EX-TEAM-MATE'S TRIBUTE FOR RAY
"Ray was a very competent goalkeeper who went on to play for England but it is fair to say that he wasn't considered one of the bright lights in the team which became famous as the Busby Babes.
"I will never forget his performance in a European Cup tie against Borussia Dortmund in the mid-50s. We had drawn 3-3 against them at Maine Road and they must have thought they were through to the next round with the home leg to come.
"However, Ray stopped everything that came his way in the second match in Dortmund. He was absolutely brilliant and it was his performance more than anything else which got us a 0-0 draw and a place in the next round. He was a bit unfortunate in his spell at Old Trafford in that there was a lot of clamour for the club to go out and buy Harry Gregg from Doncaster Rovers who everyone was raving about.
"Harry did eventually arrive and Ray hardly got a look-in at first-team level after that and eventually left not long after the Munich disaster."
"We were going for the double that year and certainly favourites to beat Villa in the FA Cup final but all that changed when Ray was flattened by McParland in the first half.
"I don't think there has ever quite been a foul like that in an FA Cup final. Ray had the ball in his hands but McParland chased him for 10 yards and then hit him with a flying head-butt.
"That was the only time I ever saw Duncan Edwards angry on a football pitch. He came racing over with his eyes blazing but managed to control himself.
"Ray came back in the second half and played up front for a while just to make up the numbers which says a lot about his bravery. But he was in great pain and he had to be brought off again and, with ten men, we couldn't hold out an Villa beat us."
"Ray came back in the second half and played up front for a while just to make up the numbers which says a lot about his bravery. But he was in great pain and he had to be brought off again and, with ten men, we couldn't hold out an Villa beat us."