Norman Hunter

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Lore & Background

Norman Hunter was born on 29 October 1943 at Eighton Banks, County Durham. His father, Norman senior, died before he was born. Hunter and his brother Robert were brought up by their mother, Betty, with the help of her sister and two football-playing uncles. He attended Eighton Banks Primary School till he was eleven and then went to Birtley Secondary Modern School till he was 15. He played junior football throughout his school years and, in his autobiography, recalled how one teacher tried to make him become a right-footed player. However, another teacher realised that Hunter had real potential as a left-footed player and encouraged him to develop his natural game. He joined Birtley Juniors FC and had played in only a few games before he was spotted by a talent scout working for Leeds United. After playing in a trial match for Leeds United Juniors against Bradford Park Avenue Juniors, Hunter was invited to join the ground staff at Elland Road. He had just left school and gave up a job as an electrical fitter to pursue his football career. Leeds were in the First Division when Hunter arrived at Elland Road in the summer of 1959. The team manager was Jack Taylor, who had taken over from Bill Lambton on 1 May 1959. Lambton had signed Don Revie from Sunderland in November 1958 and Billy Bremner, a Scottish Schoolboys international, soon afterwards. Leeds had been promoted from the Second Division in 1955–56, the season in which Jack Charlton became a first team regular, but they had struggled since John Charles left in May 1957, and were relegated after the 1959–60 season. In March 1961, with the team in the lower half of the Second Division table, Taylor resigned and Revie took over as player-manager until March 1962 when he retired as a player and became the full-time manager. This was significant for young players like Hunter and Bremner because Revie initiated a youth development policy which was the basis of the club's future success. Among those who graduated were Paul Reaney, Peter Lorimer, Terry Cooper, Eddie Gray, and Paul Madeley. Hunter's graduation was in the 1962–63 season when Revie promoted him to the first team. He and Paul Reaney made their debuts in a Second Division match against Swansea Town at Vetch Field on 8 September 1962, Leeds winning 2–0. Hunter formed a central defence partnership with Jack Charlton which lasted for over a decade. Lee

In Their Own Story

On 28 October 1964, just one day before his 21st birthday, Hunter was selected for the Football League XI against the Irish League XI in Belfast, where they won 4–0. A week later, he made his England under-23 debut against Wales u-23 in Wrexham, an England team that included his Leeds teammate Gary Sprake on the opposing side; England won 3–2. His form impressed manager Alf Ramsey, leading to a full international debut as a substitute against Spain at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on 8 December 1965. Hunter played as a defensive midfielder, allowing Bobby Charlton and Alan Ball to play more attacking roles in the resulting 2–0 win. In the 1967–68 Fairs Cup final second leg in Budapest, played just three weeks after the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, Hunter and the Leeds defence faced Ferencváros's 'sternest test yet.' With Hungarian forces involved in the invasion, there were fears the match might be cancelled. Leeds held on for a goalless draw to win their first European trophy. Later, before the 1972 FA Cup final, fans displayed a banner reading 'Norman Bites Yer Legs,' a nickname he embraced with humor after meeting the creators.

Reader's Guide

Norman Hunter was a central defender and defensive midfielder known for his tough tackling. He played 726 games for Leeds United, scoring 21 goals. He won two League Championships and one FA Cup with Leeds. He earned 28 caps for England, scoring twice, and was part of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad but did not play. He was the first winner of the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1974. He died of COVID-19 in 2020 at age 76.

Did You Know?

• Hunter was the first winner of the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in 1974.
• He was a member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad but did not play in the tournament.
• Hunter scored his first goal for Leeds on 21 August 1965 in a 1–0 win against Sunderland.
• He made his England debut as a substitute against Spain on 8 December 1965.
• The South Stand at Elland Road was renamed the Norman Hunter South Stand in his honour on 23 April 2020.

From Ground Staff to First Division Legend

Hunter joined Leeds as ground staff in the summer of 1959 after being spotted by a scout while playing for Birtley Juniors. He gave up a job as an electrical fitter to pursue football. After Don Revie became full-time manager in March 1962, he promoted Hunter to the first team. Their debut was against Swansea Town on 8 September 1962. Hunter formed a central defence partnership with Jack Charlton that lasted over a decade. He played in all 42 matches during Leeds' promotion-winning 1963–64 season and maintained an ever-present record for five seasons.

International Honors and The World Cup Understudy

Hunter made his full international debut against Spain on 8 December 1965 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, coming on as a substitute. He earned 28 caps and scored twice for England. Although he was part of the 1966 FIFA World Cup winning squad, he did not play in the tournament as an understudy to Bobby Moore. In 1974, he became the first winner of the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.

The Defining Partnership with Jack Charlton

Hunter and Jack Charlton formed a central defence partnership for over a decade starting from Hunter's promotion in 1962. Hunter was known for his tough tackling as both a centre-back and defensive midfielder.

A Tragic End and Lasting Legacy

Hunter tested positive for COVID-19 in early April 2020 and was admitted to hospital on 10 April. He died on 17 April 2020, aged 76. On 23 April, Leeds United announced the renaming of the South Stand at Elland Road to the Norman Hunter South Stand.