Bob McGrory

Robert Gerald McGrory (17 October 1891 – 24 May 1954) was a Scottish footballer who played in the Football League for Burnley and Stoke City with whom he later had a long spell as manager.

McGrory played football with Dumbarton before joining English side Burnley in August 1920. After only making three appearances for the Clarets he signed for Stoke City in May 1921. He soon became an indispensable part of Tom Mather's first team and was made club captain, skippering the side to promotions in 1926–27 and 1932–33. He spent 15 seasons as a player for Stoke, racking up 511 appearances without scoring.

He took over as Stoke manager in 1935, and in his first season in charge guided the team to a highest finish of 4th. World War II disrupted what could have been a successful spell for Stoke, but in the first season after the war they made their first real attempt to win the First Division, but an ongoing dispute with star winger Stanley Matthews saw him leave for Blackpool just before the end of the season and Stoke went on to lose their must-win match against Sheffield United. McGrory remained in charge until 1952 when he ended his 31-year association with the club. He spent a short spell in charge of Merthyr Tydfil, leaving after one season due to ill health and dying a year later.

Playing career Early career Born in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, McGrory began work as an apprentice joiner on a shipyard in Clydeside. He missed only a dozen of a possible 224 Scottish Football League fixtures (the top division continued to be contested officially during World War I) across his six seasons with the Sons – even squeezing in a single wartime guest appearance for Partick Thistle – and began at attract interest from south of the border, also coming into international consideration when selected for the Home Scots v Anglo-Scots trial match in March 1920 along with clubmate James Scott.

Burnley signed him in August 1920 for a fee of £3,500 but he failed to become a regular at Turf Moor, making three appearances in a season where the Clarets won the Football League championship. He joined Stoke on 23 April 1921, spotted by soon to be chairman Arthur Sherwin.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals Burnley 1919–20 First Division

1920–21 Second Division

1921–22 Second Division

1922–23 First Division

1923–24 Second Division

1924–25 Second Division

1925–26 Second Division

1926–27 Third Division North

1927–28 Second Division

1928–29 Second Division

1929–30 Second Division

1930–31 Second Division

1931–32 Second Division

1932–33 Second Division

1933–34 First Division

1934–35 First Division

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Managerial statistics + Managerial record by club and tenureTeamFromToRecordStoke City 1 June 193531 May 1952Total

Honours Stoke City Football League Third Division North: 1926–27 Football League Second Division: 1932–33