Central to Everton's success during this period was their Scottish strike duo of Graeme Sharp and Andy Gray, who played a key part in helping to get the ball rolling for the Toffees as they both found the back of the net in their 2-0 win over Watford in the 1984 FA Cup final. This was soon swiftly followed by two league titles in 1985 and 1987 as well as the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1985.
For many decades Scottish football has had a big influence on the game in England and in 2002 another forward partnership featuring two players who both hailed from north of the border were performing a key role in helping to transform Torquay United from relegation strugglers into promotion contenders under the managerial reign of Leroy Rosenior.
Those two strikers in question were David Graham and Martin Gritton and although they were both compatriots – their respective journeys to Plainmoor were markedly different.
Edinburgh-born Graham had progressed
through the youth ranks of Scottish giants Rangers and made a handful of
appearances for the Gers – which included a UEFA Cup tie with Irish side
Shelbourne and a substitute appearance in an Old Firm game against Celtic – and
was capped eight times by Scotland at Under-21 level. After failing to break
into the Rangers’ first team under Dick Advocaat, Graham joined Dunfermline
Athletic – but several managerial changes saw him fall out of favour with the
Pars and when Colin Lee signed him for United on non-contract terms in March
2001 his career was at a crossroads. Two goals in five games played a key part
in helping the Gulls beat relegation – including United’s third in their
infamous 3-2 final day decider against Barnet.
If Graham took the high road to South
Devon then it could be argued that Gritton took the low road. His route to
Plainmoor was not the one that would be considered to be orthodox for most professional
footballers. A life-long Celtic fan, Gritton’s family moved from Glasgow to
Cornwall when he was five years old and his footballing education came through
playing for Porthleven in the Jewson South Western League. He combined this
with University football – he graduated with a degree in Sports Science from
the University of Portsmouth in 1999 – before joining Plymouth Argyle.
Initially at Home Park he struck up a promising partnership with Ian
Stonebridge, but found himself down the pecking order following the arrival of
former Dundee United and Scotland striker Paul Sturrock as successor to Kevin
Hodges. Gritton was loaned out to Yeovil Town and Shelbourne in the Republic of
Ireland before becoming one of Rosenior’s first signings ahead of the 2002-03
season. Owing to a suspension carried over from the previous season for Graham, which saw him miss the first three games of the season, there was a delay in the duo starting together on the opening day of the season against Bristol Rovers. Despite this it proved to be an occasion to remember for Gritton, as he headed home a cross from fellow debutant Neil Prince to score the Gulls’ equaliser on the stroke of half-time as United won 2-1 – with Alex Russell adding United’s second from the penalty spot in the second half.
The pair started together for the
first time on September 7th, 2002 in an away game against Oxford
United which the Gulls drew 2-2 with Graham finding the target along with Tony
Bedeau. Just under a month later, on October 5th 2002, Graham and Gritton were on
target in the same match for the first time in a 2-1 away win versus Carlisle
United at Brunton Park.
Gritton’s
goal against the Cumbrians was his first for United since the opening day of
the campaign, and he then went on to finish the season with 16 goals in all
competitions to his name whilst Graham ended the campaign with 15. Gritton’s
efforts also saw him voted as runner-up in the club’s player of the year award
– sandwiched between Jason Fowler in third and the overall winner Alex Russell.
If the 2002-03 season belonged to
Gritton then the 2003-04 campaign was very much the property of Graham, as he
found the back of the net 23 times - in all competitions, lifted the Gulls’
player of the year award and was named in the PFA Division Three team of the
season for 2003-04. His impressive displays soon attracted the attention of
clubs higher up the footballing food chain as Wigan Athletic paid United
£215,000 for his services in the summer of 2004.
Gritton,
however, would remain at Plainmoor a little longer as he left for Grimsby Town
in December 2004 for a fee of £7,500, after finding the back of the net six
times for the Gulls in League One. This included a brace in a 2-0 win over
Stockport County that gave United their first away win in the third tier since
the 1971-72 season.
The pair would return to the Gulls later in their
careers on loan; Graham in the 2006-07 season and Gritton in the 2010-11
campaign. Both their respective loan spells saw them fail to find the back of
the net, but the magic of their first spells will live long in the memory of
those who witnessed them in action.
