Eddie Gray

Edwin Gray (born 17 January 1948) is a Scottish former football player and coach. Gray was a winger, who was an integral member of the legendary Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s, later twice becoming the club's manager.

In 2000, Gray was voted as the third Greatest Leeds United player of all time, surpassed only by his club captain, Billy Bremner (No. 1) and John Charles (No. 2). He was also voted into the Greatest Leeds United team of all time. His two goals against Burnley in 1970 feature in Leeds United's Greatest 100 goals – the second of which is widely regarded as the greatest Leeds United goal of all time and recently featured in The Times as one of the five greatest ever goals. On 9 May 2013, Gray was also appointed as Leeds United football Ambassador. Gray was also inducted into the English Hall of Fame on 25 September 2013 at an awards evening in Manchester.

Gray played in 12 full international games for Scotland between 1969 and 1977. Besides his two stints with Leeds, Gray also managed Whitby Town, Rochdale and Hull City during the 1980s.

He was appointed MBE in the 1983 Birthday Honours.

Playing career 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 backside or looking the wrong way as Gray ghosted past him, including one run where he cut inside onto his 'weaker' right foot and crashed a shot against the crossbar. Though Leeds dominated the match, the game still ended 2–2 and a replay was required – Gray had taken the corner which had allowed Jack Charlton to open the scoring. In the replay, Chelsea changed tactics and put the more uncompromising Ron Harris on to Gray and as a result, the danger was snuffed out – Harris badly injured Gray with a brutal tackle to the back of the knee. Chelsea won 2–1 and, in a final twist, it was Webb who scored the winner. Leeds lost the League championship race to Everton and the European Cup semi-final to Celtic, thereby ended with nothing. Both Gray and Kidd were relieved of their duties in 2003 when new manager Peter Reid took the reins.

When Reid left Leeds in November 2003, Gray was charged with the task of trying to preserve their FA Premier League status, something which, under immense pressure, he could not do. Gray was then given a one-year football consultancy role at the club before joining BBC Radio Leeds as a matchday analyst. In 2008, the BBC lost their rights to the live radio broadcast of Leeds matches; as a result, Gray left BBC Radio Leeds and moved to the club's official radio station, Yorkshire Radio.

On 9 May 2013, Gray was appointed Football Ambassador at Leeds United and would also remain in his role as Yorkshire Radio Co-Commentator. He is currently co-commentator alongside Thom Kirwin for Leeds United's own TV and Radio Channel LUTV.

Family football links 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.

Career statistics

Honours Player Leeds United Football League First Division: 1968–69, 1973–74 FA Cup: 1971–72; 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