Tragedy-ridden Leeds great Yorath dies aged 75

Former Leeds United and Wales great Terry Yorath, whose life on and off the pitch was marred by tragedy, has died at the age of 75 following a short illness, his family announced on Thursday.

BBC Sport presenter Gabby Logan, one of Yorath’s children, left part-way through Wednesday’s Match of the Day programme to be replaced by Mark Chapman, who confirmed it was due to “a family emergency”.

Yorath was part of the outstanding Leeds side managed by Don Revie and then Jimmy Armfield, winning the league title in 1974, and runners-up medals in the FA Cup, European Cup and Cup Winners Cup.

Capped 59 times by Wales, skippering them on 42 occasions, he also took them to the brink of the 1994 World Cup finals as coach — which would have been their first appearance since 1958.

“To most he was a revered footballing hero, but to us he was dad; a quiet, kind and gentle man,” Yorath’s family, including his four children, said in a statement.

“Our hearts are broken but we take comfort knowing that he will be reunited with our brother, Daniel.”

Yorath’s life was marked by two tragedies.

In 1992, his son Daniel died aged 15 from the genetic heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy while playing football at home with Yorath.

“That afternoon… will never leave me. You don’t expect to outlive your children,” Yorath told the Observer in 2005.

Escaped Bradford fire

Yorath never got over the loss — “no one can tell you how to grieve”, he said in 2017 — and drank heavily.

“He was reaching for a glass of whiskey at the end of the day to try and numb the pain,” Gabby Logan told ITV in 2017.

“It’s self medicating isn’t it? And you can understand when somebody’s lost a child, how that happens. But I think that kind of spiralled.”

Indeed he narrowly avoided prison in 2004 after he struck a young girl while driving well over the alcohol limit.

However, he was saved from prison as he was considered a suicide risk if he was given a sentence.

He gave up drink as a result: “The best thing I ever did was to give up the Scotch.”

Daniel’s death came seven years after a day that should have been one of celebration for Yorath when, as assistant coach of Bradford, the club were hosting Lincoln before lifting the Third Division title.

However, a fire engulfed a stand at their Valley Parade stadium, killing 56 fans and injuring 270.

His family were there that day and Terry himself only escaped by throwing a chair through a window and jumping through it.

“I don’t think my dad slept that night and probably didn’t sleep very well for a long time after,” said Gabby.

“It was a terrible, terrible tragedy and it was never going to be something my father just walked away from.”