Harry Graham (footballer) explained

Harry Graham
Fullname:Harry Graham
Height:[1]
Position:Inside forward
Birth Date:16 December 1887
Birth Place:Edinburgh, Scotland
Death Date:[2]
Death Place:Scotland
Years1:19??–1908
Clubs1:Granton Oakvale
Years2:1908–1910
Clubs2:St Bernard's
Years3:1910–1911
Clubs3:Bradford City
Caps3:11
Goals3:0
Years4:1911–1912
Clubs4:Birmingham
Caps4:12
Goals4:4
Years5:1912–1913
Clubs5:Raith Rovers
Goals5:6[3]
Years6:1913–1920
Caps6:146
Goals6:46
Years7:1920–1924
Clubs7:Leicester City
Caps7:110
Goals7:14
Years8:1924–1925
Clubs8:St Bernard's
Years9:1925–1926
Clubs9:Reading
Caps9:12
Goals9:0
Nationalyears1:1914
Nationalteam1:Scottish Football League XI
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0

Harry Graham (16 December 1887 – 1940) was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish Football League for Raith Rovers and Heart of Midlothian,[4] and in the Football League for Bradford City, Birmingham, Leicester City and Reading.[5] He played as an inside forward.

Career

Graham was born in Edinburgh. He began his career in the Junior grade and was selected twice for Scotland at that level in 1908.[6] [7] He also played for St Bernard's before moving to England to sign for Bradford City in April 1910. He played 11 First Division games without scoring, and in October 1911 joined Second Division club Birmingham. Graham played 12 times for Birmingham, scoring four goals, but he was principally a playmaker, and the club's need was for a goalscorer. In September 1912 he returned to Scotland and signed for Raith Rovers,[8] for whom he appeared in the 1913 Scottish Cup Final.[9]

Graham moved on at the end of the season to Heart of Midlothian, who were looking for a replacement for the recently retired Bobby Walker.[10] Before and during the First World War, Graham scored 41 goals from 120 appearances in the Scottish League,[4] and the League rewarded him with selection for a representative match against the Southern League in October 1914.[11] A qualified dentist,[8] Graham was turned down for "McCrae's Battalion" in 1914 because of asthma,[12] but during the 1916–17 season he was conscripted into the Army, and served with the Royal Army Medical Corps and as a private with the Gloucestershire Regiment. On his return to Hearts, he struggled to get into the first team,[13] and in December 1920 he returned to England and joined Leicester City.[8]

Despite his age – it was around the time of his 33rd birthday when he joined the club – Graham played more than 100 games for Leicester in the Second Division,[5] which he followed with six months with former club St Bernard's and another return to England, where he contributed to Reading's championship of the Third Division South in the 1925–26 season.[8] [14]

Notes and References

  1. News: The lure of promotion. Leicester City . Athletic News . Manchester . 13 August 1923 . 6.
  2. Book: Alexander, Jack . McCrae's Battalion: The Story of the 16th Royal Scots . Mainstream Publishing / Random House . 2004 . 9781845968212 . 11 April 2017.
  3. Web site: Raith Rovers Scorers 1912–13 . free-elements.com . 11 April 2017.
  4. Web site: Harry Graham . London Hearts Supporters Club . 11 April 2017.
  5. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . SoccerData . Nottingham . 2004 . 104 . 978-1-899468-67-6.
  6. Web site: Scotland Junior Internationals . XLS . Scottish Football Historical Archive . Brian McColl . 6 January 2017 . 10 April 2017.
  7. http://www.scottishsporthistory.com/uploads/3/3/6/0/3360867/hawthorns_series_by_douglas_gorman_090316.pdf The Hawthorns Series
  8. Book: Matthews, Tony . Birmingham City: A Complete Record . 1995 . Breedon Books . Derby . 91 . 978-1-85983-010-9.
  9. Web site: 1913 . Scottish Cup Final Archive . Scottish Football Association . 3 November 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110614222935/http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_cup_fixture_details.cfm?page=1283&matchID=91626 . 14 June 2011 . dead.
  10. Web site: 1904–1914 . David . Speed . Alex . Knight . Heart of Midlothian F.C. . 16 April 2007 . 27 May 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120328113258/http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/articles/20070416/1904-1914_2241543_1011739 . 28 March 2012 . dead.
  11. Web site: Mon 12 Oct 1914 Southern League 1 SFL 1 . Scotland The Complete Record 1872 to 2005 . London Hearts Supporters Club . 27 May 2009.
  12. Book: Alexander, Jack . McCrae's Battalion: The Story of the 16th Royal Scots . 18 March 2011 . 9781845968212 . 11 April 2017.
  13. Web site: 1914–1924 . David . Speed . Alex . Knight . Heart of Midlothian F.C. . 15 June 2007 . 3 November 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120328112954/http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/articles/20070615/1914-1924_2241543_1045309 . 28 March 2012 . dead.
  14. Web site: Reading . Football Club History Database . Richard Rundle . 3 November 2010.