THE MASTER PLAN
How Revie Built Leeds' Greatest Team
The summer of 1963 dawned with an air of quiet determination at Elland Road. Don Revie, his face weathered by the Yorkshire elements, stood on the touchline watching his young charges train. The previous seasons had been extremely challenging for Leeds United, a once proud club, as they found themselves in a precarious position near the Third Division trapdoor.
But Revie wasn't your ordinary gaffer. He'd spent the past months meticulously crafting something special, though few outside the club's inner sanctum could see it. The blend was peculiar: seasoned professionals mixed with wet-behind-the-ears teenagers who'd barely started shaving. Critics scoffed, but Revie knew better.
Johnny Giles arrived from Manchester United that summer, a transfer that raised more than a few eyebrows. At £33,000, some believed Revie had made a mistake. But the Irishman's arrival marked the beginning of something extraordinary. Together with Billy Bremner, a fiery Scotsman who played with heart, they formed a midfield partnership that would become legendary.
The training methods were revolutionary for their time. While other clubs stuck to lapping the pitch and five-a-side matches, Revie introduced detailed dossiers on opposition teams. Every player received a folder containing intricate details about their opposite number—their strengths, weaknesses, and preferred foot. It was unheard of in English football.
The 'Dirty Leeds' tag hadn't stuck yet, but the foundations were being laid. Their success was not due to malice or cynicism but rather to a level of professionalism that verged on obsession. Revie's lads weren't just footballers; they were students of the game, analysing, adapting, and evolving.
By autumn, the transformation was already visible. The team moved differently and thought unconventionally. The old Leeds United, the one that had flirted with relegation, was disappearing into the Yorkshire mist, replaced by something altogether more formidable. Local supporters, their flat caps pulled low against the wind, began whispering about promotion. They'd seen false dawns before, but this time felt different. The moment felt real.
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48
Published: March 27, 2025
Price: £16.99
Hardcover: 288 pages
ISBN-10: 1801501831
ISBN-13: 978-1801501835
Dimensions: 152 x 228 (mm)
Lavishly illustrated
