Galvin: Christopher (Chris)

1968-1973 (Player Details)

Winger

Born: Huddersfield: 24-11-1951

Debut v Ferencvaros (a) (substitute): 26-11-1969

5’10” 10st 7lb (1972)

England Youth International Galvin possessed plenty of tricks but although a talented reserve winger, he had to be content to spend five years acting as cover for United’s all-star attack. He started with Huddersfield YMCA, as did Trevor Cherry, and joined Leeds United straight from school, where he also excelled at cricket and represented Yorkshire County Schoolboys. He turned professional in November 1968, after serving his apprenticeship, but found it difficult to make his presence felt at Elland Road. He got his first break when he came on as an eightieth minute substitute for Eddie Gray in a 3-0 European Cup win over Ferencvaros in November 1969. During a whirlwind week, two days after his eighteenth birthday Galvin was called up to the England Youth squad before making his senior debut against Ferencvaros in Budapest. He represented England Youth against Wales and later went on to make his League debut at Derby County on 30th March 1970, when, due to fixture congestion, Don Revie fielded a much weakened team which incurred the wrath of the Football League and a heavy fine. This was to be Galvin's lot, always being called up for first team duty in games of little importance or no significance, with mostly under-strength teams, but with players of the calibre of Eddie Gray, Allan Clarke, Mick Jones and Peter Lorimer as first choice, he suffered the same fate as many other peripheral players in those times. His second games was also in a weakened Leeds team that managed to beat Burnley at Elland Road in a game that was significant for the two fine goals from Eddie Gray, the second of which was in the very top goals ever scored by a Leeds player and the first not far behind. A third League appearance was made at Ipswich Town in the final game of that season. 1970-71 saw a seventy-seventh minute substitute appearance replacing Peter Lorimer in the F.A. Cup win over Swindon Town on 23rd February 1971 and another substitute appearance, this time in place of Rod Belfitt, in the home Leg 1-0 win over Dynamo Dresden on 21st October 1970 and one game of importance, as an injury-riddled United hosted Liverpool on 6th February 1971, when he was substituted by Terry Yorath. 1971-72 saw him twice face SK Lierse in the UEFA Cup, scoring his only Leeds goal in the away leg on 15th September 1971, then figuring in the Fairs Cup play-off against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, before the ignominious defeat in the home leg by Lierse on 29th September 1971. It was a hectic fortnight for Galvin as he was also called upon to play against Liverpool at Elland Road on 18th September and at Huddersfield Town on 25th September, in place of the injured Allan Clarke and on 2nd October, he came on as a substitute for Jimmy Mann, who was next chosen to deputise for the injured Clarke. He also came on as a fiftieth minute substitute for Joe Jordan, who was deputising for Mick Jones, in the 4-1 F.A. Cup tie win over Bristol Rovers at Elland Road. In 1972/73 he started in the League Cup 4-0 home win over Burnley, on 6th September 1972, before being replaced at half-time by Mick Jones, and then was replaced just before half time, by Terry Yorath a week later in the away leg of the European Cup-winners' Cup against MKE Ankaracugu before finishing his Leeds career with the number two shirt on his back in the penultimate game of the season at Birmingham City on 30th April 1973, once more in a very under-strength Leeds team. In July 1973 he moved to Hull City for £25,000, where he scored eleven goals and made one hundred and forty-three appearances, of which eleven were as a substitute. Loaned to York City for four months from December 1976, he scored six times in twenty-two games, before he signed for Stockport County in April 1979 where he scored three times in sixty-seven starts and one substitute appearance. In June 1981 he left Stockport and went to manage Tsuen Wan FC in Hong Kong until 1983. He also had a stab at working as a player’s agent. His father was a local cricketer of note with Hall Bower C.C. and both he and his two sons played there. Galvin's younger brother, Tony, a Republic of Ireland International, won F.A. Cup winners’ medals with Tottenham Hotspur in 1981 and 1982 before joining Sheffield Wednesday and later Swindon Town.