{{short description|English footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}} {{Use British English|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Dennis Grainger |image = |image_size = |caption = |fullname = Dennis Grainger<ref name = "Hugman">{{Hugman|7578|accessdate=13 March 2017}}</ref> |birth_date = {{birth date|1920|3|5|df=y}} |birth_place = Royston, England |death_date = {{death date and age|1986|6|6|1920|3|5|df=y}} |death_place = Chesterfield, England |height = |position = Left winger |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = |years1 = 1936–1938 |clubs1 = South Kirkby |caps1 = |goals1 = |years2 = 1938–1945 |clubs2 = Southport |caps2 = 0 |goals2 = 0 |years3 = |clubs3 = → Millwall (war guest) |caps3 = |goals3 = |years4 = 1945–1947 |clubs4 = Leeds United |caps4 = 37 |goals4 = 5 |years5 = 1947–1951 |clubs5 = Wrexham |caps5 = 98 |goals5 = 12 |years6 = 1951–1952 |clubs6 = Oldham Athletic |caps6 = 3 |goals6 = 0 |years7 = |clubs7 = Bangor City |caps7 = |goals7 = |totalcaps = 138 |totalgoals = 17 }} '''Dennis Grainger''' (5 March 1920 – 6 June 1986) was an English professional footballer who played as a left winger.
==Early career== Born in Royston,<ref name = "Hugman"/> Grainger began his career with South Kirkby<ref name="History">{{cite web|title=South Kirkby Colliery (Almost) Complete History|url=http://www.southkirkbycolliery.co.uk/player-a-z|publisher=Matthew Thomas|accessdate=31 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402082120/http://www.southkirkbycolliery.co.uk/player-a-z|archive-date=2 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> before joining Southport on trial in 1937, where his older brother Jack was an established first-team player.<ref>{{cite news|title=Southport's New Player|publisher=Lancashire Evening Post|date=5 August 1937|page=8}}</ref> After being initially rejected, he re-joined the club on trial in 1938, signing for them as a professional in October 1938.<ref>{{cite news|title=Southport In the (Transfer) Money|publisher=Liverpool Evening Express|date=16 March 1939|page=8}}</ref> In August 1939 he was given his Football League debut for Southport in a match against Darlington; ironically, his older brother Jack was one of the players who was dropped to accommodate his debut.<ref>{{cite news|title=Southport Surprise|publisher=Liverpool Daily Post|date=24 August 1939|page=13}}</ref>
==Wartime football== During the war he continued to play for Southport when possible, though in 1942 it was evident that his Royal Air Force duties were getting in the way and Southport were forced to look for a replacement.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pilot's Sports Log|publisher=Liverpool Evening Express|date=21 August 1942|page=3}}</ref> Where possible he combined football with his Royal Air Force commitments and made guest appearances for Millwall,<ref>{{cite news|title=Tonight's Contests|publisher=Liverpool Echo|date=23 January 1943|page=2}}</ref> where his form was rewarded with a call up to both the RAF representative football team and the FA XI.<ref>{{cite news|title=First Class Footballers Give Their Service|publisher=Chichester Observer|date=20 November 1943|page=1}}</ref>
==Post-war career== Following the war he transferred to Leeds United in October 1945,<ref name = "Hugman"/> for a "substantial" fee, at his own request.<ref>{{cite news|title=Grainger Transferred|publisher=Liverpool Evening Post|date=2 October 1945|page=4}}</ref> When signing for Leeds in October he had already played for the club for most of the season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Helping Leeds|publisher=Yorkshire Evening Post|date=2 October 1945|page=5}}</ref> He signed for Wrexham in November 1947,<ref>{{cite news|title=More Leeds Moves|newspaper=Hull Daily Mail|date=29 November 1947|page=4}}</ref> before moving to Oldham Athletic in June 1951.<ref name = "Hugman"/> He finished his career at Bangor City.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/dennisgrainger.html|title=Player profile|accessdate=7 November 2010|publisher=Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database}}</ref>
==Personal life== His brother Jack and cousins Jack and Colin were also professional footballers, while another cousin Edwin Holliday played for England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leeds-fans.org.uk/leeds/players/148.html |title=Player profile|accessdate=13 March 2017|publisher=leeds-fans.org.uk}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grainger, Dennis}} Category:1920 births Category:1986 deaths Category:English men's footballers Category:South Kirkby Colliery F.C. players Category:Southport F.C. players Category:Millwall F.C. wartime guest players Category:Leeds United F.C. players Category:Wrexham A.F.C. players Category:Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players Category:Bangor City F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:Men's association football wingers Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Category:People from Royston, South Yorkshire Category:Sportspeople from the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley Category:Footballers from South Yorkshire Category:Military personnel from South Yorkshire Category:20th-century English sportsmen
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