Ian Gray (Australian soccer)
Encyclopedia
Ian Gray (22 June 1963 – 15 February 2010) was a former Australia
n football (soccer)
player and Socceroo.
, a suburb of northern Sydney
, in the Northern Beaches region.
, then later for A.P.I.A. Leichhardt
(playing five seasons and 85 games) and Marconi (playing seven seasons, over 150 games and winning three titles, the last in 1993 as captain) in the National Soccer League
.
campaign. Later in the year he joined the Australian National Team on a long world tour, playing in China, England, Scotland and Italy.
He was capped 14 times (A-Internationals) for the Australian National Team,scoring once. playing another 21 non-A Internationals over nine years and between 1984 and 1992 scored 6 goals (three A International goals) for the national team In 2004 he was inducted into the Australian Football (Soccer) Hall of Fame, (Award of Distinction) and was also a member of the Football Federation Australia
Appeals committee.
and Mark Schwarzer
during their early years. After retiring from professional football in 1995 Gray continued to play at an amateur level for the Maccabi Masters and Team Bondi but also turned his attention to helping junior players. Most recently he was coaching at Maccabi Hakoah Football Club with the Under 15 State Youth League.
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and Socceroo.
Early life
Ian Gray is the son of Avenel and Georgina Gray. He was born on 22 June 1963 and raised in Manly ValeManly Vale, New South Wales
Manly Vale is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly Vale is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Warringah Council, in the Northern Beaches region....
, a suburb of northern Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, in the Northern Beaches region.
Career
He began playing Football at Manly Vale Soccer Club and Western Suburbs SC (NSW)Western Suburbs SC (NSW)
The Western Suburbs Soccer Club is a defunct Australian football club that was based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club was a founding member of the National Soccer League in 1977.-History:...
, then later for A.P.I.A. Leichhardt
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers
APIA Leichhardt Tigers Football Club, also known as APIA Tigers and Sydney Tigers, is an Australian football club based in Sydney, Australia. The club was formed in 1954, known as APIA Leichhardt, by Italian Australians...
(playing five seasons and 85 games) and Marconi (playing seven seasons, over 150 games and winning three titles, the last in 1993 as captain) in the National Soccer League
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
.
International career
In 1981 he began a 12-year national representative career, and in 1984 was involved in Australia's 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Oceanian zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification....
campaign. Later in the year he joined the Australian National Team on a long world tour, playing in China, England, Scotland and Italy.
He was capped 14 times (A-Internationals) for the Australian National Team,scoring once. playing another 21 non-A Internationals over nine years and between 1984 and 1992 scored 6 goals (three A International goals) for the national team In 2004 he was inducted into the Australian Football (Soccer) Hall of Fame, (Award of Distinction) and was also a member of the Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
Appeals committee.
Coaching career
Ian Gray mentored Steve CoricaSteve Corica
Stephen Christopher Corica is a former Australian football player who last played for Australian A-League team Sydney FC. A technically gifted and skillful player playing primarily as an attacking midfielder, he is very versatile, able to play both centrally or out wide, or even pushed up as a...
and Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...
during their early years. After retiring from professional football in 1995 Gray continued to play at an amateur level for the Maccabi Masters and Team Bondi but also turned his attention to helping junior players. Most recently he was coaching at Maccabi Hakoah Football Club with the Under 15 State Youth League.
Death
On 15 February 2010 Gray was found by friends slumped on a lounge in his Elizabeth Bay,East Sydney unit after he failed to arrive for a coaching session, and then failed to answer his telephone. A 22-year-old woman was subsequently charged with manslaughterManslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
.