Disrepute: Revie's England

by Robert Endeacott

It's July 4th, 1974: Don Revie decided to leave Leeds United to take over the England job from the sacked Sir Alf Ramsey. His departure upset many while his England appointment was hardly met with universal approval either. Already with a long list of enemies including the FA, the Football League and the media, managing the national team put him directly in the firing line. His aim was to restore the nation's team to its former heights, win over the fans, the doubters and the cynics...but he'd bitten off more than anyone could chew. The odds were too the players, the tactics, the notorious dossiers, money, the mystery, the mayhem and the controversy meant that Revie's dream was over in three unimpressive years. Using explosively revealing and previously unpublished material written by the man himself, "DisRepute" is the true fictionalised account of Revie's England.

260 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2010

About the author

Robert Endeacott is a Beeston, south Leeds writer and novelist, and ‘pretend artist’, born in 1965. For anyone who thinks it’s relevant, his birth sign is Aries and he is a pukka April Fool, too.

Reviews

[Chris Bayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable and insightful novel in the style of David Peace's 'The Damned United' and 'Red or Dead', works of fiction based on factual occurrences. Whereas Peace's novels were based on Brian Clough and Bill Shankly respectively, 'Disrepute' focuses on a third legendary football manager of the 1970s, Don Revie, specifically on his reign as England boss between 1974 & 1977.

Revie, who left his 'family' at Leeds United to take up the England post was a divisive figure within the game, lauded by Leeds players and fans, despised by many others - Clough included. Revie's England tenure was ultimately unsuccessful, failing to qualify for the European Championship of 1976 and the World Cup in Argentina in 1978.

Revie tried to adopt the methods that had served him so well with Leeds attempting to foster a similar family atmosphere, but his prior rivalries with many of the players in his squads, such as Liverpool's Emlyn Hughes and his constant tinkering with his squads and sides meant this proved difficult. Coupled with this, Revie had a difficult relationship with Sir Harold Thompson at the FA and this only added to the huge pressure on Revie. With it looking increasingly likely that England weren't going to qualify for Argentina and the pressures of the role increasingly interfering with his home life; Revie accepted an extremely lucrative offer from the United Arab Emirates and walked out on England. His reputation was forever tarnished with almost all within the game outside of Leeds.

Endacott's book is shaped around unprecedented access to the famed dossiers which Revie and his assistant, Les Cocker kept on players and teams and provides a fantastic and revealing fictionalized account of Revie's tenure as England manager. Highly recommended.