This season marks the 40th anniversary of the last First Division title that Leeds United won under the management of Don Revie. The times have certainly changed.
In the suitably historic surroundings of a boarded up Victorian swimming baths for a photoshoot with boot manufacturers WarriorFootball in the town of Ashton-under-Lyne, albeit in the shadows of the wrong side of the Pennies as far as Leeds would be concerned, McCormack and Smith talked exclusively on all things Revie and 'Dirty Leeds' to modern football, social media and...takeaway pizza...
The history of any club is important but Leeds, particularly, are synonymous with what they achieved 40 years ago in the 1970s. If you look at the pictures (showing both players the graphic at the top of this article) and other reminders, do you as modern footballers actually think about your club's past?
Ross McCormack: "You can't. You can't do that."
Matt Smith: "I think the game has evolved to a level now where it's very different to what it was then and from those days. It's all relative. Obviously the game has moved on but those players above were great players."
RM: "We obviously respect what they've done for the club as well and hopefully we can follow in their footsteps."
But there's no escaping the achievements of past players at Leeds. If you look at Elland Road, there are a lot of photos and statues of all the great former players and some of them often attend matches. When you think of Leeds, as demonstrated by the Damned United, you think of what happened in that era around the 1970s, don't you?
RM: "You get to meet the legends around the club, so that's nice. But I think that's part of the problem. People are trying to live up to them too much and not going their own way about things."
Do you think that's a problem at Leeds, specifically?
RM: (Pause for thought) "Leeds is a unique club. Like you say, it has got history. You walk around Elland Road and all you see is the pictures of all the old legends, and when they were back in the Champions League [semi-finals] in 2001. The players we have got here, we are in the Championship now, so it's obviously hard to live up to that. But it's up to us and that's where we aspire to get to."
Apparently, in his time at Leeds, Don Revie was a big believer in team spirit being used as a building block for success and he used to organise team social events, such as carpet bowls, bingo and even dominos. How do you socialise at Leeds today? I'm guessing not dominos?
RM: (Sarcastically) "Domino's Pizzas?"
MS: (Laughs hysterically).
RM: "I think everyone is into the PlayStation or Xbox and play online with the headsets and have a bit of banter. People also go to each other's houses and play Fifa. We have a drink and food with girlfriends and wives. Everyone is together. It's a big part of football these days. It happens off the cuff. Sometimes the captain might organise the big nights out, like the Christmas party, but throughout the weeks and throughout the season, it just happens. It's pretty good."
Unlike in the 1960s and 1970s, social media is a huge vehicle in which modern footballers, and the world as a whole, communicate in the 21st Century. Anyone who follows you two on Twitter knows you enjoy a joke at each other's expense. Is the social media camaraderie now inescapable in football?
MS: "It's fun and games with the social media. But when it's serious and comes down to it, we are a hardworking bunch."
Peter Lorimer once said of Leeds: "Our whole ethos was built on loyalty. We all fight for each other, we all work for each other." That epitomises what a big part team spirit played in that successful era. How does that compare to the modern day?
MS: "It's important to have a good spirit. What's really a test of character and team spirit is when the chips are down and your back is against the wall, as times were the other week when we got a great result [against Huddersfield in between McDermott's sacking and return] in what were difficult circumstances for the players and for the club. I think that in itself is a testament to team spirit within the camp."
Leeds' success in the 1970s was also built on top strikers, such as Allan Clarke, Joe Jordan and Mick Jones. What are your ambitions to become similar goalscoring legends for the club?
RM: "One of the things I looked at when I first came to the club was that I looked at the top 10 goalscorers of all time at the club. It would mean a lot to get on that list. Over the next few years of my contract, I am looking to get into that 10th spot."
Brian Clough (above) had many classic quotes at the expense of Leeds. He said with one of his best: "Don Revie's so-called family had more in keeping with the mafia than Mothercare." The club did have their 'Dirty Leeds' nickname at that time and it's still used today by opposition fans. Is that something you enjoy and do you think that element of the 'hard man' player still exists in football?
RM: "It's still in the game. You have to look no further than our midfield! We have Michael Brown and Rodolph Austin, who are two of the toughest around in terms of tackling and things like that. But it's a hard one, isn't it?" (looking at Smith).
MS: "It's difficult... (McCormack starts talking again).
RM: "I don't think you can fly in to the tackles like you could back then. Straight away, as soon as you leave the floor, you are getting booked these days. It's difficult to emulate that sort of... umm..."
MS: "Behaviour?"
RM: "Yeah."
If you look at the above picture of Jack Charlton, the culture of football as a whole has obviously changed a lot in 40 years. How has the game shifted?
RM: (Laughing).
MS: "Yeah, exactly.... It has become a science. We are surrounded by figures and data and nutrition advice. It's all geared around being the model pro and model athlete as well as having good technical ability. It's about the whole package these days. Whereas, back in the day, maybe there was more of a social culture which is dying these days."
With what has happened at Leeds in the past few weeks (speaking at the beginning of February), the name of the club, its history and prestige has been dragged through the mud. How do you feel?
RM: "My thoughts are that it should not happen at any level, whether it is Leeds United or any club. It has been real tough times, to be honest, in the past couple of weeks with what has been happening inside the club. Hopefully we are not far away from a takeover of the club and then we can have stability and be stronger."
MS: "Obviously it has been tough times but you can look at the atmosphere that you find at Elland Road for our home games and also the away support. Albeit we had a little sticky patch in January but as a group and as a whole we are doing well. It is a case of getting through it, coming out the other side and I am sure we will be fine."
You have had a tough run of games and before the end of March still have to face QPR, Reading and Burnley. How difficult is that going to be?
RM: "It is going to be tough but we always look at these sorts of games and they are the sort of games in which we do well. If I remember rightly we were going through a tough time around about the same time last season and we had two home games in four days when we had Leicester and Palace away and they were flying. You cannot predict the result and there is no reason we cannot go and win those games you mentioned."
Ross McCormack wears the Warrior Superheat Pro and Matt Smith wears the Warrior Skreamer Pro. For more information go to www.warriorfootball.com or follow @WARRIOR_FTBL
