Colin Grainger was an English footballer and singer, primarily known for his 16-year football career (1950-1966) playing as an outside left in the Football League. He came from a family with multiple professional footballers, including his brother, brother-in-law, and cousins. He also had a career as a singer and recording artist. Grainger married in 1956 and had two children.
1900: Birth of mother, Lily Grainger
In 1900, Colin Grainger's mother, Lily Grainger (née Holliday), was born.
1920: Birth of brother Leslie
In 1920, Colin Grainger's brother, Leslie, was born.
1922: Birth of brother George
In 1922, Colin Grainger's brother, George, was born.
1924: Birth of brother Jack
In 1924, Colin Grainger's brother, Jack, was born.
1926: Birth of brother Eric
In 1926, Colin Grainger's brother, Eric, was born.
1929: Birth of brother Horace
In 1929, Colin Grainger's brother, Horace, was born.
June 1933: Colin Grainger's Birth
Colin Grainger was born in the mining village of Havercroft on 10 June 1933. His father, Daniel Grainger, was a coal miner.
1935: Birth of sister, Lily
In 1935, Colin Grainger's sister, Lily, was born.
1946: Represented Barnsley boys' team
During the 1946-47 season, Colin Grainger represented the Barnsley boys' team, alongside future Munich air disaster victim Tommy Taylor and cricket umpire Dickie Bird.
July 1949: Trial at Wrexham
In July 1949, Colin Grainger was invited for a trial at Wrexham, impressing manager Les McDowall enough to earn a professional footballing apprenticeship.
1950: Start of Football League Career
In 1950, Colin Grainger began his 16-year career in the Football League, marking the start of his professional football journey.
February 1951: First-Team Debut for Wrexham
In February 1951, Colin Grainger made his first-team debut for Wrexham.
1952: Limited First-team Appearances
In 1952, Colin Grainger failed to make an appearance for Wrexham's first-team, as his National Service limited his first-team chances.
June 1953: Signed by Sheffield United
In June 1953, Colin Grainger was purchased by Sheffield United for a £2,500 fee.
August 1955: Death of Reg Freeman
In August 1955, Sheffield United manager Reg Freeman died of cancer.
January 1956: Marriage to Doreen Rowe
On 3 January 1956, Colin Grainger married Doreen Rowe.
April 1956: Selected for Football League Representative Match
In April 1956, Colin Grainger was selected for a Football League representative match against the Irish League in Belfast, which ended in a 5–2 defeat.
May 1956: First England Cap
In May 1956, Colin Grainger was called up for the first of his seven England caps, marking his international debut.
May 1956: Earned First England Cap and Scored Against Brazil
On 9 May 1956, Colin Grainger earned his first England cap in a friendly with Brazil at Wembley Stadium. He scored two goals in the game, which England won 4-2. This day was a high point in his career.
July 1956: Birth of son, Colin Junior
On 3 July 1956, Colin Grainger's son, Colin Junior, was born.
October 1956: British Home Championship and Football League XI Match
In October 1956, Colin Grainger played in the British Home Championship match against Northern Ireland, which ended in a 1–1 draw. He also played in The Football League XI v Irish League match, scoring in a 3–2 victory, despite a toe injury.
1956: Marriage and Children
In 1956, Colin Grainger got married and subsequently had two children. He also performed his first professional music gig in 1956, supporting the Hilltoppers.
1956: First professional music gig
In 1956, Colin Grainger performed his first professional music gig, supporting the Hilltoppers.
1956: Signed with Talent Agent and First Gig
In 1956, Colin Grainger signed a contract with talent agent Len Young and had his first gig as a support act to The Hilltoppers in Sheffield, singing songs from Al Jolson, Nat King Cole and Billy Eckstine.
1956: Grainger's Performance and Potential Transfer
In 1956, Colin Grainger's performance in the Second Division was so impressive that he secured his first career hat-trick in a 6-1 win at Barnsley. However, an injury picked up on England duty caused him to miss six weeks. Upon his recovery, Sheffield United was ordered to sell Grainger for the best possible price, leading to a transfer offer from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
1956: Illegal Payments at Sunderland
In 1956, Sunderland were charged by The Football Association with making illegal payments to players.
February 1957: Arrival at Sunderland
In February 1957, Colin Grainger arrived at Sunderland's Roker Park during a difficult time, as Bill Murray's 18-year reign as manager was coming to an end.
April 1957: Final England Cap Against Scotland
In April 1957, Colin Grainger earned his seventh and final cap for England against Scotland, a game England won 2-1. He provided the cross for England's first goal. He felt he performed poorly, and was never selected again.
1957: Discordance at Sunderland
In 1957, Alan Brown became the manager of Sunderland, alienating senior players and creating a negative atmosphere at the club, as Colin Grainger later commented.
1957: Touring England and Vocal Training
In the summer of 1957, Colin Grainger toured England and received vocal training from Joe Collins, father of actress Joan Collins. He also performed with Jack Hylton and his orchestra on ITV's After Hours show.
February 1958: Signed Contract with MCA
In February 1958, Colin Grainger signed a contract with MCA for £250 a week for the summer.
August 1958: First Goal in Second Division
On 23 August 1958, Colin Grainger scored Sunderland's first goal in the Second Division in a 3–1 defeat at Lincoln City.
1958: Missed 1958 FIFA World Cup Selection
In 1958, Colin Grainger did not fully recover from an ankle injury, and the outside-left spot at the 1958 FIFA World Cup was taken by Alan A'Court.
1958: Release of "This I Know"/"Are You" single
In 1958, Colin Grainger released "This I Know"/"Are You" as a single with the His Master's Voice label.
1958: Released Single "This I Know"/"Are You"
In 1958, Colin Grainger released the single "This I Know"/"Are You" on the His Master's Voice label.
1959: Regular appearances in 1959-60 season
In 1959, Colin Grainger played 41 of the club's 42 league matches in the 1959-60 season.
1959: Cousin Edwin Holliday represents England
In 1959, Colin Grainger's cousin, Edwin Holliday, represented England while playing for Middlesbrough.
July 1960: Sold to Leeds United for Club Record Fee
In July 1960, Colin Grainger was sold to Leeds United for a club record fee of £15,000. Leeds United had just been relegated to the Second Division. Grainger was also given an illegal signing-on fee and suffered from a deteriorating ankle.
July 1960: Transfer to Leeds United
In July 1960, Colin Grainger was sold to Leeds United of the Second Division for a club record £15,000.
1960: Transfer Request
In 1960, Colin Grainger handed in a transfer request after the board of directors rejected his request for a loan to invest in a newsagent's shop in South Shields. Sunderland finished in 16th place
1960: Turned Down Tour with Nat Jackley
In the summer of 1960, Colin Grainger turned down the opportunity to tour Australia with comedian Nat Jackley to focus on his pre-season football training.
January 1961: Signed New Contract with Leeds United
In January 1961, with the abolition of the maximum wage, Colin Grainger signed a new contract of £20-a-week with Leeds United.
October 1961: Signed with Port Vale
In October 1961, Colin Grainger signed with Third Division side Port Vale. Manager Norman Low paid £6,000 for his services. Preston North End also offered £6,000 but refused to pay a signing-on fee. Port Vale offered Grainger wages of £30-a-week with bonuses and a £300 signing-on fee.
1962: The Big Freeze and Conflict with Freddie Steele
In 1962, Colin Grainger's season with Port Vale was impacted by the "Big Freeze," which caused fixture congestion and allowed his groin injury to heal. However, he faced conflict with new manager Freddie Steele, who dismissed his pain as psychological.
June 1963: Shared bill with The Beatles
In June 1963, Colin Grainger shared a bill with the Beatles, an iconic moment in his singing career.
1963: FA Cup with Port Vale
In 1963, Colin Grainger helped Port Vale knock his former club Sunderland out of the FA Cup.
1963: Groin Injury and Replacement at Port Vale
In 1963, Colin Grainger started the season with Port Vale but missed seven months due to his groin injury. Ron Smith was signed as his replacement, and Grainger was not offered a new contract at the end of the season.
February 1964: Birth of daughter, Kim
On 27 February 1964, Colin Grainger's daughter, Kim, was born.
August 1964: Signed with Doncaster Rovers
In August 1964, Colin Grainger signed with Fourth Division side Doncaster Rovers after being released by Port Vale.
1965: Played 41 Appearances for Doncaster Rovers
In 1965, Colin Grainger managed his groin injury to make 41 appearances for Doncaster Rovers. He received rough treatment from defenders and was suspended for punching an opponent.
1966: End of Football League Career
In 1966, Colin Grainger concluded his 16-year career in the Football League.
1966: Retirement From Football To Focus On Singing Career
In 1966, Colin Grainger retired from professional football to focus on his singing career. He later became a sales representative and area manager.
1966: Released by Doncaster Rovers
In the summer of 1966, Colin Grainger was released by Doncaster Rovers and then had a brief spell with Macclesfield Town before focusing on his singing career.
1967: Death of father, Daniel Grainger
In 1967, Colin Grainger's father, Daniel Grainger, who was a coal miner, passed away.
1969: Player-Manager for Newmillerdam
From 1969 to 1972, Colin Grainger served as player-manager for non-League Newmillerdam.
August 1970: End of singing career
In August 1970, Colin Grainger ended his singing career to focus on his new career in sales.
August 1970: Final Performance in Leeds
In August 1970, Colin Grainger gave his final performance in Leeds and retired from performing to focus on his career in sales.
1972: Played for Woolley Miners Welfare
From 1972 to 1978, Colin Grainger played for Woolley Miners Welfare in the Yorkshire League.
1978: Played for Woolley Miners Welfare
From 1972 to 1978, Colin Grainger played for Woolley Miners Welfare in the Yorkshire League, and in 1978 he scouted for Mansfield Town.
1978: Scouted for Mansfield Town
In 1978, Colin Grainger accepted an offer from Billy Bingham to scout for Mansfield Town in the North East and recommended Chris Waddle.
1978: Retirement from playing for Woolley Miners Welfare
In 1978, Colin Grainger retired from playing for Woolley Miners Welfare.
October 2019: Publication of autobiography, 'The Singing Winger'
On 17 October 2019, Colin Grainger's autobiography, "The Singing Winger", was published by deCoubertin Books.
March 2020: Moved into a Care Home
In March 2020, Colin Grainger became a widower and moved into a care home in Kirklees.
June 2022: Death of Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger passed away on 19 June 2022. He was a former English footballer, singer and recording artist.
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