The Matador by Elliot Huntley

Author:Elliot Huntley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pitch Publishing
Published: 2015-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

7

1976–78

“Finding new blood had to be a priority and my first major signing, in June 1976, needed to be a good one. It was.”

– Jimmy Armfield

CURRIE might have left Sheffield United to win trophies, but although Leeds were demonstrably a bigger club than their rivals down the M1 in those days, in actual fact, Tony arrived at Elland Road to find his new club in the middle of a period of, that dreaded word, transition.

The Don Revie era had come to an end when the former Leeds boss had accepted the England job and the man charged with recapturing the glory years was former England captain and ex-Bolton manager Jimmy Armfield (succeeding Brian Clough whose spell in charge at Elland Road had lasted a torrid 44 days). In his first season in charge, Armfield had guided Leeds to the European Cup Final, where, against Bayern Munich, his team had been desperately unfortunate to lose to goals from Franz Roth and Gerd Muller and some controversial and downright suspect decisions from French referee Michel Kitabdjian.

Currie liked the cut of the avuncular Armfield’s jib. Upon meeting him for the first time, Tony told the press that his new boss was, “A very nice, quiet man.”

While Armfield had inherited a star-studded team of internationals – and, in Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles, arguably the most effective and redoubtable central midfield pairing in Europe – he had also inherited an ageing team, the dismantling of which would cast a shadow over his time in charge at Elland Road. It was an unpleasant, but necessary task that Don Revie, incidentally, always maintained he would have found near impossible!

“Reshaping the Leeds playing staff was an incredibly tough proposition,” Armfield explains in his autobiography. “Some of the players had been among the best in Europe and were virtually irreplaceable. How could any manager find another pairing like Bremner and Giles? They were unique and finding players remotely good enough to take their places was difficult at any price. But the job had to be done, step by cautious step, retaining some semblance of continuity while introducing players who would be the club’s future.”

The exodus began in March 1975 when England left-back Terry Cooper joined Jack Charlton at Middlesbrough, followed by the great Johnny Giles who left to become player-manager at West Bromwich Albion in July 1975; while the influential Mick Jones had retired in October 1975.

The following summer, fans’ favourite Duncan McKenzie (a Clough signing) also departed, joining Anderlecht for £200,000, as did Terry Yorath who joined Coventry City for £125,000.

Currie barely had time to memorise the combination on his locker before two more Revie legends had emptied theirs. Bremner ended his 17-year association with the club when he signed for Hull City in September and then Norman Hunter also moved on, joining Bristol City for £40,000 in October.

Fortunately the return from injury of Eddie Gray and the retention of talented stalwarts such as David Harvey, Peter Lorimer, Allan Clarke, Trevor Cherry, Paul Madeley and Paul Reaney ensured a semblance of continuity.

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