Hi chaps Been writing a series of articles in the Rochdale programme about Eddie Gray's difficult second season at Spotland in 1987-88. Anyway, got to the bit where he jumps ship and moves to Boothferry Park. So the reason I'm here is to see if any of you have any anecdotes about his short time with you e.g. how he was perceived, the job he did, players brought in, why he left etc. Any help much appreciated. Not sure if you know by the way but when we were at Glanford Park over Christmas, their announcer read out your h-t score and referred to you as Hull Tigers. I imagine your current status compared to Scunny's is more than enough consolation! Cheers Dale Fan
Eddie Gray was a managerial genius compared to the second manager we got from Rochdale a few years later.
I was playing in a cup final at Boothferry Park on a week night. Got there about 4:45. You could just walk into the ground in those days went in the home changing room and Eddie's in there having a shower. "Alright son hows it going" he said, while i willed myself to keep looking straight into his eyes!! He's not Jewish. Hope this helps.
I remember Eddie Gray saying after we signed John Moore From Sunderland " He will be a good acquisition but he is never going to be a 25 goal a season man " !!
Did he do so before or after they played 'Any Old Iron' over their B&Q warehouse of a ground's PA system? please log in to view this image "Scunthorpe United? Who are they?"
Thoroughly decent chap and was unlucky to come here when we were just starting on a down cycle.Transfer dealings not great: out Norman, Skipper; in Swan , Hesford and Whitehurst. Was given the chequebook, used it to no real improvement, brought in some youngsters and we slid down the table before he was given his P45.
Well Dale fan the scunny announcer looks as though he got that wrong anyway regarding Eddie Gray he was a great player at Leeds and came here i think when Brian Horton left, The big game i can remember when Eddie was here was the F A cup game against Liverpool it was such a big occasion for us we had never been in the top flight the city was more rugby than football and then everyone wanted a ticket for this game. I remember Keith Edwards and Big Billy Whitehurst scoring we were leading 2.1 but eventually lost 3. 2 it was a great game but after that i think we only won one game in the last quarter of the season and finished fourth from bottom. I can't remember if he was sacked after that or whether he was with us the following season. I think his time with City was mixed but it was always going to be a difficult job for any manager at Hull City we never quite had the funds to get promotion into the top flight and if we got a decent player he was usually sold so the crowds were never great at the time and it just seemed to be one big cycle
