Ray Young
Personal information
Full name Raymond George Young
Date of birth (1934-03-14)14 March 1934
Place of birth Derby, England
Date of death 27 December 2022(2022-12-27) (aged 88)
Place of death Derby, England
Position(s) Centre-half
Youth career
1949–1954 Derby County
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1954–1966 Derby County 254 (5)
1966–1967 Heanor Town
1967–1968 Burton Albion
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Raymond George Young (14 March 1934 – 27 December 2022)[1] was an English professional footballer who played as centre-half, most notably for his hometown club Derby County.

Career

Derby County

Young started his career as junior playing for the England schoolboys football team, before joining Derby County's youth setup in 1949. Derby had high hopes for the player and he was seen a possible successor to Leon Leuty. Young played in the Derby's Colts team and signed professional terms with the club in March 1951.[2]

After progressing into the reserve team, he had to wait several years to make his senior debut, which happened following the arrival of manager Tim Ward,[3] who replaced Harry Storer. Young's style of play better suited Ward's tactics, who promoted him as a first team regular.[2] His senior debut came in a Second Division match against Doncaster Rovers on 16 April 1954, a game which Derby won 3–1.[2] After his first few senior games, Mark Eaton, writing for the Evening Telegraph, praised Young as being a "bright spot" within the central defence position, remarking that he believed Young's performances suggested that he could become a "stylish and dominating centre-half".[4] Young was initially a part-time player for Derby, as he was also in the army, stationed at Aldershot Garrison.[5] His national service call-up had been deferred by two years.[6]

Derby hierarchy expected Young to hold down a regular slot in the team at centre-half, however for the majority of his career he struggle to do so and it was towards the end of his career where this occurred. His main weakness were lack of pace and being prone to errors by sometimes playing too causally. He fell behind the more physical players of Martin McDonnell and Les Moore, who were ahead in the pecking order.[2] In 1957, he requested to be put on the transfer list, after falling behind McDonnell as Derby's first choice pivot.[7] The request was unexpected and reportedly "caused consternation among supporters", given Young's popularity and favourable comparisons to the late former Derby defender Leon Leuty.[8]

Young won the Third Division North in 1956–57 and left the club in September 1966,[2] after losing his place to Bobby Saxton.[3] He made a total of 268 starts and 1 substitute appearance for the club, scoring 5 goals.[9]

After Derby County

Young joined Heanor Town in September 1966 on a free transfer, after turning down an opportunity to join Hartlepool United, as well as several offers from other clubs. Young had been hopeful of remaining a league football player, and had an assurance from Heanor Town that they would not block any potential transfers to a league club if the opportunity arose.[3]

He ended his football career at Burton Albion, joining them in May 1967.[2][9] Albion had tried to sign him midway through the previous season, however his former club Heanor Town set a release price of £1,000.[10] Albion released Young at the end of the season. He played for the first team, though lost his place towards the end of the season.[11]

Personal life

Outside of football, Young was a keen golfer, as well as playing cricket and badminton.[12] In 1960, he was selected by Cheadle Hulme cricket club to play for them professionally for that season.[13] He also completed an apprenticeship in plumbing.[6] He had two children with wife Jean, a boy and a girl.[14]

Death

Young died on 27 December 2022 aged 88, at Derby's Florence Nightingale Community Hospital. His funeral was held in Derby on 30 January 2023.[1]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Derby County 1953–54[15] Second Division 4000—40
1954–55[15] Second Division 33110—341
1955–56[15] Third Division North 5000—50
1956–57[15] Third Division North 8000—80
1957–58[15] Second Division 6000—60
1958–59[15] Second Division 8000—80
1959–60[15] Second Division 25010—260
1960–61[15] Second Division 2910020311
1961–62[15] Second Division 1300010140
1962–63[15] Second Division 3512020391
1963–64[15] Second Division 3801010400
1964–65[15] Second Division 3921010411
1965–66[15] Second Division 1100020131
Total 254560902691
Heanor Town 1966–67 Midland Football League —
Burton Albion 1967–68 Southern League Premier Division —
Career total 254560902691

    Honours

    Derby County

    References

    1. 1 2 "The obituary notice of George Raymond (Ray) YOUNG". funeral-notices.co.uk. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mortimer, Gerald (2006). Derby County: The Complete Record. nreedonbook. p. 112. ISBN 1859835171.
    3. 1 2 3 "Heanor sign young; part with Fidler". Evening Telegraph. 24 September 1966. p. 10.
    4. ↑ "Young's promise". Evening Telegraph. 1 May 1954. p. 39.
    5. ↑ "Ray Young is the odd Ram out". Evening Telegraph. 27 June 1956. p. 127.
    6. 1 2 "Young's medical". Evening Telegraph. 21 July 1954. p. 74.
    7. ↑ "Ray Young for transfer". Nottingham Evening Post. 2 October 1957. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
    8. ↑ "Ray Young's Demand for Transfer". Football Post (Nottingham). 5 October 1957. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
    9. 1 2 "George Raymond Young". derbycounty-mad.co.uk. 2 July 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
    10. ↑ "Former Derby County player joins Burton Albion". Burton Observer and Chronicle. 25 May 1967. p. 9.
    11. ↑ "Start fresh". Evening Telegraph. 18 May 1968. p. 23.
    12. ↑ "A funny thing happened on way to the pit". Evening Telegraph. 20 August 1977. p. 24.
    13. ↑ "Ray Young gets job as cricket professional". Evening Telegraph. 14 December 1960. p. 2.
    14. ↑ "Daughter for Ray Young". Evening Telegraph. 18 March 1966. p. 28.
    15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Mortimer, Gerald (2006). Derby County: The Complete Record. nreedonbook. pp. 321–345. ISBN 1859835171.
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