Andy Graver
Encyclopedia
Andrew Martin "Andy" Graver (born 12 September 1927) is an English former footballer who scored 158 goals from 323 games playing in the Football League
for Newcastle United
, Lincoln City
, Leicester City
and Stoke City
. Graver is Lincoln City's all-time leading scorer, and topped the poll as the club's supporters voted for their "100 League Legends". He spent three separate spells with Lincoln, interspersed with big-money transfers to Leicester City and Stoke City and appearances for Boston United
in the Midland League
. He finished his career in non-League football
with Skegness Town and Ilkeston Town
.
, County Durham
. He worked as a coal miner while playing for Willington Athletic
and then for Annfield Plain
. He signed for Newcastle United
as a professional footballer before the 1947–48 season, and played regularly for the reserve team
in the Central League, but his only game for Newcastle's first team came on 21 January 1950, standing in for the injured Jackie Milburn
in a First Division
match at home to Manchester City
which finished 1–1. In September 1950, Lincoln City
manager Bill Anderson persuaded the player to sign for the Third Division
club for a fee of £5,000.
In his first season at Lincoln Graver scored 20 goals in League and FA Cup, losing out as leading scorer by one goal to Johnny Garvie
. The following year, Garvie again scored 21 goals, but Graver's 39 (36 in the League from only 35 games) not only made him the club's top scorer but made a major contribution to Lincoln winning the Third Division North title and promotion
to the Second Division. Graver scored 36 goals from only 35 games in 1951–52, including a double hat-trick
(six goals) – two scored with his right foot, two with his left, and two headers – as Lincoln beat Crewe Alexandra
11–1. He injured a cartilage later that season so was unable to accept an invitation to appear for the England B team
. Graver was Lincoln's top scorer for the next two seasons, with 18 and 25 goals respectively.
Described in his club profile as "fast, direct, and above all a fine opportunist in front of goal", Graver soon attracted attention from other clubs. Early on in his Lincoln career the club rejected an offer of £12,500 from Norwich City
for his services. Nottingham Forest
made several bids for the player. In December 1954, he signed for First Division
strugglers Leicester City
for a fee of £27,500 plus the player Eric Littler, valued at £600, a Leicester City club record, and little below the £30,000 paid by Tottenham Hotspur
for Northern Ireland international
and Aston Villa
captain Danny Blanchflower
not long before. Graver, described as "reluctantly" leaving Lincoln, said he was "afraid of the responsibility of living up to such a price tag".
Playing alongside Leicester's record goalscorer Arthur Rowley
, Graver scored in his first two games, but produced little more as the club failed to avoid relegation. Lincoln paid £14,000 for Graver's return, but a few months later he moved on again, this time to Second Division Stoke City
for a "large" fee. He had less success at Stoke, producing 12 goals from 37 League games over a season and a half. In August 1957, expectation was that he would return again to Lincoln; terms were agreed between the clubs, but Boston United
– where his brother Alf was already playing – made the player a better contract offer. Not only did Boston pay a Midland League
record fee of £3,500 for Graver, they also signed Johnny Garvie from Carlisle United
with the intention of reviving their previous goalscoring partnership.
Graver provided 24 League goals in the 1957–58 season as Boston finished in third place in the Midland League. He remained with the club as they began their 1958 campaign in the Southern League
, scoring at a goal a game, before returning to Lincoln City for his third spell. He stayed with Lincoln until the end of the 1960–61 season, bringing his goals total to 150 from 289 games in all competitions and establishing his position as Lincoln's all-time top scorer. After retiring from full-time football, he played for Skegness Town and then for Ilkeston Town
, where he was reunited with Garvie yet again. However, injury restricted Garvie to five appearances, and although Graver's 16 goals made him leading scorer in 1961–62, and contributed to a fourth-place finish in the Midland Counties League
and a Derbyshire Senior Cup
-winner's medal, he was soon dropped to the reserves, where a broken ankle brought about his retirement as a player. He had scored 19 goals from 48 appearances in all first-team competitions for Ilkeston.
During the 1960s, Graver coached
Lincoln City's youth team. He worked for a finance company in the Lincoln
area for 30 years, and lived locally after retiring. Graver and 1950s teammate Tony Emery were the first two former players admitted to the club's Hall of Fame in May 1996. In 2006, Graver topped the poll as Lincoln fans voted for "100 League Legends" as part of the celebrations of the club's 100th season in the Football League. The following year, to mark the centenary of the Professional Footballers' Association
(PFA), supporters were asked to vote for their club's all-time favourite player
; Graver was again the Lincoln City choice.
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
, Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
and Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
. Graver is Lincoln City's all-time leading scorer, and topped the poll as the club's supporters voted for their "100 League Legends". He spent three separate spells with Lincoln, interspersed with big-money transfers to Leicester City and Stoke City and appearances for Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
in the Midland League
Midland Football League
There have been at least two different football competitions in England which used the name Midland Football League.One existed until 1982 before merging with the Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties League....
. He finished his career in non-League football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
with Skegness Town and Ilkeston Town
Ilkeston Town F.C.
Ilkeston Football Club is an English football club based at the New Manor Ground in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in 1894 as Ilkeston Town F.C.....
.
Football career
Graver was born in CragheadCraghead
Craghead is a former mining village in County Durham, England. It is located at the bottom of the valley to the south of Stanley, on the main road between Stanley and Durham, and not far from the village of Edmondsley....
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. He worked as a coal miner while playing for Willington Athletic
Willington F.C.
Willington A.F.C. is an English football club based in Willington, County Durham. The club are currently members of the Wearside League and play at Hall Lane.-History:...
and then for Annfield Plain
Annfield Plain F.C.
Annfield Plain Football Club is an English amateur association football club. The club is based in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, County Durham and its home stadium is Derwent Park. The first team joined the North Eastern League for the 1925–26 season and played in the league until 1964, when they...
. He signed for Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
as a professional footballer before the 1947–48 season, and played regularly for the reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
in the Central League, but his only game for Newcastle's first team came on 21 January 1950, standing in for the injured Jackie Milburn
Jackie Milburn
John Edward Thompson 'Jackie' Milburn, , also known to fans as Wor Jackie and 'the first World Wor' in reference to his global fame, was a football player for Newcastle United and England...
in a First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
match at home to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
which finished 1–1. In September 1950, Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
manager Bill Anderson persuaded the player to sign for the Third Division
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
club for a fee of £5,000.
In his first season at Lincoln Graver scored 20 goals in League and FA Cup, losing out as leading scorer by one goal to Johnny Garvie
Johnny Garvie
John "Johnny" Garvie was a Scottish professional footballer who scored 87 goals from 237 games playing in the Scottish League for Hamilton Academical and Stenhousemuir and in the English Football League playing for Preston North End, Lincoln City and Carlisle United...
. The following year, Garvie again scored 21 goals, but Graver's 39 (36 in the League from only 35 games) not only made him the club's top scorer but made a major contribution to Lincoln winning the Third Division North title and promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the Second Division. Graver scored 36 goals from only 35 games in 1951–52, including a double hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
(six goals) – two scored with his right foot, two with his left, and two headers – as Lincoln beat Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
11–1. He injured a cartilage later that season so was unable to accept an invitation to appear for the England B team
England B national football team
England B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the England national football team. At times they have played other nations' full teams; they have also played matches against 'B' teams from other football associations...
. Graver was Lincoln's top scorer for the next two seasons, with 18 and 25 goals respectively.
Described in his club profile as "fast, direct, and above all a fine opportunist in front of goal", Graver soon attracted attention from other clubs. Early on in his Lincoln career the club rejected an offer of £12,500 from Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
for his services. Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
made several bids for the player. In December 1954, he signed for First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
strugglers Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
for a fee of £27,500 plus the player Eric Littler, valued at £600, a Leicester City club record, and little below the £30,000 paid by Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
for Northern Ireland international
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
captain Danny Blanchflower
Danny Blanchflower
Robert Dennis "Danny" Blanchflower was a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager, and journalist who captained Tottenham Hotspur F.C. during its double-winning season of 1961. He was ranked as the greatest player in Spurs history by The Times in 2009...
not long before. Graver, described as "reluctantly" leaving Lincoln, said he was "afraid of the responsibility of living up to such a price tag".
Playing alongside Leicester's record goalscorer Arthur Rowley
Arthur Rowley
George Arthur Rowley, , nicknamed "The Gunner" because of his explosive left-foot shot, was an English football player and cricketer. He holds the record for the most goals in the history of English league football, scoring 434 from 619 league games. He was the younger brother of Manchester United...
, Graver scored in his first two games, but produced little more as the club failed to avoid relegation. Lincoln paid £14,000 for Graver's return, but a few months later he moved on again, this time to Second Division Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
for a "large" fee. He had less success at Stoke, producing 12 goals from 37 League games over a season and a half. In August 1957, expectation was that he would return again to Lincoln; terms were agreed between the clubs, but Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
– where his brother Alf was already playing – made the player a better contract offer. Not only did Boston pay a Midland League
Midland Football League
There have been at least two different football competitions in England which used the name Midland Football League.One existed until 1982 before merging with the Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties League....
record fee of £3,500 for Graver, they also signed Johnny Garvie from Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
with the intention of reviving their previous goalscoring partnership.
Graver provided 24 League goals in the 1957–58 season as Boston finished in third place in the Midland League. He remained with the club as they began their 1958 campaign in the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, scoring at a goal a game, before returning to Lincoln City for his third spell. He stayed with Lincoln until the end of the 1960–61 season, bringing his goals total to 150 from 289 games in all competitions and establishing his position as Lincoln's all-time top scorer. After retiring from full-time football, he played for Skegness Town and then for Ilkeston Town
Ilkeston Town F.C.
Ilkeston Football Club is an English football club based at the New Manor Ground in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in 1894 as Ilkeston Town F.C.....
, where he was reunited with Garvie yet again. However, injury restricted Garvie to five appearances, and although Graver's 16 goals made him leading scorer in 1961–62, and contributed to a fourth-place finish in the Midland Counties League
Midland Football League
There have been at least two different football competitions in England which used the name Midland Football League.One existed until 1982 before merging with the Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties League....
and a Derbyshire Senior Cup
Derbyshire Senior Cup
The Derbyshire Senior Cup is a local county football cup for teams based in the county of Derbyshire. It's final is traditionally held at Derby County's Pride Park Stadium....
-winner's medal, he was soon dropped to the reserves, where a broken ankle brought about his retirement as a player. He had scored 19 goals from 48 appearances in all first-team competitions for Ilkeston.
During the 1960s, Graver coached
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
Lincoln City's youth team. He worked for a finance company in the Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
area for 30 years, and lived locally after retiring. Graver and 1950s teammate Tony Emery were the first two former players admitted to the club's Hall of Fame in May 1996. In 2006, Graver topped the poll as Lincoln fans voted for "100 League Legends" as part of the celebrations of the club's 100th season in the Football League. The following year, to mark the centenary of the Professional Footballers' Association
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
(PFA), supporters were asked to vote for their club's all-time favourite player
PFA Fans' Favourites
The PFA Fans' Favourites is a list of football players produced as part of the celebrations of the centenary of the Professional Footballers' Association in 2007. There is one entry for each Football League club's favourite player...
; Graver was again the Lincoln City choice.