Whites legend reflects on Leeds United winning second Fairs Cup the hard way

Leeds United legend Eddie Gray knows Don Revie's Whites reached the final of the 1971 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup the hard way.

And 49 years ago this evening saw United complete the job in the final against Juventus to claim a trophy that Revie's legends remain deeply proud of today.

It is, says Gray, only regrettable that Leeds were then denied the ultimate European honour four years later against Bayern Munich in Paris.

But it was fitting, at least, that the last ever Inter-Cities Fairs Cup went to Leeds in their fifth season of competing in the competition in the last six years with Revie's side also winning the Fairs Cup in 1968 - four seasons before the competition became the UEFA Cup.

Only three-time winners Barcelona enjoyed more success in the competition with Barcelona also beating Leeds in the September 1971 play-off to decide who would keep the trophy.

Valencia were the only other club to win it twice.

Back in 1968, Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros provided United's final opposition with Leeds crowned Inter-Cities Fairs Cup champions for the first time thanks to a Mick Jones strike in the first leg at Elland Road.

Jones' goal proved enough for United to record a 1-0 win on aggregate after a goalless draw in Budapest with Leeds overcoming CA Spora Luxembourg, Partizan Belgrade, Hibernian, Rangers and Dundee en route to the final.

But three years on Leeds first had to overcome Bill Shankly's Liverpool side to even reach another final as part of a season in which United finished runners-up in the league to Arsenal who pipped the Whites by a point.

In the Fairs Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield, Billy Bremner's strike gave United a 1-0 victory and progression to another final was ensured after a goalless draw in the second leg at Elland Road.

A re-emerging Juventus side who would go on to win five of the next seven Serie A titles then awaited in a two-legged final.

The first leg, on May 26, proved the game that never was with the fixture in Turin abandoned after 51 minutes to a waterlogged pitch with the score goalless.

Juventus and Leeds tried again two days later and goals from Paul Madeley and Mick Bates gave United a 2-2 draw to take back to Elland Road with Roberto Bettega and a certain Fabio Capello on target for the hosts.

Gray was forced to miss the fixture with a shoulder injury picked up in the game in Turin that never was.

But even without their Scottish wing wizard, United brought home a second Fairs Cup after a 1-1 draw in the second leg at Elland Road as Allan Clarke gave the Whites a 12th-minute lead which was cancelled out by striker Pietro Anastasi's response eight minutes later.

Leeds, though, had done enough for victory over the two legs as Revie's side were crowned 1971 Fairs Cup champions on away goals as part of a very demanding competition as a whole.

"It was a great win," Gray tells the YEP, recalling the '71 Fairs Cup triumph.

"We had to play Liverpool as well and the funny thing is we beat them at Anfield one nothing and drew with them at Elland Road so that was a great occasion.

"Obviously everybody knows Juventus were a big football club and it was a great win for us that.

"It's just disappointing that at the end we never won that European Cup.

"You win the Fairs Cup twice or whatever you call it now but the disappointing one was the European Cup final."

Gray, of course, is referring to what was United's second crack at landing the ultimate European honour in 1975 in which Leeds were left mystified by Frenchman's Michel Kitabdjian refereeing decisions as part of a 2-0 defeat.

And for Gray personally the 1971 Fairs Cup final was also highly eventful.

"I had a bad shoulder and I'd played with it for ages," recalls Gray.

"We went to play Juventus in the first game, well, the game that never was.

"We started the game but the pitch was flooded and we had to abandon the game but I'd done my shoulder and that was me out for a long period after that.

"The next season after that I had trouble with my shoulder and the next season after that, 72-73, it was a bad period for me between the Juventus game and basically sort of after the 1972 season I never played that many games in between 1972 and the European Cup final."

It was, though, in May 1971, a player handed more of a chance due to Gray's absence that ended up playing a pivotal role in the 1971 Fairs Cup final.

"Mick Bates came into the side and funnily enough Mick Bates ended up scoring one of the goals in the final so he was delighted," said Gray.

"We drew 2-2 over there with Paul Madeley and Mick Bates scoring the goals, two unlikely goalscorers you might say and then Allan got the goal at our place and you win the European Fairs Cup.

"It's obviously just very disappointing what then happened in 1975 but the win against Juventus was a big win."