BOBBY STUART

Born: 09 October 1913

Came from: Middlesbrough   Went to: Whitby Town

First game: 08 November 1947   Last game: 17 April 1948

Appearances: 21 (21/0)   Goals: 0

Stuart was born in Middlesbrough. He started his career as a left back with the South Bank amateur club in his home town. He was soon spotted by 'Boro and went on to gain three England Schoolboy caps, from the age of 14.

Initially, signed as amateur with Middlesbrough at 15, he turned professional two years later and made his debut at Highbury against Arsenal aged 19. He had a highly memorable 1934-35 season, in which he was unfortunately credited with five own goals.

He was said to be one of the hardest kickers of a dead ball with either foot and although playing left-back for most of his career, he had played centre-half as a schoolboy and for the RAF side.

He continued in the left-back position until the outbreak of WWII when he joined the RAF as Leading Aircraftman (LAC). Post-war he continued back with Middlesbrough from 1945 to 1947. In total he spent 17 years at Ayresome Park (albeit punctuated by WWII) making 271 top-flight appearances and scoring four times.

Moving to Home Park in 1947 as a Jimmy Rae signing, he was part of a deal which also bought George Dews to the club. Given he was 34 when he arrived at the club, one doubts if he would have been seen as a long-term investment. Stuart played regularly at his former full-back position during the 1947-48 season. He arrived in October 1947 having already made 11 further top-flight appearances for Boro that season. At the end of the season, and after 21 appearances in green, he chose to retire and moved back closer to home to see out his career with non-league Whitby Town.

He played for Whitby Town between 1948 and 1949 making a handful of appearances, before retiring from playing due to a persistent ankle injury which plagued his last few seasons. He then moved into coaching and a managerial role at the Turnbull Ground, between 1949 and 1954, ending with a very respectable win-rate of 48% from 175 matches across nearly five years at the club.

During his heyday he was credited as being the fastest full-back in English football, an attribute he passed on to his granddaughter Louise Collins (née Stuart) who competed at 200m in the 24th Olympiad in the Seoul Olympics for Great Britain in 1988.

Bobby passed away on his 74th birthday in 1987, with his death registered in the then county of Cleveland, in which Middlesbrough sat.