Bob McGrory
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Gerald McGrory | ||
| Date of birth | 17 October 1891 | ||
| Place of birth | Bishopton, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 24 May 1954 (aged 62) | ||
| Place of death | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Full back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1914-1920 | Dumbarton | 213 | (0) |
| 1920–1921 | Burnley | 3 | (0) |
| 1921–1935 | Stoke City | 479 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1935–1952 | Stoke City | ||
| 1953 | Merthyr Tydfil | ||
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
Robert Gerald "Bob" McGrory (17 October 1891 – 24 May 1954) was a Scottish footballer who played in the Football League for Burnley and Stoke City with whom he later had a long spell as manager.
McGrory played football with Dumbarton before joining English side Burnley in August 1920. After only making three appearances for the "Clarets" he signed for Stoke City in May 1921. He soon became an indispensable part of Tom Mather's first team and was made club captain, skippering the side to promotions in 1926–27 and 1932–33. He spent 15 seasons as a player for Stoke racking up 511 appearances although he did fail to score a single goal. He took over as Stoke manager in 1935 and in his first season in charge guided Stoke to a highest position finish of 4th. World War II disrupted what could have been a successful spell for Stoke but in the first season after the war McGrory's Stoke made their first real attempt to win the First Division. But an ongoing dispute with star winger Stanley Matthews saw him leave for Blackpool just before the end of the season and Stoke went on to lose their must win match against Sheffield United. McGrory remained in charge until 1952 when he ended his 31-year association with the club. He spent a short spell in charge of Merthyr Tydfil leaving after one season due to ill health. He died a year later on 24 May 1954.
Born in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, McGrory began work as an apprentice joiner on a shipyard in Clydeside. In 1914 he signed for Dumbarton, despite only previously playing boys brigade football. He missed only two games in five seasons for the "Sons" and began at attract interest from south of the border. Burnley signed him in August 1920 for a fee of £3,500, but he failed to become a regular Turf Moor making three appearances. He joined Stoke on 23 April 1921, spotted by soon to be chairman Arthur Sherwin. Rumours has it that McGrory had reservations about joining Stoke as he did not like the look of the City. Whether this was true or not, he went on to spend 31 years living in Stoke-on-Trent.
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