Eddie Gray

Gray was born in Glasgow and brought up in the city's Castlemilk district. He was a schoolboy international for Scotland. He had aspirations of signing for his boyhood team Celtic, but signed professional forms with Leeds United at the age of 16. He made his first team debut on New Year's Day 1966, less than three weeks before his 18th birthday, and would go on to play for the club for almost 20 years. A winger in the classic mould, Gray was feted in world football for his ability to beat opposing full backs for skill, pace and thought. As the Leeds team grew in stature and experience through the 1960s, Gray became a vital component of the team. In 1968, he was in the Leeds team which won the League Cup and the Fairs Cup double, scoring winning goals in both semi-finals, including a memorable individual goal against Brian Clough's Derby County in the semi-final of the League Cup. However injury meant he missed the second leg of the Fairs Cup final. He was then an important part of the team that won League championship a year later, making 33 appearances and scoring five goals, during a season in which United scored a record number of championship points and lost only two matches along the way to conquering the title. However it was in 1970 that he would make his most famous appearance in a Leeds shirt. Gray's marking full back was David Webb, a steady but undistinguished defender whom, for the 90 minutes and extra-time period, Gray tormented. Webb was repeatedly left on his…

Gray then took over as player-manager at Leeds in 1982, following their relegation from the First Division. The club had to turn to a youth policy to rebuild the team, with the emergence of players like John Sheridan, Neil Aspin, Denis Irwin and Scott Sellars. After top half finishes in his first two seasons in charge, the 1984–85 season saw a push for promotion that was lost on the final day at Birmingham City. Following failure to gain promotion from the Second Division, Gray ended association with Leeds after 20 years, 561 games and 68 goals. He would later manage Whitby Town. In 1986, Gray took over at Rochdale and in the 1986–87 season the club managed an escape from near-certain relegation from the Football League. Gray took over at Hull City for season 1988–89, following the departure of Brian Horton the previous season. Hull managed to pull into mid-table and only five points short of the play-offs in February, and they reached the FA Cup fifth round where they lost to Liverpool. Only 1 win in the last 18 games meant that Hull finished fourth from bottom, yet clear of relegation danger, but the poor form led to his departure.

Eddie Gray's son Stuart (who predeceased his father in 2024) followed into professional football, playing for Celtic, the team Eddie had supported as a boy. His nephew, Andy Gray, son of his brother Frank, was another professional footballer and also played for Leeds. Eddie's great-nephews Archie and Harry Gray are also professional footballers.

Player

Leeds United

Football League First Division: 1968–69, 1973–74 FA Cup: 1971–72; runner-up 1969–70, 1972–73 Football League Cup: 1967–68 FA Charity Shield: 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1967–68, 1970–71 Scotland

British Home Championship: 1975–76, 1976–77

Manager

Whitby Town

North Riding Senior Cup: 1989–90