Clough and Revie: The Rivals Who Changed the Face of English Football by Roger Hermiston

Author:Roger Hermiston [Hermiston, Roger]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Soccer, Sports & Recreation, Sports, Football, Non-Fiction
ISBN: 9781845969233
Google: ohOTR9KdDEIC
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2011-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

* * *

‘The Most Superstitious Man in the World’

One of the bestselling books of 1969 was a novel that featured a compelling, dominating central character. He was a man who had worked his way up society’s ladder from humble beginnings, created a business empire of his own out of next to nothing, then developed into a despot who would stop at nothing to gain more power.

Despite his obvious ruthlessness, he did have redeeming features. He was the benevolent patriarch of a large extended family whose every need he catered for; he knew the names – and the foibles – of all of them, and was especially attentive with gifts of flowers or chocolates on the days that really mattered – births, christenings, birthdays and weddings.

He also lived his life by a very clear code of honour that valued, above all else, hard work, loyalty and, of course, family. It was a very personal code, however, and its moral boundaries were stretched to the limit – and way beyond – on many occasions.

The man was Don Vito Corleone, and the book was The Godfather, written by Mario Puzo and three years later brought to the screen by Francis Ford Coppola with Marlon Brando in the leading role.

The juxtaposition of Mafia boss Don Vito and Don Revie in the late 1960s and early 1970s was a heaven-sent opportunity for writers looking for a fresh perspective on the Leeds manager. ‘The Godfather of Elland Road’ was a title they could bestow on him with some relish and even a little validity – having swiftly put aside, of course, any suggestion of criminal comparisons.

Revie’s grip on Leeds United was partly the product of a somewhat obsessive mind that wished everything to be totally planned and under control. But it was also because of his own personal experiences back in the 1940s and 1950s.

When he was at Leicester, Revie had learned at first hand just how lonely and disorientating life could be for a young apprentice footballer away from home for the first time. He knew he had been luckier than many, as his manager Johnny Duncan had, when he could, taken a keen personal interest in his welfare. But there had still been long periods of isolation and introspection for the young Revie, and as his career had progressed at Hull City, Manchester City and Sunderland, what he’d found most lacking was a human relationship with his managers.

He was determined that if he was ever to manage a club, he would devote as much time to what happened to his charges off the field as on it. Consequently, he treated his Leeds players as if they were his sons. No aspect of their lives was neglected – how to dress and behave, how to look after their money, how to conduct their relationships. There was even a spiritual adviser who would make regular visits to Elland Road.

In 1970, Revie wrote what was, effectively, his footballing credo, his manifesto, a revealing five-page document entitled ‘What I Expect from My Players’.

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