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WITH THE CONFIDENCE boost of three trophies won in just over a year behind him, Don Revie decided to go a stage further tactically, for he wanted to nail for good the dull and defensive image which Leeds United still had to endure. To this end, he went to Leicester in the summer of 1969 to pay in excess of £160,000 for Allan Clarke, a skilful striker with a fine scoring record, and the new man lined up alongside Mick Jones for United's first test, against Manchester City, the F.A. Cup holders, who visited Elland Road for the F.A. Charity Shield curtain raiser to the new season. Although Clarke failed to get on the scoresheet, Eddie Gray and Jack Chariton did and won the match 2-1, so adding the attractive shield to the other silverware already proudly on display in the boardroom and to get the 1969-70 campaign off to a cracking start. Since Leeds had lost at Burnley the previous October they were unbeaten in League matches, and this situation continued for the opening six fixtures, until Everton ended the sequence with a narrow victory by the odd goal in five at Goodison Park at the end of August, but not before a new Football League record of 34 games without defeat had been established by United in a staggering run that had stretched over ten and a half months.

Attacking soccer both at home and away was the order of the day now, as Leeds went out with the intention of destroying any side that stood in their way, and when one looked at the awesome power of the Elland Road outfit, it was clear that such an attitude was due, not to conceit, but to a total belief in their own ability. The defence was seemingly impregnable, with Gary Sprake always capable of pulling off a crucial save if the all England international back four of Paul Reaney, Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter and Terry Cooper - successfully converted from a winger - was ever breached. In mid-field was the versatile Paul Madeley, who could operate with equal efficiency in any of the defensive roles and give a creditable display among the forwards too, and he linked with the ebullient Billy Bremner and the astute Johnny Giles, both of whom were creative players of world class, whilst up front the goal output from Peter Lorimer, Mick Jones and Allan Clarke was prolific. Just for good measure there was also Eddie Gray, the Scottish international of the dazzling skills, to add to the League's most talented squad of players who had now acquired the experience that was lacking earlier - all of which made Don Revie the most envied of managers.

Leeds United piled up a total of 127 goals from their 62 competitive matches in the 1969-70 season, and really shook the many people who had so often criticised their football in the past, particularly when they smacked ten goals past Lyn of Oslo in the first round, first leg of the European Champions Cup and created a club record score in the process. One match especially illustrated the approach that Leeds now had away from home, for when they tackled talented Chelsea in front of 57,221 at Stamford Bridge, they were 2-1 behind at the interval with Chelsea playing well and taking the lead just before half-time, to convince their followers that they were going to 'put one across' their old rivals. The fact that a League fixture in January had attracted such a huge attendance was indicative of the interest that United aroused on their travels, and the team went out for the second-half to show them all just how well they could play and won the game 5-2, to leave all London aghast!

It was the second time that Leeds had been to Chelsea in three months for they went there in a League Cup third round re-play and went down to a two goal defeat, but in the other two Cup competitions - European Cup and F.A. Cup - United had reached the semi-final stages by the end of March and with retaining the League Championship a possibility as well, there was talk of a unique treble achievement. It must be the biggest irony in football history alas, but it is true that Leeds United's own greatness, to a large extent, prevented them from winning a single major honour that season, as they found themselves forced to play ten matches in only 21 days at one period and a whole season's effort went down the drain because of that ridiculous state of affairs.