Former Leeds and Wales footballer Terry Yorath – the father of BBC presenter Gabby Logan – has died aged 75 following a short illness, his family said today.
Born in Cardiff, Yorath played a big part in the Leeds team under Don Revie, winning the First Division title, before spells with Coventry, Tottenham and Bradford.
Yorath scored 11 goals in 199 appearances for Leeds over nine years from 1967, and received runners-up medals in the FA Cup, European Cup and Cup Winners Cup.
The midfielder also won 59 caps for Wales and was assistant coach at Bradford on the day of the Valley Parade fire in 1985, when 56 fans died and 270 were injured.
Yorath also managed Swansea, Bradford, Cardiff, Lebanon, Sheffield Wednesday and Margate – as well as Wales, coming close to qualification for the 1994 World Cup.
His death was announced at 8.20am today, hours after Logan was forced to leave Match of the Day mid-show after being informed of the family emergency.
He had three children in addition to Logan – Louise, Jordan and Daniel, but the latter died in 1992 aged 15 from a genetic heart condition while playing football with him.
Yorath’s children said in a statement issued this morning: ‘To most he was a revered footballing hero, but to us he was Dad; a quiet, kind and gentle man. Our hearts are broken but we take comfort knowing that he will be reunited with our brother, Daniel.’
The sporting legend was also described as a ‘devoted family man’ and a ‘loving and immensely proud grandfather to Reuben, Lois, Mila, Phoenix and Paloma’.
Gabby Logan with her father Terry Yorath in 1998, launching a heart disease screening drive
Terry Yorath with his daughter Gabby on her wedding day at Logie Kirk in Scotland in July 2001
Terry Yoratha at home in 1978 with his wife Christine and children Gabby, Louise and Daniel
Terry Yorath (pictured in 1973) was born in Cardiff and won 59 caps for the Welsh national side
Terry Yorath, pictured in 2005, worked at a range of clubs after retiring, including Huddersfield
‘Everyone at Leeds United is devastated to learn of the passing of club legend Terry Yorath,’ his former club said in a statement. ‘Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Terry’s family, friends and former team-mates at this incredibly sad time.’
The Welsh FA added: ‘The FAW is deeply saddened to learn of Terry Yorath’s passing. The thoughts of everyone connected to the association are with Terry’s family, friends and loved ones.’
BBC commentator Ian Dennis tweeted: ‘Thoughts with Gabby and her family. Had the pleasure of working with Terry. Remember being spellbound of his experiences coaching in Lebanon for two years.
‘He had a wicked sense of humour, I still play the trick he played on me about 20 years ago! RIP Terry.’
And former Bradford striker Dean Windass tweeted: ‘Sad news, great man and a gentleman. Thoughts go to his family RIP.’
Last night, Logan was in position for the live Match of the Day broadcast at the start of the show and introduced highlights of Bournemouth’s win over Tottenham.
The 52-year-old presenter also teed up Manchester City’s game against Brighton but when coverage returned to the studio, Logan had been replaced by Mark Chapman.
Chapman told viewers: ‘We’ll talk about that game in just a moment, sadly Gabby has got a family emergency which she’s had to rush off and deal with.
‘So she’s gone to do that and I’ve come from the radio to finish the show.’
Stephen Warnock and Danny Murphy were the pundits alongside Logan before she was replaced by Chapman, who shares presenting duties with her alongside Kelly Cates since Gary Lineker’s retirement.
Gabby Logan started the coverage of Match of the Day before leaving abruptly mid-show
Gabby Logan with her husband Kenny and children Reuben and Lois in Chichester in July
MOTD has since paid tribute in a post on X and said: ‘Leeds and Wales legend Terry Yorath has passed away, aged 75. The BBC sends its condolences to all the family, including his daughter Gabby Logan.’
Logan and her husband Kenny, 53, a former Scotland rugby player, live in Buckinghamshire and have two children, twins Reuben and Lois, 20.
Reuben has followed in his father’s footsteps and plays for Sale Sharks after joining from Northampton Saints.
Logan represented Great Britain in rhythmic gymnastics before moving into the television world.
She started presenting on Sky Sports in 1996 before moving to ITV and fronting their Champions League coverage.
Logan joined the BBC in 2006, hosting Final Score and athletics programming including multiple Olympic Games’ – also co-hosting Sports Personality of the Year.
She was named as one of the trio of presenters to replace Lineker after the veteran broadcaster called time on the role following 26 years in the chair.
Terry Yorath: A Wales great on and off the football pitch
By Phil Blanche
Terry Yorath (pictured in 1998) has died at the age of 75 following a short illness
Terry Yorath was a member of that exclusive club of footballers who have played for and managed their country and was a penalty kick away from leading Wales to the 1994 World Cup.
Yorath, who has died aged 75, won 59 caps as a rugged midfielder between 1969 and 1981 before taking charge of the Wales national team in 1988.
Under Yorath, Wales reached their then-highest FIFA ranking of 27 in August 1993 and almost qualified for their second World Cup in the US in 1994.
Needing to beat Romania at home in their final qualifier, Wales were drawing 1-1 in the second half when Paul Bodin’s penalty struck the crossbar.
Wales ended up losing 2-1 and, instead of being granted national hero status by taking the country to the World Cup, Yorath found himself out of work.
The Football Association of Wales did not renew Yorath’s contract and appointed Real Sociedad’s John Toshack as a part-time manager instead.
But Yorath’s former team-mate resigned after just one game with Welsh fans still upset at the dismissal of his predecessor.
Yorath was born in Cardiff in March 1950 and signed professional forms for Don Revie’s Leeds at the age of 17.
At first he found it difficult to find a place in a Leeds midfield featuring Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles, and was on the bench for the FA Cup final defeat to Sunderland in 1973. That same year he did start in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final loss to AC Milan.
But Yorath was a key member of Leeds’ 1973-74 championship-winning team as England-bound Revie marked his final season at Elland Road by beating Liverpool to the title by five points.
The following season Yorath became the first Welshman to play in the European Cup final when Leeds lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich in Paris.
But Yorath, by now skipper of a Wales team which would reach the quarter-finals of Euro ’76, would move on to Coventry for £125,000 in 1976.
He was captain of a Coventry team that spent an entire first division season in the top 10 – the Sky Blues eventually finishing seventh – before joining Tottenham for £300,000 in 1979.
Yorath wound his career down at Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada and at Bradford, where he became assistant manager to his former Leeds team-mate Trevor Cherry.
He was at Bradford in 1985 when 56 fans were killed by a fire at their Valley Parade home, Yorath himself injured when he was forced to jump out of a window after evacuating supporters from a bar.
After winning promotion at Swansea from the old fourth division, Yorath was appointed part-time manager of Wales.
He combined managerial roles at Swansea and Bradford with the national job before concentrating on Wales in 1991.
At the start of the 1992 World Cup campaign he suffered personal tragedy when his son Daniel died at the age of 15 from an undetected heart condition while playing football in the back garden.
The father of three other children, his daughter Gabby Logan became a well-known broadcaster and television presenter.
After World Cup heartbreak and his departure from Wales, Yorath managed Cardiff, the Lebanon national team, Sheffield Wednesday and Margate.
Yorath also had several coaching jobs elsewhere, but he never hit the heights that almost carried Wales to a World Cup on a tide of emotion.
As well as daughters Gabby and Louise and son Jordan, he is survived by his former wife Christine, who he divorced in 2007, and three grandchildren.
