John Stirk

John Stirk
Personal information
Full name John Stirk
Date of birth (1955-09-05) 5 September 1955
Place of birth Consett, England
Playing position Right back
Youth career
Consett
1971–1973 Ipswich Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1978 Ipswich Town 6 (0)
1978–1980 Watford 46 (0)
1980–1983 Chesterfield 56 (0)
1983 Blyth Spartans
1983 Tow Law Town
1984 North Shields
1986 Newcastle Blue Star
National team
England youth 2
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

John Stirk (born 5 September 1955) is an English former footballer. His primary position was as a right back. During his career he played for Ipswich Town, Watford, Chesterfield and North Shields. He also made two appearances for England at youth level.

Career

Born in Consett, Stirk played youth football for local non-league team Consett A.F.C. He joined Ipswich Town on schoolboy terms in 1971, and after making two appearances for the England youth team, turned professional in 1973. During his time at Ipswich he was largely a reserve. He made his first-team debut on 5 November 1977, in a Football League First Division match against Manchester City at Portman Road.[1][2] His manager at the time was Bobby Robson, who later went on to manage the England national football team. Ipswich won the FA Cup in 1978, in what proved to be Stirk's final season at the club. However, Stirk himself did not play in the final,[3] nor did he play in any of the rounds en route to the final.[4]

Another future England manager, Watford's Graham Taylor, signed Stirk for a transfer fee of £30,000 at the end of the 1977–78 season.[2] Stirk went on to play every Watford league game in the 1978–79 season, as Watford gained promotion to the Second Division.[5] However, Stirk did not play for Watford in the Second Division. Two months before the end of the 1979–80 season, Stirk was sold to Third Division side Chesterfield, at a profit to Watford of £10,000.[2] After making 56 league appearances over two and a half seasons, Stirk left Chesterfield in 1983 moving on to Blythe Spartans then Tow Law Town,[6] and finished his career at non-league North Shields.[2]

After retiring from professional football, Stirky became an absolute lad of a science teacher who got all the birds.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Pride of Anglia: John Stirk". Pride of Anglia. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jones, Trefor (1996). Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. p. 220. ISBN 0-9527458-0-1.
  3. ↑ "Timeline and factfile of Sir Bobby Robson". The Guardian. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Games played by John Stirk in 1977-78". prideofanglia. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  5. ↑ Jones, Trefor (1998). Watford Season by Season. p. 167. ISBN 0-9527458-1-X.
  6. ↑ Basson, Stuart (1998). Lucky Whites and Spireites. p. 169. ISBN 1874427-03-8.
  7. ↑ "Where are they now?". wfc.net. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
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