Denis Gratton

[Gratton21434]

Just found this

 

[Gratton21434]

I love that picture! I'm sure there's 1 similar with the name Doug Gratton written under it!lol! I will definitely be saving this 1! Thank you so much!! x

 

[Sothall_Blade]

He's described as Lincoln's "star player" here:-

http://premierfootballcards.com/lincoln-city-dennis-gratton-2-36512-p.asp

 

[nopigfansintown]

There's a picture of him in this magazine, as a Lincoln player: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOCCER-ST...281504?hash=item3acccfeba0:g:K-YAAOSwCGVX3WMA

 

[nopigfansintown]

There's also a picture of him in the Thurcroft youth football team of 1952 in this article (scroll down!).
Back row far right!

http://thurcroftcolliery.weebly.com/thurcroft-village-photos-etc-2.html

 

[nopigfansintown]

If you click on the ebay image and keep pressing the arrow, you can see the picture and read the article on page 23.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOCCER-ST...281504?hash=item3acccfeba0:g:K-YAAOSwCGVX3WMA

 

[nopigfansintown]

On these pictures, not sure if same as Cyprus Blades:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOOTBALL-...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHEFFIELD...hash=item569177ff02:m:mr754t1mRdyBhtVm_xk5Z3w

 

[nopigfansintown]

Nice poster here with incorrect first name: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1960-A4-F...401478?hash=item25cadefd86:g:SqgAAOSwnipWaJV~

 

[boo radley]

If ever a football internet forum had a purpose, I think this thread illustrates it perfectly

You are so right. There are some very resouseful folk on here (wish I was one). Once the club get hold of this I'm sure there will be more to come.
Boy when Gratton21434 gets up today, him and his family are surly going to have a great New Year.
Well done to those who have helped here and those who will add even more.
What a wonderful story you are producing.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Silent Blade is your best bet

Revolution , UnitedBlade plus oldblade also know a lot.

 

[oaklandrdblade]

Contact John Garrett at the club, he knows just about everything there is to know about ex players

 

[Silent Blade]

From SUFC Who's who

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Found this

 

[Silent Blade]

1st team league games he played in were

Luton (a) 27.12.55 lost 2-1
Wolves (h) 2.5.56 drew 3-3
Middlesbrough (h) 8.12.56 won 2-1
Rotherham (h) 15.12.56 lost 7-2
Fulham (a) 28.9.57 lost 6-3
Stoke (a) 11.4.59 won 2-1

He played in the friendly 4-0 win against Bela Vista (Brazil) on Wednesday 8th October 1958

Must have played against Brian Clough who played 213 league games for Middlesbrough between seasons 1955-56 and 1960-61

 

[ghandi]

His name is also on the 120 year anniversary shirt where Dennis is spelt with 2 'n's.

 

[UnitedBlade]

Interesting connection here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_utd/4724225.stm

His son-in-law (presumably your brother-in-law) is David Green who has been on the board a couple of times. I think he's probably a VP now.

Certainly David would get you access to John Garrett who could well be able to help further.

 

[Bladepicker]

Hats off to all the contributers, I honestly didn't think anyone would have much for Gratton21434 given he only played 6 games in the 50's but you've excelled yourselves!

What a wonderful thread to end the year on. S24SU at its best.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Spot on lads, well done

 

[vorpal blade]

His name is also on the 120 year anniversary shirt where Dennis is spelt with 2 'n's.

it probably just needs a dart

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

A true anecdote your lad might like. The 7-2 defeat to Rotherham which he played in is a game I remember for various reasons. An old bloke who stood near us on the Kop (probably younger than I am now) arrived a couple of minutes late, and asked us who the centre- half was. We replied 'Gratton'. To which he said, 'I've seen him in the reserves several times - I knew it began with a C'. It was tough being a reserve in those days.
If you come to Sheffield, the local studies library has newspapers, some on microfilm. They have the Green'Un, which did football reports on the day of the match. They probably have them for the 1950s.

 

[JJ Sefton]

WalthamstowBlade - anything in your archive?

Not much I can add, Kentblade might be able to add some personal memories. The best I can offer is this which covers his time with us but might not include footage from any games he played in...



Denis Gratton did what hundreds of thousands of Blades have only ever dreamed of: pulled on that shirt as a first team player. I'd give plenty to do it once never mind half a dozen times.

 

[Hodgyman]

I am sorry too for your loss. I knew him when I was a Thurcroft lad. His mother (Hilda) was a good friend of my mother's. I was aware that Joe Mercer (later of Manchester City & England) came to their house to sign him, needing his parents signature too.

I last spoke to him at Alan Hodgkinson's book launch at the lane.
RIP Dennis.

 

[Silent Blade]

I am sorry too for your loss. I knew him when I was a Thurcroft lad. His mother (Hilda) was a good friend of my mother's. I was aware that Joe Mercer (later of Manchester City & England) came to their house to sign him, needing his parents signature too.

I last spoke to him at Alan Hodgkinson's book launch at the lane.
RIP Dennis.

Gratton joined us in 1952 when Reg Freeman was our manager. Mercer became our manager in August 1955 after Freeman died

 

[JohnDenver]

There's also a picture of him in the Thurcroft youth football team of 1952 in this article (scroll down!).
Back row far right!

http://thurcroftcolliery.weebly.com/thurcroft-village-photos-etc-2.html

I've no idea how you managed to dredge that up - amazing. Thurcroft juniors from the 1950s!

 

[Trigger Blade]

Found this

View attachment 21586

I thought about that, but felt it was unworthy of a good thread like this one

Are you sure that's not just an early Gratton catalogue?




Sorry. Couldn't resist.


/coat

Confirmation that I was right, if it were needed

 

[nopigfansintown]

I've no idea how you managed to dredge that up - amazing. Thurcroft juniors from the 1950s!

I looked at his wikipedia page, then googled his name and Thurcroft Juniors. UTB! Here's his wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Gratton

 

[Hodgyman]

Gratton joined us in 1952 when Reg Freeman was our manager. Mercer became our manager in August 1955 after Freeman died

Wikipedia states his professional career with SUFC was from 1955-1959, but I understand that he was with the club as an amateur before that.

It might be interesting for the family to know that his career as a centre half with United was limited being the understudy to Joe Shaw who was in my opinion was the finest centre half United ever had. Joe also had a long career making over 600 appearances.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Wikipedia states his professional career with SUFC was from 1955-1959, but I understand that he was with the club as an amateur before that.

It might be interesting for the family to know that his career as a centre half with United was limited being the understudy to Joe Shaw who was in my opinion was the finest centre half United ever had. Joe also had a long career making over 600 appearances.

This is mentioned in the article I posted further back (post 36).

 

[Silent Blade]

Wikipedia states his professional career with SUFC was from 1955-1959, but I understand that he was with the club as an amateur before that.

You are probably right it was Mercer who offered him a professional contract in 1955

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I have been having fun looking at old programmes to see if I could find anything further about Dennis.I have the programme for Utd v Bela Vista, and Lincoln v Utd, October 1959, in both of which he played. I also happen to have Plymouth v Lincoln (don't ask), 21 Jan, 1961, which has the following: '...an automatic choice...at centre-half...is Dennis Gratton in the pivotal role. Gratton, who was signed from Sheffield United in September 1959, did not re-sign for Lincoln until shortly after the start of the season. Now he has re-established himself in the senior side.' He played that day in a 1-1 draw. It doesn't explain the nature of the problem at the beginning of the season.
It is clear from the United programmes that he rattled up a large number of appearances for the reserves, which was not unusual at the time; United paid good money for a full-back, Roy Ridge, who played 11 times in 9 years for the first team. Dennis was cover for Joe Shaw, who hardly ever missed a match; at least one of his appearances was when Joe Shaw was away in the England squad, something which sadly rarely happened. But I could not find much else, as the programmes did not have much personal information in those days. At least it will bring this thread back up to the top of the page, for others to have a look at.Contact me if you would like me to scan any of the programmes.