Bob McGrory
Encyclopedia
Robert McGrory was a Scottish
footballer who played as a defender
. After starting his career at Dumbarton
, he later moved to the English
club Burnley
where he made three appearances. In 1921, he moved to First Division
side Stoke City where he made 511 appearances as a full-back. He later became a football manager, following his retirement from playing. McGrory spent 17 years at Stoke City as manager, before leaving in 1952.
, Bob McGrory began work as an apprentice joiner
on Clydeside. However, he chose to follow a career in football instead and signed a contract with the Scottish
side Dumbarton F.C.
. He then moved to English
side Burnley F.C.
, where he made three league appearances.
, who at the time were playing in the Football League First Division
. McGrory went on to make 511 League and Cup appearances for the club, the majority of these being as a right-back. He was a strong tackling defender, with good positional sense, this combined with his consistency and leadership skills led to him being given the club captaincy. In 1932, at the age of 41, he decided to discontinue his playing career and instead took over as the club's reserve team manager. However, injuries to first-team players meant McGrory was recalled to the senior side by Stoke's manager Tom Mather
. In his final season as a player, 1934–35
, McGrory featured in all 42 of Stoke's league games. His final appearance came in May 1935, at the age of 43, marking the end of a 14 year spell as a player for Stoke.
, decided to leave the club in 1935 to take the same position at Newcastle United
. McGrory was appointed as the club's new manager for the 1935–36
season. His first season in charge was a remarkable success as Stoke achieved their highest league finish, fourth in the First Division. McGrory oversaw the development of the club's youngsters, such as Stanley Matthews
, Freddie Steele
and Neil Franklin
. McGrory surprised many supporters when he sold the club's top goalscorer, Tommy Sale
, to Blackburn Rovers in March 1936, for the sum of £6,000. However, McGrory had confidence in youngster Freddie Steele, whom he had earmarked as a potential replacement for Sale. Steele went on to score 220 goals during his tenure at the club. He brought Sale back to the club two years later, due to an injury to Steele. The decision paid off as Sale scored 23 times in the 1938–39 season
.
After the resumption of the league in 1946–47
(following the Second World War), Stoke mounted a serious title challenge: the club needed a win in their final game of the season to win the First Division title, but a 2–1 defeat to Sheffield United gave the title to Liverpool F.C.
. McGrory decided to sell Stanley Matthews three games before the end of the 1946–47 season to join Blackpool F.C.
for a fee of £11,500.
McGrory's side did not come closer to league success than in 1946–47 and he left the club at the end of the 1951–52
, following a 20th place finish in the First Division. This marked the end of his 17 year management career at the club, in which he had maintained the club's status in the First Division for 10 seasons. He had managed the club in 192 league games, of which 90 had been victories. He then had a short spell as manager of Welsh
side Merthyr Tydfil
of the Southern Football League
. He remained in close contact with Stoke City following his departure, until his death in Glasgow
on 24 May 1954.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
footballer who played as a defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. After starting his career at Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
, he later moved to the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
where he made three appearances. In 1921, he moved to First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side Stoke City where he made 511 appearances as a full-back. He later became a football manager, following his retirement from playing. McGrory spent 17 years at Stoke City as manager, before leaving in 1952.
Early career
Born in Bishopton, RenfrewshireBishopton, Renfrewshire
Bishopton is a large village in Renfrewshire, Scotland, a few miles west of Erskine.-Transport links:Bishopton sits a couple of miles from the southern end of the Erskine Bridge, which spans the River Clyde between Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire. Part way along the B815 road is a computer...
, Bob McGrory began work as an apprentice joiner
Joiner
A joiner differs from a carpenter in that joiners cut and fit joints in wood that do not use nails. Joiners usually work in a workshop since the formation of various joints generally requires non-portable machinery. A carpenter normally works on site...
on Clydeside. However, he chose to follow a career in football instead and signed a contract with the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
side Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
. He then moved to English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
side Burnley F.C.
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, where he made three league appearances.
Stoke City
In May 1921, McGrory was signed by Stoke City manager Arthur ShallcrossArthur Shallcross
Arthur Shallcross was an English association football manager who managed Stoke City between 1919 and 1923.-Career:Shallcross played for his native Leek and was also a match referee before becoming Stoke manager in February 1919...
, who at the time were playing in the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. McGrory went on to make 511 League and Cup appearances for the club, the majority of these being as a right-back. He was a strong tackling defender, with good positional sense, this combined with his consistency and leadership skills led to him being given the club captaincy. In 1932, at the age of 41, he decided to discontinue his playing career and instead took over as the club's reserve team manager. However, injuries to first-team players meant McGrory was recalled to the senior side by Stoke's manager Tom Mather
Tom Mather
Tom Mather , was a football player and manager.-Career:Mather was assistant secretary of both Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers before taking the manager's job at Bolton at the beginning of the First World War, remaining at the club until 1915 when he was called up by the Royal Navy...
. In his final season as a player, 1934–35
1934-35 in English football
The 1934–35 season was the 60th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Arsenal become only the second team to win the League three consecutive times.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
, McGrory featured in all 42 of Stoke's league games. His final appearance came in May 1935, at the age of 43, marking the end of a 14 year spell as a player for Stoke.
Stoke City
Stoke's manager, Tom MatherTom Mather
Tom Mather , was a football player and manager.-Career:Mather was assistant secretary of both Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers before taking the manager's job at Bolton at the beginning of the First World War, remaining at the club until 1915 when he was called up by the Royal Navy...
, decided to leave the club in 1935 to take the same position at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. McGrory was appointed as the club's new manager for the 1935–36
1935-36 in English football
The 1935–36 season was the 61st season of competitive football in England.-Events:Sunderland AFC won the league, and in doing so they remain the last team to win the English League while wearing striped jerseys...
season. His first season in charge was a remarkable success as Stoke achieved their highest league finish, fourth in the First Division. McGrory oversaw the development of the club's youngsters, such as Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
, Freddie Steele
Freddie Steele (footballer)
Frederick Charles Steele was a footballer who played as a forward for Stoke City and was a former England international. He also had spells at Mansfield Town and Port Vale as a player-manager, leading Vale to a league title...
and Neil Franklin
Neil Franklin
Cornelius 'Neil' Franklin was an English footballer.-Early career:Franklin had made a impression at schoolboy level, playing at both inside and centre forward...
. McGrory surprised many supporters when he sold the club's top goalscorer, Tommy Sale
Tommy Sale
Thomas Sale was an English footballer who played as a striker. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Sale had two spells at his home town club, Stoke City, amassing 483 appearances, either side of a two year stint at Blackburn Rovers...
, to Blackburn Rovers in March 1936, for the sum of £6,000. However, McGrory had confidence in youngster Freddie Steele, whom he had earmarked as a potential replacement for Sale. Steele went on to score 220 goals during his tenure at the club. He brought Sale back to the club two years later, due to an injury to Steele. The decision paid off as Sale scored 23 times in the 1938–39 season
1938-39 in English football
The 1938–39 season was the 64th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
.
After the resumption of the league in 1946–47
1946-47 in English football
The 1946–47 season was the 67th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The 1946–47 season was the first to feature a full football programme since the 1938–39 campaign. Eighty-eight teams competed over four divisions. Liverpool went top of the First Division with a 2–1 away win over...
(following the Second World War), Stoke mounted a serious title challenge: the club needed a win in their final game of the season to win the First Division title, but a 2–1 defeat to Sheffield United gave the title to Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. McGrory decided to sell Stanley Matthews three games before the end of the 1946–47 season to join Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
for a fee of £11,500.
McGrory's side did not come closer to league success than in 1946–47 and he left the club at the end of the 1951–52
1951-52 in English football
The 1951–52 season was the 72nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
, following a 20th place finish in the First Division. This marked the end of his 17 year management career at the club, in which he had maintained the club's status in the First Division for 10 seasons. He had managed the club in 192 league games, of which 90 had been victories. He then had a short spell as manager of Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
side Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil F.C.
Merthyr Tydfil Football Club was a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2010 the club was liquidated and reformed under the name Merthyr Town, which was accepted into Division One of the Western League.-History:...
of the Southern Football League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
. He remained in close contact with Stoke City following his departure, until his death in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
on 24 May 1954.
Player
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
1919–20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
1920–21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1921–22 | 41 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| 1922–23 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 1923–24 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 1924–25 | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 | |
| 1925–26 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 1926–27 | 42 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| 1927–28 | 42 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| 1928–29 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 1929–30 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| 1930–31 | 39 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
| 1931–32 | 41 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| 1932–33 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1933–34 | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 1934–35 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| Career Total | 482 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 514 | 0 | |
Manager
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
June 1935 | May 1952 | 460 | 170 | 114 | 176 | |
Honours
with Stoke City- Football League Third Division NorthFootball League Third Division NorthThe Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
Champions: 1926–27