ees complicated no?
New member
Is this Friday 12.15 at the Sacred Heart Church, Quex Road, North London if anyone lives close by and want to pay their respects at some point.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
Tony Grealish funeral.
- Thread starter ees complicated no?
- Start date
The Grockle
Formally Croydon Seagull
Short notice I know but be nice if people could club together and send a wreath, perhaps some blue and white flowers and a card signed from supporters of brighton and Hove Albion.
Great idea
ees complicated no?
New member
- Thread starter
- #4
The club have sent a £50 spray in Blue and white already 
The Grockle
Formally Croydon Seagull
I'm rubbish at arranging stuff but more than happy to pledge a small amount as i'm sure others would be.
kevo
Well-known member
- Mar 8, 2008
- 9,094
Here it is:
Tony Grealish
Doughty midfielder who led Brighton & Hove Albion in the 1983 FA Cup Final
Tony Grealish was not the first player to take over a suspended captain’s armband for a cup final but he was surely the only one to wear a suspended captain’s headband on such an occasion. Grealish led out Brighton & Hove Albion at Wembley for the 1983 FA Cup Final against Manchester United sporting the iconic headband normally worn by Steve Foster, who missed the game after receiving a controversial booking in an earlier match.
For Grealish, a hard-working and combative midfield man who would be described as a holding player nowadays, it was one of the highlights of a career that included more than 100 appearances in the First Division — the equivalent of today’s Premier League — and 45 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
Anthony Patrick Grealish was born in Paddington. His father, Packie, was from Athenry, Co Galway, and his mother Nora, although a Londoner, was also of Irish descent, and Tony played Gaelic football in his youth, even appearing at Wembley long before his 1983 visit. But he also played soccer and joined Orient after being spotted on Hackney Marshes by George Petchey, the manager. He played 171 league games for the East London club and maked his debut for Ireland, having turned down an offer to represent England youth.
He was sold to Luton Town for £150,000 in August 1979 and had won 23 Irish caps by the time he joined Brighton for £100,000, making his top-flight debut in August 1981. At first he struggled to win over the Goldstone Ground crowd, who considered him a poor replacement for the popular Brian Horton, who had been sold to Luton. However, his wholehearted, tenacious play won them over, and Mike Bailey’s team achieved the club’s highest-ever finish, 13th in 1982.
Grealish, though, suffered disappointment at international level when Ireland missed out on qualification for that summer’s World Cup in Spain on goal difference despite home wins over Holland and France and the presence of stars such as Liam Brady, Mark Lawrenson and Frank Stapleton. Grealish had the consolation of captaining his country, and helping Brighton to their first FA Cup Final at the end of the following season. His decision to wear the headband at Wembley took Foster by surprise.
“I didn’t have a clue he was going to do that until I saw him appear out of the Wembley tunnel and I was really taken aback,” he said. “It was such a nice gesture, and speaks volumes for the kind of guy Tony was — a lovely man off the pitch and a passionate footballer on it, a fantastic midfielder.”
Grealish skippered Brighton to a 2-2 draw against United in the final, which they almost won when Gordon Smith’s effort was saved by Gary Bailey late in extra time. Foster returned for the replay, which Brighton lost 4-0.
Distracted by their FA Cup run, they had been relegated a fortnight before their trip to Wembley, and Grealish was among a number of high earners to be sold the next year, returning to the top division with West Bromwich Albion for £95,000 in March 1984 after 121 appearances and eight goals for Brighton.
He won his final Irish cap while at the Hawthorns, moving on to Manchester City in January 1987 after three months on loan at Maine Road. He spent a brief period with Salgueiros in Portugal before joining Rotherham United in August 1987, making 110 appearances over three seasons. His last two league games were as player-coach of Walsall before moving into non-league football in the Midlands, becoming manager of Bromsgrove Rovers until March 1995.
Grealish is survived by Wendy, his partner, and two children.
Tony Grealish, footballer, was born on September 29, 1956. He died of cancer on April 23, 2013, aged 56
Titus
Come on!
Not the nicest of areas. Top of Abbey Road and swing a left, mind out for all the orientals taking pictures of a zebra crossing.
