The other day, still reeling from the loss of my latest and probably last Leeds United hero, Marcelo Bielsa, I was indulging in some gastronomic therapy in a cafe in Horbury, as I waited for Mrs. Rob to have her hair appropriately marcelled at the local salon. As I tucked into my sausage butties, I noticed a copy of Rupert Murdoch’s withered and flaccid organ on the next table, saw that it had a story about new United manager Jesse Marsch, and thought I’d have a quick and free read – as, obviously, nobody actually buys this degraded gutter rag.
I really should have known better, shouldn’t I. The piece was written (scrawled in crayon) by a hack with the unlikely name of Oscar Paul, clearly a graduate of the scumbag school of “journalism”. Swiftly bored with the task of covering the Marsch story, and aware that United’s army of fans were already hurting over the traumatic loss of Marcelo Bielsa, ‘Orrible Oscar was clearly looking for a chance to smear a Leeds legend, preferably one who had passed away and couldn’t hit back. That’s the way of things at the Super Soaraway S*n after all – find and exploit a hapless victim for the pursuit of its own disgusting agenda. Murdoch’s base bogroll has form for this going way back, as those who remember its disgraceful lies in the wake of Hillsborough will be all too well aware.
In the article I was idly perusing, the calumny was of a lesser order than the Hillsborough lies, but nonetheless gratuitously offensive and untimely for that. Stretching for a legend’s memory to daub with his masters’ own particularly noisome brand of excrement, this moronic S*n hack decided that a random reference to Leeds icon Don Revie was just what he needed, and wielded his crayon accordingly: “such is the influence Ralph Rangnick has had on (Marsch), do not expect a team of brawlers like Don Revie’s”. There. Job done, and Oscar must have been hugging himself with glee, having brown-nosed the current boss at the Pride of Devon, while simultaneously if ungrammatically dancing on Revie’s grave. It doesn’t get any better than that for an ambitious if illiterate Murdoch scribbler, surely promotion into the front ranks would follow.
Let’s consider the team that Oscar was scribbling his rubbish about – the likes of Eddie Gray and Paul Madeley having their illustrious names blackened, despite their singular lack of any inclination to “brawl”. A team of brawlers? This is lazy and glib even by the standards of the dregs of Wapping. The Revie boys could look after themselves and they stood together, as a top team should. Super Leeds operated in a brutal era, but they were not solely or even mainly about brutality. Those lads, all of them, could play, brilliantly. On their day, and there were many of them, they were peerless, incomparable. For them now to be invoked whenever some talentless purveyor of Murdoch malice is at a loss for his next sentence is harsh and unjustified in the extreme.
Let’s not forget some of the other big beasts on the prowl in that era. Arsenal with Peter Storey. Chelsea with “Chopper” Harris. Liverpool, Tommy Smith and Emlyn Hughes. Even Devon, with Stiles and Crerand. All thugs and brawlers on their day, and none of them could hold a candle to Hunter, Bremner or Giles. But none of that found a place in Oscar’s empty head, he was far too eager to perpetuate the myth of Dirty Leeds (now an ironic badge of honour among United fans weary of the 60 year old lie).
Rant over. I’ve had my say, and we all know what the Oscars of this world are all about. And what lesson can we take from this? Well, the obvious one is “Don’t buy the S*n”. But we all already knew that, too.
Marching On Together
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Spherical objects !
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I hope you had finished eating and enjoying your butty before moving on to the next course. What a tosser.
I too am still trying to get over the loss of our beloved Bielsa 😭 🤍 💙 💛
I hope you are keeping well.
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Getting there thanks, my friend. Cautiously optimistic about Jesse, got to say I like the cut of his jib. Still gutted about God though.
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Hope you disinfected you hands after touching that piece os sh*t Rob, expecially if you were still eating.
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I bloody did
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I think this “author” is a North east correspondent for the outdoor toilet paper. So he obviously is an expert on Leeds. Lazy journalism at best.
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Did the writer of this article ever watch Don Revies’ Leeds play or was he just pandering to tired and unfounded prejudices? Anybody who thinks Leeds were not a skilful side in the 1970’s should watch the Match of the Day coverage in February-March 1972 of Leeds’ games against Man Utd (5-1),Southampton (7-0) and Tottenham (2-1). The football played by Leeds in those games was brilliant; after the Tottenham match my late father said that he had never seen any team play like Leeds. If people watched those three games they would never want to watch modern football again.Moreover Leeds in the 1970’s had in Eddie Gray, Peter Lorimer and Terry Cooper three of the most skilful players in the country who were light years ahead of the fly by nights like Hudson, Marsh and Osgood who the Southern Press drooled over even though they flattered to deceive.
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Good to see you back Rob. Miss your cutting insights into the sad world of Prem footie (and the so-called experts who analyse the game on TV and radio – how apposite are the first four letters of that verb!). Still getting to grips with the departure of that wonderful gentleman, and gentle man, who has bought us unbelievable pleasure these last few seasons. Sadly we will never break free of the gutter press. It’s like Hardaker and Co are still haunting us at times. Stay well Rob. MOT.
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Thanks Kev, much appreciated MOT
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And of course Rob, it’s exactly 50 years ago today, 4th March, that we destroyed Southampton in that never to be forgotten match. The greatest display of footballing superiority that I have ever seen or probably will see. Whare have those years gone?
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Zipped by, haven’t they? I didn’t start till three years later, but it still seems like only yesterday. MOT
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Hello Rob…did you put mustard on your sausage butty. I hope your well, looking forward to regular updates now we are in the business end of the season
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Brown sauce innit 😎
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Well shot down Rob and good to have you back! I knew I would shed a tear when the dreaded day came, and I did. It’s hard to put into words what He did for us as a team, and a community and a city, and I’m still trying to come to terms with it. Marsch to his credit said all the right words in the right order, and was humble to The Great Man; so let’s get behind him and pray he can keep us up. We will always have The Great Bielsa Adventure, and he will always have a place in our hearts. MOT
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Thanks Sniffer for this. Couldn’t agree more with your reasoning and sentiments MOT
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The S*N
Cheap Toilet Paper
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