Dirty Leeds

by Robert Endeacott, Jill Morris (Editor)

1961. Dirty Leeds is a struggling industrialised city in the north of England. Dirty Leeds is where young Jimmy O'Rourke is born and bred, brought up by his grandma in the shadow of the hallowed ground itself. This title presents a hidden history of Don Revie and his men, and the story of Jimmy's dramatic life, from 1961 to 1974.

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2009

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

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed the factional books on football, and this can be added alongside The Damned United and Red or Dead as amongst the best.

Looking at the Revie years at Leeds United through the eyes of a young footballer hopeful to play for the club (which, inevitably doesn't work out), the narrative switches from his POV to a more general description of events. All topped and tailed by the events at Revie's This Is Your Life appearance which was broadcast in the final weeks of his final season.

Very readable, and does provide a good commentary on the growth of Leeds United from the foot of Division 2 to being amongst the best, if not the best, team in England.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

that leeds are the best team in the world both on the pitch and off it