Paul Reaney

Last updated

Paul Reaney
Paul Reaney 1969.jpg
Reaney in 1969
Personal information
Date of birth (1944-10-22) 22 October 1944 (age 80)
Place of birth Fulham, London, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) [1]
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
1962–1964 Leeds United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1962–1978 Leeds United 556 (6)
1978–1980 Bradford City 38 (0)
1980–1981 Newcastle KB United 53 (0)
Total649(6)
International career
1968–1971 England 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paul Reaney (born 22 October 1944) is an English former international footballer. He played primarily as a right-sided full-back. He made 745 first-team appearances at Leeds United from 1962 to 1978, winning seven major trophies under Don Revie's management. As a player of mixed race, Reaney became the second non-white footballer (after Frank Soo) to represent the men's senior England national football team in 1968, when he gained the first of his three senior caps. Later in his career, Reaney played for Bradford City and Newcastle KB United.

Contents

Career

Leeds United

Reaney moved to the West Riding of Yorkshire from London as a child and left school at 15. He was briefly a car mechanic before Don Revie signed him for Leeds as an apprentice. He made his professional debut shortly before his 18th birthday, and went on to make 35 League appearances in his first season, and was part of the team that won the Second Division in 1964.

In the 1964–65 season, Reaney missed just one League game, and scored the first of his League goals as Leeds challenged for both the League championship and FA Cup; however, Leeds lost out on both trophies, with Manchester United winning the title, whilst Liverpool beat Leeds in the FA Cup final.

Reaney quickly earned a reputation as a fiercely competitive, disciplined defender, capable of closing out the most talented of attackers – George Best rated Reaney as one of the two best defenders he played against. [2]

In 1967–68 Leeds won the League Cup and the Fairs Cup, and in 1968–69 they won the League championship. Leeds progressed in 1969–70 towards a "treble" of League championship, FA Cup and European Cup, but a broken leg suffered in a game against West Ham United meant that he missed the run-in to the end of the season – a factor that contributed to Leeds missing out on all three trophies. In addition, the broken leg meant that Reaney missed that summer's World Cup in Mexico.

He eventually returned in the 1970–71 season to make 18 League appearances and be part of the team which won its second Fairs Cup, but which missed out on the League championship again. In the 1971–72 season he was part of the team that won the FA Cup, but which missed out the League Championship yet again. The following season saw more disappointment for Reaney as Leeds lost the FA Cup final to Sunderland and a controversial European Cup Winners Cup final to A.C. Milan.

Reaney's career at Leeds passed 500 appearances in 1973–74 as Leeds embarked on a 29-match unbeaten start to the season to earn the League title for the second time under Revie, who then left to take over the England job. Reaney was in the team which duly progressed to the European Cup final the following season in 1974–75 but was controversially defeated 2–0 by Bayern Munich.

Later career

Reaney remained at Elland Road until the end of the 1977–78 season when he was given a free transfer after 745 appearances. He joined neighbours Bradford City and then completed his playing career in Australia with Newcastle KB United.

International career

In 1968, Reaney won his first England cap, when he came on as a substitute in a match against Bulgaria (and by doing so becoming the first player named "Paul" to play for England in a full international). Reaney's appearance for England has assumed greater importance in recent years as even though he was regarded as "white" during his playing career, he is viewed by many as "black" or mixed race today. [3] His England debut was nine years before that of Viv Anderson, who is widely credited as the first black player to appear for England. [4]

From that point on, he was regularly selected for the England squad (albeit not as first choice full-back) until a broken leg in 1970 prevented him from playing in the World Cup. The following year, he made his third and final appearance for England in a match against Malta.

Post-playing career

Since returning to England from Australia, Reaney has been running coaching sessions during school holidays for children at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton. [5]

In 1993, burglars broke into Reaney's home and stole a safe containing his collection of medals, though left behind his trophies, caps and other honours.

Honours

Leeds United

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Giles</span> Irish footballer and manager

Michael John Giles is an Irish former association football player and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s. After retiring from management in 1985, Giles served as the senior analyst on RTÉ Sport's coverage of association football from 1986 until 2016. The FAI voted Giles as the greatest Irish player of the last 50 years at the UEFA Jubilee Awards in 2004.

Michael David Jones is an English former footballer who played as centre forward with Leeds United during the 1960s and 1970s. He was also capped for England.

Trevor John Cherry was an English footballer who notably captained both England and Leeds United. A defender, Cherry also played for Huddersfield Town and Bradford City, and managed the latter club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Cooper (footballer, born 1944)</span> English footballer and manager (1944–2021)

Terence Cooper was an English football player and manager. He was a left back in the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s, and featured for England at the 1970 Mexico World Cup. He later went on to manage both of Bristol's football teams, Birmingham City and was twice manager of Exeter City.

Paul Edward Madeley was an English footballer, who played for Leeds United and the England national team. During his career with Leeds, Madeley played in a variety of different playing positions which led to him being described as a Utility player. Madeley made more than 500 appearances for Leeds in the Football League and appeared in 24 internationals for England between 1971 and 1977.

Robert Young Collins was a Scotland international football player, best known for his successful spells at Celtic, Everton and Leeds United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Wright (footballer, born 1944)</span> English footballer (born 1944)

Thomas James Wright is a former footballer who played as a right-back. A one-club man, he played for Everton, with whom he won the Football League and the FA Cup, and represented England, including at the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

Sydney William Owen was an English football player and coach. He spent nearly all his playing career as a centre half for Luton Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Yorath</span> Welsh footballer and manager

Terence Charles Yorath is a Welsh former football player and manager at both club and international level.

George L. Hannah was an English footballer who played as a forward.

Alan Peacock is an English former footballer.

Graham Frederick Cross is a former professional footballer and cricketer. He is the record appearance holder for Leicester City, making 600 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Robert Carmichael Mitchell, nicknamed "Bobby Dazzler", was a Scottish footballer who played as an outside left.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paddy Fagan</span> Irish footballer

Fionan "Paddy" Fagan was an Irish footballer who played as a winger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Priest</span> English footballer and manager

Alfred Ernest Priest was a professional footballer from the North East of England who won the 1899 and 1902 FA Cup finals with Sheffield United.

Terence Arthur Hibbitt was an English footballer who played for Leeds United, Newcastle United and Birmingham City. His brother Kenny was also a footballer. He died of cancer in 1994, aged just 46.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick McGrath (footballer)</span> Irish footballer

Michael McGrath is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a left half.

James Storrie was a Scottish professional footballer and manager, best known as a centre forward who helped Leeds United gain promotion in 1964 to the First Division.

Robert Cowell was an English football defender. During his football career he only played for one club, Newcastle United. Despite his success with Newcastle he failed to win any caps for the England national team.

James Husband was an English professional footballer who played in England and the United States as a forward.

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Tony; Peskett, Roy, eds. (1971). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1971–72 (2nd ed.). Queen Anne Press. p. 256. ISBN   978-0362000948.
  2. ↑ "George Best: One-on-One". Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2016. Who was the best defender you played against? There were two—Paul Reaney from Leeds and Sanchis from Real Madrid. They were both quick and liked to get stuck in.
  3. ↑ Mullock, Simon (31 October 2021). "Untold stories of English football's black pioneers celebrated in new book". Daily Mirror.
  4. ↑ Bradford, Tim (2006). When Saturday Comes: The Half Decent Football Book. Penguin Books. p. 81. ISBN   9780141015569.
  5. ↑ "Meet A Footballing Legend". Places & Faces. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011.
  6. 1 2 Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78. London: Brickfield Publications Ltd. p. 491. ISBN   0354 09018 6.
  7. ↑ Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78. London: Brickfield Publications Ltd. p. 490. ISBN   0354 09018 6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.