Keep Fighting

Keep Fighting by Paul Harrison

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Authors: Paul Harrison
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goal. They too were gripped by this terrible feeling. I understand professional players, but they have changed. Money has made them too eager. After sixteen years of international refereeing I believe money causes all the trouble … all the nervousness and desperate play. It is no use clubs expecting referees to impose discipline. The referee is there to control a match. Players must be taught to control themselves.
    â€˜I have always regarded Charlton as a fine man. He was the cleanest player on the field, until he lost all control. I saw a Spanish defender kick him, and if Charlton had given a reprisal kick, I could have understood it and let it pass, because it happens so often. As captain of Leeds, and an international, he should have been the first player to exercise complete self-control.’
    Don Revie later refuted the allegations of the match official:
    â€˜It's untrue. My players were on no special bonus. Mr Horn is guessing, or has been misinformed. I resent these allegations, but I am saying no more now. It's time for the whole thing to simmer down. The referee was a complete fool and an attention seeker. He had no control of the game at Elland Road. It was funny, mind you, seeing Big Jack chasing that Spaniard around the pitch. If he had got hold of him, I dread to think what he would have done to him, all hell would have broken loose.’
    The referee, just as he had during the game, failed to take responsibility for his part in the débâcle. It was not his place to question or discuss players’ financial incentives; he continued to apportion blame for the violence, anywhere and everywhere, but not on his own performance. He did not escape criticism for the integral role he played in the affair. Not only was he replaced for the second leg of the tie in Spain, he was also told that any ambition he held to officiate at the forthcoming World Cup finals had completely evaporated.
    Some of the comments made by Horn display him in a poor light but the official was well known for his behaviour and verbal outbursts, as recorded in his 1963 autobiography. He continually demanded from FIFA that referees should be provided with five-star hotel accommodation. On another occasion, he took a corner kick himself, as the player concerned was dithering. What he says about Leeds doesn't even compare with how he described Chilean football supporters. ‘Nice friendly, even pious people until they enter the stadium, then they turn into devils.’ It seems that Horn believed himself to be greater than the teams and fans in any game he officiated. Hardly a man whose opinion could be considered well balanced, one would think.
    The second leg was a much less volatile affair with a Mike O'Grady goal sufficient to give Leeds a 1-0 victory in Spain and a mouth-watering quarter-final tie with Ujpesti Dozsa. A lively attacking performance against the Hungarians saw Leeds run out 4-1 winners at Elland Road, and once again Bremner added his name to the score sheet. The result was followed by a 1-1 draw in Hungary. A 5-2 aggregate victory saw Leeds through to play Real Zaragoza.
    Bremner was loving the European excursion:
    â€˜It was amazing stuff; after the battle of Elland Road against Valencia, Ujpesti were a much more controlled and skilful side. We wanted to take a lead with us into the second leg in Hungary, so pressured them the entire game, the crowd really got behind us and we looked like scoring every time we went forward. It finished 4-1 to us and again I got myself a goal.
    â€˜I thought we delivered a much more disciplined performance in the second leg in Hungary. I was impressed by Ujpesti; they looked a really good football side and had we not been on top of our game they would have punished us. Thankfully we held them to a draw and went through to our first European semi-final against Real Zaragoza.’
    The semi-final was not to be a straightforward affair. The first leg in Spain ended in

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