The Singing Winger


daveyblue45

Central Defender
As a much younger (and I mean MUCH younger!) lad, I was an avid reader of Charles Buchan's Football Monthly.
Many of Sunderland's stars would be featured in its pages, I can recall Billy Bingham being one of them.
Another star of that period was the winger Colin Grainger. Apparently, Colin was a handy footballer, but also sang and recorded professionally! At one stage He was offered £250 a week to sing, and this was in the era of the maximum wage! He was also on the same bill at Stockport as The Beatles!!!
I never saw Colin playing for SAFC, but caught him when he'd signed for Leeds.
I'm quite intrigued by these accounts of how footballers lived in "the dark ages" 🤣 Tom Finney was a plumber!!! Nat Lofthouse had a scrap iron business! (though he could have got work as a hit man!) Billy Liddell the magnificent Liverpool FC winger had a sweetie shop on Oakfield Road, and we kids used to go there after school and tried to get his autograph! (He was a lovely man! much loved)
Oh dear, I think I'm rambling (again!🤪) folks! gee, you're all very patient and kind letting me come on here and muse!!!

Regards to one and all!!!

Dave 😊
 
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As a much younger (and I mean MUCH younger!) lad, I was an avid reader of Charles Buchan's Football Monthly.
Many of Sunderland's stars would be featured in its pages, I can recall Billy Bingham being one of them.
Another star of that period was the winger Colin Grainger. Apparently, Colin was a handy footballer, but also sang and recorded professionally! At one stage He was offered £250 a week to sing, and this was in the era of the maximum wage! He was also on the same bill at Stockport as The Beatles!!!
I never saw Colin playing for SAFC, but caught him when he'd signed for Leeds.
I'm quite intrigued by these accounts of how footballers lived in "the dark ages" 🤣 Tom Finney was a plumber!!! Nat Lofthouse had a scrap iron business! (though he could have got work as a hit man!) Billy Liddell the magnificent Liverpool FC winger had a sweetie shop on Oakfield Road, and we kids used to go there after school and tried to get his autograph! (He was a lovely man! much loved)
Oh dear, I think I'm rambling (again!🤪) folks! gee, you're all very patient and kind letting me come on here and muse!!!

Regards to one and all!!!

Dave 😊
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Up there with Bobby Thompson and Bet Turpin!
 
As a much younger (and I mean MUCH younger!) lad, I was an avid reader of Charles Buchan's Football Monthly.
Many of Sunderland's stars would be featured in its pages, I can recall Billy Bingham being one of them.
Another star of that period was the winger Colin Grainger. Apparently, Colin was a handy footballer, but also sang and recorded professionally! At one stage He was offered £250 a week to sing, and this was in the era of the maximum wage! He was also on the same bill at Stockport as The Beatles!!!
I never saw Colin playing for SAFC, but caught him when he'd signed for Leeds.
I'm quite intrigued by these accounts of how footballers lived in "the dark ages" 🤣 Tom Finney was a plumber!!! Nat Lofthouse had a scrap iron business! (though he could have got work as a hit man!) Billy Liddell the magnificent Liverpool FC winger had a sweetie shop on Oakfield Road, and we kids used to go there after school and tried to get his autograph! (He was a lovely man! much loved)
Oh dear, I think I'm rambling (again!🤪) folks! gee, you're all very patient and kind letting me come on here and muse!!!

Regards to one and all!!!

Dave 😊
My late mamas favourite footballer was Billy Bingham. She used to mention him always 'tumbling his creams', a saying meaning he was always diving about. Not in a cheating way, more to get the ball, she reckons he was a bit of an acrobat, very gymnastic. Says he was a lovely fella n'all, as she used to dance with a lot of footballers at the roker Hotel.This was a bit off the subject of Colin grainger, sorry.
 
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My late mamas favourite footballer was Billy Bingham. She used to mention him always 'tumbling his creams', a saying meaning he was always diving about. Not in a cheating way, more to get the ball, she reckons he was a bit of an acrobat, very gymnastic. Says he was a lovely fella n'all, as she used to dance with a lot of footballers at the roker Hotel.This was a bit off the subject of Colin grainger, sorry.
Skyline, that's a GREAT wee anecdote marra! ( gee I'm enjoying the craic on this forum !) We (Everton) signed Billy in 1960 when both our wingers were seriously injured. He was a lovely player to watch, a bundle of energy and FAST! (even at his age then) Billy later became Everton manager (taking over from Harry Catterick another North East man from Darlington) He was unfortunate in many ways not to have won silverware.
I do remember him being quite philosophical and after one match (which we won rather fortuitously) at Spurs, in response to a rather carping remark from the spurs manager about their defeat, Billy said "Fools look for excuses, wise men seek reasons why their side lost"

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Up there with Bobby Thompson and Bet Turpin!
WOW! where'd'ya dig that up from mate??! kudos!!!! 👍👏👏👏👏👏
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Up there with Bobby Thompson and Bet Turpin!
Autographed footballs!!!! whatever next?!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
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