Club Ambassador takes shirt to Town’s oldest living player
- Graham Bailey turned 101 yesterday (22 March 2021)
- Town Ambassador Andy Booth went to visit the former player
- Graham spent 12 years at Town until 1948
Huddersfield Town’s Club Ambassador Andy Booth went to visit former player Graham Bailey who turned 101 yesterday!
Following Government guidelines and social distancing regulations, Boothy took a special, framed Huddersfield Town shirt to commemorate Graham’s special birthday!
The two ex-players shared stories of Town, with Graham recalling his memories of playing against Sir Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney and alongside some of the Town greats like Alf Young, Clem Stephenson and Eddie Boot.
Graham was born in Shropshire on 22 March 1920 and by the time he was 16, he’d become a member of the ground staff at Huddersfield Town on 10 August 1936.
😁 Boothy went to visit former #htafc player Graham Bailey who turned 101 yesterday!
— Huddersfield Town (@htafc) March 23, 2021
During the Wartime League, he was given his opportunity to play for Town and featured at both right-back and left-back!
“It’s wonderful” said the 101-year-old after receiving his present from the Club, before going on to discuss some of his memories at Town.
“I went to Town in August 1936 and I was there for 12 years before I was transferred to Sheffield United.
“I worked at Brook Motors and got a reserved occupation. I did my stint there then got called up when the War was towards the end. I did two and a half years in the armed forces.
“I played football during my time at Brook Motors. We used to do a day’s work and then train at night twice a week in the dark.
“When I went there in 36’ there were six of us as ground staff and then I started playing. In those days it was the fewer the words, the better you’d played!”
Boothy said: “It was an honour to present Graham with a gift on behalf of the Club and to reminisce with him about the old Leeds Road ground and things like the snooker room which hadn’t changed from when he played to when I did!”
Happy 101st birthday to Graham from everyone at HTAFC!
