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April 1965: Jim Storrie scoring against Sheffield Wednesday in a two-goal win that avenged a defeat inflicted by the same opponents the previous day at Hillsborough. |
| AS HAD BEEN THE CASE when winning the Second Division a year earlier, there had been a distinct reluctance by the various reporting media to sing the praises of Leeds United, outside the club's own locality. This was a source of irritation rather than actual concern to everyone at Elland Road, but it did seem unfair that a
team that had played more than it's fair share of exciting football in it's first season in Division One did not receive full recognition, despite missing out on a League and Cup 'double' by a whisker. United scored a total of 83 goals from their
League matches, which was a dozen more than the previous season, and
they had amassed 61 points which was a record for a team failing to win
the title - facts that inspired confidence in their ability to do well
again and to relish the challenge that the European Fairs' Cup would
offer.
Leeds had begun the 1965-66 season in competent fashion and were in the group of sides at the top end of the First Division table, when the Italian club Torino visited Elland Road in September for the first round first leg, and found the United players had swopped their jerseys around in an effort to cause some confusion to the opposition. It is doubtful that the ploy did have much effect, but all the same the Italians found themselves two goals behind when Billy Bremner scored with a right-footed cross-shot from the left, and Alan Peacock headed in from close range, but Torino pulled a goal back and were therefore favourites to win the tie in the return match. Leeds United's first experience of competition abroad provided them with a night of both great triumph and tragedy, when they forced a goalless draw, playing 40 minutes of the game with only ten men as Bobby Collins had to be taken to hospital with a broken leg following a foul tackle. It was a great triumph for United in extremely difficult circumstances, but the loss of Collins, whose skill and experience had made him such a fine leader of the side from mid-field, was an immense blow to the club and presented a severe test of ability and character if success was to be sustained. |
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