One player who was an absolute delight to watch and a wonderful entertainer for Leeds was Jeff Stevenson.
He was unbelievable- no one of his diminutive size should have had the kind of strength that he did.
He was a beautifully balanced runner, light on his feet and so unpredictable when he had the ball in his hands. So much of the way the team played was dictated by what he did in midfield. He used to frighten defences when he ran at them and big men who used to think they were safe running at him couldn’t understand why they were being driven backwards.
Before him there was Dickie Williams, part of the engine room at the base of the scrum along with Ike Owens and Dai Jenkins who dictated the whole tempo of the game.
Dickie was brilliant and I admired him enormously. I was very upset when he went to Parkside but an even greater sadness was when I bumped into him a couple of years before he died and he was using two sticks to walk after having both his hips and a knee replaced. I preferred to have the memory of the man as I knew him.
Maurice Gordon
Originally published in 'Headingley Rugby Voices' Recollections of supporters, compiled by Phil Caplan.
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Memory added on November 26, 2012
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