BBCA former England manager who “divided opinion” is set to be remembered in his hometown.
Don Revie, best known for managing Leeds United, will have a mosaic dedicated to him in Middlesbrough, years after his footballing rival Brian Clough was given three local accolades in the town.
The metre-square mosaic will be displayed at Revie’s former school, Archibald Primary School, and will be erected where it will be visible to passers-by.
Middlesbrough and Thornaby East MP, Andy McDonald, said Revie’s achievements were “utterly remarkable”, but admitted he remained “forgotten somewhat, outside of Leeds.”
Revie and Clough, who followed in Revie’s footsteps as Leeds manager for just 44 days, famously clashed in 1974 in a TV interview on the day Clough was sacked – a confrontation which was later depicted in the film Damned United.
Revie, who played for both Leeds United and England, and spent 13 years as Leeds manager, has no memorials in Middlesbrough, where he grew up, two miles away from Clough’s family home.
Clough – often dubbed the greatest manager England never had – has a statue in the town’s Albert Park, a street named after him in Linthorpe, and a plaque on his former house, but there is no landmark celebrating Revie’s origins as a Boro lad.
Revie, who managed England from 1974 until he quit for the United Arab Emirates in 1977, does not even have a plaque on his former home in Bell Street, Newport.
McDonald, along with Fly Me To The Moon football fanzine editor Robert Nichols, teamed up with the school, historian Dr Tosh Warwick, and local artists to create a landmark in Revie’s honour.
“In a very short space of time, he took a second-division side in Leeds United to the top of the English game, and into Europe,” the Labour MP said.
“But whereas others, like Brian Clough and Bill Shankly – who have had similar achievements – are hero figures across the nation, Don Revie is forgotten somewhat outside of Leeds.
“That someone from Middlesbrough’s Newport area could rise to be one of only 16 people to ever hold the permanent position of England football manager, and the story not be told, seemed to us a crying shame.”
McDonald said although Revie’s management style had “divided opinion”, he remained a significant figure “who we should perhaps look again at for the town of Middlesbrough”.
Clough had been a fierce critic of Revie, telling players after he took over at Leeds that they should bin their medals as they had not been won fairly.
Revie, who died in 1989, aged 61, has a statue outside the Elland Road stadium where his tactical nous, planning skills and loyalty to players is fondly remembered by Leeds fans.
Steve Cowgill, Archibald deputy headteacher, said: “We are really proud that our school has such a long history, and are looking forward to working on this exciting project relating to an ex-pupil who went on to be a significant local, and national, figure.”
