Deiniol Graham
Encyclopedia
Deiniol William Thomas Graham (born 4 October 1969) is a Welsh
former footballer who played as a forward for various clubs in the Football League
after playing in the Manchester United
youth and reserve teams.
, Staffordshire
, England
, Graham signed for Manchester United
as an apprentice in October 1985 and left school in the summer of 1986. He turned professional a year later, and made his debut for the first team in the 1987–88 season, coming on as a 53rd-minute substitute for Mike Duxbury in the club's League Cup Second Round second leg match against Hull City
on 7 October 1987. He made one further appearance that season.
Graham scored his first and only goal for the Manchester United first team on 11 January 1989 in a 2–2 draw with Queens Park Rangers
in an FA Cup
Third Round replay. However, just over a month later, he suffered a broken arm in a youth team match against Bury Reserves
and was ruled out for eight months, severely denting his first team opportunities. He only made one more appearance for the first team before Mel Machin
signed him for Barnsley
for £
50,000 on 5 August 1991.
At Barnsley, Graham's first-team opportunities were more frequent but he was still unable to hold down a regular place, making around 40 appearances and scoring just two goals in his three years there. In 1992, he was loaned out to Preston North End
, where he made 11 appearances and scored one goal, in the FA Cup. A loan spell at Carlisle United
followed in 1993, and Graham was given a free transfer by Barnsley at the end of the 1993–94 season.
He was then picked up by Stockport County
, scoring two goals in 11 matches before joining Scunthorpe United
a year later, but after two months there, including three appearances and one goal, he moved into non-league football.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
former footballer who played as a forward for various clubs in the Football League
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...
after playing in the Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
youth and reserve teams.
Career
Born in CannockCannock
Cannock is the most populous of three towns in the district of Cannock Chase in the central southern part of the county of Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Graham signed for Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
as an apprentice in October 1985 and left school in the summer of 1986. He turned professional a year later, and made his debut for the first team in the 1987–88 season, coming on as a 53rd-minute substitute for Mike Duxbury in the club's League Cup Second Round second leg match against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on 7 October 1987. He made one further appearance that season.
Graham scored his first and only goal for the Manchester United first team on 11 January 1989 in a 2–2 draw with Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Third Round replay. However, just over a month later, he suffered a broken arm in a youth team match against Bury Reserves
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
and was ruled out for eight months, severely denting his first team opportunities. He only made one more appearance for the first team before Mel Machin
Mel Machin
Melvyn "Mel" Machin is an English former footballer and manager.A midfielder, he started his career at Port Vale in 1962, before he moved on to Gillingham four years later. He made his name at the club from 1966 to 1971, before he transferred to Bournemouth for a three year spell...
signed him for Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
50,000 on 5 August 1991.
At Barnsley, Graham's first-team opportunities were more frequent but he was still unable to hold down a regular place, making around 40 appearances and scoring just two goals in his three years there. In 1992, he was loaned out to Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, where he made 11 appearances and scored one goal, in the FA Cup. A loan spell at 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....
followed in 1993, and Graham was given a free transfer by Barnsley at the end of the 1993–94 season.
He was then picked up by Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
, scoring two goals in 11 matches before joining Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
a year later, but after two months there, including three appearances and one goal, he moved into non-league football.