Billy Gray (footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | William Patrick Gray[1] | ||
Date of birth | 24 May 1927 | ||
Place of birth | Dinnington, England | ||
Date of death | 11 April 2011[1] | (aged 83)||
Place of death | Aspley, England | ||
Position(s) |
left back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
–1947 | Dinnington Colliery | ||
1947–1948 | Leyton Orient | 19 | (1) |
1948–1953 | Chelsea | 146 | (12) |
1953–1957 | Burnley | 120 | (30) |
1957–1963 | Nottingham Forest | 201 | (29) |
1963–1965 | Millwall | 20 | (1) |
Total | 506 | (73) | |
International career | |||
1950 | England B | 1 | (1) |
Managerial career | |||
1963–1966 | Millwall | ||
1966–1967 | Brentford | ||
1967–1968 | Notts County | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
William Patrick Gray (24 May 1927 – 11 April 2011) was an English professional
Football League appearances in a variety of positions for Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Burnley, Millwall and Leyton Orient. He began his short management career while still a player with Millwall and later managed Brentford and Notts County.[2] Gray was capped by England B at international level.[2]
Club career
An
league football with Third Division South club Leyton Orient in May 1947.[2] He failed to make an impact at Brisbane Road, but made a surprise transfer to First Division club Chelsea for a nominal fee in March 1949.[2] Gray made 172 appearances and scored 14 goals in just over four seasons at Stamford Bridge,[3] before moving to First Division rivals Burnley for a £16,000 fee in August 1953.[2] He made 130 appearances and scored 32 goals during four seasons at Turf Moor.[4]
At age 30, Gray transferred to top-flight club
International career
Gray won one cap for England B and scored in a 5–0 victory over Switzerland in January 1950.[2]
Managerial career
Gray took over Third Division strugglers Millwall as player-manager in November 1963 and despite relegation to the Fourth Division, he guided the club to successive promotions during the 1964–65 and
1965–66 seasons.[2] A falling-out with the club's directors led to his departure from The Den in May 1966, after promotion had been secured.[8] With five matches of the 1965–66 season still to play, Gray moved across London to take over as manager of Third Division strugglers Brentford, but failed to save the Bees from relegation to the Fourth Division.[10] He kept the cash-strapped club afloat in mid-table for the majority of the 1966-67 season,[11] before following chairman Jack Dunnett out of Griffin Park to Notts County in March 1967.[10] He remained at Meadow Lane until September 1968.[12]
Coaching and other roles
After leaving football management in 1968, Gray later worked as a
Personal life
Gray was married and had five children.Beeston Rylands.[13]
Career statistics
Player
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Chelsea | 1948–49[3]
|
First Division | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
1949–50[3]
|
39 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 46 | 2 | |||||
1950–51[3]
|
31 | 6 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 6 | |||||
1951–52[3]
|
42 | 1 | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | 51 | 4 | |||||
1952–53[3]
|
32 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 37 | 3 | |||||
Total | 146 | 12 | 26 | 3 | — | — | — | 172 | 15 | |||||
Burnley | 1953–54[4]
|
First Division | 42 | 19 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 45 | 20 | |||
1954–55[4]
|
40 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 41 | 8 | |||||
1955–56[4]
|
31 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 37 | 3 | |||||
1956–57[4]
|
7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||||
Total | 120 | 30 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | 130 | 32 | |||||
Nottingham Forest | 1957–58[6]
|
First Division | 35 | 9 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 38 | 9 | ||
1958–59[6]
|
40 | 7 | 9 | 5 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 49 | 12 | ||||
1959–60[6]
|
37 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3[a] | 1 | 41 | 8 | ||||
1960–61[6]
|
30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[b] | 0 | 34 | 3 | |||
1961–62[6] | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 2[6] | 0 | 40 | 2 | ||
1962–63[6] | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |||
Total | 201 | 29 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 228 | 35 | ||
Millwall | 1963–64[15]
|
Third Division | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | ||||
1964–65[7]
|
Fourth Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
Total | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 1 | ||||
Career total | 487 | 71 | 53 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 551 | 83 |
- FA Charity Shield
- ^ Appearances in Notts Association Cup
- ^ Appearances in Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Manager
Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
Millwall | 1 November 1963 | 8 May 1966 | 138 | 68 | 40 | 30 | 49.28 | [16] |
Brentford | 2 May 1966 | March 1967 | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 35.71 | [17] |
Notts County | March 1967 | September 1968 | 51 | 15 | 13 | 23 | 29.41 | [18] |
Total | 231 | 98 | 65 | 68 | 42.42 | — |
Honours
As a player
Nottingham Forest
As a manager
Millwall
Brentford
References
- ^ a b "Billy Gray". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Billy Gray: Footballer whose energetic midfield scheming helped Nottingham Forest to FA Cup glory in 1959". The Independent. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "Billy Gray". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Billy Gray". Clarets Mad. Digital Sports Group LTD. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ "Played For Both: Millwall vs Forest". Nottingham Forest Football Club. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "William 'Billy' Gray". The City Ground. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Millwall Season 64/65 Stats". www.millwall-history.org.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Back to Back Promotions 1964–1966". www.millwall-history.org.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ "Billy In Action". The Brentford & Chiswick Times. 27 January 1967.
- ^ ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ^ "Brentford results for the 1966-1967 season". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ "Notts County FC season 1968/69". Up the Maggies. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ a b "William Patrick "Billy" Gray (1927–2011)". The Gray/Grey One-Name Study. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ^ Haynes 1998, p. 45.
- ^ "Millwall Season 63/64 Stats". www.millwall-history.org.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ "Millwall Managers". www.millwall-history.org.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ Billy Gray management career statistics at Soccerbase
- ^ "Nottingham Forest | Club | History | History | FA Cup Final 1959". Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ISBN 1-874427-57-7.
External links
- Billy Gray management career statistics at Soccerbase
- Billy Gray at Soccerbase