Ray Ferris

Raymond Osborn Ferris (22 September 1920 – 1 February 1994) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a left half. He played nearly 200 games in the Football League for Crewe Alexandra and Birmingham City, and won three international caps for Northern Ireland.[1] His father, James, had also been an international footballer.

Ray Ferris
Personal information
Full name Raymond Osborn Ferris[1]
Date of birth 22 September 1920
Place of birth Newry, County Down, Ireland
Date of death 1 February 1994(1994-02-01) (aged 73)[2]
Place of death Manchester, England
Position(s) Left half
Youth career
Sweetafton Rovers
Glentoran (trial)
1938–1939 Brentford (amateur)
1939 Cambridge Town
Distillery (trial)
Linfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1945–1949 Crewe Alexandra 101 (23)
1949–1953 Birmingham City 90 (3)
1953–1954 Worcester City
National team
1949–1951 Northern Ireland 3 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Born in Newry, County Down, Ferris spent short trial spells at Irish League clubs Distillery and Glentoran before crossing to England where he signed amateur forms for Brentford. By the time the Second World War broke out he was playing non-league football for Cambridge Town and then moved to Linfield.[3] During the war he made guest appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and former club Brentford.[3]

After the war he signed professionally for Crewe Alexandra, for whom he played over 100 times. He then moved to First Division club Birmingham City, for whom he also made over 100 appearances. He was a hard-working, hard-tackling type of half-back with great determination. In the closed season of 1953 he went on a representative tour with the IFA to the United States and Canada, where he sustained a leg injury that eventually ended his career. Though he played for Worcester City in the Southern League for one more season, he was forced to retire in 1954.

Ferris died in a Manchester nursing home in February 1994, aged 73.[1] His legs had been amputated due to circulation problems.

References
  • Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  • "Ray Ferris". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats. 23 November 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
  1. "Ray Ferris". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  2. "Ray Ferris". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 170. ISBN 978-0951526200.
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