Johnny Giles wanted to ‘haunt’ Manchester United after leaving Old Trafford to join Leeds United
JOHNNY GILES has admitted he wanted to “haunt†Manchester United after leaving for Leeds United.
‘Giles’, a documentary on the life and times of the ex-Ireland player and manager will be broadcast on RTÉ One at 9.35pm on Monday.
Johnny Giles became a Leeds United legend
Johnny Giles became a Leeds United legend
The Dubliner is renowned as one of the best midfielders the country has produced and known to younger fans from his time as a TV analyst.
Now 76, Giles reflected on how he might never have gotten his chance at Old Trafford were it not for the Munich air disaster in 1956, in which eight United players lost their lives.
But he reckons he lost the trust of then-boss Matt Busby after a 1962 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Tottenham.
And, although he helped United lift the Cup 12 months later, he left that summer for Elland Road, where he enjoyed far more success.
Recalling the plane crash which saw 21 people in total killed, Giles said: “They’d just won the league twice, they were leading the league that year. The average age of the team was 22.
“I’d say they would have dominated for probably ten years.
Giles and future Ireland boss Jack Charlton celebrate winning the FA Cup
Giles and future Ireland boss Jack Charlton celebrate winning the FA Cup
“Before the Munich air disaster, you had a surplus of young players brought through in the Busby way. So I was pushed forward after the Munich air disaster.
“I made my debut against Tottenham. I don’t know what would have happened if there hadn’t been a Munich air disaster. I don’t know what progress I might have made. Nobody knows.
“But I got into the first team and was playing there for a few years.
“The big changing point for me at Old Trafford was the semi-final of the Cup in 1962. We got a hiding and lost 3-1.
“I was terrible. From that moment, Matt lost confidence in me.
“Whatever I did was wrong. If I went inside, I should have gone outside. It happens in football.
“I think the general feeling was that I’d bottled it, I was out.
“I’d a bad time with Matt that season. But I was relaxed in the Cup final, I thought, ‘I can’t be that bad’.
“Matt was God at Old Trafford. I couldn’t picture going another year at Man United with Matt saying, ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that’. So I asked for a transfer. Without any hesitation, I could go.â€
That meant dropping a division but, in his first season in Yorkshire, Leeds were promoted as champions.
Glies with Leeds in 1974
Glies with Leeds in 1974
He went on to win two Division One titles, another FA Cup, the League Cup, the Charity Shield, two Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – the equivalent of the Europa League – as well as reaching a European Cup final.
And, whatever about the motivation of his team-mates, Giles was fuelled by the desire to disprove the theory that the only way was down if you left the Red Devils.
Giles added: “There was an arrogance that no one leaves Old Trafford and does well. I thought, ‘I’m going to prove that wrong’.
“It sounds childish now and I’d only just got married at the time but I said, ‘I’ll haunt them’.
“When I went to Leeds, I didn’t know any of the players. I learned quickly that there was a great work ethic, the players were close.
“They were hungry, they were well-coached, that’s what was in the club. Although they were in the Second Division, something was happening there.
“We were a very difficult team to beat and we won the Second Division. There is a thing at Old Trafford that no one leaves and does well.
“I got great satisfaction that when we won the league in 1969. Matt Busby did say publicly that it was the biggest mistake he’d made. I’d said I’d haunt him and I did that. I left Old Trafford and did well.
“We were there, top four every year. If we were playing now, we’d be qualifying for the Champions League every year for 11 years.â€
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Among his team-mates was another future Ireland manager, in Jack Charlton and, between the pair of them, they did little to help the reputation of Don Revie’s side.
But Giles believes the caricature of Leeds as a dirty team was not entirely accurate given the ability which he and others in the side possessed.
Giles said: “We were criticised for being a dirty team. Everyone talked about dirty Leeds and there was an element of truth in that.
“The Leeds lads always stuck together and never packed it in for anyone. Whether it was Billy Bremner, myself, Norman Hunter, if anyone had a go at them, they’d have to have a go at us too.
“I was a small guy and I was a creative player so I was a target.
“My attitude was to get your retaliation first. I had to do it. It was your living.
“If you didn’t respond, you were going to be a softie, so I got a reputation for it then.
“It annoys me sometimes. Sometimes people say, ‘You were a dirty little sod’, but I say, ‘Yeah but I could play a bit as well’.
“Jack was the best centre-half in the league for five years. He saw the game through a centre-half’s eyes. Jack is very stubborn.
“He wasn’t always right but he was never wrong. When you play, it’s life and death, it has to mean that much to you to win to get stuck in and never give up.
“When you’re losing, you could feel your blood boiling, you couldn’t take it, you had to get in and win.â€
Because of his contribution, he was seen as the natural successor to Revie, who recommended him for the role in 1974 when he left to take charge of England.
Instead, the board appointed Brian Clough, who had been critical of Leeds in the past and lasted just 44 days in the role, with Giles rejecting the chance to replace him.
Giles added: “It didn’t make any sense. We were back for pre-season training for a few days and he hadn’t spoken to anyone.
“We were sitting in the players’ lounge and Cloughy came in and he said, ‘You see all those medals there, you can put them in the bin’.
“That was his starting thing. ‘Norman Hunter, you’re a dirty b*****d, everyone likes to be liked, no sir, I couldn’t give a f***. To me, ‘You’re a dirty b*****d too’.
“And, ‘Eddie Gray, if you’re a horse, you’d be put down years ago’.
“I think this was Cloughy’s way, he’d dominate you and then was OK.
“But we had just won the league, we were an experienced team.
“We were proud of what we’d done and he’s telling us to put them in the bin. He never got off first base with the players.
“He got sacked. When they came back again, I was offered the job but, in my opinion, you can stick the job up your jumper.â€
https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/1204337/johnny-giles-wanted-to-haunt-manchester-united-after-leaving-old-trafford-to-join-leeds-united/