Jude Stirling
Encyclopedia
Jude Barrington Stirling (born 29 June 1982 in Enfield
, London
) is an English
footballer playing for Notts County
. He is most comfortable at right or left back, but is also able to play as a centre-back, winger or defensive midfielder.
, north London, he moved to join Luton Town
as a junior and was added to the clubs first team squad the 1999–2000 season. He did not make his debut until the following season when he was started against Swansea City
in a league game on 16 September 2000. He would make a total of 10 appearances for Town in his first season, in all competitions. During the 2001–02 season, and following two further games for The Hatters, Stirling was loaned out to Conference National
side Stevenage Borough
. He remained with Borough until March, when Luton released him.
club St Albans City
on loan, debuting in the 1-0 Isthmian League Premier Division victory over Harrow Borough
on 18 January 2003 and going on to play a further three times for the club, twice in the league, during his month with the club. He then linked up with Boreham Wood
on loan for the remainder of the season, debuting in the 1-0 Isthmian League Premier Division defeat at Aldershot Town
on 1 February 2003.
, who at the time had suffered three straight relegations from the Conference National and were now plying there trade in the Southern Football League
regional divisions. He was taken on trial by Russell Slade
at Grimsby Town
during his time at Dover but was not offered a contract.
, Stirling signed for the club in March 2005. He made his debut in the 3-0 home victory over Northwich Victoria
on 12 March 2005 and made a total of five appearances for the side before departing at the end of the month to join Grays Athletic
. He made his Grays debut in the 1-1 home Football Conference South draw with Hayes
on 12 April 2005 and played a further three times for the club scoring a solitary goal in the 3-0 victory at Maidenhead United
on 23 April.
. Oxford struggled in there League Two
campaign with Stirling making 14 appearances for the club in all competitions. In January 2006, he was released from his contract.
and his Lincoln City
side who were looking for promotion to League One
. Stirling made six appearances for The Imps, all coming from the substitute bench. Following the clubs unsuccessful promotion challenge, in which they were defeated by local rivals Grimsby Town in the play-off semi final, Stirling was released by the club at the end of the season following the end of his contract.
and Stirling became one of a number of ex-Lincoln players signed up at London Road
in the summer of 2006. For the first time in a while, Stirling became a first team regular and nothced up 28 appearances for United, but when his manager was sacked midway through the season, Stirling was loaned out to Milton Keynes Dons
where he remained until the end of the 2006–07 season.
at the start of the 2007–08 campaign, and became an instant hit with the promotion chasing League Two side. During MK Dons' League Two triumph of 2007–08
, he was occasionally experimented as a striker, and gained popularity amongst Dons fans for his versatility, sheer effort and very long throw ins. As well as winning the League Two title, Stirling and the Dons also defeated Grimsby Town in the Football League Trophy
final at Wembley Stadium
. During the 2008–09 season, Paul Ince had left to take up the managerial position at Blackburn Rovers
, and his replacement Roberto Di Matteo
favoured him as the clubs first choice right back. Stirling was ever present in the season, which eventually saw the club challenge for promotion to the Championship
, however they were defeated over two legs in the play-offs against Scunthorpe United
. During the 2009–10 season, Paul Ince returned as manager. In March 2010, he joined Grimsby Town on loan for the rest of the season. Stirling went out on loan again, this time to Barnet
, in March 2011.
London Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is an 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...
footballer playing for Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. He is most comfortable at right or left back, but is also able to play as a centre-back, winger or defensive midfielder.
Luton Town
Stirling is a product of the Broadwater United football academy run by his father Clasford Stirling in Broadwater FarmBroadwater Farm
Broadwater Farm, often referred to simply as "The Farm", is an area in Tottenham, North London, straddling the River Moselle. The eastern half of the area is dominated by the Broadwater Farm Estate , an experiment in high-density social housing built in the late 1960s...
, north London, he moved to join Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
as a junior and was added to the clubs first team squad the 1999–2000 season. He did not make his debut until the following season when he was started against Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
in a league game on 16 September 2000. He would make a total of 10 appearances for Town in his first season, in all competitions. During the 2001–02 season, and following two further games for The Hatters, Stirling was loaned out to Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
. He remained with Borough until March, when Luton released him.
Stevenage Borough
Following his release from Luton, Stirling signed for Borough on a free transfer almost straight away and remained with the club until the end of the season as a permanent player. During the 2002–03 campaign, Stirling made 14 appearances in all competitions before leaving the club in January 2003.St Albans City and Boreham Wood
Stirling joined Conference SouthConference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
club St Albans City
St Albans City F.C.
St Albans City Football Club is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park, about 800 yards from the city centre. The club is in the Premier Division of the Southern League...
on loan, debuting in the 1-0 Isthmian League Premier Division victory over Harrow Borough
Harrow Borough F.C.
Harrow Borough Football Club is a semi-professional English association football club based in Harrow, in Greater London. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Earlsmead Stadium....
on 18 January 2003 and going on to play a further three times for the club, twice in the league, during his month with the club. He then linked up with Boreham Wood
Boreham Wood F.C.
Boreham Wood F.C. are a football club based in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, at Meadow Park football ground. They were established in 1948, and have reached the FA Cup 2nd Round proper twice in their history. For 2011-12 they will play in Conference South...
on loan for the remainder of the season, debuting in the 1-0 Isthmian League Premier Division defeat at Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
on 1 February 2003.
Dover Athletic
At the start of the 2004–05 season, Stirling signed for Dover AthleticDover Athletic F.C.
Dover Athletic Football Club is an association football team based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. The club was formed in 1983 after the dissolution of the town's previous club, Dover, whose place in the Southern League was taken by the new club...
, who at the time had suffered three straight relegations from the Conference National and were now plying there trade in 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...
regional divisions. He was taken on trial by Russell Slade
Russell Slade
Russell Slade is an English football manager currently in charge of League One side Leyton Orient.-Notts County:Slade was assistant manager to Mick Walker at Notts County, and took over as caretaker manager when Walker was sacked in September 1994. When County appointed Howard Kendall as manager...
at Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
during his time at Dover but was not offered a contract.
Tamworth and Grays Athletic
Following a trial with Conference National side TamworthTamworth F.C.
Tamworth Football Club are an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Tamworth, Staffordshire. Nicknamed 'The Lambs', they are currently members of the Conference National, the fifth highest tier in the English league system....
, Stirling signed for the club in March 2005. He made his debut in the 3-0 home victory over Northwich Victoria
Northwich Victoria F.C.
Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...
on 12 March 2005 and made a total of five appearances for the side before departing at the end of the month to join Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...
. He made his Grays debut in the 1-1 home Football Conference South draw with Hayes
Hayes F.C.
Hayes F.C. was an English football club based in Hayes, in Greater London. The club started out as Botwell Mission in 1909 taking its present name in 1929. The team nickname, The Missioners was a salute to the history of the team. The club played in the Conference South for their last few seasons...
on 12 April 2005 and played a further three times for the club scoring a solitary goal in the 3-0 victory at Maidenhead United
Maidenhead United F.C.
Maidenhead United Football Club is an English football club in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The club was founded in 1870 and moved to their current ground at York Road the following year...
on 23 April.
Oxford United
At the start of the 2005–06 season, following another successful trial, Stirling returned to the Football League and signed a one year deal with Oxford UnitedOxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
. Oxford struggled in there League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
campaign with Stirling making 14 appearances for the club in all competitions. In January 2006, he was released from his contract.
Lincoln City
He then joined Keith AlexanderKeith Alexander (footballer)
Keith Alexander was a Saint Lucian footballer and manager. Born in Nottingham, England, he was the manager of League Two side Macclesfield Town at the time of his death, in a career that included international appearances for Saint Lucia. Alexander played for a whole host of lower league football...
and his Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
side who were looking for promotion to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. Stirling made six appearances for The Imps, all coming from the substitute bench. Following the clubs unsuccessful promotion challenge, in which they were defeated by local rivals Grimsby Town in the play-off semi final, Stirling was released by the club at the end of the season following the end of his contract.
Peterborough United
Following his release from City, his former manager Keith Alexander was appointed manager at Imps rivals Peterborough UnitedPeterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
and Stirling became one of a number of ex-Lincoln players signed up at London Road
London Road
-England:There are countless London Roads in the UK. Only those significant outside their local area are listed here:* London Road, Brighton; for which a railway station is named* London Road, Guildford; for which a railway station is named...
in the summer of 2006. For the first time in a while, Stirling became a first team regular and nothced up 28 appearances for United, but when his manager was sacked midway through the season, Stirling was loaned out to Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
where he remained until the end of the 2006–07 season.
Milton Keynes Dons
Stirling was signed by Paul IncePaul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...
at the start of the 2007–08 campaign, and became an instant hit with the promotion chasing League Two side. During MK Dons' League Two triumph of 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
, he was occasionally experimented as a striker, and gained popularity amongst Dons fans for his versatility, sheer effort and very long throw ins. As well as winning the League Two title, Stirling and the Dons also defeated Grimsby Town in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
final at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. During the 2008–09 season, Paul Ince had left to take up the managerial position at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, and his replacement Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo is a Swiss-born Italian former professional footballer and the current assistant manager of Chelsea. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped by Italy 34 times, scoring two goals for the Italian national team, and played...
favoured him as the clubs first choice right back. Stirling was ever present in the season, which eventually saw the club challenge for promotion to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, however they were defeated over two legs in the play-offs against Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. During the 2009–10 season, Paul Ince returned as manager. In March 2010, he joined Grimsby Town on loan for the rest of the season. Stirling went out on loan again, this time to Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
, in March 2011.
External links
- Jude Stirling player profile at mkdons.com
- Profile at The Peterborough United Database