HILLEY, HARLEY & GRAY
By the mid-1960s the exploits of Thirds’ inside-trio had already passed into the realms of folklore. Without doubt, they were the most prolific scoring combination the club had ever produced, bagging an incredible total of 153 League goals between them in their three full seasons together. (Rangers’ high-scoring trio of Jim--
MATT GRAY (born 1936), who was signed from Maryhill Juniors in September 1957, was the first to break into the side and the last of the notable threesome to leave Cathkin.
He went on to play a total of 87 league matches for Manchester City plus another four as substitute between 1962-66 and scored 21 goals for the Maine Road outfit.
Perhaps his most memorable match in a City shirt came against Bury when he replaced the injured Harry Dowd in goal in the 54th minute and went on to keep a clean sheet whilst Dowd, nursing a broken finger, having taken over at centre-forward in a re-jigged side, went on to score a dramatic equaliser.
DAVE HILLEY (born 1938), who was the youngest of the three and more of a provider than an out-andout goalscorer, became a great favourite with Newcastle United fans. He played a total of 194 league matches (32 goals) in just over five years with the Magpies.
He later joined Nottingham Forest, where he played alongside the likes of Jim Baxter, Joe Baker and Ian Storey-Moore. He scored 14 times in 87 appearances, which included 16 as substitute. A my Millar, Ralph Brand and Davie Wilson could manage only 137 in the same period).
Harley’s strike rate was a phenomenal 0.8 goals per game and Gray averaged more than a goal every other game. The three also hit 19 Scottish Cup goals between them in just two seasons (Gray 9, Harley 9, Hilley 1). product of Jordanhill College, he later became a sports journalist.
ALEX HARLEY (born 1936), who once scored five goals in a 7-2 win against Dundee United, continued where he left off in Scotland by scoring 23 goals in just 40 league appearances for Manchester City.
That total included a famous match-winner against Manchester United at Old Trafford with virtually the last kick of the match, when he raced onto a long through ball, outpaced Bill Foulkes and shot past David Gaskell to give City the two points.
His value soared during his time at Maine Road and just 12 months later, in August 1963, he joined Birmingham City for £40,000. After just nine goals in 28 appearances for the Blues, he returned to Scotland in 1965 with Dundee.
But that was not a success and he made just ten appearances, scoring four times. His wanderings took him to Portadown, then Leicester and he also had spells in Canada and South Africa.
Unfortunately, he became too friendly with the bottle and, tragically, before the decade was out, at the age of just 33, he was dead.