The 1969–70 season was Leeds United's 43th season in the Football League, and their sixth consecutive season in the First Division. Along with the First Division, they competed in the FA Cup, Football League Cup and the European Cup. The season covers the period from 1 July 1969 to 30 June 1970.
Season summary At the beginning of the 1969–70 season Don Revie completed the signing of Allan Clarke from Leicester City, in the hope of trying to win all three of the major competitions – the League, the FA Cup and the European Cup. In the end, they won none of them – in the League, Leeds were runners up to Everton, and in the European Cup they went out in the semifinals to Celtic. Leeds also reached the FA Cup final and, despite a memorable performance from Eddie Gray, lost to Chelsea after a replay. Revie's Leeds were victims of their own success; FA rules at the time stipulated that a squad of only 20 players could be used, and as a consequence some of the Leeds players took part in 62 competitive games that season. Additionally, FA rules only allowed the use of one substitute, and even then only in case of injury. Other factors, such as fixture congestion and the FA's insistence that Leeds play 9 games in 22 days (the 1969–70 season was foreshortened by England's early departure to Mexico to defend the World Cup) meant that Revie was often forced to field tired players. Geoffrey Green of the Times wrote: "It has been a strenuous slog, greatly pressurised by the loss of a month because of the demands of Mexican acclimatisation for England's players in the World Cup. None have suffered more than Leeds United's players ... At the beginning of March, Leeds looked capable of winning everything and anything, including the General Election. At that time they seemed unbeatable, but in the end a condensed programme of highly competitive fixtures overwhelmed them. Should it be any consolation to them, Leeds have now probably won something more in defeat as good losers than they would have done in many hours of victorious celebrating – universal public sympathy."
At the end of the season, Leeds won only the Charity Shield, although consolation came in the form of Manager of the Year and Player of the Year awards for Revie and Bremner respectively.
Competitions
First Division
League table
Matches WinDrawLoss +First Division match resultsDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendance9 August 1969Tottenham HotspurHome3–1Bremner, Clarke, Giles (pen.)35,80413 August 1969ArsenalHome0–037,16416 August 1969Nottingham ForestAway4–1Clarke, Giles (pen.), Gray, Lorimer34,29019 August 1969ArsenalAway1–1Lorimer45,16023 August 1969Newcastle UnitedHome1–1Jones40,40326 August 1969BurnleyAway1–1Jones28,00030 August 1969EvertonAway2–3Bremner, Clarke51,7976 September 1969Manchester UnitedHome2–2Sadler (o.g.), Bremner44,27113 September 1969Sheffield WednesdayAway2–1Clarke, Gray31,99820 September 1969ChelseaHome2–0Giles (pen.), Lorimer33,13027 September 1969Coventry CityAway2–1Clarke, Gray36,0914 October 1969Stoke CityHome2–1Giles (2, 2 pens.)35,86011 October 1969West Bromwich AlbionAway1–1Jones33,68818 October 1969Crystal PalaceAway1–1Lorimer31,91025 October 1969Derby CountyHome2–0Clarke (2)44,18329 October 1969Nottingham ForestHome6–1Lorimer (3), Charlton, Bates, Hibbitt29,6361 November 1969SunderlandAway0–031,8428 November 1969Ipswich TownHome4–0Giles, Jones, Hunter, Gray26,49715 November 1969SouthamptonAway1–1Jones23,96319 November 1969SunderlandHome2–0Jones, Lorimer25,89022 November 1969LiverpoolHome1–1Giles (pen.)43,29329 November 1969Manchester CityAway2–1Gray, Jones44,5906 December 1969Wolverhampton WanderersHome3–1Holsgrove (o.g.), Charlton, Clarke33,09013 December 1969Sheffield WednesdayHome2–0Clarke (2)31,11417 December 1969West Ham UnitedHome4–1Lorimer (2), Clarke, Giles30,69926 December 1969Newcastle UnitedAway1–2Giles54,52727 December 1969EvertonHome2–1Jones (2)46,77010 January 1970ChelseaAway5–2Clarke, Cooper, Giles (pen.), Lorimer, Jones57,22117 January 1970Coventry CityHome3–1Clarke (2), Charlton34,29526 January 1970Manchester UnitedAway2–2Jones, Bremner60,51431 January 1970Stoke CityAway1–1Giles35,90810 February 1970West Bromwich AlbionHome5–1Gray, Jones, Giles (2), Lorimer31,51514 February 1970Tottenham HotspurAway1–1Lorimer41,71328 February 1970Crystal PalaceHome2–0Jones (2)37,1387 March 1970LiverpoolAway0–051,43521 March 1970Wolverhampton WanderersAway2–1Jones, Clarke35,05728 March 1970SouthamptonHome1–3Lorimer38,37030 March 1970Derby CountyAway1–4Kennedy41,0112 April 1970West Ham UnitedAway2–2Clarke (2)26,1404 April 1970BurnleyHome2–1Gray (2)24,69118 April 1970Manchester CityHome1–3Belfitt22,93221 April 1970Ipswich TownAway2–3Hibbitt, Gray16,875
FA Cup
WinDrawLoss + FA Cup match resultsRoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendanceThird round3 January 1970Swansea TownHome2–1Giles, Jones30,246Fourth round24 January 1970Sutton UnitedAway6–0Clarke (4), Lorimer (2)14,000Fifth round7 February 1970Mansfield TownHome2–0Giles, Clarke48,093Sixth round21 February 1970Swindon TownAway2–0Clarke (2)27,500Semi-final14 March 1970Manchester UnitedNeutral0–055,000Semi-final replay23 March 1970Manchester UnitedNeutral0–062,500Semi-final second replay26 March 1970Manchester UnitedNeutral1–0Bremner56,000Final11 April 1970ChelseaNeutral2–2 Charlton, Jones100,000Final replay29 April 1970ChelseaNeutral1–2 Jones62,078
League Cup
WinDrawLoss +League Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendanceSecond round3 September 1969FulhamAway1–0Charlton20,446Third round24 September 1969ChelseaHome1–1Madeley21,933Third round replay6 October 1969ChelseaAway0–238,485
European Cup
WinDrawLoss +European Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round, first leg17 September 1969LynHome10–0O'Grady, Jones (3), Clarke (2), Giles (2), Bremner (2)25,979First round, second leg1 October 1969LynAway6–0Hibbitt (2), Belfitt (2), Jones, Lorimer7,595Second round, first leg12 November 1969FerencvárosHome3–0Giles, Jones (2)37,291Second round, second leg26 November 1969FerencvárosAway3–0Jones (2), Lorimer5,400Third round, first leg4 March 1970Standard LiègeAway1–0Lorimer38,000Third round, second leg11 March 1970Standard LiègeHome1–0Giles (pen.)48,775Semi-final, first leg1 April 1970CelticHome0–145,505Semi-final, second leg15 April 1970CelticAway1–2Bremner136,505
FA Charity Shield
GK Gary SprakeRB Paul ReaneyLB Terry Cooper RH Billy Bremner (c)CH Jack CharltonLH Norman HunterOR Paul MadeleyIR Allan ClarkeCF Mick JonesIL Johnny Giles OL Eddie GraySubstitute Peter LorimerManager: Don Revie GK Joe CorriganRB Tony Book (c)LB Glyn PardoeRH Mike DoyleCH Tommy BoothLH Alan Oakes OR Mike SummerbeeIR Colin BellCF Francis LeeIL Neil YoungOL Tony Coleman Manager: Joe Mercer
References