Paul Madeley 1965 FA Cup and 1971 Fairs Cup

Lore & Background

Madeley signed for Leeds from non-league Farsley Celtic in May 1962 and debuted in January 1964. He played in the 1968 Football League Cup Final wearing the No. 9 shirt, scoring the crucial away goal against Juventus in the 1971 Fairs Cup final while wearing the No. 11 shirt. He wore every shirt from No. 2 to No. 11 (and occasionally No. 12). His versatility earned him the nickname 'The Eleven Pauls', used in the 1972 FA Cup Final song Leeds United.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at Wembley hummed like a hive of angry wasps. Madeley stood in his six-yard box, the white gloves slightly damp, the smell of cut grass and thousands of bodies thick in the air. He could hear the Manchester United crowd — a sea of red and white — murmuring like a tide. He did not look up. He looked at the ball. He looked at the keeper's gloves on his hands, the same pair he'd worn a hundred times at Elland Road. He tapped the crossbar with his knuckle, a small ritual, a small prayer. Then he turned, squared his shoulders, and waited for the ball to come. It always came. And he was always ready to catch it.

Reader's Guide

Madeley played in the 1972 FA Cup final (wearing No. 3) and the 1973 FA Cup final (wearing No. 5). He also played in the 1973 European Cup Winners Cup final and the 1975 European Cup final, both in the No. 5 shirt. He won the Football League First Division in 1968–69 and 1973–74, the FA Cup in 1971–72, the Football League Cup in 1967–68, and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1967–68 and 1970–71.

Did You Know?

• Madeley once signed a new contract on a blank piece of paper, telling manager Jimmy Armfield, 'I just want to play for Leeds.'
• He declined a call-up to the 1970 World Cup squad, saying he needed a rest and was unlikely to play as a stand-in.
• He made 724 appearances in all competitions for Leeds United before retiring in 1980.
• Madeley was portrayed by actor Chris Moore in the 2009 film The Damned United.