Clubs: Northampton Town, Leicester City, Crystal Palace

Clubs managed: Crystal Palace, Leyton Orient, Colchester United

Dick Graham was serving in the RAF when he made his first appearance for Crystal Palace under the guesting arrangements that were in practice during the Second World War and he played so well that his permanent transfer was completed at the earliest opportunity.

After signing Dick quickly became Palace's first choice goalkeeper and it is interesting to notice how Palace's early post-war fortunes coincided with Dick's appearances. When he was able to play every game, or a large proportion of them, Palace did reasonably well in Division Three South but when his back injury prevented him from playing the club finished bottom of the league twice in three seasons.

Dick was a brave, stylish keeper who always gave his best and fans rued the day when it was announced that he would have to give up his playing career. However 12 years later Dick returned to Selhurst Park as manager.

It was as Assistant manager that Dick first returned to Selhurst and in November 1962 he became manager, replacing Arthur Rowe. Dick's first task was to avoid relegation and he led the club toa respectable 11^th place finish in Division Three.

The following season Dick's Palace side was always among the promotion contenders and in May promotion was achieved. In 1964/65 Dick led Palace to a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in nearly 60 years and seventh in the Second Division but by this time some of his team selections were contentious and his decision to transfer list crowd favourite Cliff Holton caused outrage in the stands. It also became apparent that there were disagreements between manager and players and in January 1966 Dick left the club.

Dick was a tough character and a disciplinarian, although he was anything but rigid in his approach to the game and was one of the earliest managers to deploy a defence that incorporated two central defenders. Equally Dick was among the first managers to use a squad system, drafting players in and out of the side when there was a particular job to do.

At the time Dick provided a challenge to current thinking, so there was no chance of his managing a top-rank club but he had a flair with the smaller outfits and he went on to have a very successful spell at Colchester United.

Statistics

	Games	Goals
1945/1946	3	0
1946/1947	39	0
1947/1948	45	0
1948/1949	27	0
1949/1950	39	0
1950/1951	11	0
Total	164	0

War-time record

Source: The Men Who Made Crystal Palace, Rev. Nigel Sands (Tempus, 2004)