Leeds United legend Peter Lorimer dies aged 74
Leeds United legend Peter Lorimer has died aged 74. The footballing hero was in a hospice and had been ill for some time.
Leeds United issued a statement confirming the news. They described Peter as an 'all-time great' at Elland Road, winning every major domestic honour, starting with the League Cup in 1968, the First Division in 1969 and 1974, the Charity Shield in 1969 and the FA Cup in 1972.
The statement concluded: "Peter’s contribution to Leeds United will never be forgotten and his passing leaves another huge hole in the Leeds United family.
He will always remain a club icon and his legacy at Elland Road will live on.Our thoughts are naturally with Peter’s wife Sue and the rest of his family at this difficult time."
Sports reporter, Chris Dawkes, takes a look back at his career
When Peter Lorimer hit a football, it stayed hit.
Like Tiger Woods with a golf club or Ben Stokes with a cricket bat Lorimer possessed that lethal combination of power, precision and timing which separates a special sporting talent from a mere mortal.
Nicknamed Lash, one of Lorimer’s penalties was once clocked at 107 miles per hour. He was a lethal weapon in a Leeds arsenal that would dominate an era without receiving the rewards or recognition their play deserved.
Born in Broughty Ferry, a suburb of Dundee on the banks of the Firth of Tay, at the age of 15 Lorimer was attracting interest from some of the biggest football clubs north and south of the border.
An offer of £5,000 was made to lure him to Manchester United, but on the advice of his mother Lorimer instead opted to sign for Leeds United and their new manager Don Revie.
In 1962, Revie handed Lorimer his first team debut. He was just 15 years and 289 days old, still Leeds’ youngest ever debutant.
At the time Leeds were a struggling second division club but Revie had a plan and Lorimer was central to it.
Along with the likes of Billy Bremner, Paul Madeley, Eddie Gray and Norman Hunter, Lorimer would prove a vital cog in Revie’s well oiled machine.
After promotion to the first division was achieved in 1964 Leeds were on their way. Over the course of the next ten years they won the league title twice, the League Cup, FA Cup and two European Fairs Cups.
However, they were remembered equally for the trophies they didn’t win – the FA Cup final to second division Sunderland in 1973, the European Cup final to Bayern Munich in 1975, not to mention the second and third place finishes in the first division.
Lorimer was a central protagonist to the triumphant and tragic story of Don Revie’s Leeds United.
Over two spells at the club (1962-1979 & 1983-1985) Lorimer scored 238 goals in all competitions – nobody has found the back of the net (or done their best to burst it) more than him.
Such was the quality of player in his native Scotland during his heyday Lorimer represented his country just 21 times.
He also had spells at clubs in North America (Toronto Blizzard & Vancouver Whitecaps) and York City, but it was the 19 years he spent at Leeds that defined Peter Lorimer the footballer.
It’s been a sad and difficult year for Leeds United. Last April Norman Hunter passed away. Trevor Cherry and Jack Charlton followed soon after.
Today Peter Lorimer has succumbed to the brain cancer which led to him spending his final days in a hospice.
A key member in Leeds United’s greatest ever team, Lorimer was not only a great goal scorer but a scorer of great goals.