The Rivals show is back with a Leeds United special. Joining host John Gibbons is John Mackin, Rob Gutmann and Mike Nevin as we discuss classic games between The Reds and The Whites of Yorkshire.
Starting with a classic FA Cup final in 1965, the first Liverpool won, we go through periods of “Dirty Leeds”, Championship battles, Charity Shield scraps and a modern rivalry under Gerard Houllier. .
Great show fellas, let’s hope we get Forest in the next round….
I must take issue with one thing though. Clough’s loathing of Leeds wasn’t about vanity, it was directed at Leeds because he thought they were cheats, nothing do with winning. He loved Shanks and Bob, just watch this if you don’t believe me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t_qHO1YTA0
His contempt
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-leeds-ordered-to-play-third-match-1555300.html
the Leeds replayed game….
You missed a salient point about that League title win at Anfield, a point that puts them into perspective. The first time we played them at their ground the following year, they bricked our fans before and after the game despite all the platitudes from Revie, Charlton and Bremner after the Kop applauded them at Anfield.
They were truly vile both on and off the field. Their relegation was welcomed by all.
Apart from ‘Careless Hands’ there was also ‘Distant Drums’, AKA ‘Distant Bums’, that the Kop sang to Leeds fans.
I remember Leeds played Glasgow Rangers in the Champion’s league in a game that was billed as ‘Battle of Britain’ in the early rounds. Just on that replayed Leeds game, the replayed game against Stuttgart was one of the best performances by a British side in Europe that I remember..Leeds played at such a high tempo I would even go so far as to say it laid the groundwork for the ‘100 mph Premiere League’ reputation that lasted well into the 21st century and endures today.
Leeds were definitely rivals of a high standard. I know fans in Ireland today that are Leeds fans since the early 70’s, though it’s a dying breed, and Johnny Giles still adorns RTE football programs as a pundit, even though he has been struggling with what seems like dementia this 10 years or more.
Just one more match to mention, I believe it was a 5-1 at Anfield between the sides, which radio 5 covered with their excellent commentator Alan Green (lifelong reds fan) When Liverpool went 4-1 up, Green commentating broke in with the fact that a policemen on the gantry outside the press box had just shown him and his colleague a betting slip which had LFC winning 4-1 on it.
When Ruddock powered in a 5th a couple of minutes later, Green went on (paraphrasing) ‘And Neil Ruddock scores with an absolute bullet of a header to make it 5-1…and the policeman..has just jumped off the gantry!!!’
And lads, for all the criticism of O’Leary, remember he scored the pen that took Ireland to the QF of a world cup in ’90 so he’s bulletproof in Ireland :)
Can’t remember a podcast where I wanted to be in the room so much btw, standards are just getting better and better, keep up the good work, the rivals is a particularly good seam of material
regards
ferd