Dancing to a ripe-old age June 17, 2007

Stanley Matthews

‘Wizard of dribble’
In his size Sevens (I was given a pair of his boots to look after in my Museum) Stanley Matthews was known as the ‘Wizard of dribble’. Legend has it he walked to the ground in heavy boots and wear them right up to kick-off so that, when in his size sevens, he would feel light footed, as if he could fly. All his youth he played with the ball in the backyard and kicked a ball to and from school. He played at the top flight of English football til after his 50th birthday. Chopped and hacked, he never once retaliated that he was ever booked.
He was born February 1, 1915 at Seymour Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. Son of a professional featherweight boxer, he joined Stoke City straight from school at the age of fourteen.
In 1947, after war service in the RAF, he left Stoke City, and joined Blackpool Football Club, with which he stayed for 14 years. Matthews rejoined Stoke City in 1961, when they were near the bottom of the second division. The team was transformed, gates rose from 9,000 to 36,000 and the following year they were promoted.
Tony Waddington, most successful Stoke manager ever, who brought Stan back to Hanley, in opening my “Homes of Football” exhibition in the city spoke of Matthews and of “the working mans ballet” .

Stanley lived to 85.