Comparisons with the Dirty Leeds of 1972

[TheFlashingBlade]

No, seriously. Before you all jump up and down and heap scorn and derision on me, hear me out.

So I was in the gym this morning and Leeds vs Southampton was the "classic match” on BT Sport, and watching it I thought “bloody hell, this reminds me of us”. If you haven’t ever seen it, or haven’t seen it for ages, then have a watch and see what you think...



It’s not the Dirty Leeds that the world likes to remember (or, to be more accurate, doesn’t like to remember), it’s a fantastic team performance, played on the front foot, by a team with total belief in themselves, in each other, in the “system”, and in their ability to pass the opposition to death with positive, attacking intent. Sound familiar?

None of the (spoiler alert) seven goals were great goals, but they were all great team goals. And check out goal #5. Norman Hunter (centre half for those of you too young to remember) overlapping and played in by the left back, driving to the bye line and putting in a deep cross to the back post to be met by Jack Charlton (the other centre half for those of you too young to remember) powering in a towering header. Sound familiar?

And, shock horror, not a shocking horror tackle to be seen.

Don’t get me wrong, growing up as the only Blade in a family of Leeds supporters (my Dad was from Leeds), I despise Dirty Leeds as much as the next right-thinking man, but credit where credit is due.

OK, cue the abuse…

 

[snootyfenooty]

And, shock horror, not a shocking horror tackle to be seen.

Don’t get me wrong, growing up as the only Blade in a family of Leeds supporters (my Dad was from Leeds), I despise Dirty Leeds as much as the next right-thinking man, but credit where credit is due.

OK, cue the abuse…

This is not abuse but a recollection of a shocking horror tackle when McAlister collected the ball, Allan Clarke slid in late and put his boot into his head knocking him out. The ball fell loose as a result and Leeds scored, the ref conveniently ignoring what went on beforehand. McAlister was then stretchered off with concussion and a couple of teeth missing. This was the Leeds I grew up on.

 

[BerksBlade]

Jack Charlton obstructing the keeper, Hunter diving into tackles, Bremner kicking people and winding them up. But the worst culprit was Johnny Giles - he largely got away with it 'cos he was seen as a "skilful" player". No amount of good football could cover that up. Hated them with a passion (and still do).

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Is it just me, or did the standard look closer to Sunday league than professional?!
It's amazing how much football has improved since I remembered it in those days.
I've often wondered how the Blades team from the early seventies would fair in today's game......sadly, not very well I think

 

[Tunstall Fred]

No, seriously. Before you all jump up and down and heap scorn and derision on me, hear me out.

So I was in the gym this morning and Leeds vs Southampton was the "classic match” on BT Sport, and watching it I thought “bloody hell, this reminds me of us”. If you haven’t ever seen it, or haven’t seen it for ages, then have a watch and see what you think...



It’s not the Dirty Leeds that the world likes to remember (or, to be more accurate, doesn’t like to remember), it’s a fantastic team performance, played on the front foot, by a team with total belief in themselves, in each other, in the “system”, and in their ability to pass the opposition to death with positive, attacking intent. Sound familiar?

None of the (spoiler alert) seven goals were great goals, but they were all great team goals. And check out goal #5. Norman Hunter (centre half for those of you too young to remember) overlapping and played in by the left back, driving to the bye line and putting in a deep cross to the back post to be met by Jack Charlton (the other centre half for those of you too young to remember) powering in a towering header. Sound familiar?

And, shock horror, not a shocking horror tackle to be seen.

Don’t get me wrong, growing up as the only Blade in a family of Leeds supporters (my Dad was from Leeds), I despise Dirty Leeds as much as the next right-thinking man, but credit where credit is due.

OK, cue the abuse…

Always be Dirty basterds to me,only reason you dont see any of the rough stuff is that they won the game at a canter,7-1 if i remember right(i refuse to watch the clip,so am guessing)

 

[Kenilworth]

So, "I was in the gym this morning"

 

[Trafford]

So, "I was in the gym this morning"

It's no coincidence that, having spent our school days with TFB, where his lack of sporting prowess / competence was legendary, we both struggled to get past that line!

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

De

This is not abuse but a recollection of a shocking horror tackle when McAlister collected the ball, Allan Clarke slid in late and put his boot into his head knocking him out. The ball fell loose as a result and Leeds scored, the ref conveniently ignoring what went on beforehand. McAlister was then stretchered off with concussion and a couple of teeth missing. This was the Leeds I grew up on.

Dead right, I was there and couldn't believe he'd allowed it.

As it turned out, the ref ( whose name I can't remember but who was from the " look at me, look at me " school of refereeing,) later admitted in his autobiography that he should not have given it, but did so because he was pissed off with Sheffield United players constantly appealing for fouls !!

This is so wrong on so many levels but, against LEEDS, who were past masters of the art of moaning, whinging and trying to get opponents booked ?!! - unbelievable.

 

[northsomersetblade]

Sometimes it went wrong

 

[snootyfenooty]

Sometimes it went wrong

That game was fucking brutal.

 

[Kenilworth]

It's no coincidence that, having spent our school days with TFB, where his lack of sporting prowess / competence was legendary, we both struggled to get past that line!

He wasn't that bad.

Still, not going to pass up a chance to tek piss?

 

[TheFlashingBlade]

I wasn’t comparing us with them in general (God forbid), I just saw a certain similarity in THAT particular performance. If you bother to watch it, I think you’ll see what I mean. Regardless of how much one hates them, or how dirty they were on the whole, that WAS a masterclass by a TEAM at the top of their game. They won that game because they passed the opppsition off the park, not because they kicked them off it. Just like we’re doing now.

And for all the (justified) talk of thugs like Bremner, Giles and Hunter (who all feature in the Telegraph’s “Top 20 Football Hard Men” - mind you so do our very own Billy Whitehurst and Vinnie Jones) let’s not forget they had one of the good guys in their number. Number 11 to be precise. In an era where hard men were proper hard, and “robust challenges” were properly robust, Eddie Gray managed a nearly 500-game career without ever so much as one booking to his name. If he’d played for us he’d be up there with TC. Remember this goal? Who needs Desso, eh?



And as for @Trafford’s unnecessary, unprovoked and unjustified, wholly spiteful personal attack on my good sporting name, he clearly has forgotten how I regularly and successfully represented the school in the sporting arena. Chess is s sport, isn’t it?

 

[ucandomagic]

No, seriously. Before you all jump up and down and heap scorn and derision on me, hear me out.

So I was in the gym this morning and Leeds vs Southampton was the "classic match” on BT Sport, and watching it I thought “bloody hell, this reminds me of us”. If you haven’t ever seen it, or haven’t seen it for ages, then have a watch and see what you think...



It’s not the Dirty Leeds that the world likes to remember (or, to be more accurate, doesn’t like to remember), it’s a fantastic team performance, played on the front foot, by a team with total belief in themselves, in each other, in the “system”, and in their ability to pass the opposition to death with positive, attacking intent. Sound familiar?

None of the (spoiler alert) seven goals were great goals, but they were all great team goals. And check out goal #5. Norman Hunter (centre half for those of you too young to remember) overlapping and played in by the left back, driving to the bye line and putting in a deep cross to the back post to be met by Jack Charlton (the other centre half for those of you too young to remember) powering in a towering header. Sound familiar?

And, shock horror, not a shocking horror tackle to be seen.

Don’t get me wrong, growing up as the only Blade in a family of Leeds supporters (my Dad was from Leeds), I despise Dirty Leeds as much as the next right-thinking man, but credit where credit is due.

OK, cue the abuse…

I was there that day.

No abuse from me.

 

[ucandomagic]

I was trying to remember why I went that day. I think our game had been postponed for some reason, and one of my old mates from school who was at Uni in Leeds asked me to go up for the week-end.

Shirts looked great without stupid sponsor’s stickers in those days.

 

[Silent Blade]

This is not abuse but a recollection of a shocking horror tackle when McAlister collected the ball, Allan Clarke slid in late and put his boot into his head knocking him out. The ball fell loose as a result and Leeds scored, the ref conveniently ignoring what went on beforehand. McAlister was then stretchered off with concussion and a couple of teeth missing. This was the Leeds I grew up on.

It was Mick Bates who collided with McAlister knocking him out and Clarke rolled the loose ball into the net

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

They took Mick Jones. Fuck them forever and a day.

 

[bornablade]

Great OP. Leeds had morphed into a very good footballing team by 1972. But the dye had been cast since their introduction to the top flight in 1964. I first saw them as a 9 year old about Easter 1965 and it was the first time I had witnessed a side that played 'outside the spirit of the game'. That's probably the best way I can describe it.

But watching that clip there are similarities to ourselves. The high pressing game, players moving into unconvential positions that confuse and eventually destroy the opposition, the never say die team spirit.

Just as the period in the late 1960's tainted Leeds (and still does today) maybe the Bassett, Warnock style of play have tainted us.

If we get promoted this season then there maybe those 'supporters' of other clubs that live in their Premiership bubble who will have their own pre-conceived ideas and opinions about us.

I would certainly accept the league position Leeds achieved when they got promoted in 1964.

 

[Revolution]

For all his faults, I think there's a good argument that Don Revie is the most underrated English club manager of all time.

Revie's Leeds have something in common with Yorkshire cricket around the same time: incredibly interesting, but it's hard to get a handle on what was really going on because just about everyone who writes about the period has some sort of agenda.

 

[Aston max]

They were mostly a set of thugs, Sunday morning footballers with skill I for one found how they treated "old big ead " disgusting

 

[grafikhaus]

Number 11 to be precise. In an era where hard men were proper hard, and “robust challenges” were properly robust, Eddie Gray managed a nearly 500-game career without ever so much as one booking to his name. If he’d played for us he’d be up there with TC.

Purely in the interests of reminding younger viewers what Eddie Gray looked like, I offer no apologies in showing this, er, 'up front' interview...

Here

 

[snootyfenooty]

It was Mick Bates who collided with McAlister knocking him out and Clarke rolled the loose ball into the net

I just give the gist of it and leave you to sort out the finer detail. It was still one of the most astounding refereeing decisions I've ever seen.

 

[BushBlade]

For all his faults, I think there's a good argument that Don Revie is the most underrated English club manager of all time.

Revie's Leeds have something in common with Yorkshire cricket around the same time: incredibly interesting, but it's hard to get a handle on what was really going on because just about everyone who writes about the period has some sort of agenda.

Can't stand the bloke or his team but he was way ahead of his time.

 

[Dnblade]

Remember them coming to the Lane early that season and getting played off the park.
They were a decent side,but cynical and arrogant,disliked up and down the country.

 

[Groucho Blade]

It was Mick Bates who collided with McAlister knocking him out and Clarke rolled the loose ball into the net

Collided?!? Do you really think they “collided”?
Tomo was on the ground with the ball in his hands, the best thing you can say was that Bates went to kick the ball out of his hands and kicked him in the head instead. Was it accidental? Was it deliberate? I don’t know...but either way it was a foul and a sending off every day of the week. I honestly don’t think they collided.

 

[Silent Blade]

Collided?!? Do you really think they “collided”?
Tomo was on the ground with the ball in his hands, the best thing you can say was that Bates went to kick the ball out of his hands and kicked him in the head instead. Was it accidental? Was it deliberate? I don’t know...but either way it was a foul and a sending off every day of the week. I honestly don’t think they collided.

Yes you are right