Gray (born 30 November 1955 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former football player and is now a football pundit for Sky Sports and ESPN.
Gray was born in Glasgow, but his mother was of a Hebridean background, from the village of Back, near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
The striker started his professional career with Dundee United where he scored 46 goals in 62 appearances.
In October 1975, he headed south to Aston Villa and won England's golden boot in 1976/77 with his tally of 25 league goals. His 29 goals in the following season earned him the PFA Young Player of the Year and PFA Players' Player of the Year awards (a historic double not repeated until Cristiano Ronaldo won both awards for the 2006-07 season). However, these accolades were not enough to convince Scotland manager Ally MacLeod to select him for the 1978 World Cup squad.
The striker then moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 1979 for a then-British record £1.5m. After scoring the winning goal for Wolves in the 1980 League Cup final, he remained with the club through their relegation in 1982 and promotion a year later.
He moved to Everton in November 1983 for a bargain £250,000. He enjoyed two great seasons with the Merseyside club, winning the FA Cup in 1984 (scoring in the final against Watford), and League Championship and European Cup Winners' Cup medals a year later, also scoring in the final of the latter.
The arrival of Gary Lineker spelled the end of Gray's time with Everton and he returned to Aston Villa for £150,000, where he managed just five goals in 54 games as Villa were relegated in 1987 (five years after winning the European Cup and six years after being league champions) and he left the club soon after.
Afterwards, he spent a season at West Bromwich Albion before joining Rangers, the team he has supported all his life. After this brief, yet championship-winning spell, at Ibrox, he dropped into non-league football with then Conference club Cheltenham Town before retiring in 1990. After hanging up his boots, he entered coaching as an assistant at Aston Villa, and spent six months at Sheffield Wednesday as reserve team coach under David Pleat before focusing full-time on his television work.
Gray won 20 caps for Scotland, scoring 7 goals for his country. He also won four caps at Under-23 level and played at schoolboy level. His full international debut came on December 17, 1975 in a 1–1 draw with Romania. However, he was not selected for any of Scotland's World Cup squads during his playing days.
is he Alice from next door
ReplyDeletedon't know man...!
ReplyDeleteIn the first instance Conan? I think it should be without consideration at all.
ReplyDeleteAh'm wae Subrosa - hing the bastard.
ReplyDeleteAfter todays spout after the Diageo announcement - a dope
ReplyDeleteGray (born 30 November 1955 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former football player and is now a football pundit for Sky Sports and ESPN.
ReplyDeleteGray was born in Glasgow, but his mother was of a Hebridean background, from the village of Back, near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
The striker started his professional career with Dundee United where he scored 46 goals in 62 appearances.
In October 1975, he headed south to Aston Villa and won England's golden boot in 1976/77 with his tally of 25 league goals. His 29 goals in the following season earned him the PFA Young Player of the Year and PFA Players' Player of the Year awards (a historic double not repeated until Cristiano Ronaldo won both awards for the 2006-07 season). However, these accolades were not enough to convince Scotland manager Ally MacLeod to select him for the 1978 World Cup squad.
The striker then moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 1979 for a then-British record £1.5m. After scoring the winning goal for Wolves in the 1980 League Cup final, he remained with the club through their relegation in 1982 and promotion a year later.
He moved to Everton in November 1983 for a bargain £250,000. He enjoyed two great seasons with the Merseyside club, winning the FA Cup in 1984 (scoring in the final against Watford), and League Championship and European Cup Winners' Cup medals a year later, also scoring in the final of the latter.
The arrival of Gary Lineker spelled the end of Gray's time with Everton and he returned to Aston Villa for £150,000, where he managed just five goals in 54 games as Villa were relegated in 1987 (five years after winning the European Cup and six years after being league champions) and he left the club soon after.
Afterwards, he spent a season at West Bromwich Albion before joining Rangers, the team he has supported all his life. After this brief, yet championship-winning spell, at Ibrox, he dropped into non-league football with then Conference club Cheltenham Town before retiring in 1990. After hanging up his boots, he entered coaching as an assistant at Aston Villa, and spent six months at Sheffield Wednesday as reserve team coach under David Pleat before focusing full-time on his television work.
Gray won 20 caps for Scotland, scoring 7 goals for his country. He also won four caps at Under-23 level and played at schoolboy level. His full international debut came on December 17, 1975 in a 1–1 draw with Romania. However, he was not selected for any of Scotland's World Cup squads during his playing days.
Right, Conan, you've kept us in suspence long enough - who the hell is he???
ReplyDeleteOverheard:
ReplyDeleteMan: Is Ian Gray his real name?
Other man: Is Ian Gray whose real name?
Woo folks, thanks for the responses...He is not...quite...hated eh?
ReplyDeleteGiggity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY8paOcA_F8