| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Stokoe | ||
| Date of birth | 21 September 1930 | ||
| Place of birth | Mickley, England | ||
| Date of death | 1 February 2004 (aged 73) | ||
| Playing position | Centre-half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1946–1950 | Newcastle United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1950–1960 | Newcastle United | 261 | (4) |
| 1960–1964 | Bury | 82 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1961–1965 | Bury | ||
| 1965–1967 | Charlton | ||
| 1967–1968 | Rochdale | ||
| 1968–1970 | Carlisle | ||
| 1970–1972 | Blackpool | ||
| 1972–1976 | Sunderland | ||
| 1977–1978 | Bury | ||
| 1978–1979 | Blackpool | ||
| 1979–1980 | Rochdale | ||
| 1980–1985 | Carlisle | ||
| 1985–1986 | Carlisle | ||
| 1987 | Sunderland | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of January 24, 2007. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Robert "Bob" Stokoe (21 September 1930 – 1 February 2004) was an English footballer and manager who was able, almost uniquely, to transcend the traditional north-east rivalry between the region's footballing giants, Newcastle United and Sunderland.
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Born in Mickley, Northumberland, the son of a miner, Stokoe began his footballing career at Newcastle United, signing for them in 1947 and playing the first of 287 games, usually as centre-half, on Christmas Day 1950 against Middlesbrough, a game in which he also scored. The highlight of his 10 years at Newcastle was the 3–1 1955 FA Cup Final victory over Manchester City. After leaving Newcastle in 1960, Stokoe spent a short time playing for Bury before making the move into management with the same club.
Stokoe took the post of player-manager at Bury in 1961, leading them to the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1962-63. He stopped playing in 1964, staying on as manager for another year after which he moved south to take charge at Charlton Athletic from 1965–1967. He was manager of Rochdale from 1967 to 1968, followed by three separate spells at Carlisle United (1968–1970, 1980–1985 and 1985–1986).
Between spells at Carlisle, Stokoe managed Blackpool from 1970–1972. He was initially approached by the club in the summer of 1969, after the departure of Stan Mortensen. At the time, he declined, preferring to stay with Carlisle; just over eighteen months later, however, he became the ninth official manager in Blackpool's history.
With Blackpool relegated to the Second Division before he could get his feet under his desk, Stokoe began to clear out the "deadwood" and rebuilt the side more to his liking. Stokoe agreed to sell Tony Green to his old club, Newcastle, bringing striker Keith Dyson in the opposite direction.
Before the departure of Green, Blackpool enjoyed a successful venture into Europe, winning the Anglo-Italian Cup in June 1971. In the league, meanwhile, the Seasiders finished in sixth place. This still wasn't good enough for the fans, however, who became disenchanted with life outside the top flight again, and the club's style of play under Stokoe was not to their liking.[1]
Another successful run in the Anglo-Italian Cup the following season (losing finalists to Roma) kept the critics at bay, but the feeling around Bloomfield Road was that the 1972–73 campaign would be critical.[1]
Stokoe's third season at Blackpool started well enough when, with the team reasonably placed for a promotion push and having stated that he intended to remain at the seaside for five years,[1] he left the club. He had been lured back to his native north-east by Sunderland.
Stokoe took over as manager of Sunderland on 29 November 1972 when they were fourth from bottom of the Second Division table. Although his first game in charge was lost 1-0 at home to Burnley, the following week seemingly liberated players won 3-2 away at Portsmouth. Six months later on 5 May 1973, he led them to their first FA Cup win since 1937, beating Manchester City and Arsenal on their way to the final. Stokoe took the Second Division club to Wembley and defeated the powerful Leeds United, a team packed with international players (and incidentally managed by Don Revie whom he had opposed when both played in the 1955 final between Newcastle United and Manchester City), 1-0. The victory was the first time a second division team had secured the Cup in 42 years. He is remembered for his jubilant run across the pitch, in his trademark trilby hat, at the end of the game to celebrate the victory with goalkeeper Jim Montgomery who had made a match-saving double save in the second half of the game to maintain Sunderland's lead. A statue of Stokoe with arms aloft in celebratory mid-run now stands outside Sunderland's Stadium of Light. None of the Sunderland players had been capped at the highest level when they lifted the cup, although some were capped later. The side finished 6th that season and narrowly missed promotion in the following two seasons.
In 1975–76, he guided the club to the Second Division title. He resigned the following season after they struggled in the First Division with a start of nine straight games without a victory.
In May 1978, Stokoe returned to Blackpool with the club in dire straits. Under the managership of Allan Brown they had been relegated to the Third Division for the first time in their history and were looking for someone who could rebuild a once-proud playing tradition. He guided them to a mid-table finishing position, and then resigned again before the start of the 1979–80 season.
There followed another spell with Rochdale (1979–1980) which ended with the club having to seek re-election to the league and spells with Carlisle United (1980–1985 and 1985–1986). He led Carlisle to promotion to the Second Division in 1982, and in the 1983-84 season they became promotion contenders before a poor run saw them finish 7th. He resigned in 1985, only to be reappointed and resign again seven months later.
Towards the end of the 1986–87 season, he was appointed caretaker-manager of Sunderland as they struggled in the Second Division. They narrowly lost on goal difference in the end-of-season relegation-promotion playoffs and were relegated to the Third Division for the first time in their history. His contract was not renewed and he retired from football. During his whole career as a manager he was never sacked by any of his clubs.
After being unwell for some time, Stokoe was admitted to hospital in Hartlepool suffering from pneumonia and died on 1 February 2004 aged 73. The respect offered by both rival fan groups of Newcastle United and Sunderland was marked by their attendance at his funeral at Prudhoe, Northumberland. The Reverend Neil Cockling, who conducted the service, told mourners: "He will be remembered by all as a real gentleman. Such was Bob's standing that we can see Sunderland and Newcastle here together today to celebrate his life."[2]
Newcastle United
Blackpool
Sunderland
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