NottinghamWhite wrote:Gray27 wrote:
NW, can I ask if you got chance to talk to Mike O'Grady about his time at Leeds?
I have always wondered why he left shortly after the 1969 title win.
He was heavily involved in the team for several seasons then, bang: dropped and sold.
Was it simply because Eddie Gray and/or Peter Lorimer were so much better?
Or was it because, as I seem to recall I read somewhere, he liked the single life too much, and Don Revie wanted his players to settle down?
And, this is for anyone who saw Mike O'Grady play, how good was he?
O'Grady was a decent player but as far as I know moved on to get regular 1st team football. As you say he wasn't in Lorimer or Grays class but a good squad member like many others at that time like Hibbitt, Bates, Yorath & Bellfitt. Mike I'm pretty certain ended up as a Steward at a Leeds Golf Club, hopefully someone can confirm that. He loved his time at Leeds and was really happy to attend the Don Revie Statue events. I have the book Where Are They Now and have had it signed by a lot of players and when I first met Mike I produced the said book only to find he wasn't in it
It's my understanding that the 2nd edition does now feature him.
As an aside Mikes Grandfather was Walter Tranter who was one of the first professional players in the UK. He also was one of the first ever West Ham sides.
Yeah, as you say, O'Grady wouldn't get into the Leeds side on a regular basis, especially after Sniffer signed. Also, Jimmy Greenhoff was allowed to go, which seems incredible looking back. However, I can never understand why Terry Hibbitt wasn't used as sub for the 70 Final. The fella had skills most First Division wingers could only dream of, and was surely a more dynamic option than Mick Bates.
I've watched both of those games several times, and at no stage did Revie ever look likely to use Bates, wrapped up in a big warm blanket, and neither did Bates appear to be straining at the leash to get on. It all appears a bit cosy. It bugs me that Chelsea used Marvin Hinton in both games, replacing Osgood and Chopper Harris in extra-time, while Don Revie didn't have any plan B if anything happened, like Eddie Gray being nobbled at Old Trafford. He wasn't the only target of sharp tackling, you have to add.
I just think, that although that Final made legends of that Chelsea team, Leeds United, easily the superior of the two teams over the four hours of football, were let down a little by Revie's sub selection.
