Don Revie: The Biography

The definitive story of Don Revie, a player and manager who singlehandedly changed the face of English football but left behind a legacy shrouded in allegations of corruption and dishonesty. Whenever the greatest managers the game has ever produced are mentioned, names like Busby, Shankly, Paisley and Ferguson trip off the tongue. Despite dominating the game in the late 1960s and 70s, there is clearly one name missing: Don Revie, the former Leeds United and England manager. Revie was one of the most complex and controversial men ever to grace the game of football. As a player he was crowned footballer of the year and credited with creating the modern centre-forward. As a manager, he took a Leeds United side languishing in the lower half of the second division and turned them into not only league champions, but one of the most dominant sides in the country. In 1974, as Sir Alf Ramsay ran out of time as England manager, it was to Revie that the Football Association turned. With England, Revie lost the magic touch he had had at Leeds, and became increasingly indecisive. Having failed to qualify for the European Championships in 1976 and on the brink of going out in the qualifying stages of the 1978 World Cup, Revie feared the sack. After negotiating a big money contract with United Arab Emirates Revie became the first man to walk out of the England job. Then came the backlash. Branded a traitor and banned from the game for 10 years, the press declared open season on Revie. Accused of offering bribes to throw matches, his reputation was destroyed. Shunned by the football establishment, when he died just 12 years after walking out on England, the FA did not even send a representative to his funeral. His death robbed him of the opportunity ever to rebuild his reputation as one of the most important figures ever seen in English football. The life and times of this multifaceted, enigmatic, pioneering football man, have still never been fully explored and explained in detail before. Based on exclusive interviews, this is the first biography to examine in depth the secrets of Revie's life. The book also reveals how today's football owes so much to Don Revie, in order to redeem the reputation of Don Revie for the first time, so that he can finally take his rightful place among the greats of the game.