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{{Short description|English footballer and manager (1930–2004)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Bob Stokoe
| image = Bob Stokoe (Blackpool).jpg
| caption =
| fullname = Robert Stokoe
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1930|9|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Mickley, Northumberland|Mickley]], England
| death_date  = {{death date and age|2004|2|1|1930|9|21|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Hartlepool]], England
| height =
| position = [[Centre half]]
| youthyears1 = 1946–1950
| youthclubs1 = [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
| years1 = 1950–1960
| years2 = 1960–1964
| clubs1 = [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
| clubs2 = [[Bury F.C.|Bury]]
| caps1 = 261
| caps2 = 82
| goals1 = 4
| goals2 = 0
| totalcaps = 343
| totalgoals = 4
| manageryears1 = 1961–1965
| manageryears2 = 1965–1967
| manageryears3 = 1967–1968
| manageryears4 = 1968–1970
| manageryears5 = 1970–1972
| manageryears6 = 1972–1976
| manageryears7 = 1977–1978
| manageryears8 = 1978–1979
| manageryears9 = 1979–1980
| manageryears10 = 1980–1985
| manageryears11 = 1985–1986
| manageryears12 = 1987
| managerclubs1 = [[Bury F.C.|Bury]]
| managerclubs2 = [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]]
| managerclubs3 = [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]]
| managerclubs4 = [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]]
| managerclubs5 = [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]]
| managerclubs6 = [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]
| managerclubs7 = [[Bury F.C.|Bury]]
| managerclubs8 = [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]]
| managerclubs9 = [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]]
| managerclubs10 = [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]]
| managerclubs11 = [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]]
| managerclubs12 = [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]
}}
[[File:Newcastle United F.C. 1960.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] in 1960. Back row (from the left): [[Jimmy Scoular]], [[Dick Keith]], Bryan Harvey ([[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]]), Bob Stokoe, [[:en:Alf McMichael|Alf McMichael]] and [[George Eastham]]. Front row: "Terry" W. L. Marshall, [[Ivor Allchurch]], [[Len White]], [[John McGuigan]] and [[Liam Tuohy (footballer)|Liam Tuohy]].]]
'''Robert Stokoe''' (21 September 1930 – 1 February 2004) was an English [[Association football|football]]er and manager who was able, almost uniquely, to transcend the traditional [[North East England|north-east]] animosity between the region's footballing rivals, [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] and [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]. As a player, he won an [[FA Cup]] winner's medal with Newcastle in 1955. As a manager, he guided [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] to victory in the 1971 [[Anglo-Italian Cup]] final. Two years later, he led Sunderland to success in the [[1973 FA Cup final]], and followed it up with promotion from the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] in 1975–76.

==Playing career==

Born in [[Mickley, Northumberland|Mickley]], near [[Prudhoe]], Northumberland, the son of a miner, Stokoe began his footballing career at Newcastle United, signing for them as an apprentice in 1947 and playing the first of 261 games, usually as centre-half, on Christmas Day 1950 against Middlesbrough, a game in which he also scored. The highlight of his 13 years at Newcastle was the 3–1 [[1955 FA Cup final]] victory over [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]. After leaving Newcastle and joining [[Bury F.C.|Bury]] in February 1961, Stokoe spent a short time as a player, leading the team in an undefeated run to promotion, before making the move into management with the same club as player-manager the following season.

==Management career==

Stokoe took the post of player-manager at [[Bury F.C.|Bury]] in December 1961 which, at 31 years of age, made him the second-youngest manager in the Football League. He led them to the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1962–63. He retired from playing in 1964, staying on as manager for another year after which he moved south to take charge at [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] from 1965 to 1967. He was manager of [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]] from 1967 to 1968, followed by three separate spells at [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]] (1968–1970, 1980–1985 and 1985–1986).

===Blackpool===
Between spells at Carlisle, Stokoe managed [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] from 1970 to 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 [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] before he took over, Stokoe began to clear out the "deadwood" and rebuilt the side more to his liking. Stokoe agreed to sell [[Tony Green (footballer)|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 [[1970–71 in English football|June 1971]]. In the league, meanwhile, the Seasiders finished in sixth place. This still was not 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.<ref name=Calley>{{cite book | first=Roy | last=Calley| title=[[Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992]] | publisher=Breedon Books Sport | year=1992 | isbn=1-873626-07-X}}</ref>

Another successful run in the Anglo-Italian Cup the following season, when Blackpool finished as runners-up to [[AS Roma|Roma]], kept the critics at bay, but the feeling around [[Bloomfield Road]] was that the [[1972–73 in English football|1972–73]] campaign would be critical.<ref name="Calley"/>

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 club for five years,<ref name="Calley"/> he left the club. He had been lured back to his native north-east by Sunderland.

===Sunderland===
Stokoe took over as manager of Sunderland on 29 November 1972 when they were fourth from bottom of the Second Division table after a run of just four wins in 18 games. 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, starting a run of 32 games, with only five defeats. Just six months later, on 5 May 1973, having already beaten Manchester City and [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] on their way to the [[FA Cup]] final, Stokoe took the Second Division club to [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] and defeated the cup holders [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]] to secure Sunderland's first FA Cup title since 1937. Managed by [[Don Revie]], whom Stokoe had opposed when playing for Newcastle United in their [[1955 FA Cup final]] victory over Manchester City, Leeds United were a team packed with international players and strong favourites to retain the trophy. However, Sunderland scored in the first half through [[Ian Porterfield]] and with the help of a memorable second-half match-saving double save from goalkeeper [[Jimmy Montgomery|Jim Montgomery]], managed to win 1–0. The victory was the first time a Second Division team had won the Cup in 42 years. Stokoe is remembered for his impromptu jubilant run down the pitch at the end of the game, complete in Mackintosh and his trilby hat, to celebrate the victory with Montgomery. A statue of Stokoe with his arms held 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, though some were capped later. Sunderland finished 6th in the Second Division that season and narrowly missed promotion in the following two seasons.

In [[1975–76 in English football|1975–76]], he guided the club to the Second Division title. He tendered his resignation the following season after they struggled in the First Division with a start of nine straight games without a victory.

===Later years===
In May 1978, Stokoe returned to Blackpool with the club in dire straits. Under the management of [[Allan Brown (footballer, born 1926)|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 the club. He guided them to a mid-table finishing position, and then resigned again before the start of the [[1979–80 in English football|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 in English football|1986–87]] season, he was appointed caretaker manager of Sunderland as they struggled in the Second Division. They narrowly lost on the away goals rule, 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.

==Death==
[[File:Stokoe statue.jpg|thumb|right| A statue of Stokoe stands outside [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]'s [[Stadium of Light]].]]
After being unwell for some time with [[Alzheimer's disease]], 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 the crematorium at Newcastle upon Tyne. The Reverend Neil Cockling, the Methodist Minister for [[Prudhoe]], 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."<ref name="bbc347333">{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/3474333.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Funeral service for soccer legend | date=10 February 2004 | access-date=26 April 2010}}</ref>

==Honours==

===As a player===
'''Newcastle United'''
*[[FA Cup]]: [[1954–55 FA Cup|1954–55]]<ref>{{cite book |first1=Leslie |first2=Jack |last1=Vernon |last2=Rollin |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78 |year=1977 |publisher=Brickfield Publications Ltd |location=London |isbn=0354 09018 6 |page=490}}</ref>

===As a manager===
'''Blackpool'''
*[[Anglo-Italian Cup]]: [[1970–71 in English football|1971]]

'''Sunderland'''
*[[FA Cup]]: [[1972–73 FA Cup|1972–73]]
*[[Football League Second Division]]: [[1975–76 Football League Second Division|1975–76]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book | first=Paul | last=Harrison|author2=Bob Stokoe  | title=Northern and Proud: the Biography of Bob Stokoe | publisher=Know The Score Books Sport | year=2009 | isbn=978-1-84818-505-0}}
*{{cite book | first=Roy | last=Calley| title=[[Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992]] | publisher=Breedon Books Sport | year=1992 | isbn=1-873626-07-X}}
*{{cite book | first=Lance | last=Hardy| title=STOKOE, SUNDERLAND AND '73 | publisher=Orion | year=2009 | isbn=978-0-7528-8340-3}}

==External links==
*{{Soccerbase|7656|Bob Stokoe player profile}}
*{{Soccerbase manager|222}}

{{FA Cup winning managers}}
{{Bury F.C. managers}}
{{Charlton Athletic F.C. managers}}
{{Rochdale A.F.C. managers}}
{{Carlisle United F.C. managers}}
{{Blackpool F.C. managers}}
{{Sunderland A.F.C. managers}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stokoe, Bob}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Newcastle United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bury F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:Bury F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Charlton Athletic F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Carlisle United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Blackpool F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Sunderland A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Rochdale A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:English Football League managers]]
[[Category:Men's association football central defenders]]
[[Category:People from Mickley, Northumberland]]
[[Category:Footballers from Northumberland]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]