English Leagues the 70s: Leeds Southampton First Division 1971 1972

Elland Road

Saturday 4 March 1972
Attendance 34,275

 United's recent critics had often branded them dour, defensive and downright dull in their quest for success, but in 1971-2 Leeds set the First Division alight with dazzling, fluent football that won thousands of new friends. Emphasis was placed on attack and Leeds produced the sort of soccer that had the back pages of national newspapers dubbing them 'Super Leeds' and drawing comparisons with the legendary Real Madrid. Such acclaim gained credence in the eyes of millions of television viewers who turned in to see BBC's Match of the Day cameras capture the action at Elland Road. 

 One of the televised games was against Southampton in the midst of United's purple patch when they delighted the viewing public with a scintillating performance. None of the goals were particularly spectacular, but each one followed great sweeping movements around the pitch, which had the crowd roaring 'Ole' each time the bail was passed from one Leeds player to another. United's magnifïcent seven came like this: 38th minute, brilliant inter-play between Mick Jones and Eddie Gray opened up the defence for Allan Clarke to crack in an angled drive; 42nd minute, Peter Lorimer drove Gray's superb through-pass beyond the luckless Eric Martin; 60th minute, Clarke's footwork took him round a defender before slotting in the third; 64th minute, Lorimer hit the fourth; 68th minute, Lorimer intercepted an ill-judged Roger Fry back-pass to complète his hat-trick; 73rd minute, Jack Charlton arrived in the penalty area to headlin Norman Hunter's cross; 78th minute, Jones celebrated his 300th League game by forcing the bail in from close-range after Lorimer headed down a left-wing Gray centre.

 Leeds United: Sprake, Reaney, Madeley, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Clarke, Jones, Giles, E Gray
Southampton: Martin, McCarthy, Fry, Stokes, Gabriel, Steele, Paine (Byrne), Channon, Davies, O'Neill, Jenkins

If Southampton's players had been watching Match oftbe Dayevery week, they should really have known they were in
for a hiding. Although this was to be another season when Leeds failed ro delîver the championship, the fluency of their football had the nation en th rail ed. They had done the double over early-season pacemakers Manchester United, beating them 5-1 at Elland Road just 'It was almost cruel'. Leeds stars Jones (in net), Lorfmer and Gray leave Southampton indisarray. Mike Channon (handson hips) is speechless two weeks prior to Southampton's visit. Ominously, outside-right Peter Lorimer had scored in both games, as well as volleying a breathtaking shot over Joe Corrigan's head from 30 yards against Manchester City.

But it wasn't Lorimer's har-trick, nor Allan Ciarke's two goals, for which this Leeds performance is enshrined in the archives. Twenty years later, Match ofthe Day reguJars still remember the way they toyed with poor Southampton - in one movement putting together 25 passes wîthout their opponents touching the bail. Each pass was greeted with a triumphant cheer from the 34,000 crowd as Leeds turned on an exhibition at the expense of their hapless opponents. At the heart of the Leeds exploitation of mature skills over bewildered stooges were those midfîeld maestros, Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles. They produced back heels, outrageous flîcks and stunning reverse passes. As commentator Barry Davîes rernarked: 'It was almost cruel.'

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