EDDIE’S ARCH ENEMIES
Chelsea still a needle match for the Grays
LEEDS legend Eddie Gray hopes his grand nephew will cut through 54 years of stud, sweat and tears to carry the family torch in a classic FA Cup needle match tonight.
Archie Gray scored his first senior goal as Leeds toppled Championship leaders Leicester last Friday – and now he’s gunning for wounded Chelsea.
In 1970, when Don Revie’s great side was going for the Treble, they lost out to Everton for the league title and came up short against Celtic in a European Cup semi-final.
Then they were pipped by Chelsea in the FA Cup final, with the replay at Old Trafford notorious as one of the most brutal games ever played.
Gray was reduced to a hobbling passenger from the opening minutes after being crocked by a dreadful tackle from Ron Harris, and Leeds went on to lose 2-1.
Gray, whose happy feet had tormented David Webb in the 2-2 draw at Wembley (circled, above), hopes his brother’s grandson will lead the Blues a merry dance again in the fifth round.
He said: “Archie is still young, and he has a lot to look forward to in his career – although he’s been playing at right-back, he will be a midfielder when he’s matured.
“His grandad, Frank, won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest, so I hope the genes serve him well.
“He has a good work ethic, and that’s what Daniel Farke has installed in this Leeds side.
“They make it difficult for teams when they have the ball, and out of possession they work even harder to get it back.
“In all my years of going to Elland Road, the atmosphere this season has been as good as I’ve known.
“That stems from Farke’s high standards and work ethic, and it’s nice that the family name is part of it.
“Promotion is the aim, and I’ve got no illusions that it will be a real tough game at Stamford Bridge because Chelsea have a lot of quality.
“They have a lot to play for but so have Leeds. Everyone wants to be back among the elite, playing the big clubs every week.”
Gray, now 76, still smiles about his close encounter with ‘Chopper’ Harris at Old Trafford. It’s one of football’s classic one-liners.
“Years later I was at Stamford Bridge for a game and I felt a tap on the shoulder and a voice saying, ‘Eddie, can I have my studs back, please?’
“I turned round, saw it was Ron and I just burst out laughing. We’ve met a few times since and we just laugh about it.
“Life’s too short to bear grudges – that’s how football was then, and I don’t think it was so awful.
“You wouldn’t get away with some of those tackles now, but in those days you knew what was coming. Defenders knew the first challenge was a ‘free’ one to let you know they were there.
“Ron was hard, but he wasn’t the first one to leave his mark – that’s what it was like almost every week.
“I thought we were marginally the better team in both games of that final but Chelsea were the ones who lifted the Cup and we were sad to finish the season empty-handed.”