Bert Gray
Encyclopedia
Albert Gray was a Welsh international footballer who played as goalkeeper for various clubs in the 1920s and 1930s, including Oldham Athletic, Manchester City
, Tranmere Rovers
and Chester
. For his country, he made 24 appearances between 1924 and 1938, helping Wales
win the British Home Championship
three times.
, Monmouthshire
and first came to the attention of scouts from the Football League
when he stood in for the injured goalkeeper for a local colliery side. He spent two years with Ebbw Vale
during which time the club won the Southern League
Welsh Section in 1921–22, going one better
the following year
to win the Southern League championship.
Standing at 6ft 3ins, Gray was one of the tallest players at the time and used his height to great effect; he was described as "a very capable goalkeeper, (who) was cool and safe and inspired confidence in his defenders".
In May 1923, he moved to the Football League Second Division
with Oldham Athletic where he remained for four seasons, making over 100 first-team appearances before joining fellow Second Division club, Manchester City
for a fee of £2,250 in January 1927, where he displaced long-term custodians Jim Goodchild
and James Mitchell
. He soon became a regular for his new club, helping them to win the Second Division title in 1927–28.
By the end of the first season in the First Division
, Gray was out of favour at Maine Road
and in August 1929 he was loaned for a season to the short-lived Manchester Central
club. There then followed a year back in the Southern League, with Coventry City
, before returning to the Football League, this time in the Third Division North
with Tranmere Rovers
. Gray spent five seasons at the Prenton Park
club, during which they twice reached the final of the Welsh Cup
, losing to Bristol City
in 1934, but winning the trophy the following year with a 1–0 victory over Chester
.
In 1936, he applied for the manager's job at Tranmere but was turned down and moved to fellow Third Division North club, Chester
. After a brief spell in Ireland at Waterford in 1938, Gray wound up his career in the Cheshire League with Congleton Town
.
in the 1924 British Home Championship
match against Scotland
on 16 February 1924. The game at Ninian Park
, Cardiff
ended in a 2–0 victory for Wales, with goals from Willie Davies
and Len Davies. Gray retained his place for the next two matches with victories over England
and Ireland, thus enabling Wales to take the British Home Championship
trophy for the second time in five years. Gray only missed four Wales international matches between February 1924 and October 1929 during which time Wales again claimed the Championship trophy under captain Fred Keenor
.
On 28 November 1927, Gray featured in an eventful match against England
at Burnley
's Turf Moor
ground, involving two own goals and a missed penalty. Wales opened the scoring with a goal from Wilf Lewis
followed by an own goal by England's captain, Jack Hill
, playing at his home stadium. In the second half, Roy Goodall
had the chance to bring England back into the game but missed his penalty. When England finally scored, this was also an own goal
as Fred Keenor
deflected Louis Page
's corner past Gray in the Wales goal. (Some sources claim that it was Gray himself who turned the ball into the net.)
In the summer of 1929, the Football Association of Wales
sent a party of players to tour Canada, with Gray and Len Evans
sharing the goalkeeping duties. In an article welcoming the touring party, The Montreal Gazette described Gray as "well equipped for the position as he stands 6 feet 3 inches and should have little difficulty reaching high shots." Gray was "in the glory of his manhood at 29 years of age. His goalkeeping has been described as "majestic" and there is no exaggeration in this word". During the tour, Wales played 15 matches in five weeks, winning them all with 61 goals scored and only ten conceded.
During the two years between November 1929 and October 1931, Wales called upon several keepers, including Cardiff City
's Len Evans
and Wrexham's Dick Finnigan, who was called up for the match against Ireland in February 1930 because Manchester City
refused to release Gray. (The Irish won this match 7–0, with six goals from Joe Bambrick
.)
Gray returned to the side for three matches in October/November 1931, in the 1932 British Home Championship
. Gray was appointed captain in Keenor's absence for the match against Scotland on 31 October; despite "(keeping) goal in fine style", Gray conceded three goals with the Welsh only managing two in reply from Ernie Curtis
.
For five seasons, between October 1932 and March 1936, Roy John
played in goal for Wales, before Gray received a recall for the match against England on 17 October 1936. Gray retained his place for five matches and helped Wales take the British Home Championship
once again. His final international appearance came against Ireland on 16 March 1938 when Gray was in his 38th year.
During the Second World War, he was a sergeant-instructor with South-Eastern Command. In October 1942, he was goalkeeper for a South-Eastern Command team composed of professional footballers, including England
internationals Bert Sproston
, Cliff Britton
and Albert Geldard
, who played a 0–0 draw at Erith
. After the war, Gray became a bookmaker
at Cleveleys
, near Blackpool
. He died in Blackpool on 16 December 1969.
In April 2009, Gray's archives and collection of memorabilia were put up for auction; his caps, medals and photographs raised in excess of £4,000. Several of the items were acquired by the Welsh National Football Collection, including his League medal from 1923, a Wales Football Team Badge, two medals from the Canadian tour of 1929, one of Gray's international caps and Gray's shirt from his final international appearance.
Manchester City
Tranmere Rovers
Wales
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
and Chester
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
. For his country, he made 24 appearances between 1924 and 1938, helping Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
win the British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
three times.
Club career
Gray was born in TredegarTredegar
Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
and first came to the attention of scouts from the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
when he stood in for the injured goalkeeper for a local colliery side. He spent two years with Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale F.C.
Ebbw Vale Football Club were a football team from Ebbw Vale, South Wales.Ebbw Vale played in the first season of the League of Wales in 1992-93. The club then finished 11th before finishing 3rd in two successive seasons to 1997-98. During the years when they finished 3rd the Giles brothers, Paul...
during which time the club won the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
Welsh Section in 1921–22, going one better
the following year
1922–23 Southern Football League
The 1922–23 Southern Football League season saw the league split into two sections, one for English clubs and one for Welsh clubs. Bristol City reserves won the English section, whilst Ebbw Vale won the Welsh section. Ebbw Vale were declared Southern League champions after beating Bristol City...
to win the Southern League championship.
Standing at 6ft 3ins, Gray was one of the tallest players at the time and used his height to great effect; he was described as "a very capable goalkeeper, (who) was cool and safe and inspired confidence in his defenders".
In May 1923, he moved to the Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
with Oldham Athletic where he remained for four seasons, making over 100 first-team appearances before joining fellow Second Division club, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for a fee of £2,250 in January 1927, where he displaced long-term custodians Jim Goodchild
Jim Goodchild
Andrew James Goodchild was an English football goalkeeper who played for Manchester City and was their goalkeeper in the 1926 FA Cup Final.-Playing career:...
and James Mitchell
James Mitchell (footballer)
James Frederick Mitchell, also known as Jim Mitchell, and sometimes Fred Mitchell, was an English footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a goalkeeper...
. He soon became a regular for his new club, helping them to win the Second Division title in 1927–28.
By the end of the first season in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, Gray was out of favour at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
and in August 1929 he was loaned for a season to the short-lived Manchester Central
Manchester Central F.C.
Manchester Central were a short lived professional football club based in Manchester.The team was formed in 1928 by Manchester City Director, John Ayrton and the owner of Belle Vue, John Iles. Ayrton created Manchester Central because he felt East Manchester needed a League side...
club. There then followed a year back in the Southern League, with Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, before returning to the Football League, this time in the Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
with Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
. Gray spent five seasons at the Prenton Park
Prenton Park
Prenton Park is an association football stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is the home ground of Tranmere Rovers F.C. The club moved to the current Prenton Park in 1912. The ground has had several rebuilds, with the most recent occurring in 1995 in response to the requirement of the Taylor Report...
club, during which they twice reached the final of the Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
, losing to Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
in 1934, but winning the trophy the following year with a 1–0 victory over Chester
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
.
In 1936, he applied for the manager's job at Tranmere but was turned down and moved to fellow Third Division North club, Chester
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
. After a brief spell in Ireland at Waterford in 1938, Gray wound up his career in the Cheshire League with Congleton Town
Congleton Town F.C.
Congleton Town F.C. is a football club based in Congleton, Cheshire, England. They currently play in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division and are full members of the Cheshire County Football Association...
.
International career
Gray made his international debut for WalesWales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
in the 1924 British Home Championship
1924 British Home Championship
The 1924 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1923–24 season between the British Home Nations...
match against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on 16 February 1924. The game at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
ended in a 2–0 victory for Wales, with goals from Willie Davies
Willie Davies (footballer)
William "Willie" Davies was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.-Career:...
and Len Davies. Gray retained his place for the next two matches with victories over England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Ireland, thus enabling Wales to take the British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
trophy for the second time in five years. Gray only missed four Wales international matches between February 1924 and October 1929 during which time Wales again claimed the Championship trophy under captain Fred Keenor
Fred Keenor
Frederick Charles 'Fred' Keenor was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international best known for captaining the Cardiff City team to success in the 1927 FA Cup Final...
.
On 28 November 1927, Gray featured in an eventful match against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
's Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
ground, involving two own goals and a missed penalty. Wales opened the scoring with a goal from Wilf Lewis
Wilf Lewis
Wilfred Leslie "Wilf" Lewis was a former footballer, who played for Swansea Town, Huddersfield Town, Derby County and Yeovil and Petters United. He also played international football for Wales on six occasions.-References:...
followed by an own goal by England's captain, Jack Hill
Jack Hill (footballer)
John "Jack" Henry Hill was an English footballer who played in his club career with various teams, including Burnley and Newcastle United between 1920 and 1934. He made eleven appearances for England, eight as captain...
, playing at his home stadium. In the second half, Roy Goodall
Roy Goodall
Frederick Roy Goodall was a professional footballer, who played for Huddersfield Town for 16 years and played 25 games for England, 12 as captain....
had the chance to bring England back into the game but missed his penalty. When England finally scored, this was also an own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
as Fred Keenor
Fred Keenor
Frederick Charles 'Fred' Keenor was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international best known for captaining the Cardiff City team to success in the 1927 FA Cup Final...
deflected Louis Page
Louis Page
Louis Antonio Page was an England international football player and football manager. He was the younger brother of Tom Page.-Club career:Page began his senior career with Merseyside clubs Everton and South Liverpool...
's corner past Gray in the Wales goal. (Some sources claim that it was Gray himself who turned the ball into the net.)
In the summer of 1929, the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
sent a party of players to tour Canada, with Gray and Len Evans
Len Evans (footballer)
Sidney John Vivian Leonard "Len" Evans was a Welsh professional footballer who played in the Football League for Aberdare Athletic, Merthyr Town, Cardiff City and Birmingham, and won four caps for the Wales national football team. He played as a goalkeeper...
sharing the goalkeeping duties. In an article welcoming the touring party, The Montreal Gazette described Gray as "well equipped for the position as he stands 6 feet 3 inches and should have little difficulty reaching high shots." Gray was "in the glory of his manhood at 29 years of age. His goalkeeping has been described as "majestic" and there is no exaggeration in this word". During the tour, Wales played 15 matches in five weeks, winning them all with 61 goals scored and only ten conceded.
During the two years between November 1929 and October 1931, Wales called upon several keepers, including Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
's Len Evans
Len Evans (footballer)
Sidney John Vivian Leonard "Len" Evans was a Welsh professional footballer who played in the Football League for Aberdare Athletic, Merthyr Town, Cardiff City and Birmingham, and won four caps for the Wales national football team. He played as a goalkeeper...
and Wrexham's Dick Finnigan, who was called up for the match against Ireland in February 1930 because Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
refused to release Gray. (The Irish won this match 7–0, with six goals from Joe Bambrick
Joe Bambrick
Joe Bambrick, , was a former footballer who at club level played for Chelsea, Walsall, Glentoran, and Linfield.-Biography:Bambrick scored 12 goals in 11 games for Ireland, including six in one game against Wales....
.)
Gray returned to the side for three matches in October/November 1931, in the 1932 British Home Championship
1932 British Home Championship
The 1932 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1931–32 football season. It was won by England, who succeeded in beating all three of their rivals during the course of the competition....
. Gray was appointed captain in Keenor's absence for the match against Scotland on 31 October; despite "(keeping) goal in fine style", Gray conceded three goals with the Welsh only managing two in reply from Ernie Curtis
Ernie Curtis
Ernest Robert "Ernie" Curtis was a Welsh professional footballer. During his career he made over 250 appearances in The Football League and was the youngest ever winner of the FA Cup to that date when he played in the 1927 FA Cup Final for Cardiff City aged 19 years and 317 days.-Club career:A...
.
For five seasons, between October 1932 and March 1936, Roy John
Roy John
William Ronald "Roy" John was a Welsh international footballer who played as a goalkeeper for several clubs in Wales and England.-Football career:...
played in goal for Wales, before Gray received a recall for the match against England on 17 October 1936. Gray retained his place for five matches and helped Wales take the British Home Championship
1937 British Home Championship
The 1937 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1936–37 seasons. The trophy was won by Wales with Scotland coming second. This was the last Home Championship that Wales would win exclusively, all subsequent victories would be...
once again. His final international appearance came against Ireland on 16 March 1938 when Gray was in his 38th year.
International appearances
Gray made 24 appearances for Wales in official international matches, as follows:| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Goals | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 February 1924 | Ninian Park Ninian Park Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
2–0 | 0 | 1924 British Home Championship 1924 British Home Championship The 1924 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1923–24 season between the British Home Nations... |
|
| 3 March 1924 | Ewood Park Ewood Park Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The... , Blackburn |
2–1 | 0 | 1924 British Home Championship | |
| 15 March 1924 | Windsor Park Windsor Park Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:... , Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... |
1–0 | 0 | 1924 British Home Championship | |
| 14 February 1925 | Tynecastle Park Tynecastle Stadium Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,420, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland... , Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area... |
1–3 | 0 | 1925 British Home Championship 1925 British Home Championship The 1925 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1924/25 season. It was one of six tournaments in seven years won by the strong Scottish team of the early 1920s, and was achieved with a whitewash of all three rivals, including England... |
|
| 28 February 1925 | Vetch Field Vetch Field The Vetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak... , Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
1–2 | 0 | 1925 British Home Championship | |
| 18 April 1925 | Racecourse Ground Racecourse Ground The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League... , Wrexham Wrexham Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England... |
0–0 | 0 | 1925 British Home Championship | |
| 31 October 1925 | Ninian Park, Cardiff | 0–3 | 0 | 1926 British Home Championship 1926 British Home Championship The 1926 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1925–26 season between the British Home Nations... |
|
| 1 March 1926 | Selhurst Park Selhurst Park Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
3–1 | 0 | 1926 British Home Championship | |
| 30 October 1926 | Ibrox Park Ibrox Stadium Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082... , Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
0–3 | 0 | 1927 British Home Championship 1927 British Home Championship The 1927 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1926–27 season. It was shared by England and Scotland after a series of high scoring draws in the opening matches left England, Wales and Ireland well behind with Scotland ahead,... |
|
| 29 October 1927 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | 2–2 | 0 | 1928 British Home Championship 1928 British Home Championship The 1928 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1927–28 season between the British Home Nations. The competition was won by Wales who did not lose a game and only dropped a single point during the tournament... |
|
| 28 November 1927 | Turf Moor Turf Moor Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of... , Burnley Burnley Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.... |
2–1 | 0 | 1928 British Home Championship | |
| 27 October 1928 | Ibrox Park, Glasgow | 2–4 | 0 | 1929 British Home Championship 1929 British Home Championship The 1929 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1928–29 season. The competition was won by Scotland, who won all three matches with strong attacking football epitomised by Hughie Gallacher, who scored seven of his team's 12 goals... |
|
| 17 November 1928 | Vetch Field, Swansea | 2–3 | 0 | 1929 British Home Championship | |
| 2 February 1929 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | 2–2 | 0 | 1929 British Home Championship | |
| 26 October 1929 | Ninian Park, Cardiff | 2–4 | 0 | 1930 British Home Championship 1930 British Home Championship The 1930 British Home Championship was an edition of the annual international football tournament played between the British Home Nations. 1930 was the year in which the tournament finally gained a serious rival as the premier international football competition, with the inception of the 1930 FIFA... |
|
| 31 October 1931 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | 2–3 | 0 (Captain) | 1932 British Home Championship 1932 British Home Championship The 1932 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1931–32 football season. It was won by England, who succeeded in beating all three of their rivals during the course of the competition.... |
|
| 18 November 1931 | Anfield Anfield Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park... , Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... |
1–3 | 0 | 1932 British Home Championship | |
| 5 December 1931 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 0–4 | 0 | 1932 British Home Championship | |
| 17 October 1936 | Ninian Park, Cardiff | 2–1 | 0 | 1937 British Home Championship 1937 British Home Championship The 1937 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1936–37 seasons. The trophy was won by Wales with Scotland coming second. This was the last Home Championship that Wales would win exclusively, all subsequent victories would be... |
|
| 2 December 1936 | Dens Park Dens Park Dens Park is a football stadium located on Dens Road in Dundee, Scotland. The stadium is the home of Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of 12,085... , Dundee Dundee Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea... |
2–1 | 0 | 1937 British Home Championship | |
| 17 March 1937 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | 4–1 | 0 | 1937 British Home Championship | |
| 30 October 1937 | Ninian Park, Cardiff | 2–1 | 0 | 1938 British Home Championship 1938 British Home Championship The 1938 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1937–38 season. The competition was won by England after they defeated Ireland and Wales in their opening games... |
|
| 17 November 1937 | Ayresome Park Ayresome Park -External links:**-References:... , Middlesbrough Middlesbrough Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire... |
1–2 | 0 | 1938 British Home Championship | |
| 16 March 1938 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 0–1 | 0 | 1938 British Home Championship | |
| Win | Draw | Loss |
Later career
Gray was a keen golfer and won the Merseyside Footballers' title in 1933, 1934 and 1936.During the Second World War, he was a sergeant-instructor with South-Eastern Command. In October 1942, he was goalkeeper for a South-Eastern Command team composed of professional footballers, including England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
internationals Bert Sproston
Bert Sproston
Bert Sproston was an English football full back who is remembered for playing both at international level for the England national football team and at club level for , Manchester City F.C., Millwall F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.....
, Cliff Britton
Cliff Britton
Clifford Samuel Britton was a footballer and football manager. He was born 29 August 1909 in Hanham in Bristol and died 1 December 1975.-Playing career:...
and Albert Geldard
Albert Geldard
Albert Geldard was an English professional footballer who played as an outside right for Bradford Park Avenue, Everton, Bolton Wanderers and Darwen. At Everton he won the FA Cup Final in 1933. He made four appearances for England during 1933–1937...
, who played a 0–0 draw at Erith
Erith & Belvedere F.C.
Erith & Belvedere F.C., established 1922, is a football club representing Erith, in the London Borough of Bexley. They are currently members of the Kent League Premier Division after being relegated from the Southern League Division One East in 2005.They were also founder members of the Corinthian...
. After the war, Gray became a bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
at Cleveleys
Cleveleys
Cleveleys is a town on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire, England, about 4 miles north of Blackpool and 2 miles south of Fleetwood...
, near Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. He died in Blackpool on 16 December 1969.
In April 2009, Gray's archives and collection of memorabilia were put up for auction; his caps, medals and photographs raised in excess of £4,000. Several of the items were acquired by the Welsh National Football Collection, including his League medal from 1923, a Wales Football Team Badge, two medals from the Canadian tour of 1929, one of Gray's international caps and Gray's shirt from his final international appearance.
Honours
Ebbw ValeEbbw Vale F.C.
Ebbw Vale Football Club were a football team from Ebbw Vale, South Wales.Ebbw Vale played in the first season of the League of Wales in 1992-93. The club then finished 11th before finishing 3rd in two successive seasons to 1997-98. During the years when they finished 3rd the Giles brothers, Paul...
- Southern LeagueSouthern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
Welsh Section winners: 1921–22, 1922–23 - Southern LeagueSouthern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
champions: 1922–231922–23 Southern Football LeagueThe 1922–23 Southern Football League season saw the league split into two sections, one for English clubs and one for Welsh clubs. Bristol City reserves won the English section, whilst Ebbw Vale won the Welsh section. Ebbw Vale were declared Southern League champions after beating Bristol City...
Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
champions: 1927–28
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winners: 1935 - Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
finalists: 1934
Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
- British Home ChampionshipBritish Home ChampionshipThe British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
winners: 1923–241924 British Home ChampionshipThe 1924 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1923–24 season between the British Home Nations...
, 1927–281928 British Home ChampionshipThe 1928 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1927–28 season between the British Home Nations. The competition was won by Wales who did not lose a game and only dropped a single point during the tournament...
, 1936–371937 British Home ChampionshipThe 1937 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1936–37 seasons. The trophy was won by Wales with Scotland coming second. This was the last Home Championship that Wales would win exclusively, all subsequent victories would be...
