James Riach talks to Eddie Gray on the 50th anniversary of Don Revie's first game in charge of Leeds.
Skysports.com looks at Don Revie's legacy at Elland Road
As is so often the case with great managers, success brings plaudits but also jealousy.
Fifty years on from Don Revie's first game in charge of Leeds United and outside of the club, a man who took a side from obscurity to the pinnacle of European football has a reputation that still belies his remarkable achievements.
Fans at Elland Road last Saturday during the game against Ipswich sang '50 years on remember the Don', fittingly, most vociferously from the Revie Stand. Yet for someone who accomplished so much, controversies throughout his career have left some still unsure whether he deserves his place at the top table.
The facts, however, make it clear. After taking control of Leeds in 1961 up until being offered the England job in 1974, Revie took a side from the Second Division and turned them into the most envied team in the country.
From twice winning the First Division to securing FA Cup glory thanks to Allan Clarke's diving header in 1972 and also enjoying success in the League Cup, Charity Shield and Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the man from Middlesbrough had created a truly formidable outfit.
That is not to mention coming within touching distance of the European Cup in 1975, only to be denied in the final by Bayern Munich and referee Michel Kitabdjian, whilst also falling at the last fence during the 1973 Cup Winners' Cup.
Yet for all this, outside of Leeds Revie was not viewed in the same light. It is the same in the modern day - the most decorated coach still in the game Sir Alex Ferguson is widely loathed by most who do not bleed Manchester United.
Success does come at a price, and although the Don was inducted to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2004, the tag of 'Dirty Leeds' will forever surround his memory.
Players such as Clarke, Peter Lorimer and Eddie Gray were a class apart - combined with Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter, Johnny Giles and Jack Charlton Leeds had the balance of skill and character that made them an exceptional side.
But their reputation for taking no prisoners and a physical style spread. Even today the club is still viewed in that light by certain circles.
This is one explanation as to why Revie has never been seen in his true light, but perhaps more significant was his decision to quit England and sign a lucrative contract with the United Arab Emirates, making an announcement in the
Daily Mail before the Football Association received a letter of resignation.
Local journalist Richard Sutcliffe has explored the Don's career in a recent book,
Revie: Revered and Reviled, in a detailed account of his rise to prominence and success at Leeds.
Iconic
One man who played an integral role in that iconic Leeds side of the 1960s and 70s was cultured winger Eddie Gray, earning the famous tribute from Revie 'when he plays on the snow he doesn't leave any footprints'.
Gray, still heavily involved with the club, remembers his former playing days under the Don as Sutcliffe's book takes him back to a different era.
"I've read the book and for me Don's up there with the best managers that have ever managed," he told
Skysports.com.
"I joined the club in the early 60s, I came down from Scotland and I'd never really heard of Leeds United. It just goes to show what Don actually did with the football club.
"We'd never won any major trophies before Don took over and he
