Former PE teachers reunited with pupil who now manages in football league

Two former Bedale High School PE teachers have been reunited with a former pupil who is now a football league manager.

Adrian Grayson, 82, and Martyn Coombs, 67, met former student Michael Duff recently at EFL league one side, Barnsley FC, where he is manager.

Grayson was appointed as the PE teacher at Bedale in 1959 and Coombs in 1977, both serving as head of department until their retirements in 1996 and 2010 respectively.

Duff, 45, had a playing career from 1995 to 2016 playing as a defender for Carterton Town, Cheltenham Town, Cirencester Town and Burnley, where he had a testimonial game after a successful 11-year playing career.

At international level, Duff earned 24 caps for Northern Ireland.

From 2018 to 2022, he was the manager Cheltenham Town, having previously managed the Burnley reserves for two years and led them to their first ever automatic promotion from League Two as manager and they subsequently finished the season as League Two champions.

He is believed to be the only player to have played in each of the top eight tiers of English football in ascending order.

On 15 June 2022, Duff was appointed head coach of relegated League One side Barnsley on a three-year deal and won the EFL League One Manager of the Month award for November 2022, December 2022 and again in February 2023.

The 1-0 victory over Bolton Wanders last weekend (2-1 on aggregate) in the EFL League 1 playoff game, sees Barnsley take on Sheffield Wednesday in a South Yorkshire league 1 play off at Wembley on Monday, May 29 for a place in the EFL Championship.

Coombs and Grayson reminisced with Duff after the game about his time at the high school when they recognised he had exceptional talent.

The comment from scouts who came to watch him was that he too small, but his teachers never lost the belief that he was good enough.

Grayson said: “Martyn and I knew Michael would grow into a talented footballer and we are so proud that his football career spanned over 700 games and 24 international caps.

Coombs said: “As a physical education teacher for over 40 years at the high school, my role was to encourage talent and for students to strive to be the best they can so to see Michael perform as a top-rated footballer, and now a great manager is the icing on the cake.

“Fingers crossed Barnsley can win at Wembley.”