Billy Gray (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Patrick Gray | ||
| Date of birth | 24 May 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Ashington, England | ||
| Date of death | 11 April 2011 (aged 83) | ||
| Place of death | Nottingham, England | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1947–1948 | Leyton Orient | 19 | (1) |
| 1948–1953 | Chelsea | 146 | (12) |
| 1953–1957 | Burnley | 120 | (30) |
| 1957–1963 | Nottingham Forest | 201 | (29) |
| 1963–1965 | Millwall | 20 | (1) |
| Total | 506 | (73) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1963–1966 | Millwall | ||
| 1966–1967 | Brentford | ||
| 1967–1968 | Notts County | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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William Patrick "Billy" Gray (24 May 1927 – 11 April 2011) was an English professional association footballer and manager who played initially as a winger.
Gray was signed by Leyton Orient after being spotted playing for Dinnington Colliery.
On his transfer to Nottingham Forest for £4,500 in 1957 he played in his accustomed position of outside right; in the summer of 1958 Forest signed Roy Dwight, also an outside right, from Fulham, and Gray moved to inside forward. In this position he played in every game of that season's FA Cup winning run, and scored 5 goals, including 3 penalties and one in the 4th round vs Grimsby Town directly from a corner.
In later years at Forest he moved to full back, finally leaving the club in 1963 to become player manager at Millwall.
On retirement from football management Gray ran a greengrocer and convenience store on Wollaton Road Nottingham, but continued his involvement in sport, acting as a groundsman for various clubs.
Gray's nephew was John Richardson, whom he managed at Millwall and Brentford. His death in April 2011 at the age of 83 leaves Jeff Whitefoot as the only survivor from the 1959 Cup-winning team.
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