Matches – 8 May 1972 – Wolves 2 Leeds United 1 First Division – Molineux – 53,379 Scorers: Bremner Wolverhampton Wanderers: Parkes, Shaw, Taylor, Hegan, Munro, McAlle, McCalliog, Hibbitt, Richards, Dougan, Wagstaffe Leeds United: Harvey, Reaney, Madeley, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Clarke (Yorath), Bates, Giles, E Gray On the evening of Monday, 8 May, 1972, Leeds United faced a date with destiny: their season climaxed with an outstanding opportunity of becoming League champions for the second time in three years. The title would be theirs should they avoid defeat at Molineux against Wolves. Mathematically, a draw might allow Liverpool to finish above them by virtue of goal average, but the Merseysiders would require an 11-0 victory against Arsenal at Highbury, and such results were the stuff of fantasy. If Leeds lost, a Liverpool victory The Times of 8 May 1972 previews United's title-decider at Molineux would see them win the title. Table topping Derby County would be champions if the Reds failed to win. United‟s mood had been boosted by their victory in the FA Cup final against Arsenal two days earlier; on the other hand they had been denied the chance of rest and recuperation, travelling by coach to the Mount Hotel in Wolverhampton immediately following the final, without even attending the post-match banquet. There were some who would have preferred to celebrate, Norman Hunter for one: “What the gaffer should have done is let us go out and get absolutely smashed. We‟d have gone in the stream room on Sunday and been fine by Monday.” Describing the match as “the most important we have faced since our return to the First Division”, Don Revie promised that United would not go into the game with a defensive mindset. “Leeds United must go all out for victory... This might appear illogical since we need only a draw to finish ahead of Derby County and Liverpool, but I reckon it would be soccer suicide to adopt a defensive style of play. Attack really is the best form of defence against Bill McGarry‟s team, because they www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Matches – 8 May 1972, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Leeds United 1 1 possess the ability to swamp opponents like a tidal wave. “It is vital to stop Wolves defenders and midfield players from supporting the likes of Derek Dougan, John Richards and David Wagstaffe up front. The best way to do that is to keep them under pressure. Wolves prefer opponents to play defensively, because it means that their own flaws at the back are not exposed. “Although Wolves have only an academic interest in the championship, and are in the middle of a two leg UEFA Cup final with Tottenham, this will not make our task any easier. Teams can always be relied upon to raise their game against us and this should be particularly true in Wolves‟ case, considering the tremendous atmosphere that can be expected at Molineux on Monday. “I can‟t recall a team being forced to play a championship decider so soon after appearing in a Wembley Cup final. But I am convinced that there is sufficient character in this Leeds team to accept the challenge and emerge triumphant.” Revie had tried everything he knew to get the game delayed, but had fallen foul, as he had on so many other occasions, of irascible Football League secretary Alan Hardaker. After United‟s place in the FA Cup final was secured, the League Jack Charlton and Billy Bremner the morning after the FA Cup final determined that they would have to play Chelsea on 1 May, the Monday before the final, and their game at Wolves would be a week later, two days after Wembley. In addition, with England facing West Germany in the European Championship on 29 April and 13 May, United‟s England players would bear additional burdens. The club appealed for the fixtures to be delayed until the middle of May, but there were a number of issues with this, not the least of which was the circumstances of the clubs they faced. Chelsea were unwilling to co-operate because they had arranged to leave on a tour of the Caribbean on May 13, while Wolves were scheduled to play Spurs in the UEFA Cup final on May 3 and 17. Hardaker obstinately dismissed all requests for deferral, opining, “I have not seen one suggestion of a better solution to the problem. If Leeds United wish to play Wolves on May 9 they are quite free to do so as far as the League are concerned, but they will have to play without their England players unless the FA agreed to release them. “Similarly, if Wolves will agree to play Leeds on May 19, two days after the UEFA Cup final and the FA would release their international players, the League would not object. Nor would the League object if Leeds suggested dates in order to play without their England players. “It seems to me that for years the press have been saying that country must come before club, and yet when it comes to criticising the League for a decision that had to be made, the England v West Germany matches have been very carefully overlooked.” www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Matches – 8 May 1972, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Leeds United 1 2 Eric Todd commented on the situation in the Guardian, “For the second time in two years the Fates, with whom may be associated the Football League, are making it very hard for Leeds United to win anything. Only in Yorkshire, perhaps, would this be classified as victimisation; outside it, even those people who hate Leeds as they used to hate Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United – envy is too modest a word – must feel that little effort has been made either to sympathise with Leeds or to try to accommodate them on their final run in for the Double. “Sympathy can find little room in football these days but sooner or later the League and the Football Association must realise that the football season is far too long and far too congested with a multitude of competitions. There is no space to manoeuvre and none to provide for contingencies, such as bad weather, replays and international demands. “It is as monstrous as it is unfair that Leeds or any other club placed similarly should have to play a game a few days before the FA Challenge Cup final and another one two days after it. “If Leeds fail to win either the Cup or the League title they need not blame loss of form. They must blame the system. And if Leeds cannot field a full strength side against Arsenal at Wembley, the crowd and the FA can blame the Football League and Chelsea who have decided that their jaunt to the West Indies, or wherever it is, is more important than trying to help Leeds prepare properly for their crucial matches. Fair enough. Why should they anyway? “Not that I am concerned over much with Jack Charlton and the other Leeds players watch a rerun of the Cup final Chelsea or with the European Championship. during the days before their game with Wolves I am more concerned only that any side, Leeds, Chelsea, Hartlepool or Watford, who have a chance of winning one or both of the major competitions this country has to offer is given a reasonable chance of winning them. In this instance Leeds have not been given that chance. “But Leeds in recent years have been nobody‟s friends. The authorities closed Elland Road last year after a few yobbos had run on to the pitch regardless of the fact that this sort of thing happens every week on most grounds. Two years ago between the first of their three semi finals against Manchester United and the final, Leeds had to play ten games in three weeks and were beaten by Chelsea in a final replay and they finished as runners up in the League. “I believe that Leeds have been treated scandalously and are having to pay the penalty for lack of foresight by the League and the FA.” In the eventuality, United beat Chelsea 2-0 and did so quite convincingly, following up with an impressive if narrow defeat of Arsenal at Wembley, but those games left their resources badly depleted. Already without Terry Cooper, missing with a broken leg, United were also missing hard working centre-forward Mick Jones, who had dislocated his elbow in the closing seconds of the final, while www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Matches – 8 May 1972, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Leeds United 1 3 several other players were carrying injuries. Allan Clarke and Johnny Giles had painkilling injections before the Molineux game, and Eddie Gray and Clarke both played with heavy strapping. All three had treatment in nearby West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Jones‟ place was taken by Wembley substitute Mick Bates, playing in midfield with Billy Bremner operating up front, and Terry Yorath was on the bench. It was a night of the highest tension, excitement and passion with a crowd of more than 50,000 packed behind gates that were closed long before kick off time. During the match, more than 70 people suffered injuries when crush barriers gave way. One man sustained a broken leg and nine others required medical attention. United began as if they were determined there would be no slip up, proving true to Revie‟s promise of all out attack. Geoffrey Green in the Times: “Almost from the start it seemed that Leeds had decided that to slacken the pace was to lag behind and those who lag behind are beaten.” Nevertheless, they had a moment of anxiety after five minutes when goalkeeper David Harvey came out to collect a Wolves free kick.