Hair: Kenneth Grenville Arthur (Grenville)

1948-1964 (Player Details)

Left Back

Born: Burton-upon-Trent: 16-11-1931

Debut: v Leicester City (h): 31-03-1951

5’9” 11st 2lb (1962)

#62 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

He went to Burton Technical High School, where he was an athletics champion. Major Frank Buckley signed him from the Burton and District League club, Newhall United in November 1948. Hair did his National Service with the 12th Royal Lancers in Barnard Castle in North Yorkshire, playing alongside John Charles when they won the Northern Command Trophy. An all-round sportsman he also excelled at Basketball and Tennis, and he achieved a remarkable consistency after he became a Leeds first team regular. He and John Charles were signed by Major Frank Buckley on the same day, but while the giant Welshman broke into the Leeds first team almost immediately, it was almost two years before the accomplished defender broke into the team aged twenty, taking over from "Iron Man" Jim Milburn and establishing himself in the early part of the 1951-52 season. He and Right-Back Jimmy Dunn formed a fine full back pairing and it was a rare occasion when those two were not in tandem. Hair missed two games in 1952-53, Dunn missed one game in 1953-54, Hair missed eight in 1955-56, but otherwise they were both ever-presents, culminating in Leeds finally achieved promotion in 1955-56. They were both ever-presents in United's first season in the First Division in 1956-57. Hair was an almost ever-present in the Leeds side for ten years until 1961-62 and the emergence of Willie Bell and Paul Reaney, and even played eight times in his second promotion season of 1963-64. He had a deserved reputation as a fine clubman and sportsman and was rewarded with trips with the English FA touring teams to Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad and Curacao in the West Indies in 1955, Nigeria and Ghana in 1958 and to Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and U.S.A. in 1961. In the latter tour in a Tom Finney led F.A. team, he played Right Back with Sheffield United's Graham Shaw in the Left Back spot in eight of the games and only once in his favoured Left Back spot. Had he been with a more fashionable club in the 1950’s he would surely have been a serious contender for an England cap. He was a masterful full-back, quick into the tackle and an excellent passer of the ball. He had composure and anticipation, as well as a touch of ruthlessness, when the situation demanded it. He was of the old school of full-backs, in the Jimmy Dunn mould whose job it was to defend and he rarely ventured into the opponents half, unlike his immediate successors. He played at Leeds well into his thirties before becoming player-manager of Wellington Town in May 1964, as the younger Willie Bell emerged as an International left-back. He was granted a testimonial by the club and on 15th November 1965, Leeds United played a Grenville Hair XI at Elland Road. In February 1967 he was appointed trainer at Bradford City, taking over as Manager the following year. He guided City to eleventh in Division Four in 1966-67. The following season a run of seven wins from eight games was key to City's position towards the top of the table. On the day of his death, Hair had secured the services of Tony Leighton and Denis Atkins. They proved to be key additions to the squad as the club narrowly missed out on promotion but did so a season later. He had been in the Valley Parade hot-seat for only a few weeks when he collapsed and died on 7th March 1968, whilst supervising a City training session. His two clubs, Leeds United and Bradford City played a testimonial for him on 30th July 1968 at Valley Parade, the proceeds went to his widow.