The life of a football manager is tough! Not only are they judged on their tactics, their press conference skills and their treatment of players but ultimately, it’s where their team sits in the table that dictates their fate in the game.
With so much on the line is it any surprise that some would go to such great lengths to ensure their side’s success, even one of the sport’s greatest managers.
And so why did one of football’s greatest dynasties call upon the supernatural to flip their fortunes on the football field?
Leeds United led the way in English football from the late sixties and were one of the toughest teams of the decade. Their success was celebrated across the divisions (besides Manchester) though many in and around the club felt they were deserving of much more. Despite the accolades, Leeds had finished second in the league five times and missed out on the coveted FA Cup an additional three times. Many now would credit this to the growing strength of teams in that era or point to the amount of games expected of a slim Leeds side to play throughout the season.
Though the man at the helm thought very differently. Don Revie was known to be extremely superstitious whether it be wearing his lucky suit or having his lucky pieces of wood on him, the Don was certain a dark energy had befallen the club, which was the reason behind the various missed opportunities during his tenure.
Revie revealed his suspicions to a local priest, who confirmed to him that he recalled stories of 19th century settlers being displaced from the grounds around Elland Road who’d in turn put a hex on the turf. After receiving a mysterious, anonymous letter citing the same story. Revie was convinced.
Shocked and unnerved, years of meticulous preparation had been sabotaged by an age-old curse. Revie was adamant he needed to find a solution and couldn’t look to the world around him to find it. To alleviate the hex, he knew exactly who to call!
Sadly, this was slightly before Venkman and Co had gone into business, so responsibility fell to the famous Blackpool-based fortune teller Laura Lee. Revie personally sent a car across the Pennines to enlist Lee’s services in the hopes of returning the Lilywhites to their former glory.
On a cold dark evening, Revie was present as Lee walked to the centre circle to perform the cleansing ritual, confirming to the Don that she could “smell the curse” in the air. Her ritual began, taking her to all four corners of the stadium, scratching the turf and allegedly urinating on the corner flags. Once complete, they shared a polite nod as Lee remarked “Now you’ll start winning things again!” before Lee disappeared into the night leaving Revie in his now curse-free stadium.
Following the encounter, Leeds would go on to lift the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1971, the FA Cup in 1972 and deliver the Don’s second league title win in 1974 before his departure from the club. Some would argue the works of Laura Lee and Revie had clearly realigned the club’s fortunes and returned the Peacocks to their perch.
Though the success seen in that era has been scarcely replicated since. Howard Wilkinson brought Leeds their last top-flight title in 1992 before the First Division was remodelled and the Premier League was born, from which Leeds would later endure a 16-year absence before recent promotions under Marcelo Bielsa and Daniel Farke.
As we head into the supernatural season, Leeds have only won once at home this season and Farke remains desperate to progress his side’s position. Could there be a need to relieve the hex from Elland Road once again?