George Graham
Scottish footballer and manager / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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George Graham (born 30 November 1944) is a Scottish former football player and manager.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | George Graham[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1944-11-30) 30 November 1944 (age 79)[1] | ||
Place of birth | Bargeddie, Scotland[1] | ||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder, forward | ||
Youth career | |||
1959–1961 | Aston Villa | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1961–1964 | Aston Villa | 8 | (2) |
1964–1966 | Chelsea | 72 | (35) |
1966–1972 | Arsenal | 227 | (60) |
1972–1974 | Manchester United | 43 | (2) |
1974–1976 | Portsmouth | 61 | (5) |
1976–1977 | Crystal Palace | 44 | (2) |
1978 | California Surf | 17 | (0) |
Total | 472 | (106) | |
International career | |||
1964–1965 | Scotland U23 | 2 | (0) |
1971–1973 | Scotland | 12 | (3) |
Managerial career | |||
1982–1986 | Millwall | ||
1986–1995 | Arsenal | ||
1996–1998 | Leeds United | ||
1998–2001 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Nicknamed "Stroller",[3] he made 455 appearances in England's Football League as a midfielder or forward for Aston Villa, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Portsmouth and Crystal Palace. Approximately half of his appearances were for Arsenal, and he was part of the side that won the Football League Championship and FA Cup double in 1971. Graham also made 17 appearances for California Surf in the NASL in 1978.
He then moved to the coaching staff at Crystal Palace, before joining former Palace manager Terry Venables as a coach at Queens Park Rangers. As a manager, he won numerous honours with Arsenal between 1987 and 1995, including two league titles (in 1989 and 1991), the 1993 FA Cup, two Football League Cups (in 1987 and 1993), as well as the 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup. He also managed Millwall, Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.
He was one of the most successful managers in Arsenal's history, remaining in charge for almost a decade until he was sacked by the club's board after being found guilty by the Football Association of taking money from transfers. Graham was banned despite paying back the money, which he always claimed was an "unsolicited gift".[3]