thankfully he missed. I didn't. I wasn't privy to what happened between him and the boss, the boss rarely talked about Bob Stokoe, but when he did it was clear he believed him to be irrational, out of his depth and out of control. Someone else said he was an attention seeker, an underachiever as a player and destined to a life in the lower levels of the football league. I never told the boss about what had happened between me and Stokoe – he would have had a fit at me for reacting to his inane ramblings.’
The following 1962-63 season saw a marked improvement on the previous season's endeavours. A Second Division final placing of fifth was to provide the platform for greater things. For Bremner it was another season of solid performances topped with ten league goals: ‘The boss had us working as a unit, instilling self-belief in everything we did. He wanted us to be a big family, with complete trust in our fellows and team mates. Honesty and openness in debates and discussions were introduced to team talks and post-match inquests. To lighten up some of themeetings we would introduce card games and other lighthearted family games and entertainment. It was all good fun and the lads would look forward to the team meetings.’
The 1963-64 campaign was indeed a glorious one as Leeds romped to the Second Division championship, losing just three of their forty-two league games. Elland Road became a fortress as not a single league defeat was suffered at home. For Bremner it was a consistent season; he appeared in all forty-two league fixtures and four cup games.
‘It was a great season, one of the finest,’ he recalled. ‘The boss drafted a lot of youngsters into the team and we gelled and never really looked back. We knew we had to work for each other, not only as a team, but as a club. Everyone was committed to the cause and we got to know each other's game. At times it seemed almost telepathic. There was a real understanding between us as a group; more than anything I think it was the belief that the boss was behind us with everything we did and tried.
‘As for my role in that group, it just happened, I felt comfortable in midfield, with players like Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter and Johnny Giles playing alongside me, and with the presence of Bobby Collins, I couldn't really go wrong. To say that I was an influence on that side is unfair on the rest of the lads. I was still learning my trade, we were as one, and the entire team influenced and looked after each other. I think Bobby Collins was the main inspiration of that side, he was a competitor and didn't know when to stop. What many players would view as a lost cause, he would chase, hassle and harass, intimidating the opposition into virtual submission. The younger ones in that side learned a lot from Bobby, I know I did. We all seemed to realise that we were part of something very special at Leeds.
‘I've always had fond memories of the 1963-64 season not only because of what we were achieving as a group at Leeds, but because I finally found my favourite position at wing-half or half-back or, in the modern game, midfield.
‘It was also special because I got my first of what was to be fourScotland under-23 call-ups for a game against the “auld enemy”, England, at St James’ Park, Newcastle. It was a cold February night and it wasn't the most atmospheric of evenings, though more than a few Scots had made the journey over the border to cheer us on. We had a united belief within the Scotland team that we had the individuals who, if they could get it together on the night, could beat England. We went close to doing just that, and had it not been for the killer instinct of Everton and England centre forward Fred Pickering, we would have got at least a draw. Pickering was hard as nails, and was a real handful that night; he got himself a hat-trick. I had a good crack with him before, during and after the game. He could take a bit of stick, and he could give it
The following 1962-63 season saw a marked improvement on the previous season's endeavours. A Second Division final placing of fifth was to provide the platform for greater things. For Bremner it was another season of solid performances topped with ten league goals: ‘The boss had us working as a unit, instilling self-belief in everything we did. He wanted us to be a big family, with complete trust in our fellows and team mates. Honesty and openness in debates and discussions were introduced to team talks and post-match inquests. To lighten up some of themeetings we would introduce card games and other lighthearted family games and entertainment. It was all good fun and the lads would look forward to the team meetings.’
The 1963-64 campaign was indeed a glorious one as Leeds romped to the Second Division championship, losing just three of their forty-two league games. Elland Road became a fortress as not a single league defeat was suffered at home. For Bremner it was a consistent season; he appeared in all forty-two league fixtures and four cup games.
‘It was a great season, one of the finest,’ he recalled. ‘The boss drafted a lot of youngsters into the team and we gelled and never really looked back. We knew we had to work for each other, not only as a team, but as a club. Everyone was committed to the cause and we got to know each other's game. At times it seemed almost telepathic. There was a real understanding between us as a group; more than anything I think it was the belief that the boss was behind us with everything we did and tried.
‘As for my role in that group, it just happened, I felt comfortable in midfield, with players like Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter and Johnny Giles playing alongside me, and with the presence of Bobby Collins, I couldn't really go wrong. To say that I was an influence on that side is unfair on the rest of the lads. I was still learning my trade, we were as one, and the entire team influenced and looked after each other. I think Bobby Collins was the main inspiration of that side, he was a competitor and didn't know when to stop. What many players would view as a lost cause, he would chase, hassle and harass, intimidating the opposition into virtual submission. The younger ones in that side learned a lot from Bobby, I know I did. We all seemed to realise that we were part of something very special at Leeds.
‘I've always had fond memories of the 1963-64 season not only because of what we were achieving as a group at Leeds, but because I finally found my favourite position at wing-half or half-back or, in the modern game, midfield.
‘It was also special because I got my first of what was to be fourScotland under-23 call-ups for a game against the “auld enemy”, England, at St James’ Park, Newcastle. It was a cold February night and it wasn't the most atmospheric of evenings, though more than a few Scots had made the journey over the border to cheer us on. We had a united belief within the Scotland team that we had the individuals who, if they could get it together on the night, could beat England. We went close to doing just that, and had it not been for the killer instinct of Everton and England centre forward Fred Pickering, we would have got at least a draw. Pickering was hard as nails, and was a real handful that night; he got himself a hat-trick. I had a good crack with him before, during and after the game. He could take a bit of stick, and he could give it
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