FEBRUARY 1st 1915

 The stripey shirt is of Stoke City, a city that has no cathedrals of note but quite a bit of pottery and in footballing history, a club that gave a debut in 1932 (aged 15) to one of England's greatest footballers and The Potters took him back at the age of 50, allowing Stanley Matthews to play a few more years until 1965 and who helped the Potters have a bit of success when they were waning.

He was born on February 1st 1915 and played for Stoke from 1932-47. He then went to Blackpool until 1961 (379 apps-17 goals) to play in the First Division and helped win the FA Cup in 1953, Matthew's dream come true and a Final of some historic note. (Blackpool 4-Bolton W 3 from 1-3 down!).

On October 19th 1961, Stoke City paid £3,500 to Blackpool, a club they sold him to in 1947 for £11,500. Matthews had played 259 games (51 goals) before being sold by Stoke and then stayed for 379 games at the seaside, only scoring 17 goals His longevity he claims was aided by running on the Blackpool sands every early morning, eating well and not taking alcohol!
Stoke City was a 2nd Division club in 1961-5 and Matthews was 46! He played 59 times for them, scoring 3. Remember he was a "supplier", even in his pomp". Crowds at Stoke were averaging around 8,500 before he joined and nearly 36,000 after he signed.

Matthews was awarded the CBE for his services to football and knighted while still playing; something not done before or since. Matthews won 54 caps for England and scored 11 goals.

He was voted best footballer in Europe, the first time this award was given (1956) and the first English Football Writers award (1947-8). A right winger, he was the wizard of dribble, who made many goals for club and country. Playing for Blackpool he won the 1953 FA Cup Final for them having lost in two previous finals in 1951 and 1948. This cup win won the hearts of all fans, thrilling them as Matthews weaved his magic from 1-3 down to 4-3 up.

He was the inaugural member of the English Footballers' Hall of Fame in 2002. Stanley was an ambassador for football, taking the game into South Africa especially and was globally acclaimed as one of the greatest players. Stanley finished his playing carrer in Toronto following his escapade with The Potters. 

I was lucky enough to meet him on three occasions and by then he had retired! He came to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (the training College for potential Army officers) when Charterhouse School took a team of Old Carthusians (old boys), Staff and School 1st XI players, to match the "squaddies" in an annual fixture. Matthews managed our team, having a close friend on our staff! 

The second occasion was in front of the Houses of Parliament for a publicity appearance advertising the "national game". 

The third was at the ESFA County Schools' annual Tournament based at his local Morecambe in Lancashire, when he made a celebrity appearance. He was a modest man who played the game in the right way!