Woes evoking memories of Revie’s Leeds

FIFTY-FIVE years ago this week, Leeds United were anchored near the foot of the second tier of English football and their manager, Jack Taylor, was about to resign.

A crowd of 9,995 watched them lose 2-1 at home to Luton, their fourth defeat on the trot. They won the next game but Taylor had had enough.

Managerless and staring at relegation, director Harry Reynolds – a former railway cleaner turned self-made millionaire who still lived in a terraced house – made a decision that changed the club’s fortunes.

Reynolds was writing a reference for Leeds’ 31-yearold skipper, who was applying for the boss’s job at Bournemouth. When the post at his own club came up, Reynolds is said to have torn up the letter and persuaded his board to appoint the captain as manager. That man, of course, was Don Revie. The story has relevance because it gives historical perspective in a week that has been particularly bad for the West Yorkshire club. Again!

Last Monday, Leeds were 4-0 down at Brighton inside 38 minutes and their owner, Massimo Cellino, walked out at half-time.

Cellino stated that manager Steve Evans’ job is safe, but most believe it’s only a matter of time before he becomes the seventh manager the Italian has fired.

During his two-year tenure Cellino has sacked then unsacked Brian McDermott, twice employed Neil Redfearn, appointed Forest Green Rovers boss Dave Hockaday – who was given six games, as was his successor Darko Milanic – and got rid of Uwe Rosler.

Cellino has also twice been disqualified by the Football League from owning a club, introduced a mandatory £5 food voucher – dubbed a pie tax – on top of ticket prices and tried to ban Sky’s cameras.

Oh, and he has such a deep superstition about the number 17 that he was alleged to have told Hockaday not to pick goalkeeper Paddy Kenny because his birthday falls on May 17.

That perhaps explains his walk-out at the Amex Stadium. That defeat leaves Leeds 18th in the table.

Those fans old enough to remember the bad times before Revie got hold of the club will know that there’s no comfort to be had from comparing the situations.

Back in 1961, Reynolds and the board stuck with Revie for three years before he took Leeds back to the top flight and a decade of unprecedented success.

They let him develop a youth policy, buy and sell who he wanted and even change the strip to all-white.

After Brighton, Evans couldn’t even talk to the press!