Bob McGrory

Born in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, McGrory began work as an apprentice joiner on a shipyard in Clydeside.[3] In 1914 he signed for Dumbarton, despite only previously playing boys brigade football.[4] 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[5] – even squeezing in a single wartime guest appearance for Partick Thistle[6][7] – 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.[8]

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.[3] Rumours has it that McGrory had reservations about joining Stoke as he did not like the look of the city.[1] Whether this was true or not, he went on to spend 31 years living in Stoke-on-Trent.[3]

Solidly built at 6 ft, McGrory was frequently described as 'stout-hearted' and played with 'an absence of flurry' no matter what the situation. He acquired the reputation as a fearless man-marker, and if 'dour' described McGrory's approach on the field, it aptly summed up the non-nonsense Scot's personality off it.[3] After an early 7–1 aberration at Hull City, Stoke, with McGrory a major influence at the back, lost only two of their next 27 matches, with the defence conceding just six goals in 16 matches. The run allowed Stoke to claim second spot in 1921–22 to gain promotion to the First Division.[3] McGrory proved to be one of the few Stoke players to cope with the top-flight as Stoke were relegated back to the Second Division.[3] He took over from Alec Milne as club captain in 1925 a position he did not lose for ten years.[3] Stoke suffered relegation again in 1925–26 but McGrory's drive helped Stoke win the Third Division North title in 1926–27.[3]

Famously consistent he played 101 consecutive league games from March 1926 to September 1928. From 1930, the now 39-year-old McGrory began to coach the Stoke reserve team as well as playing for them, His replacement in the first team was his long-time full-back partner Billy Spencer, who deputised during the 1932–33 title winning season.[3] By Christmas 1933, with McGrory-less Stoke floundering in the top flight Tom Mather recalled his 'old war-horse' to add his experience to a somewhat leaky defence, and it worked as in the second half of the season Stoke picked up more than any other teams bar champions Arsenal and runner-up Huddersfield Town, finishing in a respectable 12th position.[3] Promoted to assistant manager in 1934, McGrory appeared in all 42 league matches in 1934–35 at the age of 41.[3] His career at Stoke the took a dramatic turn as Mather left to become manager of Newcastle United and chairman Sherwin offered the job to McGrory who accepted. McGrory's club record of 511 appearances for Stoke would stand for 24 years.[3]