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On This Day (15 June 1892): Birth of a Sunderland goalkeeper!

Roker Report looks back at the career of Sunderland stopper John Stoneham, who was born on this day over 130 years ago… 

Stoneham, right, alongside George Henderson

When John Stoneham arrived at Sunderland in May 1923, the need for goalkeepers was apparent.

At the start of the month, Ned Robson had been the only stopper included on the first team’s retained list, and in the days that followed there was to be a further addition when Albert McInroy was brought in — with the two new signings both confirmed at the club’s annual meeting at the Palatine Hotel on the 21 June.

McInroy would soon establish himself as first choice, although Stoneham rarely let himself down whilst at Roker Park.

Born on this day in 1892 in the town of Witham, he was described in the press shortly after his arrival on Wearside as a ‘big heft fellow’ and was said to be the tallest man at the club, with Sunderland having four players — including Stoneham — at six feet tall and above, which alongside Aston Villa was the most in Division One at the time.

His debut came early in the 1923/1924 season, during a heavy home loss to Cardiff City, and whilst much of the blame lay elsewhere — some of his defenders were seemingly off-colour and the Lads had a very dubious penalty awarded against them — that was to be his only first team showing of the campaign.

Signed from Carlisle United, with whom he’d impressed in the North Eastern League, he was soon back at that level, lining up for the reserves, yet was keen to keep McInroy on his toes.

Stoneham had first come to the attention of Sunderland whilst playing against their second string for Carlisle and was obviously very comfortable at the level, often looking a cut above sides such as Chester-le-Street, Darlington reserves, Durham City reserves, Jarrow, Leadgate Park, South Shields, Spennymoor and West Stanley.

He continued turning out for the reserves during 1924/1925, making sure he was in good shape should he be needed for the senior side, and towards the end of that season, his hard work was rewarded with a recall.

A cartoon that appeared in the Football Gazette (Shields) on the day the first team beat Everton and Stoneham lined up for the reserves.

The campaign had started strongly for Bob Kyle’s side and in October, they’d gone to Everton and thrashed them, leading many observers to tip Sunderland for the title.

On the same day, Stoneham was lining up for the reserves against Darlington once again, and whilst home fixtures such as this often attracted crowds of between one and two thousand, he remained eager to show what he could do on the main stage.

Our title hopes had faded by the time he was included in the top flight starting eleven at Blackburn Rovers, yet he was ‘very alert’ according to the Athletic News and played his part as a much-changed side secured a respectable Ewood Park draw.

It was 1925/1926 that Stoneham got a run of Football League games, when having already played a couple of times before hand he replaced an unwell McInroy in December and held onto the spot for a number of weeks — also appearing in the FA Cup as the Lads beat Boston 8-1 in the third round.

Later on, another costly defeat to Cardiff City saw him brought back once more when he was preferred to a this time fully fit McInroy, but despite also playing in the final game and still looking solid as Sunderland finished third, that was to be it in terms of his first team involvement.

1926/1927 was to prove hugely frustrating for Stoneham.

He featured in the traditional ‘stripes vs whites’ charity game at the start of the campaign but by the end of it had been overtaken in the pecking order by Paddy Bell due to an unfortunately-timed spell of absence.

Fit and available for so long, yet unable to permanently dislodge McInroy, a fractured finger coincided with his rival also being injured and meant he was unable to capitalise on the opening.

Bell, meanwhile, who’d been brought in from local football, was able to fill in between the sticks instead, and did a good job of it too.

On 30 April 1927, the Football Echo announced that ‘Jock’, as some sources were now referring to Stoneham, had been granted a free transfer.

Division Three North club Nelson were quick to swoop, although Stoneham was to only spend a year there before retiring from playing professional and moving back to his native Essex, where he became a gas stoker.

It was a tough job, but he was used to that after all — trying to get selected ahead of popular crowd favourite and one-time England cap McInroy was always going to be a difficult assignment, yet the understudy continually did himself justice and still earned his place in Sunderland AFC history.


John Stoneham

Born: Witham, 15 June 1892

Died: 9 August 1950

Total appearances for Sunderland: 15

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