From The Times http://tinyurl.com/2x9qrs
May 10, 2007 Revie: a name that will set fans’ pulses racing at Leeds Kevin Eason The name has proved a magnet for Leeds United fans and the money men, but for Duncan Revie, the ultimate quest is to find a manager who could follow in his late father’s footsteps. Revie Jr said yesterday that he has a consortium behind him that could provide the money to buy out the club where Don, his father, built a reputation as one of football’s finest managers. Cash is thought to be coming from investors in Britain and the Middle East who believe that Leeds is a fallen giant worth saving. For Duncan Revie, though, buying the club would be a tribute to his father and a return to his roots. However, the competition for the club is intensifying, with S. R. Morris, a property group, putting a deal on the table last night that would mean a new 50,000-seat stadium and a promise of a £25 million cash injection to restructure and strengthen the club. Simon Morris, the company’s founder and chairman, said that Leeds were valued at £10 million, but that that figure would be a fraction of an eventual £400 million investment. On paper, the approach resembles the sort of rescue package that Leeds fans – who have seen their club relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history – are dreaming of, but the hearts of many are with Revie as supporters pine for the successes of the past. Related Links “I have been overwhelmed with messages of support from fans,” Revie said. “There is no doubt they see me as someone with the club at his heart and not just in it for the investment or the profits.” The takeover price is cheap at today’s rates for a club with an internationally famous name and initial funding is not thought to be an issue for the consortium. The big drawback identified by Revie – an entrepreneur who was putting on Soccerex, the first big football conference to be held at the new Wembley, yesterday – is putting in place an infrastructure that would take Leeds back to the Premiership. That starts with finding a manager with the qualities of Don Revie, who from 1961-1974 won two first division championships, the FA Cup, the League Cup and two Fairs Cups in a heady period during which he established Leeds as one of English football’s dominant forces before going on to manage England for three years. He died in 1989, aged 61. “The money is not a problem,” Duncan Revie said. “That has come to me easily and I have the backers in place to go immediately. But that is not the point. I will not make any approach until I am 100 per cent certain that I can find the management team that will put Leeds United back on its feet. “What has happened there has been painful to watch. To see a once- great club fall into such hard and difficult times is desperate. “I will always have Leeds in my heart because of the associations I have through my father, but I cannot allow my heart to rule my head on this one. He would not want me to take over Leeds without knowing exactly how it was going to run and who was going to manage it.” There are several other potential buyers of the club and Morris will provide a strong challenge, but the Don Revie legend will have an enormous pull on the loyalty of fans who saw the greatest achievements and, arguably, the best football from a Leeds team run by a Revie. The question is whether Revie Jr can resurrect the family traditions. _______________________________________________ the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors. Leedslist mailing list [email protected] http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist The Leeds List - "where never is heard a discouraging word..."
