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Harry Gregg

The term 'hero' is handed to footballers all too readily nowadays, but the title has never sat comfortably with Harry Gregg, a man whose most heroic deeds were carried out far from the playing field...
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Name: Henry Gregg MBE
Born: 27 October 1932*, Tobermore
Died: 16 February 2020 (aged 87)
Height: 6.00 ft
Weight: 12.08 st
Position: Goalkeeper

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 25 Full Caps (1954-1963), 1 Amateur Cap (1952), Youth Caps, 4 Schoolboy Caps (1947); Irish League: 1 Cap (1952).
Club Honours: (with Man. United) FA Cup Runner-Up 1957/58.
Awards: Goalkeeper of the Tournament (World Cup - Sweden 1958); MBE (1995), OBE (2019); Northern Ireland Football Awards' Dr Malcolm Brodie Hall of Fame Inductee 2021.

Club Career:
Clubs
Seasons
Signed
Fee
League
FA Cup
FL Cup
Europe
Other
Linfield
-
1947
Youth
0/ 0
-
-
-
-
Coleraine
-
-
Amateur
-
-
-
-
-
Doncaster Rovers
52/53-57/58
Oct-52
£1,700
94/0
5/0
-
-
-
Manchester United
57/58-66/67
Dec-57
£23,750
210/0
24/0
2/0
11/0
-
Stoke City
66/67
Dec-66
Free
2/0
-
-
-
-
TOTALS
£25,450
316/0
29/0
2/0
11/0
-

Biography:
More to follow.

After retiring as a player due to a shoulder injury sustained while player-coach at Stoke CIty, Gregg had spells managing Shrewsbury Town (1968-72), Swansea City (1972-75), Crewe Alexandra (1975-1978) and Carlisle United (1986-87) as well as spells coaching in Kuwait (1978), at Manchester United (1978-81) and Coleraine.

Gregg while coach at Manchester United along with Northern Ireland and United assistant-manager, Tommy Cavanagh 

Gregg with his 1958 World Cup goalkeeper of the tournament award

In 15th May 2012 Manchester United visited Windsor Park for Harry Gregg's testimonial match, defeating an Irish League XI 4-1 (full details below).
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Wikipedia Article
Doncaster Rovers Bio
Manchester United Bio
Gregg's Account of Munich
BBC Tribute
NIFWA Hall of Fame Induction
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Northern Ireland Cap Details:
21-03-1954 Wales......... A W 2-1 WCQ
06-10-1956 England....... H D 1-1 BC
07-11-1956 Scotland...... A L 0-1 BC
16-01-1957 Portugal...... A D 1-1 WCQ
10-04-1957 Wales......... H D 0-0 BC
25-04-1957 Italy......... A L 0-1 WCQ
01-05-1957 Portugal...... H W 3-0 WCQ
06-11-1957 England....... A W 3-2 BC
04-12-1957 Italy......... H D 2-2 FR
16-04-1958 Wales......... A D 1-1 BC
08-06-1958 Czechoslovakia N W 1-0 WCF
11-06-1958 Argentina..... N L 1-3 WCF
15-06-1958 West Germany.. N D 2-2 WCF
19-06-1958 France........ N L 0-4 WCF
04-10-1958 England....... H D 3-3 BC
22-04-1959 Wales......... H W 4-1 BC
03-10-1959 Scotland...... H L 0-4 BC
18-11-1959 England....... A L 1-2 BC
06-04-1960 Wales......... A L 2-3 BC
08-10-1960 England....... H L 2-5 BC
09-11-1960 Scotland...... A L 2-5 BC
07-10-1961 Scotland...... H L 1-6 BC

17-10-1961 Greece........ H W 2-0 WCQ
12-10-1963 Scotland...... H W 2-1 BC
20-11-1963 England....... A L 3-8 BC
.
Summary: 25/0. Won 7, Drew 7, Lost 11.


Northern Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
02-02-1952 England....... H L 1-3

Summary: 1/0. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 1.


Irish League Representative Appearance Details:
26-03-1952 Football League H L 0-9

Summary: 1/0. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 1.

Sources contradict, some list birth date as 25th October, however his autobiography, Harry's Game, lists it as 27th.

HARRY GREGG TESTIMONIAL
Tuesday, 15th May 2012
Irish League XI (1) 1 - Manchester United FC (ENG) (1) 4 








Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: Raymond Crangle (Belfast)
Goalscorers: IL: C. Scannell; MU: Evra, Young (2), Rooney

Irish League XI: (green shirts with white sleeves, white shorts, green socks)

Managers: Martin O'Neill (Sunderland) & David Jeffrey (Linfield)
Alan Blayney (Linfield) [sub: Sean O'Neill (Crusaders) 46]; Jim Ervin (Linfield) [sub: Sean Hargan (ex-Derry City) 72], Ross Redman (Portadown), Howard Beverland (Coleraine) [sub: Peter Hutton (ex-Derry City) 72], Albert Watson (Linfield), Philip Lowry (Linfield), Chris Morrow (Crusaders) [sub: Stephen Lowry (Coleraine) 59], Jamie Mulgrew (Linfield) [sub: George McMullan (Cliftonville) 66], Chris Scannell (Cliftonville) [sub: Mark McAllister (Linfield) 66], Gary McCutcheon (Ballymena United) [sub: Martin Donnelly (Cliftonville) 56], Barry Johnston (Cliftonville). 

Manchester United: (red shirts, white shorts, black socks) 
Manager: Alex Ferguson (SCO)
Anders Lindegaard [sub: Ben Amos 62]; Patrice Evra [sub: Luke Giverin 46], Phil Jones, Rio Ferdinand [sub: Ashley Young 46], Jonny Evans capt, Michael Owen [sub: Wayne Rooney 62], Dimitar Berbatov [sub: Paul Scholes 72], Ji-Sung Park, Nani [sub: Ryan Giggs 72], Tom Cleverley, Antonio Valencia [sub: Michele Fornasier 72].

The proceeds of this match were donated to charity.



Fondly remembering Harry Gregg who would have turned 88 today. A true hero and Northern Ireland legend.

Posted by Northern Ireland Football Museum on Tuesday, 27 October 2020

Comments

Anonymous said…
I first became aware of Gregg as a boy of eight hearing about the Munich aircrash. I remember seeing him flattened by Nat Lofthouse in the Cup in 1958. I followed his career from then on. He was a great 'keeper on his day though a bad shoulder injury robbed his of his best years and the chance of honors with Manchester United. As a goalkeeping coach, I do not think he had a peer.
Ken Garrett said…
A great man as well as being a great keeper. A true hero.