Don Revie - Illness and Death

Illness and Death

In 1986 Revie moved to Scotland where he intended to retire. In September that year, he started feeling pains in his legs after playing golf. After tests, he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in May 1987. Revie publicly announced his illness that summer, but was still able to walk out to the Elland Road pitch in September 1987, where he watched Leeds beat Manchester City 2–0.

Revie made his last public appearance in May 1988 at Elland Road in a wheelchair. He died in Murrayfield Hospital in Edinburgh on 26 May 1989, aged 61, and was cremated four days later at Warriston Crematorium in Edinburgh.

The FA did not send any officials to the funeral, nor was a minute's silence held at any football match in his memory, nor did any teams wear black armbands. However, even the Daily Mirror newspaper, once one of Revie's fiercest critics, slammed the FA for not sending any representatives to the funeral.

Those who did attend the funeral included Allan Clarke, Eddie Gray, Jack Charlton, Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles, Billy Bingham, referee Jack Taylor, Kevin Keegan, Brian Moore and Lawrie McMenemy.