Leeds legend Eddie Gray recognised by Scots

EDDIE gray may have only picked up 12 Scotland caps in an exemplary playing career, but still managed to play against the very best on the international stage.

Franz Beckenbauer, George Best, Gerd Muller, Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton. Along with the decorated Dutch trio of Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens and Ruud Krol.

He also lined up with the most distinguished players ever to wear the dark blue jersey of Scotland in the likes of Jim Baxter, Billy McNeill, Bobby Murdoch, Jimmy Johnstone and Kenny Dalglish.

Not to mention his club captain who was his skipper for six of his international caps in Billy Bremner.

Despite a paucity of caps, given his prodigious talents which were displayed all too infrequently for his country, Gray’s memories are plentiful. But he has one lasting regret.

The Leeds United legend, inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame at a gala dinner in Glasgow on Sunday evening – after his similar recognition by English football in September – can boast a footballing CV which is up there with the very best.

Yet there remains a glaring omission. Missing out on playing in a World Cup, with Gray destined like fellow wingers Best and Ryan Giggs not to grace the greatest footballing show on earth.

Gray’s time should have come in the summer of 1974 at the World Cup in the former West Germany. At the age of 26 and given a fair wind, the Glaswegian would have been at the height of his powers.

But a thigh injury cruelly bedevilled him in what should have been a vintage 1973-74 season which was Don Revie’s finest hour.

Instead of being part of Willie Ormond’s plans on the continent, Gray had to watch the action on the TV, a considerable source of frustration.

Gray acknowledged: “That was my big regret, there’s no getting away from that.

“I wish I could have had the opportunity, but it wasn’t to be. I had to settle for just watching all the games.

“I never did enough of what I wanted to do through injury with Scotland.

“What I will say is that I was fortunate enough to play for Scotland at all levels, from schoolboy up to the under-23s and then as a full international. You are always privileged to have an opportunity to play for your country.

“When we were younger, me and Jimmy Lumsden used to skip school if Scotland were playing in the afternoon. In those days in the early sixties, you did!

“We’d jump on the back of lorry to go to Hampden, just to watch Scotland and Denis Law.”

Gray was inducted along with former Leeds team-mate Joe Jordan, Bobby Walker, Alan Rough, Martin Buchan, ex-Rangers boss Scot Symon and Tommy Docherty, one of three Scotland managers he played under. The others being Bobby Brown and Ormond.

It was Brown who handed him his debut at Wembley of all places in a British Championship game on May 10, 1969, but sadly for Gray’s sake, they came up against rampant hosts, who won 4-1 with World Cup winning heroes Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst scoring two apiece.

Gray did get some modicum of revenge at Hampden Park almost exactly seven years later when the Scots beat the ‘old enemy’ 2-1.

That was a much sweeter occasion for Gray, who made a return to the international stage with Scotland after a five-and-a-half year gap against Wales on May 6, 1976.

Gray, whose final cap for Scotland was in November 1976, “I remember my debut because it was at Wembley and England beat us! I played alongside the likes of wee Willie Henderson, big Billy McNeill, and Bobby Murdoch. Colin Stein scored that day, but unfortunately we lost.

“But many years later, I played against them and beat them, with Kenny Dalglish getting the winner. There were plenty of other memories. I remember going to Germany in a World Cup qualifying game (for the 1970 finals) and we should have beaten them and were the better team. They had the likes of Beckenbauer and (Helmut) Halle and (Uwe) Seeler was captain, with Gerd Muller only young then.

“Unfortunately, I had to pull out of a lot of games due to injury. Nowadays, you have an international break and play at weekends. In my day, you just used to play in midweek.

“Don was obviously trying to protect my injury with my thigh and you can understand his point of view.”

Gray’s family, including brother Frank – who did represent Scotland in a World Cup finals in Spain in 1982 when he was a Leeds player – accompanied him to Glasgow for the prestigious dinner last weekend.

It was a proud night for Gray, who met up with a host of familiar faces, with the stories and banter soon flowing.

Boyhood Celtic fan Gray, who was presented with his honorary scroll by Parkhead legend and friend Danny McGrain, said: “To get in the English and Scottish halls of fame within a few months of each other is terrific.

“There’s some terrific names in there from Leeds, such as Billy, big Joe, Gordon and Peter. Then there’s the likes of Jimmy Johnstone, Jim Baxter, Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish. It’s a real honour. It was nice that Danny presented me with my paper and he was very complimentary.

“Big Joe (Jordan) was also inducted on the night and did a question and answer session which was interesting! He told a story of when we were playing in the final qualifying game for the (1974) World Cup against Czechoslovakia (in September 1973). Me, Gordon McQueen and Peter Lorimer went up with a friend of ours. But when Scotland scored, we all jumped up and my friend dropped his car keys! We had to get a taxi back from Glasgow to Leeds!”

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