From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson
Personal information
Early life
Roy Sproson was born above a greengrocer’s shop at 3
Full name Roy Sproson
Slater Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent on 23 September
Date of birth 23 September 1930(1930-09-23) 1930. Legend has it he was named for the local feath-
erweight boxer Roy Berrisford, after his father returned
Place of birth Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England
home from witnessing a Berrisford victory to find his
Date of death 24 January 1997(1997-01-24) (aged 66) wife had given birth in his absence.[1]
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) The family later moved to Trent Vale, where a young
Sproson played football, winning the Sentinel Shield with
Playing position Left-half/left-back/centre-half a 5–0 win over Port Vale.[1]
Youth career
Trent Vale Playing career
Stoke City Sproson played for Stoke City at an amateur level for
twelve months in the late 1940s.[1] He was courted by
Senior career*
teams such as Aston Villa, West Ham United and Bolton
Years Team Apps† (Gls)† Wanderers. His father wished him to follow in his foot-
steps and sign for Stoke City. The Stoke manager Bob
1949–1972 Port Vale 760 (30)
McGrory promised him a contract after Sproson finished
Total 760 (30) his National service, but after brother Jess introduced
him to Port Vale manager Gordon Hodgson, he signed
Teams managed
with the Vale for £3 a week while he served his National
1974–1977 Port Vale service.[1]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the In July 1949 Sproson’s time with the Royal Air Force
domestic league only. had finished and he signed with Port Vale as a profession-
† Appearances (Goals). al.[1] However he had to wait until 11 November 1950 for
his debut, in a 1–1 draw with Gillingham. He started the
Roy Sproson (23 September 1930 – 24 January 1997) was last five games of the season after sharing the #6 jersey
an English footballer and football manager for Port Vale. with Jimmy Todd and Bill McGarry.
A one-club man, he holds the all-time appearance record Hodgson’s death in June 1951 did not keep Sproson
for Vale, making 837 starts (and 5 substitute appearan- out of the first eleven and he played most games under
ces) for Vale between 1950 and 1972. This includes a run new manager Ivor Powell. His first goal came on 22
of 128 consecutive appearances between April 1954 and September in a 2–2 draw at home with Torquay United.
March 1957. He is also fourteenth on the all time Football However following the appointement of Freddie Steele
League appearance list. in December 1951, Sproson was dropped in favour of the
Sproson is a Port Vale legend, sticking with the club experienced Stan Palk. Sproson won his place back in
from its highest peaks in the early 1950s until the troughs March 1952 and never looked back.
of the last 1960s near the bottom of the Football League. Steele worked to develop the famous ’Iron Curtain’
He served under eight managers before taking the reins defence, as the Vale defence conceded just 35 times in
himself between 1974 and 1977. A relic of a bygone era 46 games in 1952–53. Only Second Division Huddersfield
when it was common for players to only play for a few Town conceded fewer, though Vale still finished one
clubs throughout their entire careers, his record for the point behind Oldham Athletic.
club is unlikely ever to be equalled or bettered. He fin- The 1953–54 season would live on Vale folk-lore.
ished with around 350 more appearances for the club Sproson was one of the men that made it happen, playing
than his closest rival Harry Poole. in a massive 53 games. The club stormed to the Third
Division North championship with a remarkable 21 con-
ceded in 46 games (a Football League record). Sproson
helped keeper Ray King keep thirty clean sheets in the
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Roy Sproson
league (again a record). He also played Vale’s heartbreak- would certainly have played First Division, and possibly
ing FA Cup semi-final defeat to West Bromwich Albion. even received international honours.[5]
"At the time, we did not know what it was like
to lose and the thought never occurred to us. Management career
We were convinced, in fact, that we could not Sproson was appointed caretaker-manager of Port Vale
be beaten." in January 1974 (after Gordon Lee left to join Blackburn
—Sproson speaking in February 1975.[2] Rovers) and was appointed on a permanent basis in April
of the same year.[4]
He had trouble adapting to life in the Second Division His insisted that the players not call him ’boss’ and in
the following season. He made 45 appearances in 1954–55 the spirit of Norman Low his footballing philosophy was
and 44 appearances in 1955–56. to go out and ’entertain the public’.[4] The players strug-
However in 1956–57 the club struggled and sank. The gled with poor discipline – Rotherham manager claimed
Iron Curtain was a thing of the past as they leaked 101 Vale were ’the worst exhibition of football thuggery I
goals in the league. have ever seen’.[6] There was a steady decline in the
In 1957–58 the club found themselves in the last ever club’s form and the loss of star midfielder Brian Horton
season of the Third Division South. Norman Low couldn’t to Brighton for £30,000 in March 1976, was something
bring his team to a top twelve finish, which meant the Sproson proved unable to remedy.[6]
club spent 1958–59 in the new Fourth Division. The game of football became preoccupied with suc-
Low adopted an attacking policy, but still relied on cess, results over style, and thus he was sacked in October
men like Sproson to hold the fort at the back. They took 1977 after a poor run of results. His replacement Bobby
the Fourth Division title in 1958–59, though Sproson Smith failed to rescue Vale from relegation despite mak-
spent the first half of the season on the sidelines with ing numerous signings. England manager Don Revie had
an ankle injury.[3] Terry Miles took his #6 jersey, though predicted such a fate when he said at a dinner that "Eng-
both Alan Martin and Roy Pritchard failed to hold on to lish football suffers from the same complaint all the time.
the #3 jersey, which Sproson claimed in February 1959. You’ve got two local lads here as your management team
It was the first time in six season he played less than [referring to Sproson and his assistant Reg Berks]. I’ll tell
forty games, for the next eleven seasons he would make you now, you won’t give them enough money to get out
at least thirty games a season. of this division, but eventually you’ll give them both the
He played 49 games in 1959–60. Sproson was back. sack and then you’ll give the next manager the lot."[7]
In 1960–61 he hit 51 games. In 1961–62, 1962–63 and Sproson refused the club’s offer of "an executive po-
1963–64 he was a regular custodian in the back four, as sition dealing with the club’s youth policy".[4] Taking his
the club tried and failed to win promotion. name plate off his office door "to spare anyone else the
In 1964–65 the veteran couldn’t prevent the club bother",[4] it was clear his sacking had upset him greatly.
from slipping back into the fourth tier, as Freddie Steele’s The next month he promised to help the club "in any ca-
second time in charge proved much less successful than pacity", though never returned to Vale Park again. [4]
the first.
Under Jackie Mudie and then Stanley Matthews the
club struggled. Sproson was as much in demand as ever, Post-retirement
in 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68 and again in 1968–69 the Sproson ran a Newsagent’s shop until he died on 24 Jan-
club frittered about at the foot of the league. uary 1997, aged 66.[8]
Sproson was positively ancient in footballing terms
when Gordon Lee pushed the team to promotion in
1969–70. In fact Sproson was four years Lee’s senior! Lee
Legacy
had to regularly talk him out of retirement. With promo-
"I have always loved the game and I have al-
tion, Sproson could finally rest his legs.
ways loved the club. The satisfaction of play-
Named Gillette Sportsman of the Year in April 1970,[4]
ing the game I love for the club I love has al-
he made seven appearances in 1970–71.
ways been enough for me".
His final appearance came on 8 May 1972 in a 2–1 de-
—The legend explains his unquestionable loy-
feat to Rotherham United at Vale Park. It was his only
alty.[1]
League match of the season, and he continued at the club
in a coaching capacity.
The Sproson name figures prominently in Port Vale’s his-
Sproson finished with a grand total 837 starts and five
tory. Roy’s older brother, Jess, played as a forward for
substitute appearances, being yellow carded just twice
Vale between 1940 and 1947, and his nephew, Phil (Jess’s
in his professional career.[1] Many supporters believed if
son), was a central defender between 1978 and 1989.
he had not remained so intensely loyal to Vale then he
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Roy Sproson
Another brother, Clifford, had played at amateur level for [7] Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A
Vale in the Cheshire County League. His father played Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan
professionally for Stoke during World War I. Books. pp. 50. ISBN 0950898163.
To this day, a group of Vale fans continue to raise [8] Maul, Rob (August 13, 2006). "Caught in Time: Port
money to erect a statue of Roy Sproson at Vale Park. Port Vale pre-season tour of Czechoslovakia, 1967".
Vale’s away kit for the 2005–06 season (in the club’s old Times Online. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/
amber and black colours) bore the motto ’837 – One Man sport/article607187.ece. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
One Team’, embroidered on the left sleeve to honour his [9] "Vale legend lives on in street sign". The Sentinel.
memory. 02/03/2009. http://www.thewonderofyou.co.uk/
A street by Vale Park has been re-named ’Roy Spro- news/Vale-legend-lives-on-in-street-sign.aspx.
son Way’ in his memory.[9] In March 2011, he was induct- Retrieved 2009-03-02.
ed into the City of Stoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame, along [10] "Gordon Banks inducted into Stoke-on-Trent Hall
with Gordon Banks.[10] of Fame". BBC Sport. 2 March 2011.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/
Honours s/stoke_city/9411597.stm. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
[11] All stats from: Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record
1879-1993. Witan Books. ISBN 0950898198.
as a Player
• Coronation Cup runner-up: 1953
• 1953–54
External links
• 1958–1959 • Roy Sproson management career stats at Soccerbase
• Supporters’ Clubs’ Trophy runner-up: 1958 • Sproson Fund
• 1959 Persondata
• Football League Fourth Division fourth place
Name Sproson, Roy
promotion winner: 1969–70
Individual Alternative names
• 1967 Short description Footballer, football manager
• 1970 Date of birth 23 September 1930
Place of birth Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England
as a Manager
Date of death 24 January 1997
• Debenhams Cup runner-up: 1976–77
Place of death
Statistics
Also included are five Supporters’ Clubs’ Trophy
appearances and one Coronation Cup.[11]
References
[1] ^ "Roy Sproson". sprosonfund.com.
http://www.sprosonfund.com/Stories/
roysproson.html. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
[2] Port Vale FC: The Valiants in the 1950s and 60s. Sentinel
Newspapers. pp. 49. ISBN 1-84547-090-7.
[3] Port Vale FC: The Valiants in the 1950s and 60s. Sentinel
Newspapers. pp. 69. ISBN 1-84547-090-7.
[4] ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan
Books. p. 278. ISBN 0952915200.
http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-
Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200.
[5] Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A
Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan
Books. pp. 113. ISBN 0950898163.
[6] ^ Kent, Jeff (1990). The Valiants’ Years: The Story Of
Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 246–248.
ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Roy Sproson
Club performance League Cup League Cup Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
England League FA Cup League Cup Total
1950–51 Port Vale Third Division South 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
1951–52 Port Vale Third Division South 28 1 0 0 0 0 28 1
1952–53 Port Vale Third Division North 45 2 2 0 0 0 48 2
1953–54 Port Vale Third Division North 45 2 8 0 0 0 53 2
1954–55 Port Vale Second Division 42 1 3 0 0 0 45 1
1955–56 Port Vale Second Division 42 1 2 1 0 0 44 3
1956–57 Port Vale Second Division 39 1 2 0 0 0 41 1
1957–58 Port Vale Third Division South 37 1 3 1 0 0 40 2
1958–59 Port Vale Fourth Division 21 1 3 0 0 0 24 1
1959–60 Port Vale Third Division 41 1 6 0 0 0 49 1
1960–61 Port Vale Third Division 43 0 3 0 3 0 51 0
1961–62 Port Vale Third Division 46 1 7 0 1 0 54 1
1962–63 Port Vale Third Division 42 1 4 0 1 0 47 1
1963–64 Port Vale Third Division 46 0 5 1 1 0 52 1
1964–65 Port Vale Third Division 45 0 2 0 1 0 48 0
1965–66 Port Vale Fourth Division 30 1 4 1 0 0 34 2
1966–67 Port Vale Fourth Division 31 2 2 0 1 0 34 2
1967–68 Port Vale Fourth Division 32 2 1 0 1 0 34 2
1968–69 Port Vale Fourth Division 42 7 5 0 0 0 47 7
1969–70 Port Vale Fourth Division 46 5 5 1 1 0 52 6
1970–71 Port Vale Third Division 6 0 0 0 1 0 7 0
1971–72 Port Vale Third Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total England 760 30 65 5 11 0 842 35
Career total 760 30 65 5 11 0 842 35
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Sproson"
Categories: 1930 births, 1997 deaths, People from Burslem, People from Stoke-on-Trent, English footballers, Associ-
ation football defenders, Stoke City F.C. players, Port Vale F.C. players, The Football League players, English football
managers, Port Vale F.C. managers, The Football League managers
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