperate to score even one goal. Roberto
had his name taken for a foul on Willie Bell who became a victim again
later when Guillot hacked him down; and young Eddie Gray was led to the
touchline for treatment to a cut eye. But, even as he remained off the
field, we slammed the final nail into Valencia's coffin with a killer
goal three minutes from time. Paul Madeley once more moved up into the
attack, and saw his shot beaten out only for Johnny Giles to whip the
ball straight away to Peter Lorimer, who lashed home a shot from close
range.' That was the killer goal and exhausted any remaining resistance. Valencia
were devastated by the outcome, neutered by an English team at the peak
of their powers; it was a thoroughly impressive exhibition of how to prosper
in European football. Phil Brown: 'There was not a weak link in the United side. Belfitt worked
like a fresh young horse at centre-forward and Gray and Lorimer showed
the judgement of veterans. It was an incredible performance … [Valencia]
could make nothing of United's defence … Charlton ruled the middle relentlessly,
air and ground … He had two giants with him at full-back in Madeley and
Bell, and another in Hunter as the withdrawn wing-half. The absent Reaney
has never played better than Madeley did last night, and Reaney has played
some grand games.' Billy Bremner recalled later that he felt the match had been won during
the preparation. Don Revie had been doggedly optimistic before the game:
'The Boss really won it for us. He hammered it into us day after day and
time after time that we would win - not that we might win or could win
but that we would win. The result was we went on the field really believing
that we were the better side and we proved it. I was under his orders
for no pessimism, and as I went on telling the lads we would win, I began
to believe it ma'sel. It was wonderful and always will be with me, even
if I play until a'm a hundred. We were absolutely convinced we could win
when we went out.' Don Revie: 'I am a great believer in the psychological approach and that
if you are really convinced you are the better side you will be … Funny
things can happen in football, and it was no good being mouldy about the
match in any event. It came off for us, and that's the main thing. But
if they ever make me any prouder
I'll burst. I don't know how they did it really. I didn't think a team,
even a United team, could produce such a rate of work. And to win here
with a forward line whose average age was hardly 20! It just shows that
nothing is impossible in football.' A contented Johnny Giles, recalling one of the greatest nights of his
life, remembered, 'Afterwards, all the drinks were on me and, needless
to say, few members of the Leeds squad were sober by the time we got to
bed!' An elated Leeds United party flew back to Yorkshire in high spirits having
secured one of their greatest victories under the leadership of Don Revie.
As chairman Harry Reynolds beamed, 'This was our best win yet. A wonderfully
good job of work all round with the team we had.' Vice chairman Alderman Percy Woodward added, 'Frankly, I was so overcome
with pride and joy that when the whistle went I was crying.' |