Another tribute to Bob Gray, Oxford’s schoolboy international footballer, has come to light.

Oxford City FC secretary John Shepperd has a match programme for the game between England and Scotland schoolboys at Goodison Park, Everton’s ground, on Saturday, May 10, 1947.

In a series of pen portraits on the players, it said: “Robert Gray has been the dominating figure in all Oxford Boys’ games this season and, indeed, in all his own school matches.

“His school (South Oxford Secondary) has an unbeaten record in local leagues and cup games with 48 goals for and only one against.

“Oxford Boys this year reached the last eight in the English Schools’ Football Association Trophy competition for the first time since 1908 and much of this success was undoubtedly due to Gray’s magnificent form at centre half.”

As we recalled (Memory Lane, October 13 2014), Bob died at the age of 16 in 1949 from a rare blood disease.

He excelled at sport, taking part in athletics, cricket, tennis and, above all, football, where he was described as an “inspirational captain”.

His appearance in the England/Scotland game wasn’t his only international. He played twice for England against Eire and Northern Ireland and once against Wales.

At the time, he was believed to be the only player in the history of English schoolboy football to represent his country in three different positions – centre half, right half and left half.

Under Bob’s leadership, Oxford Boys had excellent runs in the English Schools’ Trophy in the 1946-7 and 1947-8 seasons, winning the divisional finals both times before going out in the competition proper.

Mr Shepperd’s vast collection of football memorabilia includes programmes for two of Oxford Boys’ games in the 1946-7 season.

One was the match at Southampton on March 5, 1947 – it ended in a 1-1 draw and after two further draws in replays, Oxford triumphed 8-1.

The other programme was for the following match, at Rotherham on April 12, 1947, when Oxford’s hopes of cup glory ended in a 2-1 defeat.

The following season, Mr Shepperd, a fellow South Oxford pupil, joined Bob in the Oxford Boys’ team, and he has copies of an Oxford Mail report describing the team’s 4-0 victory over Sutton and Cheam Boys in the first round at the Iffley Road running ground – Bob scored a penalty – and a cartoon by the Mail’s Alan Course featuring him, Bob and other players.

After Bob’s death, the Schools’ Knockout Trophy was renamed the Bob Gray Cup in his memory, although what happened to it is unknown.