Paddy Gray
Paddy Gray
Paddy Gray
● Paddy Gray, c1903 (FUW)

born in Scotland

Patrick Gray was born on Wednesday, 4th December, 1872, in Partick, Glasgow.

The 5' 11 midfielder signed for Thistle on Tuesday, 7th August, 1894, having most recently been with Govan Hibernian.

Aged 21, he made his first known appearance on Saturday, 11th August, 1894, in a 5-2 win at home to Dundee Wanderers in the SFL Second Division.

He scored his first goal for Thistle on Saturday, 28th September, 1895, in a 15-0 win over Cameronians in the Glasgow Cup, netting a brace on the day.

Paddy scored his last of his 3 known goals on Saturday, 26th December, 1896, in a 5-1 friendly win at home to Cartvale.

He played his last known game for the club on Saturday, 23rd January, 1897, in a 2-1 win away to Renton in the SFL Second Division, having appeared for the Thistle on at least 54 occasions.

His club-list included Yoker Athletic, Govan Hibernian, Partick Thistle, Liverpool, Grimsby Town, Fulham, Leyton, Burton United and Parkgate & Rawmarsh United.

Paddy died on Tuesday, 11th April, 1950, in Hillhead, Glasgow, aged 77.

Bio Extra

The son of Patrick Gray and Winifred Gray (née Burke).

Centre half Paddy Gray (Patrick Gray) joined Thistle from Govan Hibernian in August 1894. Later that month the 21-year-old played his first Jags game against Dundee Wanderers in a 5-2 win in the SFL Second Division. Paddy’s next run out was a 6-1 win over Royal Albert in the 1st Preliminary Round of the Scottish Cup at Firhill on 1 September 1894. In an up and down season, one of the highlights was a 5-1 away league win against Abercorn in January 1895. The nadir was a 9-0 defeat away to Airdrie in March 1895. Thistle ended the season in joint 6th position in the 10 team league. The bottom 2 clubs, Cowlairs and Dundee Wanderers were not re-elected to the Division. Paddy didn’t play many first team games in the 1895-96 season, although he got his first Thistle goals in the phenomenal 15 nil win over Cameronians - a Glasgow Cup competition record score. He did, however, play his part in the 1896-97 2nd Division campaign, with Thistle topping the table, and only dropping 5 points in the 18 game league season with 14 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat. Paddy played 14 games in the successful season, including 9 league games.

Paddy played his last known game for Thistle in January 1897, initially moving to Liverpool. The player moved on to Grimsby Town, where he played 121 games with 5 goals between 1897 and 1903. Paddy played in the club’s Second Division championship win for the 1900-1901 season. He was club captain for the seasons 1898-99 and 1899-1900. Paddy played at Leyton, then had a couple of seasons at Fulham, where he played in 66 games scoring 2 goals. When he was at Fulham Paddy was described as “a brainy half-back who was fast and clever with the ball”. He went on to Burton United, and then Rotherham side Parkgate and Rawmarsh, who played in the Sheffield Association League. In 1909 he returned to Leyton, where he played until retirement.

(DMAC)



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