Harry Gregg facts for kids

Henry "Harry" Gregg (born October 27, 1932 – died February 16, 2020) was a famous Northern Irish professional footballer and manager. He was a goalkeeper and played for Manchester United for many years. He made 247 appearances for the club.

Harry Gregg is especially remembered as a survivor of the Munich air disaster in 1958. He also played for Doncaster Rovers and Stoke City. For his country, he played 25 times for the Northern Ireland national team between 1954 and 1963, even playing in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. After his playing career, he became a manager for clubs like Carlisle United and Swansea City.

Harry Gregg's Club Career

Gregg (back row, fourth left) with the Manchester United team in Rotterdam in 1963

Harry Gregg was born in Tobermore, Northern Ireland. His family soon moved to Coleraine. He started his football journey with Windsor Park Swifts, which was the reserve team for Linfield. Later, he joined his local club, Coleraine.

When he was 18, he moved to England to play for Doncaster Rovers. In December 1957, he made a big move to Manchester United. His transfer fee was £23,500, which was a world record for a goalkeeper at that time!

The Hero of Munich

Harry Gregg is often called "The Hero of Munich." This is because of his brave actions after the terrible Munich air disaster in 1958. He pulled his teammates, including Bobby Charlton, Jackie Blanchflower, and Dennis Viollet, out of the burning plane.

He also helped other people, like Vera Lukić, who was pregnant, and her two-year-old daughter, Vesna. He even helped his injured manager, Matt Busby. Famous footballer George Best once said, "Bravery is one thing but what Harry did was about more than bravery. It was about goodness."

After the disaster, Gregg played in United's very first match. It was an FA Cup game against Sheffield Wednesday, and United won 3–0. They even reached the 1958 FA Cup Final, but they lost 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers.

Later Years at Manchester United and Stoke City

Even though he played for Manchester United during a successful time, Harry Gregg didn't win a major medal with them. He missed the 1963 FA Cup Final win because of a shoulder injury. Also, he had many injuries, so he couldn't play enough games to get a league championship medal in the 1964–65 season.

He left Manchester United during the 1966–67 season. During his time at United, Gregg managed to keep the opposing team from scoring in 48 games out of 247 appearances.

In December 1966, Gregg moved to Stoke City. He played only two matches for Stoke. In his first game, Stoke lost 4–2 to Leicester City. In his second, he helped Stoke win 2–0 against Blackpool, keeping a clean sheet. He retired from playing at the end of the 1966–67 season.

Harry Gregg's International Career

Harry Gregg played 25 times for the Northern Ireland national team. His first international game was in March 1954 against Wales.

He was part of the Northern Ireland team that won 3–2 against England at Wembley in November 1957. He also helped his team qualify for the 1958 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, he was voted the best goalkeeper of the tournament! Northern Ireland reached the quarter-finals that year.

Harry Gregg's Coaching Career

In 1968, Harry Gregg became the manager of Shrewsbury Town. In November 1972, he took over as manager of Swansea City. He left Swansea in February 1975 to manage Crewe Alexandra, where he stayed until 1978.

After that, he worked as a goalkeeper coach for his old team, Manchester United, until 1981. He then became an assistant manager at Swindon Town. Later, he joined Carlisle United. In the 1986–87 season, he became Carlisle's manager, but the team was relegated to a lower division. Gregg left Carlisle in late 1987.

Television Appearances and Portrayals

Harry Gregg appeared in several TV shows about Manchester United and the Munich air disaster. One was a 1998 documentary called Munich: End of a Dream, which marked 40 years since the crash.

For the 50th anniversary of the crash, he was in a BBC documentary called One Life: Munich Air Disaster. In this show, he went back to the crash site and the hospital for the first time. He also met the son of Vera Lukić, the woman he saved who was pregnant at the time.

In 2011, an actor named Ben Peel played Harry Gregg in a BBC film called United, which was about the Munich air disaster. Gregg also shared his emotional story of the disaster on a show called Munich Air Disaster: I Was There on the National Geographic Channel.

In April 2015, a documentary called Spirit of '58 was shown. It included interviews with Harry Gregg and other surviving members of the Northern Ireland 1958 World Cup team.

Harry Gregg's Personal Life

Harry Gregg married his first wife, Mavis Markham, in 1957. They had two daughters, Linda and Karen. Sadly, Mavis passed away in 1961. In 1965, Harry married Carolyn Maunders. They had four children: Julie, Jane, Suzanne, and John-Henry. In 2009, his daughter Karen sadly passed away. Harry Gregg's uncle was also the grandfather of another footballer, Steve Lomas.

Harry Gregg once owned a hotel called the Windsor Hotel in Portstewart, Northern Ireland. In May 2011, at 78 years old, Harry Gregg visited Ramelton in Ireland, where he met local people and shared stories.

On May 15, 2012, a special match was held to celebrate Harry Gregg's time at Manchester United. Manchester United played against an Irish League Select team.

Harry Gregg passed away on February 16, 2020, at the age of 87, after being ill for several weeks. He died at the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

Honours and Awards

Individual Awards

• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1958
• FIFA World Cup Best Goalkeeper: 1958

Harry Gregg was recognized for his services to football. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1995. Later, he was made an Officer of the Order (OBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours.

On July 1, 2008, the University of Ulster gave Harry Gregg an honorary degree (Doctor of the University). This was to celebrate his important contributions to football.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Managerial record

See also

In Spanish: Harry Gregg para niños