View source for Stuart Leary

{{short description|South African sportsman}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name                = Stuart Leary
| image               =
| fullname            = Stuart Edward Leary
| height              =
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1933|4|30|df=yes}}
| birth_place         = [[Cape Town]], South Africa
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1988|8|21|1933|4|30|df=yes}}
| death_place         = [[Table Mountain]], South Africa
| clubnumber          =
| position            = [[Centre-forward]]
| youthyears1 = 1948–1950
| youthclubs1 = Clyde F.C. (Cape Town)
| years1 = 1950–1962
| years2 = 1962–1966
| clubs1 = [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]]
| clubs2 = [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]]
| caps1 = 376
| caps2 = 94
| totalcaps = 470
| goals1 = 153
| goals2 = 29
| totalgoals = 182
| nationalyears1 = 1954
| nationalteam1 = [[England national under-23 football team|England U23]]
| nationalcaps1 = 1
| nationalgoals1 = 0
}}
'''Stuart Edward Leary''' (30 April 1933 – 21 August 1988) was a South African sportsman who played professional [[association football|football]] as a centre-forward and [[cricket]] as an all-rounder.

Leary started his career with [[Cape Town]] side Clyde before moving to English side [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] in 1950 along with team-mate [[Eddie Firmani]]. He was one of a number of South Africans to move to [[The Valley (London)|The Valley]] in this era.<ref name=ci17dec16>Alfred L (2016) [http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/18296462/luke-alfred-pays-tribute-south-african-dual-international-sid-olinn The man who wouldn't say 'Mister'], [[CricInfo]], 2016-12-17. Retrieved 2018-10-24.</ref> After making his debut in 1951, he became a prolific goal-scorer scoring a record number of league goals for the club. Despite being South African born, he appeared for the [[England national under-23 football team|England under-23 team]] but was prevented from representing the [[England national football team|full team]] by [[the Football Association]] who banned non-English-born players from representing the national team. During his period of [[National Service]] he served with the [[Royal Air Force]]. In all, he made 403 appearances for the Addicks, scoring 163. After failing to agree a new contract, he joined [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]] in 1962 and remained there until his retirement in 1966.

Leary also had a long and successful career as a [[first-class cricket]]er for [[Kent County Cricket Club]] between 1951 and 1971. He scored 16,517 runs at a [[batting average (cricket)|batting average]] of 31 and took 146 wickets at an [[bowling average|average]] of 34.<ref name=wis89>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228610.html Leary, Stuart Edward], Obituaries in 1988, ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', 1989. Retrieved 2018-10-24.</ref>

His body was discovered on [[Table Mountain]] in South Africa on 23 August 1988. It was believed he had died two days earlier after taking his own life.<ref name=wis89 /><ref name=ci20apr11>Steen R (2011) [http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/511763.html The fifth man], [[CricInfo]], 2011-04-20. Retrieved 2018-10-24.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cricinfo|id=16509}}

{{Charlton Athletic F.C. Hall of Fame}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leary, Stuart}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:1988 suicides]]
[[Category:1988 deaths]]
[[Category:South African men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Charlton Athletic F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:South African cricketers]]
[[Category:Kent cricketers]]
[[Category:South African expatriate cricketers in England]]
[[Category:Combined Services cricketers]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Cape Town]]
[[Category:White South African people]]
[[Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers]]
[[Category:England men's under-23 international footballers]]
[[Category:London XI players]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Alumni of Sea Point High School]]
[[Category:Suicides in South Africa]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Cape Town]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century South African sportsmen]]