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Books
published by the mightyleeds webmaster
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Dirty
Leeds: Don Revie & the Art of War - August 2020
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Post-war industrial England, a dirty hinterland in the North and Midlands
where the skyline was punctuated by grimy old stacks and evil-looking
factories. It was a simpler time, but also less informed; if you said
'Prosecco', 'Paparazzi' and 'Literati' to even the worldly-wise gentlemen
of the press, after the sneer, you might have got a guess that you were
discussing three greasy inhabitants of some mysterious Italian club's
forward line. The world of the working man was all pie, peas and mash
suppers, fish'n'chips, warm ale and a packet of Woodbines. There will never be another story like that of Leeds United Football
Club in the 1960s. Out of grime and obscurity came Don Revie and Harry
Reynolds, two self-made northerners and their handcrafted club, and this
is their story, from their perspective. Revie's Leeds were like Marmite, loved by the faithful, reviled by the
rest, forever branded Dirty Leeds for their uncompromising approach. Within
five years, Leeds were champions once, runners-up twice, FA Cup finalists
once, semi-finalists twice and raised the League and Fairs Cups but are
characterised as the ultimate example of serial bottlers. The partnership of Revie and Reynolds was made in heaven. Revie couldn't
have succeeded at another club or without Reynolds - they transformed
a dreary football club into an industrial giant, but never forgot the
little people. 'We can have some of that, can't we, Don?' 'We can, Harry, and we will.' 'Leeds United are going to be one of the biggest clubs in the country,
mark my words.' 'You're not wrong, Harry, you're not wrong.' And Harry wasn't. They tilted at windmills, did Don and Harry. 'We all hate Leeds and Leeds and Leeds, Leeds and Leeds and Leeds, Leeds
and Leeds and Leeds, we all f***ing hate Leeds!' In November 2015, the Daily Mirror claimed that Leeds were the most
sung about football club by fans of opposing teams. They reckoned there
were 117 anti-Leeds chants, a massive 67 chants more than those against
second-placed Liverpool. United have achieved little of genuine footballing
note since their Champions' League odyssey in 2001 and have been without
senior silverware since the championship in 1992, the last year before
the coming of the FA Premier League. And yet, a bitter hatred of Dirty Leeds 'and all they stand for' percolates
through supporters of all other clubs. Even future 'saviour' Ken Bates,
chairman of Chelsea when United fans damaged a scoreboard at Stamford
Bridge in 1984, had the bug, promising, 'I shall not rest until Leeds
United are kicked out of the Football League. Their fans are the scum
of the Earth, absolute animals and a disgrace. I will do everything in
my power to make this happen.' Those words were trotted out in later years by United's own fans, expressing
their 'We're Leeds and we don't care' declarations of siege mentality.
'All Leeds aren't we?' and 'we've had our ups and downs' are regular rallying
choruses for the unloved faithful. So exactly why are Leeds United so universally reviled by rival football
fans the length and breadth of the country? The story of Revie, Reynolds and Dirty Leeds is truly unique. Get a copy at Amazon. ASIN: B0CFT5GYM1 (Ebook) |