Paul Reaney joined Bradford City in the summer of 1978 after 17 years magnificent
service at Elland Road which saw him play 556 League games. He is pictured above
during Leeds United's 2-0 defeat at Leicester City.
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| Leeds: |
1962-1963 |
Played |
35 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 2) |
| |
1963-1964 |
Played |
41 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 2) |
| |
1964-1965 |
Played |
41 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Division 1) |
| |
1965-1966 |
Played |
41 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Division 1) |
| |
1966-1967 |
Played |
41 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Division 1) |
| |
1967-1968 |
Played |
41 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1968-1969 |
Played |
42 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Division 1) |
| |
1969-1970 |
Played |
37 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
|
|
|
|
|
. |
|
|
| |
1970-1971 |
Played |
19 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1971-1972 |
Played |
33 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1972-1973 |
Played |
29 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Division 1) |
| |
1973-1974 |
Played |
36 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1974-1975 |
Played |
39 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1975-1976 |
Played |
32 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1976-1977 |
Played |
34 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Division 1) |
| |
1977-1978 |
Played |
15 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
| Transferred to Bradford City in June 1978 |
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1978–1980 Bradford City 38 (0)
1980–1981 Newcastle KB United * 53 (0)
*Australia
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Paul Reaney is pictured above playing for Leeds United during their 2-0 defeat against
Leicester City on Saturday 10th. February 1974. Photo George Herringshaw. ©
PAUL REANEY's ENGLAND FOOTBALL CAREER.
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A broken leg, suffered while playing for Leeds (he is pictured above playing for the Yorkshire club) in a League game against West Ham United, probably prevented Paul Reaney from becoming his country's first choice right back for the next five years. The outstanding, unfussy defender had been a Leeds shoo-in since before their 1964 promotion season and was considered by many to be a trifle unlucky that other full backs were making equally worthy cases for selection once 1966 hero George Cohen brought his international stint to an end.
Reaney was already a winner domestically and in Europe when Alf Ramsey called him up in 1968 and gave him a substitute's run-out for Keith Newton in a 1-1 friendly draw with Bulgaria, but even allowing for Leeds boss Don Revie's known tactic of pressurising his players to withdraw from friendly international duty with "injury", it still seemed remarkable that Reaney (by now also a League champion) only won his second cap a whole year later - starting and ending a 1-0 win over Portugal at Wembley - as Ramsey had fixed his sights on either of Everton's candidates in Newton and Tommy Wright. That said, and for all the games the Goodison duo shared at the start of 1970, it seemed clear that Reaney's status in the party which would defend the World Cup in Mexico was secure - until he broke his leg.
Ramsey asked clubmate and utility man Paul Madeley to deputise but he refused, and Reaney didn't return until February 1971 when he featured in a 1-0 win over Malta in a European Championship qualifier. Ramsey had dispensed with the Everton pairing after the World Cup and Paul was in a position to make the No.2 shirt his own, but the indecisive Ramsey looked at Madeley, Peter Storey and Chris Lawler through the rest of 1971 and Reaney eventually never came back. His absolute consistency as a club right back, plus his considerable big-game experience, made him a better candidate than the many others who were tried, but Ramsey didn't see it that way.
More remarkably, Revie never once called up his stalwart No.2 when he took over the England job in 1974, when Reaney was still not 30 years old. (Matthew Rudd)
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