Pat Stanton

Last updated

Pat Stanton
Personal information
Full name Patrick Gordon Stanton [1]
Date of birth (1944-09-13) 13 September 1944 (age 79)
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Position(s) Midfielder/Defender
Youth career
Salvesen Boys Club
Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1963–1976 Hibernian 399 (51)
1976–1978 Celtic 37 (0)
Total436(51)
International career
1966–1974 Scotland 16 (0)
1966–1973 Scottish League XI 6 (0)
Managerial career
1980 Cowdenbeath
1980–1982 Dunfermline Athletic
1982–1984 Hibernian
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Patrick Gordon Stanton (born 13 September 1944) is a Scottish former football player and manager.

Contents

Stanton played for Hibernian for most of his career, making nearly 400 league appearances. Late in his career, he had a short and successful spell with Celtic. Stanton also made 16 appearances for Scotland. After retiring as a player, he assisted Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen and managed Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline Athletic and Hibernian.

Club career

Stanton is the great-great nephew of Michael Whelahan (a founder of Hibernian and its first captain) and the great-nephew of Hibernian centre forward James Hendren. [2] [3] [4] [5] He signed for the club in 1963 and made his professional debut later that year. [6] He established himself in the Hibs first team, playing either in defence or midfield.

He won the 1969–70 SFWA Footballer of the Year award after an outstanding season, [7] [8] an achievement made more notable by the fact that Hibs did not win any trophies that season, finishing in third place in the league, thirteen points behind winners Celtic (who had also reached the 1970 European Cup final). Stanton captained the Hibs side which won the 1972 Scottish League Cup Final. [6] [9] [10]

In 1976, Stanton signed for Celtic in a swap deal for Jackie McNamara, Sr. [6] Jock Stein, who had briefly managed Stanton at Hibs in the 1960s and was a long time admirer, identified him as a player who could stop Celtic conceding soft goals. The move proved highly successful, with the experienced Stanton excelling in defence and playing a total of 44 league and cup games for Celtic, losing only 4. [6] [11] [12]

Stanton was deployed by Stein as a sweeper, and had a successful season as Celtic won both the Scottish Cup and the Scottish league championship in 1976–77, clinching the title in a 1-0 victory against Hibs at Easter Road through a goal by Joe Craig. [6] [11] [13]

Stanton played in Celtic's 1977 tour of Singapore and Australia, with Celtic winning the World of Soccer Cup tournament after victories against Red Star Belgrade at Olympic Park Stadium (2-0), a 3-2 win against Arsenal at Sydney Cricket Ground, and victories against the Singapore and Australia national teams. [14] [15] At the start of the 1977-78 season however, he suffered a knee injury in a 0-0 draw against Dundee United on 14 August 1977, which eventually forced his retirement from playing. [6]

Hibs and Celtic played a testimonial match for Stanton on 30 April 1978, which was attended by over 40,000 supporters. [16] [17]

International career

Stanton was selected three times by the Scotland under-23 team early in his career. [18] He won 16 caps for Scotland between 1966 and 1974, [1] [19] captaining the side three times. [6] He also played for the Scotland under-21 team as an over-age player and represented the Scottish League. [20] [21] [22]

Coaching and management

Stanton got a start in coaching when Alex Ferguson made him his assistant at Aberdeen, a position he held for one season, [23] that resulted in winning the Premier Division title together. [24] He then managed Cowdenbeath, then Dunfermline Athletic. He returned to Hibs in 1982, but his spell in the manager's chair at Easter Road was unsuccessful and he resigned in 1984. [25] Stanton was also manager of the Scotland semi pro team for the Four nations tournament in 1981 and 1982. [26] [27]

Legacy

"I can pay no higher tribute than to suggest that any aspiring youth would do well to copy Pat's code of conduct both on and off the field."

—Hibernian Manager Eddie Turnbull. [28]

"My admiration for Pat Stanton goes back a long time - to his junior days, to be exact. I tried to sign him for Dunfermline and found that his preference was for Hibs. It was their good fortune to have him for so long."

—Celtic manager Jock Stein. [28]

A composed midfielder who could also operate in a defensive role, Stanton was noted for his reading of the game, tackling, and passing ability. He is regarded as one of Hibernian's greatest ever players, and widely considered to be one of the finest Scottish players in the history of the game, with notable football figures including Jock Stein, Eddie Turnbull, and Alex Ferguson having praised him for his ability and sportsmanship. [29] [30]

Scotland manager Tommy Docherty was a keen admirer of Stanton, selecting him for a number of international matches, and claiming that he considered Stanton to be a better player than the legendary England captain Bobby Moore. [30] [31]

Honours

Hibernian
Celtic
Scotland
Individual

Other activities

Stanton had a minor acting role in the 1998 film adaptation of The Acid House, in which he played a barman in the segment titled 'The Granton Star cause'. [35]

After leaving the club as player and manager, Stanton helps Hibernian with their matchday hospitality. [11] Following complications and surgery after the birth in 2012 of his twin grandsons, Stanton has been devoting his time to support of brain-damaged children. [36]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hibernian F.C.</span> Association football club in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland

Hibernian Football Club, commonly known as Hibs, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Premiership, the top division of Scottish football. The club was founded in 1875 by members of Edinburgh's Irish community, and the name is derived from the Latin for Ireland. The Irish heritage of Hibernian is reflected in the name, colours and badge of the club. The green main shirt colour is usually accompanied by white sleeves and shorts. Their local rivals are Heart of Midlothian, with whom they contest the Edinburgh derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy McNeill</span> Scottish footballer and manager (1940–2019)

William McNeill was a Scottish football player and manager. He had a long association with Celtic, spanning more than sixty years as a player, manager and club ambassador. McNeill captained Celtic's 'Lisbon Lions' to their European Cup victory in 1967 and later spent two spells as the club's manager. As a player and manager, he won 31 major trophies with Celtic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jock Stein</span> Scottish football player and manager (1922–1985)

John Stein was a Scottish football player and manager. He was the first manager of a club from a country under British rule to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967. Stein also guided Celtic to nine successive Scottish League championships between 1966 and 1974.

Maurice Daniel Robert Malpas is a Scottish former football player and coach. He signed for Dundee United in 1979 and spent his entire professional playing career with the club until his retirement in 2000. With him, United were Scottish champions in 1983 and Scottish Cup winners in 1994. European runs there included reaching the 1983–84 European Cup semi final and the 1987 UEFA Cup final.

Peter Barr Cormack is a Scottish former international football player and manager. His greatest success was with Liverpool in the early 1970s, for whom he played 178 times, winning two league championships, one FA Cup and two UEFA Cup medals.

Alan Roderick Rough is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He won 53 caps for Scotland and played in two FIFA World Cups. He also had a long club career, principally with Partick Thistle and Hibernian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Riordan</span> Scottish footballer

Derek George Riordan is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was capped three times by the Scotland national team.

Alex Miller is a Scottish football manager and former player. As a player, he had a 15-year career with Rangers, winning several trophies. As a manager, he won the 1991–92 Scottish League Cup with Hibernian. He subsequently worked for Premier League club Liverpool for nine years, assisting Gérard Houllier and Rafael Benítez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Fenlon</span> Irish football player and coach

Patrick Fenlon is an Irish football coach and former player.

Ronald Campbell Simpson was a Scottish football player and coach. He is mainly remembered for his time with Celtic, where he was the goalkeeper in the Lisbon Lions team that won the European Cup in 1967. Earlier in his career, Simpson had won the FA Cup twice with Newcastle United. He also played for Queen's Park, Third Lanark and Hibernian. Simpson represented Great Britain in the 1948 Olympics, but was not selected for Scotland until 1967. He made his international debut in the famous 3–2 victory against England at Wembley.

Robert Auld was a Scottish football player and manager. He was a member of Celtic's Lisbon Lions, who won the 1967 European Cup Final.

Joseph McBride was a Scottish footballer who played for clubs including Celtic, Hibernian, Motherwell and Dunfermline Athletic. He was a prolific striker and has the third highest tally of goals in the Scottish league since football resumed after the Second World War. McBride also represented both Scotland and the Scottish League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Griffiths</span> Scottish footballer (born 1990)

Leigh Griffiths is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Australian club Mandurah City, as well as being part of the coaching staff.

Season 2008–09 for Hibernian was their tenth consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League. The SPL season began on 9 August 2008 with a 1–0 defeat at Kilmarnock. The team were eliminated from each cup competition at the first hurdle, due to defeats by IF Elfsborg in the last Intertoto Cup, Greenock Morton in the Scottish League Cup and Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts in the Scottish Cup. The team was inconsistent in the league, and only squeezed into the top six by a single point ahead of Motherwell. This led to the resignation of manager Mixu Paatelainen at the end of the season. One bright spot for the club was the performance of the under-19 team, which won the Scottish league & cup double.

Hibernian, one of the most prominent clubs in Scottish football, was founded in 1875. The club was named in honour of the Roman name for Ireland and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The club has competed in the top division of Scottish football in all but four seasons since they first gained entry to the top division in 1895. Hibernian have been Scottish champions four times, most recently in 1952. The club has also been champions of the second tier six times, most recently in 2017. Hibernian have won the Scottish Cup three times, the last time in 2016. This win ended a drought of 114 years and ten cup finals lost since 1902. The club has won the League Cup three times, most recently when they defeated Kilmarnock 5–1 in 2007.

Walter McMurray Galbraith was a Scottish football player and manager. He played as a defender for Queen's Park, Clyde, New Brighton and Grimsby Town. He then managed Accrington Stanley, Bradford Park Avenue, New Brighton, Tranmere Rovers, Hibernian, Stockport County and Berwick Rangers.

Season 2009–10 for Hibernian was their eleventh consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League. The SPL season began on 15 August 2009, with a 2–1 win against St Mirren at home. After a very strong start to the season in which they challenged for the league leadership, Hibs then had a slump in form in the later part of the season. The team eventually secured a Europa League place via finishing fourth in the SPL by winning 2–0 on the final day at Tannadice. Hibs were eliminated from the Scottish Cup in a quarter final replay by Ross County and were knocked out of the Scottish League Cup in the third round by St Johnstone.

Season 2004–05 was a relative success for Hibernian, as the team performed well in the league, finishing third and qualifying for the UEFA Cup in Tony Mowbray's first season as manager. Hibs lost to league strugglers Dundee United in both cup competitions; 2–1 in a Scottish Cup semi-final, and 2–1 after extra time in the League Cup quarter-final. The season also saw the development of a number of promising young players, particularly strikers Derek Riordan and Garry O'Connor. This relative success came after the club had been disappointingly beaten by FK Vetra in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Season 2011–12 for Hibernian was their 13th consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League (SPL). The season began on 24 July with a 2–0 home defeat by Celtic, who eliminated Hibs from the Scottish League Cup. With the club near the bottom of the league, manager Colin Calderwood was sacked and replaced with Pat Fenlon in November. Fenlon made several signings during January that helped the club to avoid relegation from the SPL. Hibs also reached the 2012 Scottish Cup Final, but this was lost 5–1 to local rivals Hearts.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pat Stanton profile". londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  2. "PAT STANTON PREVIEWS BONNYRIGG ROSE V HIBERNIAN". Hibernianfc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  3. Leslie, Colin. "Stanton on a final flourish at Celtic". Scotsman.com. Johnston Press. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  4. "They Died in the Conflict during Season 1914–1915" (PDF). Scotlands-war.ed.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  5. Meade, Matthew (6 July 2021). "Canon Hannan: the priest who helped found Hibs". Archdiocese of Edinburgh. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pat Stanton at the Scottish Football Association
  7. "Scotland - Player of the Year". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  8. "Player of the year". SFWA. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  9. "Final Players Confirmed For 'The Match'". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  10. "Hibernian's League Cup victories | SPFL". spfl.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 Paul, Ian (26 May 2001). "Conflict of green loyalties". HeraldScotland. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  12. FC, Celtic (1 September 2021). "Becoming a Bhoy: Pat Stanton". Celtic FC. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  13. "Pat Stanton - the Team Talk XI". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  14. "Celtic in Australia, 1977 – Winners of the World of Soccer Cup". thecelticstar.com. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  15. "Little British Soccer Derby" at SCG.Celtic Glasgow vs Arsenal.2nd..." Getty Images. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  16. "Pat Stanton Testimonial". Celtic Programmes Online. Archived from the original on 20 July 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  17. "Hibs great Pat Stanton on being crowned Player of the Year, Jock Stein, Celtic and life in isolation". HeraldScotland. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  18. "Pat Stanton". fitbastats.com. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  19. "Pat Stanton | Scotland | Scottish FA". www.scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  20. "Scotland Unofficial Matches 1971-1990". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  21. "Pat Stanton". The Scotland Epistles Football Magazine. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  22. "Pat Stanton". Black & White Publishing. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  23. Spiers, Graham (6 November 2006). "Why Sir Alex Ferguson is a bona fide football legend". Herald Scotland. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  24. "PAT STANTON 1980-82". DAFC. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  25. "Stanton's impact still holding sway". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  26. "into be Scots boss for Aberdeen tournament" . Evening Express . 24 April 1982. Retrieved 18 May 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. 1 2 Halliday, S. (12 November 2012). "Football Hall of Fame: Pat Stanton and Gordon McQueen among five new inductees". The Scotsman . Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  28. 1 2 Aitken, M. (1 May 1978). "Fans out in force for Pat". The Scotsman . Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  29. Pattullo, A. (23 September 2019). "Pat Stanton, Hibs legend, to be guest of honour at Celtic clash". The Scotsman . Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  30. 1 2 Young, C. (24 November 1972). "A man for all seasons". Irvine Herald . Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  31. Welsh, Irvine (21 May 2009). "There's only one Franck Sauzee". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Pat Stanton". Scottish Football Museum. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  33. ""He was one of the best players I played with" – Hibs legend Pat Stanton leads tributes following death of pal & former team-mate Eric Stevenson". Deadline News. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  34. "Pat Stanton: "It's A Hibs Thing"". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  35. "The Acid House (1998) ⭐ 6.2". IMDb. 1 January 1999. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  36. "Hibs icon backs children's charity". East Lothian Courier. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2015.