Don Revie, once at the helm of the national football team and a key figure in Leeds United’s rise to dominance, is set to be honoured in Middlesbrough – a town that has long celebrated other footballing legends but until now has overlooked one of its own.
Don Revie was a pioneering footballer and coach who won numerous titles on and off the pitch – but who has also been portrayed as a controversial and divisive figure.
Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, and Robert Nichols, editor of Fly Me To The Moon football fanzine and organiser of Discover Middlesbrough, began working with Archibald Primary School, Revie’s former school, two years ago to address this omission.
Mr McDonald said: “Don Revie was a pioneer in football and his achievements were utterly remarkable.
“In a very short space of time he took a second division side in Leeds United to the top of the English game and into Europe.
“But whereas others like Brian Clough and Bill Shankly who have had similar achievements are hero figures across the nation, Don Revie is forgotten somewhat outside of Leeds.
“That someone from Middlesbrough’s Newport area could rise to be one of only 16 people to ever hold the permanent position of England football manager and the story not be told seemed to us a crying shame.
“He is a fascinating character who has divided opinion but someone who we should perhaps look again at for the town of Middlesbrough and we hope in this piece of art that we do just that and inspire the pupils of Archibald to know that they can achieve anything they want to.”
Mr Revie’s legacy is often contrasted with that of Brian Clough, another Middlesbrough-born footballing giant.
Clough, known as “the greatest manager England never had,” is commemorated in his hometown with a statue in Albert Park, a plaque on his childhood home on Valley Road, and a street named after him in Linthorpe.
By contrast, there is no public recognition of Mr Revie’s achievements in Middlesbrough, not even at his former home on Bell Street in Newport.
Earlier this year, Mr McDonald and Mr Nichols secured funding from local arts organisation Borderlands to create a public tribute.
Working with the school, historian Dr Tosh Warwick, and Teesside artists Helen and Derek, the group proposed a one-metre-square mosaic at Archibald Primary School.
The artwork will be visible to the public and serve as a lasting reminder of Mr Revie’s roots and achievements.
Steve Cowgill, deputy headteacher at Archibald Primary, said: “We are really proud that our school has such a long history, and are looking forward to working on this exciting project relating to an ex-pupil who went on to be a significant local and national figure.
“Our aim is that as many pupils and their parents and carers as possible can become involved in creating this lasting recognition to Don Revie.”
Mr Revie’s early life is closely tied to the school.
He reportedly honed his football skills by arriving early and kicking a ball against the playground walls before lessons began.
The project is funded by Borderlands, the Creative People and Places (CPP) programme for Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, which is hosted by mima at Teesside University.
Louise Scholes, creative producer at Borderlands, said: “This project incorporates so many of Borderlands’ key values, celebrating local history and heritage through intergenerational storytelling and creativity.
“We are so excited to support the community of Archibald Primary as they explore the story of Don Revie and radically reimagine what their own futures may hold.”
