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English footballer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Robert Gray (4 January 1894 – 1972) was an English professional footballer during the early years of the twentieth century. He played in the Football League for Swansea Town, Northampton Town and Durham City. He spent a season in the Southern League with Gillingham, was on the books of Bury without playing for their first team, had a trial with Scottish League club Clydebank, and played North-Eastern League football for Seaham Harbour and Hartlepools United. After his playing career ended he had a lengthy career as a trainer.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | George Robert Gray[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 4 January 1894||
Place of birth | South Hylton, England | ||
Date of death | 1972 (aged 77–78) | ||
Place of death | Sunderland, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Wing half | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
New Riddick Colliery | |||
191?–1914 | Seaham Harbour | ||
1914–1919 | Gillingham | 16 | (0) |
1919–1920 | Hartlepools United | 26 | (1) |
1920–1922 | Swansea Town | 39 | (1) |
1922–1923 | Bury | 0 | (0) |
1923–1924 | Northampton Town | 11 | (0) |
1924 | Durham City | 2 | (0) |
Clydebank | |||
Yoker Athletic | |||
Rushden Town | |||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Gray was born in South Hylton, County Durham, in January 1894,[2] the son of Crosby Gray, a shipwright, and his wife, Isabella.[3] By 1911, his father had died and the 17-year-old Gray was working as a craneboy in the shipyards.[4] He married Vera Lister in 1923.[5] Their son, also a George Gray,[6] played League football as a half back for Grimsby Town, Swindon Town and Darlington in the 1950s.[7] Gray died in Sunderland in 1972.[2][8]
Gray played local football for New Riddick Colliery and North-Eastern League football for Seaham Harbour before signing for Gillingham,[1] for which he made 16 Southern League appearances without scoring before competitive football was abandoned for the duration of the First World War.[9] He served in the Army during the war,[2] and when demobilised returned to County Durham in October 1919 and signed for Hartlepools United.[10] He went on to score once from 26 North-Eastern League matches and make one appearance in the FA Cup.[11]
In September 1920, Gray signed for Swansea Town of the Third Division South.[2] He made his Football League debut playing at right half away to Northampton Town on 25 September[1] – one of five men tried in that position in the first few weeks of the season[12] – but established himself in the team at left half and missed only three matches over the rest of the campaign.[1] In 1921–22, he did not appear until the new year, but did help the team reach the last 16 of the FA Cup.[1] He left Swansea at the end of the season for Second Division club Bury, where he spent a year without first-team football before returning to the Southern Section with Northampton Town.[2] He was unwell at the start of the 1923–24 season,[13] and although he played in the reserves,[14] he did not make his first-team debut until late December, standing in for the rested Frank Newton.[15] He kept his place for the next match, and made nine more appearances as injury cover before the half-back line was rearranged to accommodate the return of regular centre-half Edmund Wood.[1][16] An unsuccessful trial with Durham City in October 1924, during which he played twice in the Third Division North as a centre forward, put an end to his Football League career.[2] He had a trial with Scottiah League club Clydebank, and played for Junior club Yoker Athletic before returning to England with Rushden Town.[2]
He then began a long career as a trainer, with clubs including Bury, Clydebank, Barrow,[17] and South Shields.[18] The 1939 Register records him living in Sunderland and working as a framesmith's striker.[19][20] When the Sunderland club resumed playing wartime football at their Roker Park ground, Gray acted as trainer on a voluntary basis, and after the war he was appointed full-time.[21] In July 1950, he treated West Indian cricketer Sonny Ramadhin after he was injured during a tour match against Durham,[22] and acted as trainer to the England team when they played Wales at Sunderland's Roker Park ground in November.[23][24] He remained in post until 1951, and then took full-time charge of the treatment room and did some scouting.[25]
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