A product of the Newcastle youth system having been born in Ashington, Ray would spend 4 years as a professional with his home town club.

in that time he would appear only 37 times in the league before joining Jack Charlton's Sheffield Wednesday side, where he would be a regular in the first team, playing well over 100 games.

A spell in Sweden would follow (IK Tord), before returning to familiar shores at Mansfield, Carlisle and eventually Blyth Spartans.