- Dean Stokes
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Dean Stokes Personal information Full name Dean Anthony Stokes Date of birth 23 May 1970 Place of birth Birmingham, England Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) Playing position Defender Youth career Rochdale Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† Castleton Gabriels Armitage 90 Redditch United 1992–1993 Halesowen Town 1993–1998 Port Vale 60 (0) 1998–2000 Rochdale 30 (0) Leek Town Alsager Town Total 90+ (0+) Teams managed 2007–2008 Alsager Town 2009– Rochdale Town * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). Dean Anthony Stokes (born 23 March 1970) is an English former footballer, currently manager at Rochdale Town.
A former professional with Port Vale and Rochdale, he has spent times with numerous non-league clubs, before moving into management in 2007.
Contents
Playing career
Stokes was a quick left-back, who after failing to make the grade at Rochdale played for non-league sides Castleton Gabriels, Armitage 90, Redditch United and Halesowen Town.[1]
He returned to the Football League in January 1993, signing for John Rudge's Port Vale of the Second Division. Halesowen Town eventually received £5,000 in payment, as a result of appearance clauses.[1]
His professional debut came on 18 December 1993, at the age of 23, in a 1–1 draw with Burnley at Vale Park. He enjoyed regular football for the rest of the 1993–94 promotion winning season, though did lose his place in April.[1]
After undergoing ankle surgery in August 1994, he hardly played in Vale's 1994–95 First Division campaign. He hardly featured in the 1995–96 season either, though did come back into first team plans in March 1996.[1] He played in the 1996 Anglo-Italian Cup Final, as Vale lost 5–2 to Genoa.
One of the most successful seasons in Port Vale's history was 1996–97, Stokes played eleven games, ten of which were in the league.
In 1997–98, he again appeared infrequently with just nine games that season, he was allowed to leave upon its conclusion. He in fact returned to the club of his youth – Rochdale, who were as ever, in the basement division.
After eleven games of 1998–99, he was injured again.
For the first time in a long time, Stokes enjoyed consistent football in 1999–2000. He played 26 games, six of which were cup encounters. However at the age of 30 he dropped out of the Football League to play for Leek Town.[2]
Management career
A veteran of the non-leagues, Stokes became player-manager of Alsager Town in 2007. He quit the post in March 2008.[3]
In June 2009, he was made head coach at Rochdale Town.[4]
Honours
- with Port Vale
- Football League Second Division runner-up: 1993–94
- Anglo-Italian Cup runner-up: 1996
References
- ^ a b c d Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 281. ISBN 0952915200. http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200.
- ^ "ROCHDALE : 1946/47 - 2007/08". Neil Brown stat site. http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/rochdale/rochdale.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
- ^ "Stokes resigns his job at Alsager". BBC Sport. 7 March 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/7282735.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
- ^ "OLD AND NEW FACES AT ROCHDALE TOWN". NonLeagueDaily.com. 27/06/200. http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=58832. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
External links
Categories:- 1970 births
- Living people
- English footballers
- Association football midfielders
- Black British sportspeople
- Rochdale Town F.C. players
- Armitage 90 F.C. players
- Rochdale A.F.C. players
- Redditch United F.C. players
- Halesowen Town F.C. players
- Port Vale F.C. players
- Leek Town F.C. players
- Alsager Town F.C. players
- The Football League players
- People from Birmingham, West Midlands
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