I am an 87 year old man, I have played and watched football all my life. In Britain and Europe I count myself lucky to have seen some fantastic players ,but I can honestly say that I have never seen a better player than Eddie Gray at his peak, the only ones to come anywhere near him in British football are the wonderful Sir Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney and Len Shackleton, the old masters.
My favourite Leeds United player, my hero and a Leeds United legend. They say never meet your heroes but I was lucky enough to meet him when he 'managed' my Leeds United charity team. After the game he shook my hand, slapped me on the back and said 'well played big man.' My hero and a Leeds United legend saying that to me! Doesn't get any better!! We are Leeds!!!
Nice story mate. I was not a Leeds fan but I respected that team and Gray was and is one of the most underrated players ever. He belongs with the likes of Jimmy Johnstone, George Best and very few others when they talk of the truly great wingers. He was a wonderful footballer.
Great story mate. That must have been fantastic. I'm a southerner but Mick Jones played for Sheffield Utd in the first pro match I saw so he became my hero. When he transferred to Leeds so did I. Eddie Gray was true class in a team of real spirit and no little skill.
Good for you mate. Too many hold onto the dirty Leeds tag which was just BS. Every team was dirty back then. Fans like to do down great teams in whatever way they can, just like the ABUs did decades later. And that Leeds team were great, even if they didn't win as much as they should have. Gray's one of the forgotten geniuses, no doubt in part because of all the injuries he got because of all the terrible challenges he regularly received.
Well good for you mate. True fans recognize great teams and ignore the BS even if they happen to be playing for a club that isn't nearly their favourite. Any Leeds fans who don't recognize the greatness of United under Busby and Ferguson and all of the other great sides of world football is as big a bore as those who deny the Revie side their correct status.
WHEN YOU WATCH OLD CLIPS OF LEEDS, YOU REALIS JUST HOW GOOD THEY WERE. HUNTER WAS TAGGED AS A HARD MAN BUT ACTUALLY HAD A BIT OF SKILL. WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT EDDIE: THE MESSI OF HIS TIME.
Eddie Gray, what a genius he was and no doubt in my mind that he was in the top 5 greatest attacking players in Europe back in the seventies, as good as George Best but without the publicity, i hated Leeds back then but when Eddie was on there was no player I'd love to watch more
Eddie Gray was probably more consistent over a longer time span. He overcame horrendous injuries and kept himself fit enough to play for several seasons.
Any decent pro can put together a good reel nowadays. Every game is filmed, from the youngest youth club football upwards. These clips however are culled from what was available. I doubt that the clips here even cover a 20th of the games that Grey played. And he still looks amazing. Fucking genius.
It would be around 1970 a train pulled into Doncaster Station, an entire carriage was filled with the great Leeds team of that era, this 12 year old was utterly gobsmacked!
I was fortunate to watch Leeds under don revie Harry Redknapp described them as the greatest he had ever seen the combo of Bremner Charlton hunter we will never see again. Bill dunm
As a young boy, I used to marvel at Eddie's skill and sheer intelligence on the field. Brilliant to be able to watch this now. He was an absolute genius on the ball and compares to the very best of any era. Must have taken a lot of work to put this compilation of clips together - many thanks.
I just sent this link to my brother who was a leeds fan a bit younger than me. I reminded him that whenever we saw leeds live whether at home or away every time eddie gray got the ball a buzz went round the ground, this air of expectation was there from everyone in the ground no matter which team you were supporting. We all knew we were watching a genius at work, George Best only better because he could do it with both feet. This just shows a few clips and they are great. But when we saw him live even though there were a host of great playrs on show all we spoke about after the game was Eddie Gray. I remember an FA cup replay at Highbury when Leeds were far outmatched and I was sat surrounded by Arsenal fans Eddie Gray in his late 30's I think. I told them all around me Leeds might lose but Eddie Gray will destroy your right back. They laughed but by the end of the game they were cheering him every time he got the ball. Even at that age he was masterful. Arsenals right back and right mid spent half the game on their backsides wondering where this chap with greying hair had gone. But unlike todays stars he made his skills count as a perfect team man. He never tried for glory when a team mate was better placed to score. And when he scored, it was that modest jog back with a smile and a hand in the air. And sometimes the 60 yard ball dropping inch perfect over the defenders head for allan clarke and co. to run onto.....exquisite. I don't think i've seen better since
Eddie Gray, the player I always tried to emulate to the point that I was nicknamed `Eddie` a name that has stuck with me to this day (amongst old friends) ...watching these clips brings back fond memories. Thanks for the upload.
I know that this will sound like "Sour Grapes" or just another excuse, but way back then SOME, (not All) referees had their mind made up before they even got changed to officiate our games, and Leeds were always going to be the losers. I remember a semi final against Chelsea when Lorimer scored a fantastic goal from a free kick, and the Chelsea players complained to the ref that THEY were not ten yards from the ball when the kick was taken.....even though one of them was actually pulling lorimer`s shirt to stop his run up. Needless to say the ref sided with the Chelsea team and disallowed the goal.
Scotland had some great players back then, and Gray did have frequent battles with injury, but it's hard to believe that he only played 12 times for his country.
Gray on the ball was such a beautiful spectacle. Cruyff, Bestie and John Barnes at Liverpool were the only players I've seen who looked so instinctive and relaxed. Eddie was perfectly balanced, had the change of pace to get away from the man he'd just baffled, and his passing and finishing were flawless. His close work was insanely good. Two men could be tricked in a very tight corner. Respect, from a WHU fan.
Being an arl arse Evertonian I sometimes think I'm too critical of todays players then I see the likes of Eddie with complete mastery of the football, sublime control and inch perfect crosses and realise I'm not wrong modern day footballers are fkn shite
Celtic supporter, Got to really hand it to Eddy Gray and others who played some beautiful football on what would be nothing better than a Coo,s field, would have loved to have seen them on the lush pitches of today.
Terry yorath was coming into huddersfield railway station when working as I think as assistant manager and I asked him if Eddie hadn't all those injuries could he have been as good as George best and he said without a doubt and Eddie as been my favourite Leeds player of all time the amount of assist he contributed for Leeds goals in that eleven minute clip was amazing into days play it would have been like ozil at real Madrid five season on the trot before moving to arsenal Eddie was a genius on the ball a great ambassador for football 👍
I was a child at the time but seem to remember the name of Eddie Gray more than that of George Best. I don't know but I can only surmise that alcohol didn't play a part in the demise of Gray as it did in the life of Best.
Scotland were very fortunate to have a glut of quality wingers when Eddie Gray wasn't available due to injury. Would have loved to have seen him more often in the dark blue of Scotland.
A genius with two good feet. When you think that many pitches were like waterlogged ploughed fields in those days (the Baseball Ground comes to mind) makes his skills all the more remarkable. Modern players play on bowling greens in comparison.
@ 1971 onwards, Clyde Best at West Ham, was the only first team regular in the top flight. A few years later, the impact of Viv Anderson at Nottm. Forest, and West Brom trio, Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham, and Brendon Batson (following a few matches for Arsenal), paved the way, for black players to become integral to the game.
Had the ball on a string had the ability to make opposition players look foolish. I was only a young child at the time but he was doing things other players couldn't . Best dribbler of the ball i've seen. And I was not a Leeds fan just a begrudging watcher hoping he wouldn't weave his magic.
The difference is that Gray knew when to lay the ball off to team mates in better positions. How many times in this video did he beat a couple then give it for someone else to score. In today's world of stats and ''assists'' he would be recognised for the world class player he was
And all done in an era where the ball and the boots were heavier and the pitches were often chewed up. You rarely see Gray running at full pace in this highlight video, it's mostly to do with balance, a faint here and there, trickery and nifty footwork. If he were playing today, he would get far more protection from the refs, fewer injuries and he'd be ranked among the world's greatest players
02:33 Shows george the ball, george dives in, eddie drags ball to the side and pokes it forward. Other players must have looked at that and thought if he can do that to George Best what chance have | got ?
