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April 1966: Jack Charlton heads the winning goal in the 2-1 triumph over Real Zaragoza in the Fairs' Cup semi-final second leg match - United's first season in European competition.

AFTER TWO successive seasons of near misses - Championship runners-up twice, F.A. Cup finalists and Fairs' Cup semi-finalists - it was clear that United had a team of considerable ability, but the question was nevertheless being asked - Are they good enough to win major honours? Many supporters felt that the side was just one or two players away from greatness, and manager Don Revie was under some pressure to make the necessary signings that would bridge the gap between potential, and proven, greatness. In November 1966 something of a mini-crises developed, when Leeds crashed out of the League Cup in round four at West Ham, by the incredible score of 7-0, and this was followed 12 days later with a five goal trouncing at the hands of Liverpool, all of which intensified the call for some action from Revie. One of the reasons for these alarming set-backs was the seemingly incessant injuries which were affecting several players - with Alan Peacock once more out of action for a lengthy spell - but also, the United team often contained promising but inexperienced youngsters who were, not surprisingly, struggling in such difficult circumstances.

However, Don Revie stood by his young players, obviously feeling that there was no point in pursuing a youth policy if the players it produced were not allowed the time needed to serve their apprenticeship in the First Division, and he declined to make any new signings and instead rode out the storm. The decision proved a correct one in the long term, although Leeds United never looked quite good enough to win the League title in the 1966-67 season and finished fourth, but they recovered splendidly from that rather bleak November and didn't concede more than two goals in any match during the next six months - proving that they had learned something from those two harrowing experiences. Forward Rod Belfitt and mid-fielder Mick Bates were two more young men who were given an occasional taste of first-team action and they, like most others of their ilk, invariably performed well when they got the opportunity, a point illustrated when West Bromwich Albion visited Elland Road in the F.A. Cup fourth round, with Belfitt scoring twice in a 5-0 victory.