Andy Gray signs in

Last updated : 06 April 2006 By Tony Scholes

We did make an offer for him in those last few days of the transfer window but it was turned down and with no time to renegotiate it looked as though we had missed out. But that’s changed today with news that Gray, son of former Leeds and Sunderland player Frank and nephew of Eddie, has agreed to join us on loan for the rest of the season with a permanent deal agreed.

After missing out in January, we were linked with him again last month but it appeared manager Mick McCarthy was reluctant to let him go out on loan. This week though we have successfully negotiated with Kevin Ball and Gray becomes a Claret.

His goalscoring took off when he was moved up front at Bradford City and for three seasons he was a top goalscorer in this league, firstly for Bradford and then for Sheffield United. Things though haven’t quite worked out for him on Wearside although he scored their first goal of the season in a home defeat against Charlton Athletic.

He also scored the first Championship goal of the season, converting a penalty for Sheffield United against Leicester, a goal many Burnley fans saw in the pubs around Crewe before our first game there.

It’s been a good week for us, two signings in two days to add to the manager signing his new deal at the beginning of the week.