Len Graham (footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | William George Leonard Graham [1] | ||
Date of birth | 17 October 1925[2] | ||
Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland[2] | ||
Date of death | 30 September 2007[2] | (aged 81)||
Place of death | Blackpool, England[2] | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Full-back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Linfield Swifts | |||
–1949 | Brantwood | ||
1949–1958 | Doncaster Rovers | 303 | (3) |
1958–1959 | Torquay United | 20 | (0) |
1959–1960 | Ards | ||
International career | |||
1951–1958 | Northern Ireland | 14 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1959–1960 | Ards | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
William George Leonard Graham (17 October 1925 – 30 September 2007) was a Northern Ireland international footballer and manager. A full-back, he made 303 league appearances in a nine-year career in the Football League with Doncaster Rovers lasting most of the 1950s. He also played for Linfield Swifts, Brantwood, and Torquay United, and briefly managed Ards. He won 14 caps for Northern Ireland in the 1950s.[3]
Club career
Graham began his career playing as an inside-forward with Linfield Swifts, but began playing as a full-back after joining
International career
On 7 March 1951, Graham made his debut for Peter Doherty's Northern Ireland in a 2–1 defeat at home to Wales and was a regular in the Northern Irish side until the end of 1955 when Willie Cunningham replaced him.[2] Graham was a member of the 22-man 1958 Northern Ireland World Cup squad, but was one of five unlucky squad members who didn't travel to Sweden for the tournament (of 16 nations taking part, Northern Ireland was one of only three which did not take the full permitted complement of 22 players). He did However, make one further appearance for Northern Ireland, on 4 October 1958, in a 3–3 draw at home to England, their first game after the World Cup finals. Graham remains the most capped international player in Doncaster Rovers' history.[2]
Coaching career
Graham later worked as first-team coach at Stoke City, and became new manager Tony Waddington's assistant in 1960. From 1965 he coached at Port Vale under manager Stanley Matthews, before taking up the same position at Blackpool in 1967, under manager Stan Mortensen, before his retirement from football in 1975, after which he worked at British Aerospace.[5]
Career statistics
Club playing statistics
Source:[6]
Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Doncaster Rovers | 1949–50 | Third Division North | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
1950–51 | Second Division | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 1 | |
1951–52 | Second Division | 39 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
1952–53 | Second Division | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
1953–54 | Second Division | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
1954–55 | Second Division | 34 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
1955–56 | Second Division | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
1956–57 | Second Division | 41 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
1957–58 | Second Division | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
1958–59 | Third Division | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 2 | |
Total | 312 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 332 | 3 | ||
Torquay United | 1962–63 | Fourth Division | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
Career total | 332 | 3 | 23 | 0 | 355 | 3 |
International playing statistics
Northern Ireland national team | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Apps | Goals |
1951 | 1 | 0 |
1952 | 3 | 0 |
1953 | 1 | 0 |
1954 | 2 | 0 |
1955 | 3 | 0 |
1956 | 0 | 0 |
1957 | 0 | 0 |
1958 | 1 | 0 |
Total[7] | 14 | 0 |
Honours
Doncaster Rovers
References
- ^ "Len Graham". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Len Graham". nifootball.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
- ^ "Profile". eu-football.info. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
- ^ Ards F.C. first team managers Archived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ Len Graham at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ^ "Len Graham". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 7 August 2015.