.jpg) Bremner lining up forScotland in 1971 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William John Bremner[1][2] | ||
| Date of birth | (1942-12-09)9 December 1942[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Raploch,Stirling, Scotland[1] | ||
| Date of death | 7 December 1997(1997-12-07) (aged 54)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Clifton, Doncaster, England[2] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1959–1960 | Leeds United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1960–1976 | Leeds United | 587 | (91) |
| 1976–1978 | Hull City | 61 | (6) |
| 1980–1982 | Doncaster Rovers | 5 | (0) |
| Total | 653 | (97) | |
| International career | |||
| Scotland Schoolboys | 4 | (0) | |
| 1963 | Scotland XI | 1 | (0) |
| 1964–1965 | Scotland U23 | 4 | (1) |
| 1965–1975 | Scotland | 54 | (3) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1978–1985 | Doncaster Rovers | ||
| 1985–1988 | Leeds United | ||
| 1989–1991 | Doncaster Rovers | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professionalfootballer and manager. Regarded as one of the game's greatmidfielders, he combined precision passing skills with tenacious tackling and physical stamina. He played forLeeds United from 1959 to 1976, serving as captain from 1965, in one of the most successful periods in the club's history.
At Leeds, Bremner won theFirst Division (1968–69 and 1973–74),Second Division (1963–64),Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1968 and 1971),FA Cup (1972),League Cup (1968) andFA Charity Shield (1969). The club also finished second in numerous competitions, being runners-up five times in the English league and seven times in cup finals, including the 1975European Cup. He was also named as theFWA Footballer of the Year in 1970 and was listed on thePFA Team of the Year in 1973–74. He has since been voted Leeds United'sgreatest player of all time and has a statue outside the south-east corner of theirElland Road stadium. He has also been included in theFootball League 100 Legends and is a member of both theEnglish Football Hall of Fame andScottish Football Hall of Fame.
Bremner played forHull City from 1976 to 1978, before being appointed player-manager atDoncaster Rovers in November 1978. He spent seven years as Doncaster manager, guiding the club to promotion out of theFourth Division in 1980–81 and 1983–84, before he took on the manager's job at Leeds United in October 1985. He failed to gain promotion to the top flight and left the club in September 1988. He returned to Doncaster in July 1989, ending his second spell in charge in November 1991.
Bremner is on theScotland national football team roll of honour for having won more than 50 caps forScotland. He captained his country at the1974 FIFA World Cup, where Scotland failed to advance from the group stage despite being unbeaten in the competition.
Billy Bremner was born inStirling on 9 December 1942. His parents, John William ('Pop') and Bridget ('Bess'), lived in theRaploch district, reputedly a "tough area" in the shadow ofStirling Castle.[4][5] His father was a storeman working for theMinistry of Defence at its 'Back-O-Hill' army barracks, located near Raploch.[6][7]
Bremner, whose childhood nickname was 'Brock', attended St Mary's Primary School, which was "literally round the corner" from the family's home, till he was eleven.[6] He played for the school'sfootball team from the age of nine.[6] In 1954, aged eleven, he left St Mary's and went toSt Modan's High School, also near his home, and continued to develop as a footballer.[8] Even as a boy, Bremner exhibited the sort of skill and determination that would become the hallmark of his professional career.[6] He joined a local club called Gowanhill United when he was thirteen and soon earned a place in its under-21 team. Gowanhill's home ground was a piece of spare land called Shell Park which was between Raploch and the barracks.[7]
In November 1957, Bremner was one of two St Modan's boys given a trial for the Stirling Schoolboys County team. He was mentioned in a notice that appeared in theEdinburgh Evening News issue of 15 November 1957. He was selected to play for the county and his performances in those matches led to selection for Scotland Schoolboys. He made his international debut, aged fifteen, against Northern Ireland Schoolboys atWindsor Park on 28 March 1958. The match, played under floodlights, ended in a 2–2 draw.[9]
Bremner played in three more matches for Scotland Schoolboys in the spring of 1958. His second appearance was against Wales Schoolboys atSomerton Park on 4 April, and this also ended 2–2. Next, on 26 April, Bremner made his first of many visits toWembley Stadium, playing against England Schoolboys, whose team includedTerry Venables,Phil Chisnall, andRonnie Boyce. According to theEvening News, there was a crowd of over 90,000. England Schoolboys won 3–1 but Bremner, playing atinside left was praised for his quick through-ball passing and for his "remarkable stamina".[9] He was interviewed by theNews Chronicle after the match and surprised the reporter by saying that he wanted to join an English club, because "English football is faster". Bremner added that, if he didn't become a professional footballer, his choice of career would beglazier.[9] Bremner's last match for Scotland Schoolboys was on 18 May, a return against England Schoolboys atIbrox Stadium. It ended in a 2–2 draw and Bremner again received praise for his efforts. TheNews Chronicle said the midfield tussle between Venables and the "wee but tough Willie Bremner was one of the highlights".[9]
After the schoolboy internationals, Bremner received invitations fromArsenal andChelsea to play in trial matches. They both offered terms and Bremner went back to Scotland while he considered his options.[10][11] He was then approached by bothCeltic andRangers. He favoured Celtic but agreed to talk to Rangers first. After learning that Bremner was aCatholic, however, Rangersended their interest.[12] Bremner's father then stepped in and told him he should not join either of the two clubs because of theirsectarian antipathy. Bremner said later that his father's final words on the matter were: "You're going to England, and that's that".[13]
In early 1959, soon after his 16th birthday, Bremner was invited to joinLeeds United by team managerBill Lambton.[14] Bremner accepted and joined the Leeds ground staff along with his friendTommy Henderson, who had also played for Scotland Schoolboys.[12] Lambton had recently signedDon Revie fromSunderland.[15]
Leeds had been promoted from theSecond Division in1955–56, the season in whichJack Charlton became a first team regular, but they had struggled sinceJohn Charles left in 1957,[16] and were relegated after the1959–60 season.[17]
Jack Taylor replaced Bill Lambton as team manager on 1 May 1959.[18] One of Taylor's first junior signings was fifteen-year-oldNorman Hunter, who arrived atElland Road in the summer and joined Bremner on the club's ground staff.[19] Bremner signed a professional contract with Leeds on 12 December 1959, soon after his seventeenth birthday.[1] Six weeks later, on 23 January 1960,[1] Taylor gave Bremner his first team debut atoutside-right in a 3–1 win against Chelsea atStamford Bridge. Bremner played alongside Revie, who was the team'sinside-right.[20]Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Phil Brown noted that Bremner showed "enthusiasm, guts, intelligence, most accurate use of the ball and unselfishness" despite poor weather conditions.[21] Regular outside-rightChris Crowe was sold toBlackburn Rovers in March 1960, allowing Bremner to take his place on a permanent basis.[22]
Returning to theSecond Division for the1960–61 season, Leeds were beaten by future rivalsLiverpool atAnfield in the opening match, after which Bremner was dropped from the team. He won his place back later in the season after meeting with Jack Taylor to explain his frustration at being left out.[23] In March 1961, with the team in the lower half of the Second Division table, Taylor resigned and Revie took over asplayer-manager until March 1962 when he retired as a player and became the full-time manager.[24] This was significant for young players like Hunter and Bremner because Revie initiated a youth development policy which was the basis of the club's future success. Among others who graduated werePaul Reaney,Peter Lorimer,Terry Cooper,Eddie Gray, andPaul Madeley.[25] Revie rejected an offer[when?] of £25,000 fromHibernian for Bremner, despite the player wanting to return to Scotland to be with his fiancée.[26][better source needed]
Leeds struggled in the1961–62 campaign, finishing just three points above the relegation zone, despite 12 goals in 45 appearances from Bremner, who finished as the club's joint top-scorer with centre-half Jack Charlton.[27] In March 1962, Revie retired as a player and became the full-time manager.[28] In the same month, Revie signedBobby Collins fromEverton.[citation needed] Collins helped to create the "win-at-all-costs" attitude that defined Leeds and Bremner throughout the rest of Revie's 13 years as manager.[29][better source needed]
Revie introduced some of the club's promising youngsters in the1962–63 season; Hunter and Reaney made their debuts againstSwansea Town atVetch Field on 8 September 1962, Leeds winning 2–0.[30] Revie's policy paid dividends as the team finished fifth, only four points behind promoted Chelsea.[31] Bremner, however, was limited to 24 appearances. He was out of form and was dropped from the first team during the end of season run-in, which included a disproportionately high number of matches that had been postponed during theharsh winter conditions of early 1963.[32]
Revie moved Bremner to central midfield.[when?] He boughtJohnny Giles fromManchester United.[when?] The combination of Bremner and Giles became arguably the most effective midfield partnership of the next twelve years.[32] With Bremner, Collins, and Giles in midfield, Leeds went on to win promotion as Second Division champions in the1963–64 season.[32] The club won no friends in doing so, however, and the following summer were labelled bythe Football Association's ownFA News as "the dirtiest [team] in theFootball League.[33][better source needed] In November of the1964–65 season Bremner featured heavily in a win at Everton that was marred by violent clashes on the pitch, the game was stopped for a short spell ten minutes before half-time as the referee felt that a spell of cooling down was needed to prevent further violence; despite the referee only giving 12 Leeds fouls to Everton's 19 the match helped to cement United's reputation as a dirty and overly physical team.[33][better source needed] A run of victories put the club top by the new year. However, they lost the title on goal average to Manchester United after drawing their last game of the season against already-relegatedBirmingham City.[34][better source needed] Leeds faced Liverpool in the1965 FA Cup Final atWembley Stadium, and the game went toextra time after a 0–0 draw. Bremner scored a half-volley in the 100th minute to cancel outRoger Hunt's opener, butIan St John won the game for Liverpool in the 113th minute.[35][better source needed]
In October 1965, Leeds skipper Collins was badly injured in anInter-Cities Fairs Cup game againstTorino. Revie gave the captaincy to Bremner for the remainder of the season after initially offering it to Charlton, who turned it down because he had a superstitious ritual of being last out of the tunnel on match days.[36] Revie and Bremner had a strong bond of trust, and the manager had no doubts about Bremner's ability to lead the team.[37] Leeds finished second in the1965–66 league campaign, six points behind Liverpool.[38] Leeds reached the1967 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final againstDinamo Zagreb but lost 2–0 on aggregate; Zagreb won 2–0 at theStadion Maksimir and held Leeds to a 0–0 draw at Elland Road.[39] Leeds enjoyed a double success next season, however, winning both the1968 Football League Cup Final, against Arsenal at Wembley; and the1968 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, in which they beatFerencvárosi 1–0 at Elland Road and held them to a 0–0 draw at theNépstadion to win the club's first European trophy.[40]
Revie targeted the title for the1968–69 campaign and played Bremner in every league game as Leeds finished six points clear at the top to become champions of England for the first time.[41] The title was secured with a 0–0 draw against Leeds' main rivals Liverpool, at Anfield on 28 April, after which Bremner led the players to applaud the Liverpool fans who responded by chanting "Champions, Champions, Champions".[42][better source needed] The1969–70 season opened with victory in the1969 FA Charity Shield, as Bremner captained Leeds to a 2–1 victory overManchester City.[43] With new arrivalAllan Clarke played upfront alongsideMick Jones andPeter Lorimer Revie had to instruct Bremner and Giles to resist the temptation to get forward and attack.[43] It took the team some time to gel, as only two wins came from the opening eight league games, and Leeds eventually finished a distant second to champions Everton.[43] They chased Everton all season only to give up on the title after a home defeat bySouthampton late in the campaign.[44] In theEuropean Cup Leeds recorded a club record 10–0 win over Norwegian sideLyn, with Bremner netting two of the goals.[45] However they exited the competition at the semi-final stage after two defeats toCeltic; Bremner levelled the aggregate score by putting United 1–0 ahead in front of a competition record 136,505 spectators atHampden Park, but Celtic came back to win the game and the tie with two second half goals.[46] Further disappointment came in the1970 FA Cup Final, where Leeds were beaten 2–1 byChelsea in extra-time of the replay atOld Trafford.[47] Bremner was named asFWA Footballer of the Year for the season.[44]
"Leeds, likeSisyphus, have pushed three boulders almost to the top of three mountains and are now left to see them all back in the dark of the valley."
— The Times correspondent Geoffrey Green summarised the club's unsuccessful chase of theTreble in 1969–70.[48]
The league title in the1970–71 season was decided in mid-April in front of theMatch of the Day cameras at Elland Road, when Leeds lost their lead at the top with defeat byWest Bromwich Albion.[49] The Leeds players blamed the referee for costing them the title as offside was not given forColin Suggett forJeff Astle's winner, and despite Bremner saying "But we fight on. Make no mistake about that, it is not over yet" Leeds could not overtake Arsenal, who went on to win the Double.[50] Success instead came in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, as Leeds knocked outSarpsborg (Norway),Dynamo Dresden (East Germany),Sparta Prague (Czechoslovakia),Vitória (Portugal) and Liverpool to reachthe final withJuventus (Italy).[51] Bremner recovered from an ankle injury just in time to face Liverpool in the semi-finals, and scored the only goal of the two-legged tie with a header at Anfield.[52] Leeds won the final on theaway goals rule after recording a 2–2 draw at theStadio Olimpico di Torino and then a 1–1 draw at Elland Road.[53]
Leeds finished second in the league for the third successive season in the1971–72 campaign, despite playing some of the best football in the club's history.[54] They knocked outBristol Rovers, Liverpool,Cardiff City,Tottenham Hotspur andBirmingham City to reach the1972 FA Cup Final with Arsenal; they then won the trophy for the first time in the club's history with Allan Clarke scoring the final's only goal.[55] Two days after the final Leeds could have secured the Double by winning a point againstWolverhampton Wanderers atMolineux, but a 2–1 defeat handed the title toDerby County.[56][57] On 3 February 1982, Bremner won £100,000libel damages, along with legal costs, after he sued theSunday People newspaper for publishing an article on 11 September 1977 that alleged he tried to fix football matches, including the May 1972 game at Wolves.[58] Bremner donated the damages to a Leeds Hospice.[59]
The title was nowhere near as close in the1972–73 season, which saw Leeds finish third, seven points behind Liverpool. However more runners-up medals came from the FA Cup and theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup. After Bremner scored the only goal of the semi-final clash with Wolves, Leeds went on to lose theFA Cup final 1–0 to Second DivisionSunderland.[60] They were then beaten 1–0 by Italian sideA.C. Milan at theKaftanzoglio Stadium in theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup Final, though Bremner missed the final due to suspension.[61] Revie instructed Bremner to be more attacking in the1973–74 campaign, and the result was 11 goals in 52 appearances, his biggest goal tally in 12 years.[62] The manager focused entirely on the league and told his team the aim was to go the season unbeaten, and although they lost three games they secured a second league title by a five-point margin on second-place Liverpool.[63] Bremner was named on thePFA Team of the Year and finished second in the FWA Footballer of the Year voting toIan Callaghan.[64] At the end of the season he was given atestimonial match against Sunderland which raised him £32,500; he had chosen the opponents in an attempt to avenge defeat in the previous year's FA Cup final.[65]
Manager Don Revie took theEngland management job in July 1974. Bremner applied for the vacant Leeds job after Johnny Giles had been named by Revie as his successor, but instead the board surprised everyone by appointingBrian Clough, who went on to a disastrous 44-day spell in charge of Leeds at the start of the1974–75 season.[66] Revie's departure was tough for Bremner, who had a strong bond with his manager.[66] Leeds lost the1974 FA Charity Shield in a penalty shoot-out to Liverpool, but more significantly Bremner andKevin Keegan were sent off for fighting and received eleven game suspensions.[67] By the time Bremner was allowed to play againJimmy Armfield was the manager, though he refuted the accusation that he had attempted to undermine Clough as "ridiculous".[68] TeammatePeter Lorimer insisted that the only criticism he had of Bremner was in applying for the management job against Giles, which had caused to board to look elsewhere for fear of dividing the dressing room by choosing between Bremner and Giles.[69] Results improved with Bremner back in the side, and though they ended the season in ninth place, they were only eight points behind champions Derby. The club's biggest aim would be success in theEuropean Cup, and they made it tothe final after knocking outFC Zürich (Switzerland),Újpest FC (Hungary),Anderlecht (Belgium), andBarcelona (Spain). Their final opponents atParc des Princes weredefending championsBayern Munich (Germany), who beat Leeds 2–0; United had a Lorimer goal controversially ruled out for an offside decision against Bremner and the tie ended in rioting by United fans.[70]
With most of the Revie built team retiring or moving on to other clubs, Armfield had to rebuild the squad, though Bremner would still play 38 games in the1975–76 campaign.[71] However, he missed a lengthy spell in the new year due to injury and results dipped during this time and ultimately ended the club's title hopes; they went on to end the campaign in fifth spot.[71]
Bremner signed withHull City for a £25,000 fee on 23 September 1976, managerJohn Kaye feeling that Bremner's experience would benefit his youthful Second Division side.[72] His debut atBoothferry Park came against Brian Clough'sNottingham Forest, and Bremner was credited with scoring the winning goal of the game with a free-kick, though it seemed to have gone in with a significant deflection.[73] Despite the good start results dipped midway through the1976–77 season and the "Tigers" ended the season in 14th place. Despite suffering with a back injury Bremner was appointed as captain and played 32 games.[74]
He missed the1977–78 pre-season with a knee injury, but recovered well enough to make 36 appearances throughout the campaign.[75] Kaye was sacked after a poor start to the season, and was replaced by Bremner's former Leeds teammateBobby Collins, who had joined the club as assistant manager in the summer; as at Leeds, Bremner had applied for the vacant managerial role, but was rejected.[76] After being turned down for the job he announced his intention to retire as a player at the end of his contract in June 1978.[77] The season was a disaster, and though Collins was sacked and replaced by youth coachKen Houghton in February, results did not improve and Hull were relegated in last place, ten points from safety.[78]
Bremner was well established in the Scotland set-up, playing in a trial match against theScottish Football League XI and winning fourunder-23 caps, before he made his senior debut forScotland in May 1965, in a 0–0 draw withSpain atHampden Park.[79] He went on to feature inqualifying games for the1966 FIFA World Cup, but defeats toPoland andItaly left Scotland second intheir group, which was not enough to qualify.[80] He also played in friendlies againstBrazil andPortugal, and received a black eye fromPelé's elbow in a clash during a high ball; despite this being an accident it still demonstrated to Bremner how he had failed to intimidate Pelé as he had done to many other great players of the day.[80]
TheEngland–Scotland football rivalry was intense throughout his playing career, and so great media attention came upon Bremner and the rest of the Scottish players after they beat world championsEngland 3–2 at Wembley to become the "unofficial world champions" on 15 April 1967.[81] Many teammates said that Bremner held this match as one of the proudest moments of his career.[82]
Placed in a toughgroup forqualification to the1970 FIFA World Cup, Scotland failed to qualify after finishing in second place. Bremner captained his country throughout the process, having first taken up the armband in a friendly defeat byDenmark inCopenhagen.[83] He scored his first international goal in a 2–1 qualifying victory overAustria at Hampden Park, his first game as captain.[82] This game was followed by two victories overCyprus and a 1–1 draw withWest Germany, however a 3–2 defeat by West Germany inHamburg ended their hopes of making it to the World Cup.[82] Bremner's second international goal came in a 3–2 win overWales in aBritish Home Championship game at theRacecourse Ground.[82]
Scotland were the only home nation toqualify for the1974 FIFA World Cup after finishing ahead ofCzechoslovakia and Denmark intheir group.[84] However, Bremner was nearly not selected by managerWillie Ormond after Ormond found him drunk in a bar not long afterJimmy Johnstone had to be rescued by thecoastguard having gotten stranded in a rowing boat during a night out following a home international match againstNorthern Ireland.[85] Having been selected, Bremner captained Scotland to a 2–0 win overZaire at theWestfalenstadion.[86] He was later accused by Zairian playerNdaye Mulamba ofracially abusing him during this match, as well as spitting at Mulamba andMana Mamuwene.[87] A highly creditable 0–0 draw against world champions Brazil left Scotland with high hopes of qualifying to the second round.[88] Yet a 1–1 draw withYugoslavia sent Scotland out of the competition unbeaten due to Brazil and Yugoslavia finishing level on points but with superior goal difference.[89]
Bremner's last cap came against Denmark on 3 September 1975. An incident inCopenhagen after the game where several players were ejected from a nightclub for an alleged fight led to a lifetime ban from international football by theScottish Football Association; four other players,Willie Young,Joe Harper,Pat McCluskey andArthur Graham also were banned for life (Graham and Harper later had their bans overturned).[90] Bremner maintained his innocence, stating that the incident had been blown out of proportion by the SFA.[91]
Bremner began his Leeds career as a right winger but came into his own after Revie shifted him to a central midfield role. In that position, Bremner became a "fiery midfield dynamo" whose "tireless energy" made him a natural leader on the field, always spurring his team on to greater efforts.[3] In its Hall of Fame dedication to him, theNational Football Museum said: "His priceless precision passing, stamina and skill led him to become a Leeds United legend and one of the game's greatest midfielders".[3]
In 2007, aSunday Times article described Bremner as "10st of barbed wire" due to his tenacity and tough tackling.[92]
Bremner was appointed manager of strugglingFourth Division sideDoncaster Rovers in November 1978.[93] He oversaw a 1–0 win overRochdale atBelle Vue in his first match in charge.[94] Results fluctuated during the1978–79 season, demonstrated by a 7–1 defeat by strugglingAFC Bournemouth punctuating a run of five wins in six games.[94] Rovers ended the season in 22nd place, though 11 points ahead ofHalifax Town andCrewe Alexandra, and successfully applied to the Football League for re-election.[94]
He introduced massages and changed the canteen and team kit for the1979–80 campaign.[95] With no money available for transfers he was forced to turn to the youth team for new players, though he could afford to take onIan Nimmo,Hugh Dowd,John Dowie andBilly Russell on free transfers.[96] He appointed former Leeds coachLes Cocker as his assistant.[97] The season started poorly, but the squad bonded following Cocker's death on 4 October and went on a run of six straight wins, for which Bremner was credited with theFourth Division Manager of the Month award.[98] However a run of just one win in 15 games followed, for which Bremner blamed his small squad and lack of training facilities.[99] A mounting injury crisis caused him to make a return to playing on 29 March for the visit of Bournemouth, a game in which 16-year-oldIan Snodin was named on the bench.[99] Rovers ended the season in 12th place.
A disappointing opening sequence of the1980–81 season was followed by six wins in six games in September, and Bremner won his second Manager of the Month award.[100] The good results continued for the rest of the campaign, and Rovers were promoted in third place.[101] He signedCeltic'sColin Douglas for the challenge ofThird Division football, but otherwise remained loyal to his promotion squad for the approaching1981–82 season.[97] Another strong September, six wins seeing the club rise to second in the table, won Bremner theThird Division Manager of the Month award.[97] However a lean spell would follow, and from November to February Doncaster failed to win in the league.[102] Results again picked up with only two defeats in the last 14 games, and they ended the campaign in 19th spot, three points above the relegation zone.[102]
Strong competition promoted from the Fourth Division –Wigan Athletic,Sheffield United andBradford City – made the1982–83 campaign a tough prospect.[103] A weak defence saw an unusual sequence of high-scoring matches early in the season: 6–1 win overExeter City, 7–5 win overReading, 6–3 defeat by Wigan, and a 4–4 draw withBrentford.[104] Only seven wins from the last 36 games of the season left Doncaster relegated in 23rd place, 16 points behind 20th-placeOrient.[105]
To try and win immediate promotion during the1983–84 season Bremner signed veteran forwardErnie Moss (who had won three promotions out of the division),Andy Kowalski, left-backJohn Breckin, experienced defenderBill Green, and young midfielderMark Miller.[106] Investment by new director Peter Wetzel allowed Bremner to spend £120,000 on three players in March: £60,000 onStirling Albion defenderJohn Philliben, £25,000 on young Celtic midfielderJim Dobbin, and £35,000 onShrewsbury Town defenderAlan Brown.[107] Promotion was secured in comfortable fashion, as they finished as runners-up to runaway championsYork City, ten points above fifth-placeAldershot.[108]
Building for the1984–85 campaign, Bremner signed former Leeds strikerAiden Butterworth and wingerJohn Buckley (£25,000 fromPartick Thistle).[109] Doncaster won five of their opening seven games, and though they were unable to sustain a promotion push they showed their ability with a 1–0 win over eventual champions Bradford atValley Parade on Boxing Day and a 1–0FA Cup win overFirst Division sideQueens Park Rangers on 5 January.[109] Rovers finished the season in 14th place, some distance from the promotion and the relegation places.[110]
To pay for stadium upgrades necessitated by the aftermath of theBradford City stadium fire Doncaster were forced to sell Ian andGlynn Snodin, who went to Leeds andSheffield Wednesday and respectively for a total of £315,000.[111] To replace them he boughtDave Rushbury fromGillingham for £10,000 and spent £60,000 onMillwall defenderDave Cusack.[112]
Bremner was appointed as Leeds United manager in October 1985, having impressed the boardroom with his work at Doncaster, particularly his negotiation skills during the sale ofIan Snodin; Leeds paid Doncaster £45,000 in compensation.[113] The club had declined during his absence; Leeds had dropped down into theSecond Division, soldElland Road to the council to raise money, and club supporters picked up a reputation for violence after regular hooligan riots in the stands.[114] He quickly reinstatedDon Revie's philosophy and his little traditions, for example he reinstated the sessions ofcarpet bowls on Friday evenings.[115] Despite this he appointedIan Snodin as club captain, and dropped former captain and teammatePeter Lorimer from the starting line eleven.[116] He also moved on the young players signed by former manager and teammateEddie Gray, choosing to sign experienced players in their place.[117] Five key young players to leave the club wereScott Sellars (£20,000 toBlackburn Rovers),Terry Phelan (free transfer toSwansea City),Denis Irwin,Tommy Wright andAndy Linighan (all toOldham Athletic for £60,000, £55,000 and £80,000 respectively).[117] The money raised allowed him to buy central defenderBrendan Ormsby (£65,000 fromAston Villa), and also signDavid Rennie,Brian Caswell andRonnie Robinson.[118] Leeds struggled in the1985–86 season, but managed to steer away from the relegation zone to finish in 14th place.[119]
During the 1986 close season, Bremner spent £125,000 on 29-year-oldSheffield United strikerKeith Edwards, and a further £80,000 to bring in 31-year-oldCarlisle United defenderJack Ashurst andNewcastle United defenderPeter Haddock.[120] Other new arrivals were wingerRussell Doig (£15,000 fromEast Stirlingshire), goalkeeperRonnie Sinclair (free transfer fromNottingham Forest) and midfielder John Buckley (£35,000 from Doncaster Rovers, having also signed him whilst at Doncaster).[118] Aiming for a promotion push in the1986–87 campaign, Leeds were stuck in mid-table by February after selling Snodin toEverton for £840,000.[121] This sale though allowed Bremner money for further signings and he took left-backBobby McDonald fromOxford United, full-backMicky Adams fromCoventry City for £110,000, and strikerJohn Pearson and defenderMark Aizlewood fromCharlton Athletic for £72,000 and £200,000 respectively.[121] A 2–1FA Cup Fifth Round victory over First Division sideQueens Park Rangers then raised belief in the players, and they qualified for the play-offs by the end of the campaign.[122] The FA Cup run continued into the semi-finals, where they were knocked out 3–2 by Coventry City atHillsborough in a close-run game that ran into extra-time.[123] After overcoming Oldham in the play-off semi-final their opponents in theplay-off final were Charlton Athletic, and after 1–0 home wins in both legs the tie went to a replay atSt Andrew's.[124]John Sheridan put Leeds ahead in extra-time of the replay, but two late goals fromPeter Shirtliff changed the game and denied Leeds promotion.[125]
Bremner signed a new three-year contract in the 1987 close season.[126] New arrivals at the club wereGlynn Snodin (£150,000 fromSheffield Wednesday), wingerGary Williams (£230,000 fromAston Villa) andBobby Davison (£350,000 fromDerby County), as well asJim Melrose andKen DeMange.[127] A more significant new face wasDavid Batty, a key player of the future who was given his debut from the youth team.[128] United started the season inconsistently, but five straight wins in December won Bremner theSecond Division Manager of the Month award.[128] The inconsistent results returned however, and Leeds finished the1987–88 season in seventh place, eight points outside the play-offs.[128] Bremner did not enjoy a good relationship with the club's board, who felt him to be uncommunicative with them, and after a poor start to the1988–89 season he was sacked in September 1988.[129] His successor,Howard Wilkinson, was given money to spend by the board and Leeds went on to win promotion in 1990.[130]
In July 1989 Bremner went back as manager toDoncaster, who had fallen back into the Fourth Division during his absence.[131] He signedLincoln City wingerJohn McGinley and Leeds midfielderJohn Stiles, and led the club to a 20th-place finish in1989–90, which represented a small improvement on the previous season.[132] Greater success came in theFootball League Trophy, Rovers reaching the area finals, where they were beaten by Third Division leadersTranmere Rovers.[133]
New additions for the1990–91 campaign werePeterborough United goalkeeperPaul Crichton,Stoke City defenderAndy Holmes andTottenham Hotspur midfielderEddie Gormley, as well as his former Leeds captainBrendan Ormsby.[133] Rovers were top of the table at the turn of the year, but injuries and lack of form caused results to fall away, as did hopes of promotion, and Doncaster finished the campaign in 11th place.[134] Rovers started the1991–92 season badly and Bremner tendered his resignation on 2 November, with the club sitting bottom of the Football League.[134]
Bremner married Veronica Dick on 14 November 1962.[135] He had aghost-written column inShoot throughout the 1970s.[95] After retiring from football in November 1991 he took up work as anafter dinner speaker.[136]
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At the beginning of December 1997, Bremner was rushed to hospital after suffering frompneumonia, but suffered a suspectedheart attack at hisDoncaster home in the small village ofClifton and died.[2] His funeral, attended by many of Bremner's former team-mates and other football players and coaches, was held four days later in the Yorkshire village of NewEdlington.[137] A statue by sculptorFrances Segelman of Bremner in celebratory pose was erected outsideElland Road in tribute in 1999.[138]
In 1988, the Football League, as part of its centenary season celebrations, included Bremner on its list of100 League Legends.[139] He was inducted into both theEnglish Football Hall of Fame and theScottish Football Hall of Fame.[140][141] He was inducted into theNational Football Museum Hall of Fame in 2004, with the acknowledgement that: "his priceless precision passing, stamina and skill led him to become a Leeds United legend and one of the game's greatest midfielders" and that he "was not simply tough but a skilful player with an ability to score in crucial games".[142] In 2006, he was voted Leeds United'sgreatest player of all time.[143] In September 2013 he was voted as the greatest captain in the Football League's history.[144]
Billy Bremner was one of Britain's most fiery, skilful and industrious footballers of the post-war years. An essential cog in the pragmatic, often over-robust yet frequently wonderfully entertaining Leeds United team of the Sixties and Seventies, he was also the red-haired dynamo in Scotland's international side, winning 54 caps.
— Opening paragraph of Bremner'sobituary inThe Independent[145]
Bremner was portrayed byStephen Graham in the 2009 biographical drama filmThe Damned United, directed byTom Hooper and starringMichael Sheen as Brian Clough.[146]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe[a] | Total[b] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leeds United | 1959–60 | First Division | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 |
| 1960–61 | Second Division | 31 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 10 | |
| 1961–62 | Second Division | 39 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 12 | |
| 1962–63 | Second Division | 24 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 10 | |
| 1963–64 | Second Division | 39 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 4 | |
| 1964–65 | First Division | 40 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 7 | |
| 1965–66 | First Division | 41 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 54 | 10 | |
| 1966–67 | First Division | 37 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 57 | 3 | |
| 1967–68 | First Division | 36 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 57 | 3 | |
| 1968–69 | First Division | 42 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 54 | 8 | |
| 1969–70 | First Division | 35 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 54 | 8 | |
| 1970–71 | First Division | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 39 | 6 | |
| 1971–72 | First Division | 41 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 5 | |
| 1972–73 | First Division | 38 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 57 | 5 | |
| 1973–74 | First Division | 42 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 11 | |
| 1974–75 | First Division | 27 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 43 | 4 | |
| 1975–76 | First Division | 34 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 5 | |
| 1976–77 | First Division | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 587 | 91 | 72 | 5 | 39 | 5 | 75 | 13 | 773 | 114 | ||
| Hull City | 1976–77 | Second Division | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2 |
| 1977–78 | Second Division | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| Total | 61 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 7 | ||
| Doncaster Rovers | 1978–79 | Fourth Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979–80 | Fourth Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1980–81 | Fourth Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1981–82 | Third Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 653 | 97 | 75 | 5 | 44 | 6 | 75 | 13 | 814 | 121 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland[147][148] | 1965 | 4 | 0 |
| 1966 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1967 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1968 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1969 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1971 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1972 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1973 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1974 | 9 | 1 | |
| 1975 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 54 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 November 1968 | Hampden Park,Glasgow, Scotland |  Austria | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 3 May 1969 | Racecourse Ground,Wrexham, Wales |  Wales | 4–3 | 5–3 | 1968–69 British Home Championship |
| 3 | 20 November 1974 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland |  Spain | 1–0 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying |
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Doncaster Rovers | 25 November 1978 | 1 October 1985 | 352 | 128 | 89 | 135 | 036.4 |
| Leeds United | 11 October 1985 | 28 September 1988 | 143 | 59 | 32 | 52 | 041.3 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 3 July 1989 | 2 November 1991 | 118 | 33 | 29 | 56 | 028.0 |
| Total[152] | 613 | 220 | 150 | 243 | 035.9 | ||
Leeds United
Individual
Doncaster Rovers
Individual
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| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
