View source for Frank Stapleton

{{short description|Irish football player, manager (born 1956)}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Frank Stapleton
| image = Persdag Ajax 33 Arnold Mühren , 34 Stapleton, Bestanddeelnr 934-0331.jpg
| caption = Stapleton in 1987
| fullname = Francis Anthony Stapleton
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|7|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Dublin]], Ireland
| position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
| height = 1.80m<ref>{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=234 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}</ref>
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 1974–1981
| clubs1 = [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
| caps1 = 225
| goals1 = 75
| years2 = 1981–1987
| clubs2 = [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
| caps2 = 223
| goals2 = 60
| years3 = 1987
| clubs3 = [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]]
| caps3 = 4
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1987–1988
| clubs4 = → [[R.S.C. Anderlecht|Anderlecht]] (loan)
| caps4 = 0
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1988
| clubs5 = → [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] (loan)
| caps5 = 10
| goals5 = 1
| years6 = 1988–1989
| clubs6 = [[Le Havre AC|Le Havre]]
| caps6 = 18
| goals6 = 5
| years7 = 1989–1991
| clubs7 = [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
| caps7 = 81
| goals7 = 13
| years8 = 1991
| clubs8 = [[Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot]]
| caps8 = 1
| goals8 = 0
| years9 = 1991
| clubs9 = [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]]
| caps9 = 5
| goals9 = 0
| years10 = 1991–1994
| clubs10 = [[Bradford City A.F.C.|Bradford City]]
| caps10 = 68
| goals10 = 2
| years11 = 1994–1995
| clubs11 = [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]]
| caps11 = 2
| goals11 = 0
| totalcaps = 618+
| totalgoals = 151+
| nationalyears1 = 1976–1990
| nationalteam1 = [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]]
| nationalcaps1 = 71
| nationalgoals1 = 20
| manageryears1 = 1991–1994
| managerclubs1 = [[Bradford City A.F.C.|Bradford City]]
| manageryears2 = 1996
| managerclubs2 = [[New England Revolution]]
| manageryears3 = 2014–2015
| managerclubs3 = [[Jordan national football team|Jordan]] (assistant)
}}

'''Francis Anthony Stapleton''' (born 10 July 1956) is an Irish former professional [[association football|football]] player and manager. He is best remembered for his time at [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and as a pivotal player for the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland national team]]. He has also been manager at [[Bradford City A.F.C.|Bradford City]] and [[Major League Soccer|MLS]] club [[New England Revolution]].

==Playing career==
Stapleton was a distinguished [[centre forward]], once touted as being among the best in the world in his position, and an exceptionally strong header of the ball. He started his career with [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], joining them in 1972 as an apprentice, after being turned down by [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]].<ref name="arsyears">{{cite web |title=Stapleton's Arsenal years |url=http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=363554 |work=ManUtd.com |publisher=Manchester United |date=15 September 2006 |access-date=3 December 2006 }}</ref> He made his first-team debut in March 1975, at home to [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]], and would go on to form a potent striking partnership with [[Malcolm Macdonald]]; the two scored 46 goals between them in [[1976–77 in English football|1976–77]]. He was Arsenal's top scorer for the three following seasons, and helped the Gunners reach a trio of [[FA Cup]] finals; Stapleton scored one of the goals in Arsenal's [[1979 FA Cup Final]] 3–2 win over [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], and scored 108 goals in 300 appearances in total for the Gunners.

Stapleton went on to move to Manchester United in the summer of 1981 for £900,000 (a fee set by [[tribunal]] after the two clubs could not agree) as new manager [[Ron Atkinson]] began building a team capable of challenging for silverware after a disappointing [[1980–81 in English football|1980–81 season]] under [[Dave Sexton]].<ref name="arsyears"/> He helped United win the [[1983 FA Cup Final|1983]] and [[1985 FA Cup Final|1985]] FA Cups. It was in the first of those finals, when he scored against Brighton, in which Stapleton made history by becoming the first man to score for two different clubs in FA Cup Finals.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://unitedfactsbook.com/frank-stapleton-player-profile|title= Frank Stapleton Profile|work= United Facts Book|access-date=30 November 2021}}</ref> United finished in the top four of the league in each of Stapleton's first five seasons at [[Old Trafford]], and came close to winning a league title medal in the [[1985–86 in English football|1985–86 season]] after United won their first ten league games of the season before their form slumped and they finished fourth. Atkinson was sacked and replaced by [[Alex Ferguson]] in November 1986, and Stapleton remained a regular member of the first team under the new manager, but soon after [[Brian McClair]] arrived at the club, Stapleton moved to [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] on the recommendation of former teammate, [[Arnold Mühren]] in the summer of 1987. But the move failed to live up to expectations, as he made just six appearances and scored one goal against [[Dundalk F.C.|Dundalk]] in the [[1987–88 European Cup Winners' Cup|Cup Winners Cup]], before he made a short loan-spell at Belgian side [[R.S.C. Anderlecht|Anderlecht]] at the end of 1987, without making a single appearance. Stapleton then played on loan for three months with [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] before heading to the [[UEFA Euro 1988|European Championships in 1988]] as the captain of the Republic of Ireland side, which beat England, drew 1–1 with the Soviet Union, eventual runners-up, and lost by a single late goal to tournament winners, the Netherlands. He then played for French club [[Le Havre AC|Le Havre]] for a season, before returning to England again with [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] in 1989, followed by moves to [[Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot]], [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] (as player-coach) and [[Bradford City A.F.C.|Bradford City]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.the42.ie/frank-stapleton-ajax-johan-cruyff-3399190-May2017/|title= The iconic Irish international and the unmitigated disaster of signing for Johan Cruyff's Ajax|date=23 May 2017|work=The 42|access-date=24 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-23 |title=afc-ajax/Frank-Stapleton |url=https://www.afc-ajax.info/en/soccer-player/Frank-Stapleton}}</ref>	

After three seasons as player-manager at Bradford, he was sacked following their narrow failure to qualify for the Division Two playoffs at the end of the [[1993-94 in English football|1993-94 season]]. He then had a brief spell at [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]] in the [[1994–95 in English football|1994–95 season]], playing two games before finally announcing his retirement as a player.

==International career==
Stapleton also won 71 [[cap (sport)|caps]] for the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland national team]], scoring a then record 20 goals. Stapleton made his international debut under then player-manager [[Johnny Giles]] in a friendly against [[Turkey national football team|Turkey]] in [[Ankara]] in 1976 at 20 years of age. He scored after only three minutes of his debut when he headed home a Giles free-kick at the near post. That friendly international finished 3–3 and marked the start of a magnificent international career for the quiet and reserved Stapleton.

Stapleton was committed to international football insisting that an "international release clause" be inserted to all of his contracts so that he could be released to play in international games for Ireland.

Stapleton played a significant role in Ireland's attempt to qualify for the [[1982 FIFA World Cup|World Cup in Spain in 1982]]. Goals against [[Cyprus national football team|Cyprus]], [[Netherlands national football team|the Netherlands]] and [[France national football team|France]] for Stapleton in the qualifying matches were not enough as Ireland were denied a place at the World Cup by a superior French goal difference. Stapleton was made captain of the national team for the qualifying campaign for the [[1986 FIFA World Cup|1986 World Cup]] though Ireland failed to emulate their fine performance in the 1982 qualifiers.

[[Jack Charlton]] took over as the Irish manager in 1986 and he kept Stapleton as captain despite a sometimes uneasy relationship between the two men. Stapleton scored a magnificent diving header in the opening [[1988 UEFA European Football Championship|Euro 1988]] qualifier against Belgium in the 2–2 draw at the [[Heysel Stadium]], Brussels that September. He also scored in the 2–1 defeat by [[Bulgaria national football team|Bulgaria]] in [[Sofia]] on 1 April 1987, with another goal against [[Luxembourg national football team|Luxembourg]] in the 2–1 victory at [[Lansdowne Road]] the following September.

Stapleton captained the Irish team to the 1988 Euro finals and played in all of their matches during the competition including Ireland's famous victory against England.

After the 1988, European Championships Stapleton remained on the fringe of the national team during qualification for [[1990 FIFA World Cup|World Cup Italia 1990]] making just two appearances late in the campaign. By then, his 20 goals for the Republic had made him the national side's all-time leading goalscorer – a record which would be broken ten years later by [[Niall Quinn]], who was in the early stages of his own international career when Stapleton bowed out of the international scene.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.soccer-ireland.com/manchester-united/frank-stapleton.htm|title=Frank Stapleton : Manchester United : Irish Footballer|date=20 December 2022 }}</ref>

He did, however, score an 87th-minute goal against [[Malta national football team|Malta]] in a 3–0 friendly in [[Valletta]] just prior to those finals in Italy.

==Managerial career==
Stapleton moved to the United States to manage [[Major League Soccer]] side [[New England Revolution]] in 1996, becoming the club's first-ever manager on 4 January 1996.<ref name = "ClubHistory_CoachandPlayerRegistry.pdf">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612135826/https://newengland-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/elfinderimages/media/ClubHistory_CoachandPlayerRegistry.pdf |url=https://newengland-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/elfinderimages/media/ClubHistory_CoachandPlayerRegistry.pdf |title=ClubHistory_CoachandPlayerRegistry.pdf |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |access-date=September 23, 2024}}</ref> His Revolution side recorded their first-ever win on 20 April against the [[MetroStars]],<ref name="2024 Media Guide">{{cite book |title=2024 Media Guide |publisher=New England Revolution|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322013528/https://revolution.1rmg.com/season/2024/media-guide/ |access-date=September 23, 2024}}</ref> Stapleton's Revolution did not have a particularly successful inaugural campaign, finishing the season with 15 wins and 17 losses.<ref name = "ClubHistory_CoachandPlayerRegistry.pdf"/> Stapleton announced his resignation on 26 September.<ref name = "ClubHistory_CoachandPlayerRegistry.pdf"/>

In the [[2003–04 in English football|2003–04]] season he briefly returned to English football as a specialist coach of [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]]. The Bolton manager [[Sam Allardyce]] wanted Stapleton to enhance the skills of the strikers at the club and saw the Irishman as an ideal candidate, given his successful playing career.

Stapleton was appointed assistant manager to former teammate [[Ray Wilkins]] with [[Jordan national football team|Jordan]] on 3 September 2014.

==Personal life==
His sister Helena played for the [[Republic of Ireland women's national football team]] in the 1980s <ref>{{cite web | url=https://womensfootballarchive.org/2022/06/13/republic-of-ireland-womens-football-players/ | title=Republic of Ireland women's football players | date=13 June 2022 }}</ref>

He is second cousin of Irish actor [[Barry Keoghan]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/did-you-know-that-barry-keoghan-has-an-amazing-family-link-to-man-utd| title=Barry Keoghan's amazing family link to United | date=15 August 2024 }}</ref>

==Career statistics==
:''Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Stapleton goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Frank Stapleton<ref>{{cite web |title=Frank Stapleton |url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=19955|publisher=European Football |access-date=15 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="nftstat">{{NFT player|id=15499|name=Frank Stapleton|accessdate= }}</ref>
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
|-
|align="center"| 1 || 13 October 1976 || [[Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium|19 Mayıs Stadium]], [[Ankara]], Turkey || {{fb|TUR}} ||align="center"| 1–0 ||align="center"| 3–3 || [[Friendly (association football)|Friendly]]
|-
|align="center"| 2 || 24 May 1978 || [[Idrætsparken]], [[Copenhagen]], Denmark || {{fb|DEN}} ||align="center"| 1–0 ||align="center"| 3–3 || [[UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying Group 1|UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying]]
|-
|align="center"| 3 || 17 October 1979 || [[Lansdowne Road]], [[Dublin]], Ireland || {{fb|BUL|1971}} ||align="center"| 3–0 ||align="center"| 3–0 || UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
|-
|align="center"| 4 || 19 November 1980 || Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland || {{fb|CYP}} ||align="center"| 5–0 ||align="center"| 6–0 || [[1982 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)#UEFA Group 2|1982 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|-
|align="center"| 5 || 29 April 1981 || Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland || {{fb|TCH}} ||align="center"| 3–1 ||align="center"| 3–1 || Friendly
|-
|align="center"| 6 || 9 September 1981 || [[De Kuip]], [[Rotterdam]], Netherlands || {{fb|NED}} ||align="center"| 2–2 ||align="center"| 2–2 || 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
|-
|align="center"| 7 || 14 October 1981 || Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland || {{fb|FRA}} ||align="center"| 2–1 ||align="center"| 3–2 || 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
|-
|align="center"| 8 || 13 October 1982 || Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland || {{fb|ISL}} ||align="center"| 1–0 ||align="center"| 2–0 || [[UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 7|UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying]]
|-
|align="center"| 9 ||rowspan="2"| 17 November 1982 ||rowspan="2"| Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland ||rowspan="2"| {{fb|ESP|1981}} ||align="center"| 2–3 ||rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"| 3–3 ||rowspan="2"| UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying
|-
|align="center"| 10 ||align="center"| 3–3
|-
|align="center"| 11 || 30 March 1983 || [[National Stadium, Ta' Qali|National Stadium]], [[Ta' Qali]], [[Malta]] || {{fb|MLT}} ||align="center"| 1–0 ||align="center"| 1–0 || UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying
|-
|align="center"| 12 || 16 November 1983 || [[Dalymount Park]], Dublin, Ireland || {{fb|MLT}} ||align="center"| 2–0 ||align="center"| 8–0 || UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying
|-
|align="center"| 13 || 2 June 1985 || Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland || {{fb|SUI}} ||align="center"| 1–0 ||align="center"| 3–0 || [[1986 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 6|1986 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|-
|align="center"| 14 || 13 November 1985 || Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland || {{fb|DEN}} ||align="center"| 1–0 ||align="center"| 1–4 || 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
|-
|align="center"| 15 || 27 May 1986 || [[Laugardalsvöllur]], [[Reykjavík]], Iceland || {{fb|TCH}} ||align="center"| 1–0 ||align="center"| 1–0 || [[Iceland Triangular Tournament]]
|-
|align="center"| 16 || 10 September 1986 || [[Constant Vanden Stock Stadium]], [[Brussels]], Belgium || {{fb|BEL}} ||align="center"| 1–1 ||align="center"| 2–2 || [[UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying Group 7|UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying]]
|-
|align="center"| 17 || 1 April 1987 || [[Vasil Levski National Stadium]], [[Sofia]], Bulgaria || {{fb|BUL|1971}} ||align="center"| 1–1 ||align="center"| 1–2 || UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying
|-
|align="center"| 18 || 9 September 1987 || Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland || {{fb|LUX}} ||align="center"| 1–1 ||align="center"| 2–1 || UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying
|-
|align="center"| 19 || 6 September 1989 || Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland || {{fb|FRG}} ||align="center"| 1–0 ||align="center"| 1–1 || Friendly
|-
|align="center"| 20 || 2 June 1990 || [[National Stadium, Ta' Qali|National Stadium]], [[Ta' Qali]], Malta || {{fb|MLT}} ||align="center"| 3–0 ||align="center"| 3–0 ||Friendly
|}

==Honours==
'''Arsenal'''
* [[FA Cup]]: [[1979 FA Cup Final|1978–79]]

'''Manchester United'''
* FA Cup: [[1983 FA Cup Final|1982–83]], [[1985 FA Cup Final|1984–85]]
* [[FA Charity Shield]]: [[1983 FA Charity Shield|1983]]

'''Individual'''
* [[Arsenal Player of the Season Award|Arsenal Player of the Season]]: [[1976–77 Arsenal F.C. season|1976–77]], [[1979–80 Arsenal F.C. season|1979–80]]<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Maidment |first=Jem |title=The Official Arsenal Encyclopedia |publisher=[[Hamlyn (publisher)|Hamlyn]] |year=2006 |isbn=9780600615491 |location=London |pages=148 }}</ref>
* [[PFA Team of the Year]]: [[PFA Team of the Year (1980s)#First Division 5|1983–84 First Division]]<ref name=Lynch145>{{cite book |last=Lynch |title=The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes |page=145}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{soccerbase manager|450|Frank Stapleton}}
*[http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/player.php?id=275 Republic of Ireland Record]
*[http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=263:frank-stapleton&catid=78:hall-of-fame&Itemid=146 FAI Profile]

{{Navboxes
| title = Awards
| bg = gold
| fg = navy
| list1 = 
{{1983–84 Football League First Division PFA Team of the Year}}
{{Arsenal F.C. Player of the Season}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Republic of Ireland squads
| bg = #00994A
| fg = white
| bordercolor = #FF883E
| list1 = 
{{Republic of Ireland squad UEFA Euro 1988}}
{{Republic of Ireland squad 1990 FIFA World Cup}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Managerial positions
| list1 = 
{{Bradford City A.F.C. managers}}
{{New England Revolution managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stapleton, Frank}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Association footballers from Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Eredivisie players]]
[[Category:Ligue 2 players]]
[[Category:Arsenal F.C. players]]
[[Category:Manchester United F.C. players]]
[[Category:AFC Ajax players]]
[[Category:R.S.C. Anderlecht players]]
[[Category:Derby County F.C. players]]
[[Category:Le Havre AC players]]
[[Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Aldershot F.C. players]]
[[Category:Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bradford City A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland association football managers]]
[[Category:Bradford City A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:New England Revolution head coaches]]
[[Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland men's international footballers]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1988 players]]
[[Category:1990 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland expatriate men's association footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in Belgium]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in France]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:Huddersfield Town A.F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Expatriate soccer coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland expatriate association football managers]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:People from Artane, Dublin]]
[[Category:20th-century Irish sportsmen]]