Andy Gray Appreciation thread

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Groucho

Groucho

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With our game not until tomorrow, I thought we could have another look at a past Everton hero. Let's have a look at a game featurng a hat trick from him (@Dutch Toffee you may remember this one lol ):



Andy Gray came on a free apparently because Howard Kendall's preferred target was to cost too much (Peter Withe, a boyhood blue and European Cup winner with Aston Villa).

What a second choice he turned out to be! In his press conference after signing, he was asked "why did you come to Everton" and he replied "to win things". Upon the journalists in the room having a good old giggle and replying "everyone says that", he retorted "well you haven't asked me yet have you"?

How right he turned out to be eh? Swashbuckling, pitch headbutting, goalscoring, goalie-barging Andy Gray won the FA Cup, league title and European Cup Winners Cp here in his short time, earning a place in many blue hearts along the way.

Here he is telling us something we probably already knew:

 

Groucho said:
With our game not until tomorrow, I thought we could have another look at a past Everton hero. Let's have a look at a game featurng a hat trick from him (@Dutch Toffee you may remember this one lol ):



Andy Gray came on a free apparently because Howard Kendall's preferred target was to cost too much (Peter Withe, a boyhood blue and European Cup winner with Aston Villa).

What a second choice he turned out to be! In his press conference after signing, he was asked "why did you come to Everton" and he replied "to win things". Upon the journalists in the room having a good old giggle and replying "everyone says that", he retorted "well you haven't asked me yet have you"?

How right he turned out to be eh? Swashbuckling, pitch headbutting, goalscoring, goalie-barging Andy Gray won the FA Cup, league title and European Cup Winners Cp here in his short time, earning a place in many blue hearts along the way.

Here he is telling us something we probably already knew:

Click to expand...

The mans a legend , makes his place in the all time greats of Goodision .
 
The day Howard signed Andy Gray, I thought he'd lost the plot. I remembered Gray scoring the odd goal here and there, and winning the league cup, but nothing special...how wrong I was about him.
He fitted our team perfectly. He brought out that extra bit of snide in our team and made Sharp an even better player.
His determination, his never say die attitude and his absolute will to win were infectious and he was a major part in those glory days.
 
Great player for us. I went to a charity do in 85 to celebrate our success, the trophies were on display and a number of the first team attended. Andy Gray was the only one who actually mixed with us punters. He was affable, obliging and genuinely gave the impression he enjoyed being amongst us, in contrast to the others. Genuine bloke.
He scored many important( and brave) goals for us. Funnily enough one memory I have of him is blasting the ball over the crossbar ,at Wembley 77, when he played for Villa. He always gave everything he had.
 

For me, in a team that achieved great things, alongside Reidy, Gray was the personality that made us winners, and for that he'll always have a place in my Evertonian heart.

If ever a man epitomised 'a will to win' it was Gray. A good player too, not just a yard dog.

Four great memories for me, the Munich game, the Sunderland game (two diving headers the likes of which are never scored anymore), the ground header at Notts County in the Cup, and his goal at Wembley in 84.

I'm trying to think of a modern personality in the game who has a similar desire to win. Very different obviously but Bale in a Welsh shirt is the nearest I can get too.
 

Randomly bumped in to him in Paris a few years ago and he ended up chatting to me for near 20 mins like I was his mate. Had a right laugh telling him me mum missed Rotterdam coz I'd been born in the Feb and the rest of the family went, while his missus and mine were happily gabbing too.

30 mins later bumped in to Anichebe and his bird, what a contrast.
 
Yes one of our all time greats , thought he would have topped it off becoming our manager....until Sky waved the cheque book.
None the less fantastic signing by Howard maybe we should remember this when expecting the club to make stellar signings.
Some times its just how the player fits into the club not the size of the fee , Andy Gray done that in buckets.
 
blulouie said:
Yes one of our all time greats , thought he would have topped it off becoming our manager....until Sky waved the cheque book.
None the less fantastic signing by Howard maybe we should remember this when expecting the club to make stellar signings.
Some times its just how the player fits into the club not the size of the fee , Andy Gray done that in buckets.
Click to expand...
As a few on here have mentioned already, what made this guy stand out is that he was a winner, something we're sadly missing at the moment. He was also possibly the bravest player I've ever seen wear the royal blue shirt. I don't think it's any coincidence that Sharpie's game improved tenfold after Gray joined us. There can't be many players who achieved legend status after only two years service, especially amongst us finicky Evertonians, but Gray managed it. It helped that he was part of our most successful ever team I suppose.

What I will add is that I haven't been as enamoured with him since he retired from playing. I haven't felt the love for the club that you get from other ex players, possibly because he had much longer careers at Villa and Wolves.

An old client if mine (who just happens to be a RS) is really good mates with him and says he's a really top bloke. Very down to earth and generous.

Don't know how he'd get on in the current game as it's changed so much, but in his day he was class.

Couple of interesting snippets I picked up this morning. Firstly he only won 20 caps for Scotland. Secondly, he's only 5'11"!!. That can't be right surely?
 
Great memories of that era, Gray was almost unplayable at times. The tackling back and sheer will to get the ball showed the team spirit which seems sadly lacking atm. Play the clip to the squad before tomorrows game and tell them that is how an Everton team should play
 

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