Metadata
WORK ID: YFA 5294 (Master Record)
| Title | Year | Date |
| THE DON OF ELLAND ROAD | 1974 | 1974-01-01 |
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Details
Original Format: 16mm Colour: Colour Sound: Sound Duration: 25 mins 50 secs Subject: Sport |
| Summary This is a documentary of Leeds United FC manager Don Revie. It shows Don Revie over a couple of weeks in March 1974, at home, at practice sessions, in the treatment room and before, during and after matches. It shows highlights of the two games Leeds played during those weeks against Liverpool and Burnley, losing both 1-0 and 1-4 respectively. |
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Description
This is a documentary of Leeds United FC manager Don Revie. It shows Don Revie over a couple of weeks in March 1974, at home, at practice sessions, in the treatment room and before, during and after matches. It shows highlights of the two games Leeds played during those weeks against Liverpool and Burnley, losing both 1-0 and 1-4 respectively.
The film begins with Don Revie walking along a street up to some traffic lights before turning around to go to the hotel. He explains that this...
This is a documentary of Leeds United FC manager Don Revie. It shows Don Revie over a couple of weeks in March 1974, at home, at practice sessions, in the treatment room and before, during and after matches. It shows highlights of the two games Leeds played during those weeks against Liverpool and Burnley, losing both 1-0 and 1-4 respectively.
The film begins with Don Revie walking along a street up to some traffic lights before turning around to go to the hotel. He explains that this action is one his superstitions. He then discusses the strengths of the Liverpool team with his assistant Les Cocker, singling out Callaghan and Keegan. Mick Jones and Paul Madeley have a run out before the Saturday match to check their fitness. The Leeds players walk out onto the pitch at Anfield to the chants of ‘Walk home’. There are highlights of the match, with one supporter being arrested. Don Revie shouts out instructions of ‘steady’ and ‘simple ball’. Terry Yorath gets some stick for losing the ball, and we see Steve Highway score the winning goal. At the end of the game, the players come back to the dressing room downhearted. On the coach taking them back they have a beer and food.
From the comfort of his bed, Don Revie speaks to reporters from the Sunday Papers over the phone. He states that he takes the Scottish papers to check the players he has an eye on. His wife brings him breakfast in bed. The trophies he has won are shown, and he watches some football on TV. Later, he and his wife are out on the golf course. The football headlines of the papers for Monday, March 18th, are shown with Liverpool’s victory over Leeds. A man, possibly a football journalist or Leeds scout, dictates his report on the recent Burnley game, with more newspaper headlines.
The Leeds team are taking a break on the coast, having a kick-about on the beach and playing snooker. Back at the training ground, Steve McQueen has a knock which Don Revie is concerned about. Don Revie recounts a speech he recently made to upcoming managers like Terry Venables, and then talks about his playing days with the person ghost writing his autobiography. Terry Yorath comes in to collect his weekly pay packet, and Alan Clarke and Norman Hunter are interviewed.
Don Revie arrives at the Craven Hotel the evening before the Saturday home game against Burnley. The players have their customary game of bingo. Fans are seen arriving for the match, and Don Revie gives his pre-match pep talk. Highlights of the match are shown, including two spectacular goals, with Burnley winning 4-1, and sections of the crowd chanting. The players arrive in the changing room, again downhearted. The next morning Don Revie talks about the recent disappointing results over his lunch, and the film finishes reviewing some of the previous footage to the sound of the Leeds United song.
Context
This film was a production by Yorkshire Television (which is known today as ITV Yorkshire). Yorkshire Television was formed in 1967 when Northern Area television services run by Granada (Out of Manchester) needed to be split up. The result was a new television service created for the Yorkshire area following the merger of two rival bids; Telefusion Yorkshire Limited and Yorkshire Independent Television. The station was officially opened on the 29 July, 1968 from its new Studios in Leeds. Its...
This film was a production by Yorkshire Television (which is known today as ITV Yorkshire). Yorkshire Television was formed in 1967 when Northern Area television services run by Granada (Out of Manchester) needed to be split up. The result was a new television service created for the Yorkshire area following the merger of two rival bids; Telefusion Yorkshire Limited and Yorkshire Independent Television. The station was officially opened on the 29 July, 1968 from its new Studios in Leeds. Its first programme was live coverage of a cricket match being played between England and Australia at Headingley. The film is one of a number of productions produced by Yorkshire Television with programmes ranging from the daytime quiz Countdown to the primetime soap Emmerdale. In 1992 Yorkshire Television merged with Tyne Tees television to from YTT (Yorkshire Tyne Tees). In 1997 Yorkshire television was brought out by ITV causing another name change to ITV Yorkshire. The focus of programme production has shifted now with ITV Yorkshire’s mail role being distribution of ITV programming to the North of England.
The film was directed by Sid Waddell who is perhaps better known as a darts commentator; however, before launching a career in darts commentary Waddell worked for Yorkshire Television where he biggest accomplishment was creating the Children’s TV programme The Flaxton Boys (1969-1973) and the sports TV Programme the Indoor League (1973-1978). By the 1980s Waddell had become exclusive to darts commentary where eventually became ‘the voice of darts’. Waddell passed away at the age of 72 from Bowel cancer on the 22 of August 2012. In his honour the darts world championship trophy was renamed the ‘Sid Waddell Trophy’. This film was made in order to showcase the roles and responsibilities a football manager has to undertake. The film also gives people an idea about the main character of the Film Don Reivie such as; his management style, his personality, his relationship with his players and way he prepares for games. The film is set during a week’s period in March overviewing the team’s two defeats to Liverpool (1-0) and Burnley (4-1) giving an insight to how Reivie and his players handle defeat. The genre of Sports Documentary is a very popular enterprise of documentary film making. The subject of the film is the famous football manager Don Revie and looks at during a typical week of management in the march of 1974. Revie is a former player who played as a centre forward for teams such as Leicester, Hull, Manchester City, and Sunderland as well as the England national team. Revie ended his playing career at Leeds and in 1962 he was appointed manager of the team. During his 13 year tenor as manager of Leeds Revie led Leeds 2 two league titles, 5 second places and the FA cup in 1972. In 1974 (two months after this documentary was filmed) Revie left Leeds in order to take over the England National team job. His replacement Brain Clough infamously lasted 44 days as manager. Unfortunately Revie did not do much better as England manager and controversy resigned as manager in order to become the manager of the UAE in 1977. Revie never worked in England again following accusations of Revie attempting to Bribe opposition players, although cleared of any wrong doing Revie’s reputation never recovered. Although at Leeds he is still remembered as the club’s greatest ever manager and has a stand at Eland Road stadium named after him. Revie passed away on 26th May, 1989 following a two year battle with motor neuron disease. He is survived by his son Duncan and his daughter Kim. Don’s wife Elsie (who was seen in the film) passed away in 2004 from cancer at the age of 77. Leeds united FC were formed when the Leeds City the original football team in the city were forced to disband after having been found to be making illegal payments to their players during WW1. In 1919 from the ashes of Leeds City, Leeds United was born. In 1924 they were promoted to the top flight of English football for the first time in their history. Leeds was an unremarkable club until Don Revive took over as manager and lead Leeds into their golden age. Since Revie’s departure Leeds have struggled to return to these glory days only managing to win the League title once since his departure (in the 1991/1992 season). In 2004 the Club fell into economic crisis, due to massive overspending by the Club’s ownership. The Club were eventually forced to sell both their stadium and training fallicities in order to keep the club afloat. These issues lead to the 2007 relegation to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history. Despite their recent fall from grace Leeds united are still considered to be one of biggest and most famous clubs in English football. The song heard in the film is Leeds! Leeds! Leeds! The song is more commonly ‘Marching on together’ the song is seen as the anthem of the Club. Unlike other football songs, this is an original song which was composed by Les Reed and Barry Mason. The song was originally released in order to celebrate the team reaching the FA cup final in 1972, and following this, the song was adopted by fans to be the Club’s anthem. The song is still sung by the fans in the crowd during Leeds games. The phrase ‘marching on together’ has also been adopted by Leeds fans as a sign of support towards the Club. References History of Yorkshire television- Baren, Maurice (2000). How It All Began in Yorkshire, Volume 2. Dalesman Publishing Staffer, David & Shepard Gary (2005). And we’ve had our ups and downs: 100 Years - Leeds United and Leeds City 1905-2005. Vertical Editions Sutcliffe, Richard (2010) Revie Revered and Reviled. Great Northern Books ltd. Hermiston, Roger (2011). Clough and Revie – The Rivals Who Changed the Face of English Football. Mainstream Publishing. A history of Leeds united- http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/foreword.php Article about John Fairley resignation- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/yorkshire-snaps-up-former-tvam-boss-bruce-gyngell-1617892.html Further reading Waddell, Sid (2008). Bellies and Bullseyes. Ebury press. |
