George Gray (footballer, born 1894)

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.

George Gray
Personal information
Full name George Robert Gray[1]
Date of birth (1894-01-04)4 January 1894[1]
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
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Personal life

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]

Playing career

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]

Career as a trainer

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]

References
  1. "Gray, GR (George)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  2. Dykes, Garth (2010). Durham City FC in the Football League. Nottingham: SoccerData. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-1-905891-42-9.
  3. "George Gray". Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. RG13/4708 56 – via Ancestry Library Edition.
  4. "George Gray". Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. RG14/30258 447 – via Ancestry Library Edition.
  5. "George R Gray". England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837–2005 – via FamilySearch.org.
  6. "In Grimsby's first team". Hull Daily Mail. 14 October 1950. p. 6.
    'Argus' (5 February 1952). "Wearsider had a hand in Cup success". Sunderland Echo. p. 9.
  7. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998. Queen Anne Press. p. 218. ISBN 978-1-85291-585-8.
  8. "Index entry". FreeBMD. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  9. "George Gray". Gillingham FC Scrapbook. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  10. "No title". Yorkshire Post. 10 October 1919. p. 18. Hartlepools United have secured the signature of C.H. Hafekost, who played inside right for Darlington in the Victory League, and also a right half in G.R. Gray, of Gillingham, just demobilised.
  11. "George Gray". In The Mad Crowd. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  12. "Third League snaps. Five right halves". Derby Daily Telegraph. 6 November 1920. p. 4.
  13. "The Cobblers make no change for match at Brighton. Gray unwell". Daily Echo. Northampton. 30 August 1923. p. 5.
  14. "Southern League. Northampton Reserves v. Coventry City Reserves". Daily Echo. Northampton. 6 October 1923. p. 5.
  15. Flag kick (27 December 1923). "The Cobblers' return game with Swindon". Daily Echo. Northampton. p. 5.
  16. "The Cobblers' return game with Southend United". Daily Echo. Northampton. 22 March 1924. p. 5.
  17. "Barrow F.C.". Lancashire Daily Post. 8 August 1935. p. 5.
  18. J.H.J. (8 July 1939). "All sorts of sport". Shields Evening News. p. 6.
  19. "George R Gray". 1939 England and Wales Register – via Ancestry Library Edition.
  20. "190. Smiths and Skilled Forge Workers". A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921. Ministry of Labour. 1927. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  21. "George Gray". Sunderland Echo. 4 July 1945. p. 7.
  22. "Ramadhin strains knee". Nottingham Journal. 27 July 1950. p. 3.
  23. 'Argus' (14 November 1950). "Billy Watson to play for England". Sunderland Echo. p. 9.
  24. "England match no. 260 – Wales – 15 November 1950 – Match summary and report". England Football Online. Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  25. 'Argus' (6 May 1952). "Busier still behind the scenes. Roker record tribute to George Gray". Sunderland Echo. p. 11.
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