When Don Revie's newly-promoted Leeds United came within a whisker of landing the double

Played 42, won 24, drawn 15, lost just three.

Back in the days of two points for a victory, United’s haul of 63 points had only ever been bettered once in English football’s second tier by 1920 champions Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs went on to immediately finish sixth the following season as part of a fine campaign that saw them win the FA Cup.

Yet United’s ‘class of 64’ went within a whisker of then sealing English football’s ultimate double, with Don Revie’s Whites finishing runners-up in both the league and FA Cup and only denied the title on goal average in the 64-65 campaign.

Under Revie, Leeds were back in the country’s top flight for the fifth time in their history in 1964.

Until then, United’s four previous promotions had been met with varying degrees of success.

The club’s first ever promotion – as Division Two champions 1924 – was followed by 18th and 19th placed finishes before the Whites went down when finishing 21st in 1927.

United bounced straight back the following season as Division Two runners-up, but another three seasons later the Whites were back down with a 21st-place finish after coming 13th and fifth in the two seasons before.

Another yo-yo followed with Leeds again immediately promoted as Division Two runners-up and this time eight consecutive campaigns in the top flight followed.

After suffering relegation in 1947, Leeds had to wait another nine seasons to go back as a young Jack Charlton helped the Whites to promotion as Division Two runners-up in 1956.

Four more seasons in the country’s top flight followed before another relegation in 1960.

By the time United went back up four seasons later, Revie was at the helm as the Whites went up in the ultimate style of champions.

Leeds were back in the big time and both their Division Two points haul and recent history of the English game suggested the Whites were likely to make a pretty good fist of life in the country’s top flight.

As United sealed promotion as 1964 Division Two title winners, Liverpool were crowned champions of England in the country’s top tier, having only been promoted as Division Two champions in 1962.

Ipswich Town and Spurs had also recently been crowned champions of England as newly promoted sides. Revie had full confidence in his Division Two title winners, with the Whites boss opting against strengthening his squad, despite the departures of Eric Smith and Grenville Hair.

And Revie’s faith in his side proved extremely well founded as only the narrowest of margins denied the Whites a league and cup double.

Captained by Bobby Collins, United started as they meant to go on, winning their first three games as part of a title race that went to the wire.

But come their final game of the season, Leeds were held to a 3-3 draw at bottom club and already relegated Birmingham City.

Manchester United, meanwhile, defeated Arsenal 3-1 at Old Trafford. It put them ahead of Leeds on goal average and still having one game left, meaning the title was in the bag bar a mathematical disaster in their final game against Aston Villa.

The Red Devils then lost to Villa but had enough of a cushion in the bag.

For Leeds, the FA Cup final was next and United’s bid for glory was only ended by Liverpool who needed extra time before finally defeating Revie’s Whites 2-1 as Ian St John bagged a 117th-minute winner.

After a goalless draw over 90 minutes, Roger Hunt had given the Reds the lead only for Billy Bremner to equalise.

It meant Leeds ultimately were denied silverware in their first season back but plenty of that would be in the offing in the years that followed.

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Thank you Laura Collins