As the driving force of Leeds United, the legendary Billy Bremner who is remembered for the motto “Side before self every time.” signed to Stylo Matchmakers in 1974 along with the full Leeds United Team. Wearing their local British boot brand, Leeds lifted the title and dominated the English game over this time. As Captain of the greatest ever Leeds United team they went on to win two First Division titles, the FA Cup, and the League Cup. Bremner was the midfield general par excellence. Known as a tough-tackling midfielder, Bremner had no issue confronting anyone, and that included arguably the hardest man in professional football, Tottenham’s Dave Mackay. In an opening game of the season against Tottenham, Bremner set about kicking lumps out of the Spurs’ legend but matters turned ugly when the Leeds skipper caught Mackay with a mistimed lunge on the leg he had only just recovered from breaking. “He was a brilliant little player but a dirty little b******,” said Mackay later. “I could’ve killed him that day.” One newspaper report even called him “10st of barbed wire” such was his tenacity in the tackle. First known as “Billy the Kid”, Bremner’s approach to his footballing career was “work hard, play hard”.
Off the pitch, Bremner ate beans and toast most mornings for breakfast, loved a Kit-Kat with a brew, and liked nothing more than sparking up a cigarette once he was done training or playing. On the pitch, the 5ft5in terrier was a passionate Scottish talent whose skill and famously inspiring leadership as well as a fierce determination made him vital to the success of Leeds United (1959-76), later Hull City (1976-78), and of course, Scotland obtaining 54 caps from 1965-75 captaining his country at the 1974 World Cup Finals. Billy Bremner also ranked “Footballer of the Year” in 1970. Leeds teammate Allan Clarke once reflected on Bremner, When Billy Bremner took us across the white line, whether it was at Elland Road or Anfield or Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, those players, my team, we died for Leeds United we died for that club, Billy was the best player who ever played, they don’t make players like him today.” In later years, the Leeds United club hero Billy Bremner became manager of Leeds (1985-88) as well as local club Doncaster Rovers (1978-85, 1989-92) Billy was born December 9, 1942, and sadly passed away on December 7, 1997. Having made 771 appearances, scoring 115 goals, as well as voted Leeds United’s greatest player of all time, today Leeds fans pay a special tribute to a sculpted Bronze Billy Bremner statue right outside Elland Road.
