As a schoolboy, Don Revie used to walk the short distance from his home on Bell Street to Archibald School.

He’d arrive early and kick a ball of rags against the wall before lessons started.

90 years later, the area surrounding one of the town’s oldest schools might still be recognisable to the young Revie.

But there’s one key difference – Middlesbrough FC’s spiritual home, the now-demolished Ayresome Park, was less than 500 yards from the school’s doors and would undoubtedly have been a big part of the football mad Revie’s life.

He went on to become one of only 16 men to be named the permanent manager of England’s men’s football team, a job often said to be harder than running the country.

But perhaps strangely, there’s little fanfare about Middlesbrough’s almost forgotten son.

That he never played for Middlesbrough, nor managed the club, may explain that. Or that he was most famous for managing traditional rivals Leeds United.

But he takes up a much smaller space in the town’s collective memory compared to his former sparring partner Brian Clough, who grew up just a couple of miles away at Valley Road, and was another who found fame managing clubs that were not Middlesbrough.

A new campaign has now been launched to remember Revie’s pioneering career and inspire his home town community through his remarkable achievements.

Around two years ago Middlesbrough & Thornaby East MP Andy McDonald and local Fly Me To The Moon football fanzine editor and Discover Middlesbrough organiser Robert Nichols approached Archibald Primary to retell his story.

While Clough – “the greatest manager England never had” according to many – has a statue, a plaque on his old house and a street named after him in Linthorpe, there is nothing at all in the town to say Revie, who did actually manage England, ever lived in Middlesbrough.

But a project at his old school, facilitated by arts organisation Borderlands, will change that.

Louise Scholes from Borderlands, artists Helen and Derek, MP Andy McDonald (back) with children from Archibald Primary School

Artists will work with children at the school to produce a mosaic which will proudly celebrate Revie’s achievements, and hang from the wall of the famous old school.

Mr McDonald said: “Don Revie was a pioneer in football and his achievements were utterly remarkable. In a very short space of time he took a second division side in Leeds United to the top of the English game and into Europe.

“But whereas others like Brian Clough and Bill Shankly who have had similar achievements are hero figures across the nation, Don Revie is forgotten somewhat outside of Leeds.

“That someone from Middlesbrough’s Newport area could rise to be one of only 16 people to ever hold the permanent position of England football manager and the story not be told seemed to us a crying shame.

“He is a fascinating character who has divided opinion but someone who we should perhaps look again at for the town of Middlesbrough and we hope in this piece of art that we do just that and inspire the pupils of Archibald to know that they can achieve anything they want to.”

The Don Revie statue in Leeds

Archibald Deputy Headteacher Steve Cowgill said: “We are really proud that our school has such a long history and are looking forward to working on this exciting project relating to an ex-pupil who went on to be a significant local and national figure.

“Our aim is that as many pupils and their parents and carers as possible can become involved in creating this lasting recognition to Don Revie.”

Borderlands is the one of Art Council England’s Creative People and Places (CPP) projects, covering Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland and is funding the Don Revie project.

Borderlands is hosted by Teesside University and managed by an independent consortium. Part of its mission statement is to work “with our communities to tell the stories of our people and our places. We use creativity to amplify voices which are rarely heard and often ignored.”

Louise Scholes, Creative Producer at Borderlands said: “This project incorporates so many of Borderlands’ key values, celebrating local history and heritage through intergenerational storytelling and creativity. We are so excited to support the community of Archibald Primary as they explore the story of Don Revie and radically reimagine what their own futures may hold!”