John "Tank" Bray
5'10" 12st.
b. Darwen 16 March 1937 d. Rainford 29 September 1992
Debut 21 September 1959 (22y 189d) Final Game 6 March 1965 (27y 355d)
First Goal 15 April 1961 Final Goal 26 August 1961
CAREER: Norden School,Rishton;Bangor St BC;Blackburn Rovers Mar'54 (goundstaff May'53);Bury Apr'65[32];Great Harwood (p-m) Jun’65;Drumcondra (Eire) Sep'56.
HONOURS FAC los (Blackburn Rovers) ’91.
FL 153 apps 2 gls 1 og
FAC 19 apps
FLC 12 apps
Total 184 apps 2 gls 1 og
ASL 5 apps
LC 6 apps
FAYC 7 apps 4 gls
Bray had two uncles who had played top class football, for Burnley and Manchester City respectively, so his pedigree was established well before he started appearing with the Rovers' youth teams. A wing half of enormous energy and a sheer power that outstripped most contemporaries he played the game the way most fans would have done so, with total commitment. No cause was ever lost, he was never in awe of any player, he would crunch into the tackle, chase any ball, a true players' player. Fortunate enough to make his debut in the season when Blackburn reached the FA Cup Final, he had established himself at right back by the time the club played at Wembley. Like many big men he suffered persistent leg injuries and this limited his career and eventually led to him joining Bury. He had a spell as player manager at Great Harwood from 1965 to October 1968and guided them into the first round of the FA Cup. When he resigned as manager he played on for a while. He then worked as a foreman at Jackson Steel in Blackburn. During a time when he was driving a lorry it was discovered that he had heart trouble and he retired early and went to live at the Isle of Whithorn in Scotland. It was on a visit to his old team-mate Louis Bimpson in 1992 that he collapsed and died. He was a fine cricketer with Rishton and in 1961 joined Blackburn Northern.
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