Stan Pearson

Infobox Football biography
playername = Stan Pearson


fullname = Stanley Clare Pearson
dateofbirth = birth date|1919|1|11|df=y
cityofbirth = Salford
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1997|2|20|1919|1|11|df=y
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
position = Inside Forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1936-1954 1954-1957 1957-1959
clubs = Manchester United Bury Chester City
caps(goals) = 312 (127) 121 0(56) 057 0(16)
nationalyears = 1948-52
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 008 00{5)
manageryears = 1959-1961
managerclubs = Chester

Stanley Clare Pearson (11 January 1919 - 20 February 1997) was an English football player. He was born in Salford.

Pearson was signed by Manchester United as an amateur in December 1935 and turned professional in May 1937. His first senior game came against Chesterfield in 1937. When his career was interrupted by the war, he served with the 2nd/4th Lancashires. He helped United win the 1948 FA Cup and 1952 league championship. He retired in 1953 with 148 career goals (good for 9th in team history) in 343 appearances, with just 2 goals behind Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Pearson went on to average more than one goal every two games in three years at Bury before his playing career ended with two years at Chester from 1957 to 1959. At 40 years, 101 days, Pearson remains the oldest player to make a Football League appearance for the club when he played his final match against Crewe Alexandra on 22 April 1959 [cite book | author=Chas Sumner | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885-1997 | year=1997| pages= p.130 |id=ISBN 1-874427-52-6] .

Upon his retirement, Pearson was a popular appointment as Chester manager [cite book | author=Chas Sumner | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885-1997 | year=1997| pages= p.72 |id=ISBN 1-874427-52-6] . after John Harris moved to Sheffield United. Despite making signings such as his former Manchester United colleague Frank Clempson [cite book | author=Chas Sumner | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885-1997 | year=1997| pages= p.72 |id=ISBN 1-874427-52-6] , Chester struggled during Pearson's reign in charge. After finishing 20th and 24th in successive Division Four seasons, Pearson left the club following a 1–0 home defeat to non-league Morecambe in November 1961 in the FA Cup.

After retiring from football Pearson became sub-postmaster of Prestbury Post Office in Cheshire.

External links

* [http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7B847FFC5F-947A-470D-A13B-E757FD63C2A8%7D&bioid=92157 Short biography] on official Manchester United website

References