by Ronnie Macdonald
Football Gifts
A True Football Gift
It was the 1st of February 1915 on Seymour Street which is located about half a mile outside Hanley City Centre in Stoke-on-Trent that Stanley Matthews was born in a row of terraced houses that still stand today(2009). Stan was the third son of four born to Jack Matthews a professional boxer who had a firm hand a no nonsense approach. He was a strict disciplinarian but for the time was not unusual and if anything must of helped Stan in his younger years. For Stan’s Mother there really isn’t that much documented about her but hopefully as I carry on writing and researching this subject I may be able to add more later about her
Jack Matthews was fixated on Stan been a pro boxer or at-least boxing to start with and would regularly take him training from an early age but in his teenage years Stan had only one sport in mind and it sure wasn’t boxing and with football been a mans game Jack Matthews was ok with this.
“I had only one thing on my mind – to be a footballer.” – Stanley Matthews
Jack Matthews with his firm talking style would say to his son that you could make it as professional footballer son “If you can make yourself good enough to be a schoolboy international before you leave school”
Also there was some pressure from his Mother on Jack to give the lad a break about the boxing game and let him do what he wants to do – so now in the morning Jack would wake Stan up early still for his training but have a ball with him.
It’s forever fascinating how one person can drive themselves and achieve their dreams, goals and ambitions while another is content to do absolutely nothing with their person…
And indeed Stan was getting there when he was selected to play for the England schoolboys against Wales. He was 13 years old and England won 4-1.
Now I trust I don’t insult to many Stoke City FC fans but it is a fact that Stan was a keen Port Vale fan till about the age of 15
“I wanted to play for the Vale but it was my father who insisted that I went to Stoke and I did what I was told,” – Stanley Matthews
Stan played 2 matches as a reserve for Stoke City FC and was truly converted from there in after and naturally to a Stoke fan. He signed for Stoke when he was 17 and the club were promoted to Division 1 in the 1932/1933 season. Stan also made his first cap for England the first Stoke City player to do so in 30 years, at the same age against Wales beating them 4-0 and scoring one of the goals. Stan did have a reputation for hanging onto the ball for as long as possible not just to be greedy or take control it was just his way – he loved having the ball
Raich Carter said “When Stan gets the ball on the wing you don’t know when it’s coming back. He’s an extraordinary difficult winger to play alongside.”
Stanley Matthews was in no doubt the biggest star at Stoke and the clubs gate money doubled in just a few years to over 23000 and for once Stoke were financially secure.
Unfortunately for Stoke City and Stan the war started and wiped out 6 years of football for them both – who knows what Stoke could of done and become in those years- they had a great up and coming team and players like Freddie Steele, Tommy Sale, Neil Franklin and of course Stan.
Now at the age of 32 Stan left his Stoke behind and went to play for Blackpool who with his help in the 1947/48 season reached the FA Cup final but lost against Manchester United 4-2. It was this same year that Stanley Matthews won the first Footballer of the Year Award. It wasn’t until the 1952/53 season and still with Blackpool that he got his hands on the FA cup after they beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3 now aged 38. And what’s even more amazing is at the age of 42 he made his last appearance for England against Denmark which England won 4-1. That same year a delighted Stan picked up an OBE.
After 14 good years with Blackpool the wizard of dribble returned to his beloved Stoke City who at the time would struggle to get a crowd of 8000 but on his first game back home 36000 people piled in to see him. Stan played his last game for Stoke on the 6th February 1965 at the age of 50, also that same year he became the first footballer to be knighted for his services to the sport.
Sadly Stanley Matthews finally left us all on the 23rd of February 2000
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