Brian Clough’s league champions met bob Paisley’s FA Cup winners at the Charity Shield on August 10 with Don Revie and Bill Shankly, the men who had established their respective clubs as engines of the national match, after handing the reins in the closed season.
Liverpool emerged victorious after a penalty shootout in which Leeds goalkeeper David Harvey missed their team’s sixth attempt to give Ian Callaghan a chance to win, but the game will be remembered by expulsions from Billy Bremner and Kevin Keegan in the second half. after a terrible fight.
Norman Hunter of Leeds (centre) and referee Bob Matthewson retain Kevin Keegan (second from left) from Liverpool after he and Billy Bremner face each other (PA)
Eddie Gray, who was queuing with Bremner that day, told the PA news agency: “I don’t forget that Billy got a chance from Kevin Keegan and had nothing to do with Billy.
“I think Kevin Keegan thought Billy had made a foul on him, but it wasn’t Billy, it was Johnny (Giles) who did it, yet Billy was given Kevin’s biggest and a little mess happened and they were both sent.”
Both men took off their T-shirts in disgust after taking walking orders from referee Bob Matthewson and were then sentenced to 11 ban games and fines of 500 euros, remarkable punishments at a time when the field in the area may be less stringent.
Gray said: “You used to have a lot of skirmishes at the time. That’s how you played the game then. No quarterback asked or gave, it’s the kind of game that’s organized.”
Leeds and Liverpool competed for the highest honors of the English fitting and prospered in Europe for a decade or more while Revie and Shankly built some wonderful teams, with the Reds defeating Yorkshire in the 1965 FA Cup final thanks to the additional time of Ian St John. Winner.
However, it was a 0-0 draw at Anfield that secured the 1969 league name for Revie’s men that remains in Gray’s mind.
He said: “There have been clever moments in the games over the years between the two clubs, but from Leeds United’s point of view, the club’s first league championship victory stands out and happens at Anfield.
Don Revie told us to walk to the Kop and get the Kop’s applause. We thought he should have been crazy, but we did and everyone started making a song as they got closer and closer, “Champions.” so it was a wonderful moment.”
Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa will close the horns with Premier League winner Jurgen Klopp on the first weekend of the new season (Richard Sellers /PA)
The existing Leeds team may have barely earned a harder allowance for their first weekend back in the Premier League after a 16-year absence, but Gray is sure to leave their mark on Anfield and beyond.
He said: “I think they will be provided to compete in the Premier League. I’m not saying they’re going to be difficult at all next season, but I think they deserve to feel comfortable enough in themselves to be able to end up on a part-time, more sensitive part-time table.
“I can’t wait to be there and I think Marcelo Bielsa will be ahead to face Jurgen Klopp.”
Meanwhile, Leeds showed Thursday afternoon that they had accepted an FA fee brought after players lit flares on the Derby field while celebrating the promotion.
– SPOKESPERSON for the FA (@FAspokesperson) 20 August 2020
A on the club’s official online page said: “Leeds United can verify that we have won an FA fee related to an FA R20 violation during our match against Derby County.
“He took the charge.”