Jackie Graham

Jackie Graham
Personal information
Full name John Joseph Graham[1]
Date of birth (1946-07-16) 16 July 1946
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position Central midfielder, inside left
Youth career
Clydebank Strollers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1965–1966 Morton 6 (1)
1966–1969 Dundee United 27 (10)
1967Dallas Tornado (loan) 11 (4)
1969–1970 Guildford City (20)
1970–1980 Brentford 374 (38)
1980–1985 Addlestone & Weybridge Town
Farnborough Town
Hounslow Town
Woking
Burnham & Hillingdon
Staines Town
Total 418 (73)
Teams managed
1986–1987 Staines Town
1990 Staines Town (joint-caretaker manager)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


John Joseph "Jackie" Graham (born 16 July 1946 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager who played as a central midfielder and inside left. He is best remembered for the decade he spent in the Football League with Brentford, making over 400 appearances for the club. Graham was voted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in December 2013.[2]

Playing career

Morton

Graham began his career in his native Scotland in 1965 with Scottish League Division One side Morton, scoring one goal in six league appearances for the club, before departing at the end of the 1965–66 season.

Dundee United

Graham moved to fellow top-flight side Dundee United for a £15,000 fee in the summer of 1966.[3] He failed to progress at Tannadice, making just 27 appearances over the course of three seasons, scoring 10 goals. He departed the club at the end of the 1968–69 season.

Dallas Tornado (loan)

Graham moved to the United States to play for United Soccer Association side Dallas Tornado on loan during the 1967 season.[4] He scored four goals in 11 appearances in a dire season for the Tornado.[4][5]

Guildford City

Graham moved to England in the summer of 1969, joining Southern League Division One side Guildford City. He later revealed that the move was brought about because his girlfriend lived in the city.[6] Graham scored 20 goals from the inside left position during the 1969–70 season,[7] attracting the interest of Football League clubs.[7] He felt he was "getting mucked about quite a bit" by Guildford, after league clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers, Oxford United, Cardiff City, Coventry City and Leeds United all pulled out of deals to sign him, due to Guildford's fee demands.[6]

Brentford

Graham joined Division Four side Brentford in the summer of 1970,[7] having gone behind the back of the Guildford board to sign for the club.[6] He flourished under Frank Blunstone's management and moved from inside left to central midfield.[6] He was an automatic pick in the midfield and was the side's playmaker and a regular set piece taker, scoring twice directly from corner kicks.[3] Despite contemplating returning to Guildford City during Mike Everitt's tenure as manager,[6] Graham remained with the Bees and made 409 appearances and scored 40 goals in his decade at Griffin Park.[7] He tasted promotion from Division Four in the 1971–72 and 1977–78 seasons and his performances garnered him the club's Players' Player of the Year award in 1971–72 and 1976–77.[7] He was also named captain by Bill Dodgin.[6] He departed the club in 1980 after failing to see eye to eye with incoming manager Fred Callaghan.[6] Graham received a standing ovation at Griffin Park when he returned as a player with Addlestone & Weybridge Town in November 1980 for an FA Cup match.[7] Graham was recognised for his service to the Bees by being awarded a testimonial versus Watford in May 1982,[7] from which he earned approximately £3,500.[8] Graham was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in December 2013.[2]

Non-league football

Graham dropped back into non-league football to sign for Southern League Southern Division side Addlestone & Weybridge Town in 1980 and was named captain of the club.[7] He later had spells with Farnborough Town, Hounslow Town, Woking, Burnham & Hillingdon and Staines Town.[7]

Managerial career

Graham had a spell managing Isthmian League Division One side Staines Town during the 1986–87 season and was named as caretaker manager for a period in 1990.[9]

Coaching career

Graham held coaching positions at Staines Town, in Millwall's Centre Of Excellence and at Combined Counties League side Cranleigh.[3] He later became vice-chairman of the FA Coaches Association.[7]

Personal life

Graham is a Rangers supporter and remains friends with Walter Smith, a former teammate at Dundee United.[6] Apart from a time living in a Brentford-owned house in Hounslow, Graham has lived in Guildford since 1969.[6] After retiring from football, Graham initially worked as an engineer and as of 2005 was running a cleaning contractor business in the town.[6]

Honours

As a player

Brentford

As an individual

References

  1. "Barry Hugman's Footballers - Jackie Graham". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Trio Added To Brentford Fc Hall Of Fame". Brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  3. 1 2 3 TW8 Matchday versus Oldham Athletic 25/08/03. 2003: The Yellow Printing Company Limited. p. 32.
  4. 1 2 "NASL Soccer North American Soccer League Players". nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  5. "Dallas Tornado Spawns Dundee United's Tangerine Terrors". The Soccer Observer. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Lane, David (2005). Cult Bees & Legends: Volume Two. Hampton Hill: Legends Publishing. pp. 76–97. ASIN B00NPZL58S. ISBN 0954368282.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Yore Publications. p. 69. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  8. Griffin Gazette: Brentford's Official Matchday Magazine versus Crewe Alexandra 06/04/96. Quay Design of Poole. 1996. p. 20.
  9. "Staines Town Info". Stainestownfootballclub.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  10. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 391. ISBN 0951526200.
  11. White 1989, p. 394.
  12. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the 70s. Legends Publishing. p. 295. ISBN 978-1906796709.
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