Grenville Hair

Kenneth Grenville Arthur Hair (16 November 1931 – 7 March 1968) was a footballer who played his entire professional career for Leeds United between 1948 and 1964. He later became the manager of Wellington Town and Bradford City. He died of a heart attack, aged 36, after supervising a training session at Bradford City.

Grenville Hair
Hair in his Leeds United kit
Personal information
Full name Kenneth Grenville Arthur Hair
Date of birth (1931-11-16)16 November 1931
Place of birth Burton-upon-Trent, England
Date of death 7 March 1968(1968-03-07) (aged 36)
Place of death Bradford, England
Position(s) Left back
Youth career
Leeds United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1948–1964 Leeds United 443 (1)
Managerial career
1964–1967 Wellington Town
1967–1968 Bradford City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Grenville Hair was a one-club man playing his entire professional career with Leeds United. He had been signed by manager Major Frank Buckley in 1948, and went on to make 474 appearances for the club as a left-back scoring just two goals. He was an almost ever-present in the Leeds side for ten years until the emergence of Willie Bell and Paul Reaney. In a poll of the 100 greatest ever Leeds United players, he was voted in at number 19.[1]

Managerial career

He stayed with Leeds until 1964, when he took up a player-manager position at Wellington Town. He stayed there until 1967, when he became coach at Bradford City and was soon promoted to the position of manager. He started an upturn in the club's fortunes in his short role as manager before his death, from a heart attack during a training session in March 1968.

He guided City to 11th in Division Four in 1966–67. The following season a run of seven wins from eight games was key to City's position towards the top of the table. On the day of his death, Hair had secured the services of Tony Leighton and Denis Atkins.[2] They proved to be key additions to the squad as the club narrowly missed out on promotion but did so a season later.

Career statistics

As a player
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[3]
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Leeds United 1950–51 Second Division 2000—20
1951–52 Second Division 27050—320
1952–53 Second Division 40010—410
1953–54 Second Division 42020—440
1954–55 Second Division 42020—440
1955–56 Second Division 34010—350
1956–57 First Division 42010—430
1957–58 First Division 34010—350
1958–59 First Division 37010—380
1959–60 First Division 32010—330
1960–61 Second Division 3901040440
1961–62 Second Division 3812030431
1962–63 Second Division 2603110301
1963–64 Second Division 800020100
Career total 44312111004742

As a manager
Managerial record by team and tenure[4]
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Bradford City196761 28 11 22 045.90
Total 61 28 11 22 045.90

References
  1. "Leeds Leeds Leeds 100 Greatest Leeds Players". LeedsUnited.com. 2000. Archived from the original on 31 August 2004. Retrieved 23 September 2006.
  2. Frost, Terry (1988). Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988. Breedon Books Sport. p. 76. ISBN 0-907969-38-0.
  3. Jarred, Martin; MacDonald, Malcolm (1986). Leeds United: a complete record, 1919–1986. Derby: Breedon Books Sport. p. 320. ISBN 0-907969-17-8. OCLC 20934819.
  4. Grenville Hair management career statistics at Soccerbase
  • Mourant, Andrew (1992). Leeds United: Player by Player. Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 12. ISBN 0-85112-568-9.
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