ALEC STOCK-RON MANAGER

Since it's January 29th and we are all exhausted after another week of lock I'm keeping this shorter, to appease some of my more elderly readers. Phew! The programme cover should be interesting but try to find a date, fixture, reference to the FA Cup........on it!

72 years ago, on January 29th 1949, lounging mid-table in the Southern League, Yeovil Town, beat the "mighty" Sunderland, 2-1, on the Town's famously sloping, Huish Athletic Ground pitch, in an FA Cup Round 4 game. Sunderland with many fine players were known as the "Bank of England club " due to their spending and wages. Len Shackleton bought for £20.500, was their gold star player, whereas,Yeovil's goalkeeper was making his first appearance. Yeovil playing "mind games" would not allow their famous visitors to train on the sloping pitch before the game.

The Glovers completed this giant killing with 10 fit players, when winger, Jack Hargreaves, was injured after 10 minutes from the start of the game. There were no subs in those days, so the crowd of 17,123 saw Yeovil score through player-manager Alec Stock-see below, (after 28 mins) and then Eric Bryant (105 minutes), while Sunderland could only manage a goal from Jackie Robinson (62 mins). Video below!

The game had to be finished on the day due to fuel shortages, following the War, so there was only extra time offered by the FA on the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQjSOW8V330

On the anniversary day of this cup feat in 2009, an attempt to celebrate the Sunderland cup victory was postponed by the Huish waterlogged pitch, despite past and present players making themsleves available.  Some more words about Yeovil.

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3994718670252035536/3007359597786321804

Yeovil Town FC, as a "non-league" club, has beaten 20 Football League clubs in the FA Cup-a record.    The club joined the Football League in 2003. 

On their way to the Sunderland fixture, Yeovil had beaten Lovells Athletic away 2-3 (Qual 4) having been 2-0 down at half time. Then Romford 4-0 at home (R1), then Weymouth away 0-4 (R2), followed by Bury FC, a club near the top of the Second Division at the time, 3-1 at home, in Rd3.

In the 5th Round Yeovil drew Manchester United at Maine Road (played there due to war damage at Old Trafford) and lost 0-8. 80,000 turned up to see this. United lost in the semi-final to Wolves after a replay. The Wolves beat Leicester in the Final 3-1.

Alec Stock played 30 times for QPR before the war and then managed clubs in over 1600 games, from 1946 to 1980. He was born in Peasdown St John, in Somerset. No wonder then, he spent his first 3 years playing and managing at Yeovil. Stock then looked after Leyton Orient (10 yrs), AS Roma (briefly), QPR (9y), Luton, Fulham, QPR again and Bournemouth. 

Ron Manager, on the Fast Show and acted by Paul Whitehouse is based on Stock. See this.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NeRoSFZWbs

and as bonus during "lockin", "lockup", "lockdown" have a laugh!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PigM5UmqmY