Graeme Sharp

Football player infobox2
playername = Graeme Sharp


fullname = Graeme Marshall Sharp
nickname = Sharpey
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1960|10|16
cityofbirth = Glasgow
countryofbirth = Scotland
height =
currentclub =
position = Forward (retired)
years = 1978–1980
1980–1991
1991–1997
clubs = Dumbarton
Everton
Oldham Athletic Total
caps(goals) = 040 0(17)
306 (111)
109 0(30) 455 (158)
nationalyears = 1985–1988
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 012 00(1)
manageryears = 1994–1997
managerclubs = Oldham Athletic

Graeme Marshall Sharp (born in Glasgow on 16 October 1960) is a former footballer. He started his playing career at Dumbarton before signing for Everton for £120,000 in 1980.

Sharp was regarded as good in the air and able to hold the ball well and distribute it to provide more scoring opportunities for others than for himself. He formed successful scoring partnerships with Andy Gray, Adrian Heath and Gary Lineker. In the 1984-85 season Sharp scored 30 goals in 54 matches. In 426 appearances for Everton (21 as substitute), Sharp scored 159 goals (the top post-war scorer).

Sharp's greatest achievements were as part of the Everton team which in 1984 won the FA Cup (he scored the first goal in the final), in 1985 and 1987 won the Football League Championship and also in 1985 the European Cup Winners' Cup. In October 1984, he scored the lone goal in Everton's first win at Anfield since 1970. He was on the losing side in the FA Cup finals of 1986 and 1989, with both of these finals being won by Everton's local rivals Liverpool. His key role in this golden era led to his inclusion in Everton's "Greatest Ever Team", following a poll in the club's 125th anniversary. [cite web | title=Greatest Ever Everton team| work=evertonfc.com | url=http://www.evertonfc.com/history/greatest-ever-everton-team.html| accessdate=February 23 | accessyear=2007 ]

Sharp left to join Oldham Athletic for £500,000 deal in 1991, just after their promotion to the First Division after a 68-year exile. He helped them finish 17th in 1991-92, ensuring that they would be members of the new Premier League. He helped them avoid relegation on goal difference in 1992-93, and reach the FA Cup semi-final a year later, although they were finally relegated to the new Division One at the end of the 1993-94 season.

When Joe Royle quit as Oldham manager to take over at Everton in November 1994, Sharp took over as player-manager at Boundary Park and they finished in midtable in 1994-95 - a disappointing showing for a side who had retained all but one of their key players (Mike Milligan) from the side that had been relegated from the Premier League and reached an FA Cup semi-final. Further disappointment came in 1995-96 when Oldham finished 18th, and Sharp finally walked in March of 1996-97 with Oldham struggling in the relegation places.He then spent a season as manager of Bangor City in the League of Wales.

Sharp now works for the local press in Liverpool and radio for 96.7 Radio City in the north-west of England and is currently the Everton's fans' liaison officer.

Sharp played 12 times for Scotland, between 1985 and 1988 including one match in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

References