Harry Gregg - Manchester United Legend

Harry Gregg was arguably one of the best goalkeepers to play for Manchester United football club. Born in Northern Ireland in 1932, Gregg began his football career with Irish side Coleraine before signing for Doncaster Rovers at the start of the 1952-53 season, After establishing himself in the first team, he made a total of 94 appearances for Rovers, before signing for Manchester United in 1957, for a World record transfer fee for a goalkeeper at that time of ?23,000.

After leaving 3rd Division Doncaster Rovers to play alongside some of the biggest names in English football at that time, Harry Gregg adapted well into his new team and he made his first team debut for the Reds a few days later, when he played against Leicester City in a comfortable 4-0 victory, on December 21st, 1957.

Gregg made his first Manchester derby appearance when United play City just a week later, and he soon established himself as a regular in the team and favourite amongst the fans.

After just twelve matches for the Reds, Harry Gregg was with the team on the flight back from Belgrade after a European quarter-final match, when the plane crashed after refuelling in Munich, the disaster claimed the lives of 23 of the passengers on board the plane. Gregg survived the crash with only minor injuries, returned to the burning aircraft to help others from the wreckage. Amazingly Gregg played in Manchester United's next match two weeks later.

Harry Gregg was a major part of the team as they re-built after the Munich disaster and he went onto play for Manchester United 247 times during the nine years he spent at the club keeping a very credible 48 clean sheets while in goal. Despite this time being a very successful period for the club he failed to win any medals himself. He didn't play in the 1963 FA Cup winning team due to a shoulder injury, and injuries also meant that he didn't play enough games to qualify for a medal during the title winning season of 1964-64 and 1966-67. Gregg's only cup final appearance came in the 1958 FA Cup final when United were defeated by Bolton Wanderers.

Gregg also had a distinguished international career, with Northern Ireland, playing a total of 25 times for his country. He was also voted as the best goalkeeper during the 1958 World Cup finals.

Gregg made his last appearance for the Reds on 7 September 1966 which was a 3-0 defeat by Stoke City, he then left United to sign for Stoke, but he only ever made two appearances for the club. It is at Manchester United that he will always be remembered as a true legend

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Why Manchester United Will Continue to Dominate For the Next Decade

Manchester United have actually dominated English and European football for the better part of the last two decades. Fans of the club would already have made it clear that their team will continue to rule over the rest for the next ten years, while opposing supporters would disagree and cannot wait for their dominance to end. The growing consensus is that the club is likely to enter into a steady decline once current manager Alex Ferguson decides to retire. However, it might not be as simple as that. And these are the reasons why that is likely to change anything in the future while the current situation is only going to improve with time.

1. Alex Ferguson will remain the manager of Manchester United for the foreseeable future. With the Scotsman in charge, there is an aura about the club that other teams have been unable to overcome permanently. Both Arsenal and Chelsea were able to break the aura temporarily, before Ferguson returned with an iron grip. The Red Devils players are also known to both fear and respect their manager, leading to consistently fine performances on the pitch.

2. This season has seen striker Wayne Rooney blossom into a full fledge star on the pitch. The England international has finally matured since being given the full mandate by his manager. A hard worker by nature, Rooney used to slog in the shadow of departed star Cristiano Ronaldo. Now, he is clearly the new leader of the team on the field. Leading by example, Rooney has found a more consistent goalscoring streak. What Eric Cantona and Ronaldo used to do, Rooney is now the man in the spotlight. He has changed many a game in Manchester United's favour through sheer determination. Without him, the Red Devils may not be the force they have been this season in particular.

3. Even if Ferguson were to retire as the manager now, there has been little said of the excellent groundwork he has laid at the club for continued future success. Aware that he cannot be at the club managing every detail forever, Ferguson started to delegate and structure the club with a system that would see them become more self-sustainable. This was especially in the playing department, where the academy and player pool had to consistently provide talent that would qualify for future elevation to the first team. This included scouting and buying the best talent from around the world, while developing local British players that would be on par with foreign imports.

4. The cultivation of a mental aptitude in players from the ground up. All the players that have made the grade in the first team are what Ferguson would term as hungry for success. They are players who continue to fight for every trophy every season, even if they have already won them multiple times in the past. It is the same with the coach. Players signed by Ferguson would also speak of interviews during which the Scotsman looked into their eyes to determine if they are of the same calibre. It is this winning mentality that separates the club from the pretenders.

With just these few reasons alone, they are enough to support the belief that Manchester United will continue to be successful for the next decade and possibly many more years after that. Even with the imminent retirement of Ferguson, there will be systems in place that have built the platform to achieve that. The club is also a brand that many players yearn to be associated with. That means a steady line of top players who hope to turn out in the club colours one day. This can only be a good thing while other clubs look on with envy.

Jaymes Johnson is a lifelong Manchester United fan and has been following their fortunes since young. Jaymes contributes to many football fan sites and needless to say, a Manchester United news site would not be the same without him. He is also keen to produce more Manchester United videos to bring the club to a larger worldwide audience.