Harry Gregg
Encyclopedia
Henry "Harry" Gregg, MBE
(born 27 October 1932) is a former Northern Ireland
international footballer and manager.
He played 25 times for Northern Ireland
as a goalkeeper
and played for Manchester United
during the reign of Sir Matt Busby
with a total of 210 appearances.
of Linfield
, before signing for his local club Coleraine
. At the age of 18 he earned a move across the Irish Sea
to Doncaster Rovers
, before transferring to Manchester United
in December 1957. He earned 25 caps for the Northern Ireland national team
. At the time of his transfer, he was the most expensive goalkeeper in the world at a fee of £23,000.
Gregg was voted best goalkeeper of the tournament at 1958 World Cup. At the time the All-star team was voted on by the journalists covering the tournament, and Gregg got 478 votes – way ahead of closest competitor Lev Yashin
with 122 votes.
Gregg was a goalkeeper who had 48 clean sheets in his United career. He is sometimes called 'The Hero of Munich' because he pulled some of his team mates from the burning plane during the Munich air disaster
including Bobby Charlton
, Jackie Blanchflower
and Dennis Viollet
. Among those he helped was Vera Lukić, the pregnant wife of a Yugoslav diplomat and her daughter, Vesna, as well as his badly-injured manager Sir Matt Busby
.
Gregg is rated by many as one of the best – if not the very best – goalkeepers Manchester United ever had, yet he achieved no medals to justify this claim – made all the more frustrating for him by the fact that he played for the club during one of their most successful periods. He was ruled out of the 1963 FA Cup victory due to a serious shoulder injury, and a succession of injuries meant that he could not play enough games to qualify for a league championship medal in the 1964–65
and 1966–67
title-winning campaigns. He was transferred to Stoke City
in the summer of 1967. He left Stoke City a year later to retire as a player and manage Shrewsbury Town
.
where he remained until 1978. He then had a spell with his old team Manchester United at the invitation of Dave Sexton
as goalkeeper coach, where he stayed until Sexton left in 1981.
His next club was Swindon Town
as assistant manager to Lou Macari
. Although Macari went on to lead Swindon to the Fourth Division title in 1986 it was without Gregg. He had an open disagreement with Macari which led to them both being sacked in April 1985. However Macari was reinstated the following week but Gregg moved on.
During the 1986–87 season he had an uneventful spell as manager of Carlisle United
, failing to prevent them from suffering a second successive relegation that pushed them into the Fourth Division for the first time since the 1960s. This was his last role in football.
(fittingly called The Windsor Hotel) in the town of Portstewart on the North Antrim coast of his native Northern Ireland.
He received an MBE
in 1995 and has appeared in a number of recent television programmes about Manchester United and the Munich Air Disaster, including Munich: End of a Dream – a documentary televised in 1998 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich tragedy. He was voted best goalkeeper of the tournament in the 1958 FIFA World Cup
according to the FIFA documentary "FIFA fever". On the 50th anniversary of the air crash he appeared in the documentary One Life: Munich Air Disaster in which he returned to the scene of the crash for the first time and also met the son of Mrs Lukic who she was pregnant with at the time of the disaster. He expressed disappointment at never having been able to meet Mr Lukic, who had died in 2007.
On 1 July 2008 Gregg was made an Honorary Graduate of the University of Ulster
and awarded a Doctor of the University (DUniv) in recognition of his contribution to football at their Summer Graduation Ceremony
In 2009 he was heckled by an intoxicated Traditional Unionist Voice
councillor Robin Stirling
at a Milk Cup
fund raising event in a Chinese restaurant in Ballymena
.Stirling was ejected from the premises.Gregg distanced himself from the incident.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 27 October 1932) is a former Northern Ireland
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...
international footballer and manager.
He played 25 times for Northern Ireland
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...
as a goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
and played 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...
during the reign of Sir Matt Busby
Matt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
with a total of 210 appearances.
Playing career
Gregg started his career with Windsor Park Swifts, the reserve teamReserve 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...
of Linfield
Linfield F.C.
Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
, before signing for his local club Coleraine
Coleraine F.C.
Coleraine F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1927, hails from Coleraine, County Londonderry and plays its home matches at the Showgrounds. Club colours are blue and white...
. At the age of 18 he earned a move across the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
to Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
, before transferring to 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...
in December 1957. He earned 25 caps for the Northern Ireland national team
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...
. At the time of his transfer, he was the most expensive goalkeeper in the world at a fee of £23,000.
Gregg was voted best goalkeeper of the tournament at 1958 World Cup. At the time the All-star team was voted on by the journalists covering the tournament, and Gregg got 478 votes – way ahead of closest competitor Lev Yashin
Lev Yashin
Lev Ivanovich Yashin nicknamed as "The Black Spider", was a Soviet-Russian football goalkeeper, considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the game. He was known for his superior athleticism in goal, imposing stature, amazing reflex saves and inventing the idea of...
with 122 votes.
Gregg was a goalkeeper who had 48 clean sheets in his United career. He is sometimes called 'The Hero of Munich' because he pulled some of his team mates from the burning plane during the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
including Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
, Jackie Blanchflower
Jackie Blanchflower
John "Jackie" Blanchflower was a Northern Irish football player. He graduated from Manchester United's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions, before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster...
and Dennis Viollet
Dennis Viollet
Dennis Sydney Viollet was an English footballer best remembered for his time with Manchester United in the 1950s and early 1960s.-Club career:...
. Among those he helped was Vera Lukić, the pregnant wife of a Yugoslav diplomat and her daughter, Vesna, as well as his badly-injured manager Sir Matt Busby
Matt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
.
Gregg is rated by many as one of the best – if not the very best – goalkeepers Manchester United ever had, yet he achieved no medals to justify this claim – made all the more frustrating for him by the fact that he played for the club during one of their most successful periods. He was ruled out of the 1963 FA Cup victory due to a serious shoulder injury, and a succession of injuries meant that he could not play enough games to qualify for a league championship medal in the 1964–65
1964-65 in English football
The 1964–65 season was the 85th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* After a three-way tussle for the League title between Manchester United, Leeds United and Chelsea, Manchester United came out on top and were crowned champions....
and 1966–67
1966-67 in English football
The 1966–67 season was the 87th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Queens Park Rangers won the Football League Cup on the first occasion it was played at Wembley, coming from 2-0 down at half-time to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2....
title-winning campaigns. He was transferred to 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...
in the summer of 1967. He left Stoke City a year later to retire as a player and manage Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
.
Managerial career
In November 1972, he became manager of Swansea City, resigning in February 1975 to join Crewe AlexandraCrewe 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...
where he remained until 1978. He then had a spell with his old team Manchester United at the invitation of Dave Sexton
Dave Sexton
David "Dave" Sexton OBE is an English former football manager and player.-Playing career:Son of former professional boxer Archie Sexton, he started his playing career with West Ham United in 1948. Playing mainly at inside-forward, he would finish his career with time at Luton Town, Leyton Orient,...
as goalkeeper coach, where he stayed until Sexton left in 1981.
His next club was Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
as assistant manager to Lou Macari
Lou Macari
Luigi "Lou" Macari is a Scottish former footballer and football manager of Italian descent.-Playing career:...
. Although Macari went on to lead Swindon to the Fourth Division title in 1986 it was without Gregg. He had an open disagreement with Macari which led to them both being sacked in April 1985. However Macari was reinstated the following week but Gregg moved on.
During the 1986–87 season he had an uneventful spell as manager of 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....
, failing to prevent them from suffering a second successive relegation that pushed them into the Fourth Division for the first time since the 1960s. This was his last role in football.
After football
For some years after this he owned a hotelHotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
(fittingly called The Windsor Hotel) in the town of Portstewart on the North Antrim coast of his native Northern Ireland.
He received an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1995 and has appeared in a number of recent television programmes about Manchester United and the Munich Air Disaster, including Munich: End of a Dream – a documentary televised in 1998 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich tragedy. He was voted best goalkeeper of the tournament in the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
according to the FIFA documentary "FIFA fever". On the 50th anniversary of the air crash he appeared in the documentary One Life: Munich Air Disaster in which he returned to the scene of the crash for the first time and also met the son of Mrs Lukic who she was pregnant with at the time of the disaster. He expressed disappointment at never having been able to meet Mr Lukic, who had died in 2007.
On 1 July 2008 Gregg was made an Honorary Graduate of the University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
and awarded a Doctor of the University (DUniv) in recognition of his contribution to football at their Summer Graduation Ceremony
In 2009 he was heckled by an intoxicated Traditional Unionist Voice
Traditional Unionist Voice
Traditional Unionist Voice is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland founded on 7 December 2007, as an anti-St Andrews Agreement splinter group from the Democratic Unionist Party . Its first and current leader is Jim Allister who, until 2009, sat as an independent Member of the European...
councillor Robin Stirling
Robin Stirling
Robin Stirling is a former Unionist politician in Ballymena, County Antrim.Having previously sat on Ballymena Borough Council as a Traditional Unionist Voice member and for a period before as a Democratic Unionist Party councillor....
at a Milk Cup
Milk Cup
The Milk Cup is an international youth football tournament held annually in Northern Ireland. The cup matches are mainly played in the North Coast area of Northern Ireland, with matches taking place in the towns of Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, Limavady, Coleraine, Ballymoney, Ballymena and...
fund raising event in a Chinese restaurant in Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
.Stirling was ejected from the premises.Gregg distanced himself from the incident.