Interview w/ Mark Graham (mufcinfo.com)
Hello Arthur & thanks for taking the time to talk to mufcinfo.com, where were you actually born?
I was born in a suburb of Edinburgh.
And how did you get into professional football?
It started when I played for my normal school & progressed from there really, I played after school for Edinburgh School boys, where I actually ended up playing against Gordon Strachan, little did we know we both would end up playing for United.
After that I was spotted by United scouts playing for Scotland schoolboys, Jimmy Murphy & John Aston Snr were involved in signing me & after a trail over the Easter holidays in 1972, I must have done something right because shortly after, I then found myself around a table at my parents house with United representatives, completing forms to join Manchester United!!.
Have you always played as a full back?
Early in my career playing in some trails It was decided by a coach that I wasn't tall enough to be a centre half & I was moved out wide making the switch to full back.
So why a defender then?
I just decided with everyone wanting to take the glamour position of a striker, id be different.
Signed as a trainee as we touched on earlier in July 1972, can you give us an insight as to what it was like as an footballing apprentice back then?
I can recall the very early days joining the club Norman Davies (United's kitman), rest his soul, picked me up from Manchester Airport in a Taxi, he was the 1st person I met after joining the club. We all just mucked in together, it was hard being away from home.
I can remember He (Norman) used to lug all the training gear around in his taxi, making loads of journeys due to where our old training ground was, and that was how he ended up with the kitmans job after a senior United man decided.
Apparently Wesley Brown used to clean Eric Cantona's boots as an apprentice, did you clean any Legends boots as a young United nipper?
I did clean boots, but you didn't really get assigned to one player, everyone did their bit to help out, moving balls about & other training gear. It was quite an experience seeing players in the flesh like Jim Holton, Macari, Buchan etc, who were all players that id only a few years back only watched in the National team at Hampden Park on TV.
You made your United debut on the 09/10/1974 v Manchester City @ Old Trafford, i'll put you on the spot now, score & scorer?
It was 1-0 to United, a penalty, Gerry Daly?.
correct, what was the story of how you made your full debut?
I was actually scheduled to play for the U18's & I was suddenly pulled out due to Stewart Houston picking up an injury, my Dad ended up coming to watch me play.
Your 1st senior goal?
It was against Manchester City, September 1980 in a 2-2 draw.
Could you tell us a little about 1st occasion of playing at Old Trafford?
It didn't dawn on me just how much of a big club United was until I'd arrived. I was something else to see all the crowd & then to think that I would be playing alongside and against great players.
Who did you room with on away trips?
It did vary, so there was no set partner, Gordon Strachan later in my career, a few come to mind, Jimmy Nicholl, Joe Jordan, in the end I was partnered with some of the younger players.
To keep an eye on them, keep them on the straight & narrow?
laughs.. I guess.
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