The Scratching Shed 23/5/10
Don Revie Tribute plans unveiled
A new statue built in honour of the late Don Revie will be unveiled in Leeds in Autumn 2011. Although there’s no confirmation as to where the statue will be located, the sculptor, Graham Ibbeson has already made a start on the tribute and those responsible for the idea are progressing quickly.
TSS emailed those behind the fundraising efforts for more on the fundraising and received plenty of information back from the chairman of the Don Revie Tribute, Jim Cadman.
What instantly struck me was the professionalism with which the fundraising efforts are being undertaken. This isn’t just your average fans initiative heavy on desire and love, but lacking in organisation and the necessary know how. Instead, what we have is an experienced fundraiser and sculptor working together with the backing of Leeds City Council and Leeds Civic Trust who are determined to ensure the project is a success.
Although no money has yet been raised, the artist’s studio has already been located and he will begin work on the statue in clay. The Don Revie Tribute have underwritten the cost of the initial work to get things moving as quickly as possible.
Attention will now turn to the fund raising efforts and a host of events featuring Leeds United players past and present. The events confirmed so far include a Theatrical Tribute to Don Revie and a Gala Dinner at Elland Road, with players from Don Revie’s team invited as honorary guests. The group also plan to release a special one-off tribute magazine featuring tributes from his former players and closest friends.
The total amount required for completion of the statue is £90,000, but the fundraising won’t stop there. Any surplus funds raised from the events will be used to fund a ‘Don Revie Research Project’ into the Motor Neurone Disease which Revie suffered from in later life.
Alongside the fundraising efforts, the Don Revie Tribute group will also be allowing the local community to watch the sculptor at work. Strictly by invitation only, the Don Revie Tribute will invite school children, art students and supporters to come and see the artist at work in his Leeds studio.
The Scratching Shed will be keeping up with all the latest developments as the statue is created and will keep you updated right here.
Graham Ibbeson
Graham Ibbeson lives in Barnsley and has completed statues across the country, including perhaps his most famous piece, comedian Eric Morecambe which is pictured right and was unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen in 1999.
Other works completed by Graham include a statue of comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy and one of his most recent works, cricketing legend Fred Trueman which was unveiled in Skipton earlier this year.
Historian and writer, Brian Elliot said the following of Ibbeson’s work;
“No, I’m not comparing Ibbeson to Michelangelo (I can hear Graham laughing in the background) but his creations mean more to me. They make me laugh. They make me think, and I must admit several of his mining commissions make me cry. Isn’t that what good art is all about? Graham’s devotion to capturing the spirit of the people appears in all his sculptures which is why they communicate so well with ordinary folk. His work is in many private collections and public museums around the world but many also serve as highly accessible public art sited in public places for all to enjoy”
You can see more of Graham’s work on his website here.
Don Revie
What appeals to me most about the project is the chance to relive and celebrate Don Revie’s wonderful achievements again. His impact not only on Leeds United FC, but the city of Leeds as a whole can’t be underestimated. The club honoured their greatest ever manager when renaming the Kop, but a statue is something long overdue.
Although not born and bred in Leeds, Revie became an adopted child of the city. He brought success and fame to a northern city where before there was little to celebrate. He made Leeds United not only a household name, but a name that was feared throughout all Europe. The statue will stand as a lasting tribute to all that he achieved and what he means to the people of Leeds.
Jeff Powell, Chief Sports Feature Writer, Daily Mail:
Throughout what became known as the club’s Golden Years, Leeds played some of the most wondrous football ever seen in this motherland of the game. They also reinforced their flowing talents with the fiercely competitive challenges which were born of an iron will to win. Their critics, especially those who envied their success, protested against their aggressive commitment to victory. With hindsight, it can be seen that Revie was pioneering all over again. Just as The Revie Plan in his time as a player with Manchester City took the blinkers off English tactics, so he laid the foundations for the Premier League football we witness today, a furious game in which even the most refined skills can only prevail if they come driven by physical courage.
Daily Telegraph 21/5/10
Leeds looking for players with strong mental attitude, says Peter Lorimer
Leeds United director Peter Lorimer believes the players whose perceived lack of nerve almost cost the Yorkshire club promotion will have to make way for footballers with the proverbial bottle to deal with the pressure of life at Elland Road.
By Rob Stewart
The former Leeds and Scotland midfielder is convinced manager Simon Grayson will put as much emphasis on mentality as ability in his recruitment drive this summer to weed out the players whose stage-fright threatened the newly-promoted club's upward mobility.
Leeds, of course, only secured promotion to the Championship
following three years in League One on a nerve-jangling last day of the season, following a dramatic slump in fortunes since of the turn of the year when they were riding high at the top of the division.
"One of the things I would personally question the squad with is that our form at home since Christmas has been awful and did they have the bottle or the belief to go out there and perform on a Saturday?" Lorimer said.
"Some of our players - in all honesty - in the last seven or eight games at home have not had that courage you need to go out there and do it. I am sure Simon will have looked at that and it will very much come into his consideration when he is picking the squad for next year.
"That will help Simon's decisions because to play at Elland Road in front of a big crowd is a difficult, daunting task because they are very demanding. It is quite obvious Simon will have to bring some players."
Lorimer, 63, knows a thing or two about the demands on players at Elland Road, having played more than 500 times for Leeds during the 1960s and 1970s when the club became established as one of the top clubs in the country under the management of Don Revie
"One of the things Simon will be thinking is that we need players that have the confidence to go out and play in front of 30,000 people at Elland Road most weeks," Lorimer added.
"That is something that is very important. There is no point just being a good player. Are you good enough to come to Elland Road in front of 30,000 people and be a good player? It is a difficult thing to do.
"Next year the crowds are going to be bigger because we have so many local games. They won't be like your Yeovils bringing 200 people and your Exeters, we will have serious amount of away fans coming as well from Derby, Sheffield United and Barnsley. "It will be a great atmosphere. When you talk to people who come here, away players and managers, and they say wow it's a daunting place to perform because the atmosphere when you come out is electric and there is a lot of pressure."
Yorkshire Evening Post 20/5/10
Whites need major surgery in summer - Ritchie
By Phil Hay
Leeds United's squad requires major changes to prime it for the rigours of the Championship, according to the club's former striker Andy Ritchie.
Ritchie predicted a flurry of business at Elland Road after warning that hopes of Leeds mirroring Leicester City by qualifying for the Championship's play-offs a year after promotion from League One under-estimated the strength of an intensely competitive division.
United served notice of major alterations by issuing a retained list which deemed seven senior players surplus to requirements, and the club are pressing for their first close-season signing following discussions last week between manager Simon Grayson and chairman Ken Bates.
The pair met less than 48 hours after Leeds' promotion from League One to draw up a strategy to ensure the club's survival and progression in the Championship, a league which United last competed in three years ago.
Grayson intends to rely on several of the players responsible for claiming second place in League One but Ritchie, who led Barnsley into the Championship via the play-offs in 2006, would not be surprised if the former Blackpool coach revises and strengthens every area of his squad.
Scunthorpe United manager Nigel Adkins talked up Leeds' prospects for the 2010-11 season by claiming they had the "top six to aim for", but Ritchie said: "You can't under-estimate the jump between the divisions. Personally, I think it's a big one.
"Leicester are an example of what can happen but so too are Sheffield Wednesday. They never really got to grips with the Championship and they're back down in League One again. The fact is their squad wasn't good enough.
"Simon will be as conscious of that as he is of Leicester and I think he'll be looking to strengthen everywhere. Without being disrespectful to some of the guys who are already there, he needs a better grade of player – players who he knows will do the business for him at that level.
"I found out at Barnsley that players who get you out of League One aren't always suitable for the Championship. You become attached to your squad and it's not easy to tell people that they're no longer needed but it's an essential part of the job.
"Simon doesn't seem like the sort of person who's afraid to make difficult decisions. I remember him once saying 'I'm not here to be popular' and that needs to be his attitude. As difficult as it is, there's only so much loyalty you can show. The Championship can be pretty unforgiving."
A number of Grayson’s requirements are evident in the pool of professionals which remains at Elland Road.
Jermaine Beckford’s impending exit to one of a growing list of Premier League clubs has made a new striker a priority, and an enquiry made about Newcastle United goalkeeper Fraser Forster is a sign that Grayson intends to find an external replacement for the outgoing Casper Ankergren, rather than rely on Scottish youngster Alan Martin to deputise for Shane Higgs.
Forster is one of a group of keepers identified by Leeds as possible summer recruits, but Norwich City are prominent in the fight to sign him.
The 22-year-old completed last season on loan at Carrow Road and would be welcomed back on a temporary basis by City’s manager, Paul Lambert. Newcastle have no intention of selling a player whose reputation grew impressively during his time with Norwich.
The release of Ankergren at the end of his contract has created a vacancy alongside Higgs, who began and finished the 2009-10 term as Grayson’s first-choice keeper.
Ankergren completed three full seasons with Leeds and made more than 100 appearances for the club but his failure to oust Higgs when both players were fit made his exit this summer increasingly likely.
Speaking this week, Ankergren said: “I still feel I played a part in winning promotion and in many ways it feels like mission accomplished.
“I’m happy we did it and I’ve got a promotion with Leeds United on my CV. The club are moving on and I’ll move on.”
Leeds, meanwhile, have already made plain their interest in Sheffield United midfielder Nick Montgomery, and defensive additions seem necessary after a campaign in which United regularly played without recognised full-backs.
Ritchie said: “I’d imagine that a striker is his biggest concern. It’s hard to know how much money the club have given him but you’d expect a lot of his funds to go towards finding someone good enough to replace Beckford. That’s vital.
“It’s one thing having a strong squad in the Championship but if you don’t have a reliable goalscorer then you’ve got a problem. You can’t afford to be without one, not if you want to stay in the division and move forward.
“That’s the priority for Leeds next season – to make sure they’re a Championship club at the end of it. I’ve heard all the talk about copying Leicester – and there’s nothing wrong with being ambitious – but nobody should expect it. Simon and his squad will be under enough pressure without having the play-offs demanded of them.“
You need to realistic about what the division involves, which is why I don’t see Simon taking any risks with his squad. There are players in there who look good enough for the Championship and I imagine they’ll get a chance. But he’ll want them to be surrounded by plenty of others who’ve already shown that they’re up to it.”
Don Revie Tribute plans unveiled
A new statue built in honour of the late Don Revie will be unveiled in Leeds in Autumn 2011. Although there’s no confirmation as to where the statue will be located, the sculptor, Graham Ibbeson has already made a start on the tribute and those responsible for the idea are progressing quickly.
TSS emailed those behind the fundraising efforts for more on the fundraising and received plenty of information back from the chairman of the Don Revie Tribute, Jim Cadman.
What instantly struck me was the professionalism with which the fundraising efforts are being undertaken. This isn’t just your average fans initiative heavy on desire and love, but lacking in organisation and the necessary know how. Instead, what we have is an experienced fundraiser and sculptor working together with the backing of Leeds City Council and Leeds Civic Trust who are determined to ensure the project is a success.
Although no money has yet been raised, the artist’s studio has already been located and he will begin work on the statue in clay. The Don Revie Tribute have underwritten the cost of the initial work to get things moving as quickly as possible.
Attention will now turn to the fund raising efforts and a host of events featuring Leeds United players past and present. The events confirmed so far include a Theatrical Tribute to Don Revie and a Gala Dinner at Elland Road, with players from Don Revie’s team invited as honorary guests. The group also plan to release a special one-off tribute magazine featuring tributes from his former players and closest friends.
The total amount required for completion of the statue is £90,000, but the fundraising won’t stop there. Any surplus funds raised from the events will be used to fund a ‘Don Revie Research Project’ into the Motor Neurone Disease which Revie suffered from in later life.
Alongside the fundraising efforts, the Don Revie Tribute group will also be allowing the local community to watch the sculptor at work. Strictly by invitation only, the Don Revie Tribute will invite school children, art students and supporters to come and see the artist at work in his Leeds studio.
The Scratching Shed will be keeping up with all the latest developments as the statue is created and will keep you updated right here.
Graham Ibbeson
Graham Ibbeson lives in Barnsley and has completed statues across the country, including perhaps his most famous piece, comedian Eric Morecambe which is pictured right and was unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen in 1999.
Other works completed by Graham include a statue of comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy and one of his most recent works, cricketing legend Fred Trueman which was unveiled in Skipton earlier this year.
Historian and writer, Brian Elliot said the following of Ibbeson’s work;
“No, I’m not comparing Ibbeson to Michelangelo (I can hear Graham laughing in the background) but his creations mean more to me. They make me laugh. They make me think, and I must admit several of his mining commissions make me cry. Isn’t that what good art is all about? Graham’s devotion to capturing the spirit of the people appears in all his sculptures which is why they communicate so well with ordinary folk. His work is in many private collections and public museums around the world but many also serve as highly accessible public art sited in public places for all to enjoy”
You can see more of Graham’s work on his website here.
Don Revie
What appeals to me most about the project is the chance to relive and celebrate Don Revie’s wonderful achievements again. His impact not only on Leeds United FC, but the city of Leeds as a whole can’t be underestimated. The club honoured their greatest ever manager when renaming the Kop, but a statue is something long overdue.
Although not born and bred in Leeds, Revie became an adopted child of the city. He brought success and fame to a northern city where before there was little to celebrate. He made Leeds United not only a household name, but a name that was feared throughout all Europe. The statue will stand as a lasting tribute to all that he achieved and what he means to the people of Leeds.
Jeff Powell, Chief Sports Feature Writer, Daily Mail:
Throughout what became known as the club’s Golden Years, Leeds played some of the most wondrous football ever seen in this motherland of the game. They also reinforced their flowing talents with the fiercely competitive challenges which were born of an iron will to win. Their critics, especially those who envied their success, protested against their aggressive commitment to victory. With hindsight, it can be seen that Revie was pioneering all over again. Just as The Revie Plan in his time as a player with Manchester City took the blinkers off English tactics, so he laid the foundations for the Premier League football we witness today, a furious game in which even the most refined skills can only prevail if they come driven by physical courage.
Daily Telegraph 21/5/10
Leeds looking for players with strong mental attitude, says Peter Lorimer
Leeds United director Peter Lorimer believes the players whose perceived lack of nerve almost cost the Yorkshire club promotion will have to make way for footballers with the proverbial bottle to deal with the pressure of life at Elland Road.
By Rob Stewart
The former Leeds and Scotland midfielder is convinced manager Simon Grayson will put as much emphasis on mentality as ability in his recruitment drive this summer to weed out the players whose stage-fright threatened the newly-promoted club's upward mobility.
Leeds, of course, only secured promotion to the Championship
following three years in League One on a nerve-jangling last day of the season, following a dramatic slump in fortunes since of the turn of the year when they were riding high at the top of the division."One of the things I would personally question the squad with is that our form at home since Christmas has been awful and did they have the bottle or the belief to go out there and perform on a Saturday?" Lorimer said.
"Some of our players - in all honesty - in the last seven or eight games at home have not had that courage you need to go out there and do it. I am sure Simon will have looked at that and it will very much come into his consideration when he is picking the squad for next year.
"That will help Simon's decisions because to play at Elland Road in front of a big crowd is a difficult, daunting task because they are very demanding. It is quite obvious Simon will have to bring some players."
Lorimer, 63, knows a thing or two about the demands on players at Elland Road, having played more than 500 times for Leeds during the 1960s and 1970s when the club became established as one of the top clubs in the country under the management of Don Revie
"One of the things Simon will be thinking is that we need players that have the confidence to go out and play in front of 30,000 people at Elland Road most weeks," Lorimer added.
"That is something that is very important. There is no point just being a good player. Are you good enough to come to Elland Road in front of 30,000 people and be a good player? It is a difficult thing to do.
"Next year the crowds are going to be bigger because we have so many local games. They won't be like your Yeovils bringing 200 people and your Exeters, we will have serious amount of away fans coming as well from Derby, Sheffield United and Barnsley. "It will be a great atmosphere. When you talk to people who come here, away players and managers, and they say wow it's a daunting place to perform because the atmosphere when you come out is electric and there is a lot of pressure."
Yorkshire Evening Post 20/5/10
Whites need major surgery in summer - Ritchie
By Phil Hay
Leeds United's squad requires major changes to prime it for the rigours of the Championship, according to the club's former striker Andy Ritchie.
Ritchie predicted a flurry of business at Elland Road after warning that hopes of Leeds mirroring Leicester City by qualifying for the Championship's play-offs a year after promotion from League One under-estimated the strength of an intensely competitive division.
United served notice of major alterations by issuing a retained list which deemed seven senior players surplus to requirements, and the club are pressing for their first close-season signing following discussions last week between manager Simon Grayson and chairman Ken Bates.
The pair met less than 48 hours after Leeds' promotion from League One to draw up a strategy to ensure the club's survival and progression in the Championship, a league which United last competed in three years ago.
Grayson intends to rely on several of the players responsible for claiming second place in League One but Ritchie, who led Barnsley into the Championship via the play-offs in 2006, would not be surprised if the former Blackpool coach revises and strengthens every area of his squad.
Scunthorpe United manager Nigel Adkins talked up Leeds' prospects for the 2010-11 season by claiming they had the "top six to aim for", but Ritchie said: "You can't under-estimate the jump between the divisions. Personally, I think it's a big one.
"Leicester are an example of what can happen but so too are Sheffield Wednesday. They never really got to grips with the Championship and they're back down in League One again. The fact is their squad wasn't good enough.
"Simon will be as conscious of that as he is of Leicester and I think he'll be looking to strengthen everywhere. Without being disrespectful to some of the guys who are already there, he needs a better grade of player – players who he knows will do the business for him at that level.
"I found out at Barnsley that players who get you out of League One aren't always suitable for the Championship. You become attached to your squad and it's not easy to tell people that they're no longer needed but it's an essential part of the job.
"Simon doesn't seem like the sort of person who's afraid to make difficult decisions. I remember him once saying 'I'm not here to be popular' and that needs to be his attitude. As difficult as it is, there's only so much loyalty you can show. The Championship can be pretty unforgiving."
A number of Grayson’s requirements are evident in the pool of professionals which remains at Elland Road.
Jermaine Beckford’s impending exit to one of a growing list of Premier League clubs has made a new striker a priority, and an enquiry made about Newcastle United goalkeeper Fraser Forster is a sign that Grayson intends to find an external replacement for the outgoing Casper Ankergren, rather than rely on Scottish youngster Alan Martin to deputise for Shane Higgs.
Forster is one of a group of keepers identified by Leeds as possible summer recruits, but Norwich City are prominent in the fight to sign him.
The 22-year-old completed last season on loan at Carrow Road and would be welcomed back on a temporary basis by City’s manager, Paul Lambert. Newcastle have no intention of selling a player whose reputation grew impressively during his time with Norwich.
The release of Ankergren at the end of his contract has created a vacancy alongside Higgs, who began and finished the 2009-10 term as Grayson’s first-choice keeper.
Ankergren completed three full seasons with Leeds and made more than 100 appearances for the club but his failure to oust Higgs when both players were fit made his exit this summer increasingly likely.
Speaking this week, Ankergren said: “I still feel I played a part in winning promotion and in many ways it feels like mission accomplished.
“I’m happy we did it and I’ve got a promotion with Leeds United on my CV. The club are moving on and I’ll move on.”
Leeds, meanwhile, have already made plain their interest in Sheffield United midfielder Nick Montgomery, and defensive additions seem necessary after a campaign in which United regularly played without recognised full-backs.
Ritchie said: “I’d imagine that a striker is his biggest concern. It’s hard to know how much money the club have given him but you’d expect a lot of his funds to go towards finding someone good enough to replace Beckford. That’s vital.
“It’s one thing having a strong squad in the Championship but if you don’t have a reliable goalscorer then you’ve got a problem. You can’t afford to be without one, not if you want to stay in the division and move forward.
“That’s the priority for Leeds next season – to make sure they’re a Championship club at the end of it. I’ve heard all the talk about copying Leicester – and there’s nothing wrong with being ambitious – but nobody should expect it. Simon and his squad will be under enough pressure without having the play-offs demanded of them.“
You need to realistic about what the division involves, which is why I don’t see Simon taking any risks with his squad. There are players in there who look good enough for the Championship and I imagine they’ll get a chance. But he’ll want them to be surrounded by plenty of others who’ve already shown that they’re up to it.”