*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Stan Earl
Appearances: 49 Goals: 0
Clean Sheets: 13
Date / Year of birth: 21st January 1940
Position: Goalkeeper
Season of first appearance: 1958/59
Season of last appearance: 1959/60
Also played for: Clapton, West Ham United (0), Crystal Palace (0), Prague (Australia), Romford and Marconi (Australia)
Blonde keeper born in Plaistow, East London who was known for his anticipation and safe handling.
Stan began his career with Clapton and on 24.9.57 he was in goal as the club's Colts side lost 11-0 to West Ham Colts in an FA Youth Cup tie. The likes of Bobby Moore and John Lyall were in the winners line-up.
Soon afterwards Stan was signed by West Ham and on 22.4.58 he was part of the young Hammers side that won the Southern Junior Floodlight Cup by beating Arsenal 5-1. His team-mates that day included Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst.
In August 1958 Stan joined Margate and made his debut in a 6-3 win over Bexleyheath & Welling at Hartsdown Park on 23.8.58. It was the opening day of the 1958/59 season and Stan was only 18 at the time. Initially he vied with John Prodger for the position as first team keeper but Stan had already established himself as number one before Prodger broke his arm in November 1958. Stan put in some impressive performances during the campaign but his display in a 3-2 defeat at Headington in the FA Cup 1st Round on 15.11.58 was described as "disastrous" by the local press. Stan wasn't properly fit and made two crucial errors that cost Margate the match. In fact he was generally unlucky with injuries and during the course of the season he was carried off three times. However Stan was never out of action for long and he made a total of 39 appearances during the season, keeping 11 clean sheets.
He started the 1959/60 campaign in the reserves before displacing new signing Keith Amos as first team keeper after the first two matches of the season. Stan went on to make ten appearances before leaving the club in November for an extended trial with Crystal Palace. He returned to Hartsdown Park in January 1960 and played a few reserve team games but then dislocated his shoulder. By then Prodger was firmly established as first-choice and this led to Stan leaving the club before the season ended.
He later had a second spell on West Ham's books and towards the end of 1962 Stan was approached by an Australian businessman who'd just watched him playing for one of the Hammers sides in a match against an Arsenal team at Highbury. The man in question was also a director of Prague Football Club of Sydney and asked Stan to give him a call.
Within weeks Stan was in Australia having signed for Prague who played in the New South Wales League and during the 1965 season he made 18 league appearances for them. He was also a member of the side that won the Ampol Cup.
Stan returned to the UK in time for the 1965/66 campaign and he played for Romford before returning to Australia at the end of the season.
During the 1966 campaign in Australia Stan made one cup appearance for Prague's first team and he then played regularly during 1967, making 16 league appearances. He replaced a well-known keeper Ron Lord who had recently retired and Lord later described Stan as "enigmatic". Stan moved on to Marconi for the 1968 season and he also played for the club during 1969.
He returned to the UK in 2001 but in the summer of 2002 he went back to Australia again.
Stan was known as something of a 'crooner' during his time in Australia, often singing alongside Frank Haffey who was infamous for being the Scotland goalkeeper who let in nine goals against England in 1961.
In 2012 Stan was living near Alicante in Spain and recalled travelling down to Margate matches from his London home with winger Ken Tucker. Stan said "I remember he used to have a confectionary shop in the Barking Road, just around the corner from the West Ham ground." Stan also recalled regular visits to the Astor Club in London with Tucker and said "We used to go there after our games with Ken's wife. They were good days."
Looking back on his time with Margate Stan said "The one person I admired in those days was our manager Almer Hall, a proper gentleman." He also recalled how Margate found him somewhere to live and said "They put me with a nice family for a while and I remember we used to train in the park adjacent to the ground." Stan mentioned that he'd visited Hartsdown Park fairly recently and said "I had a lovely day there, it brought back so many happy memories."
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
TMC |
|
1958/59 (MFC) |
39 (51) |
N/A |
0 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 18) |
1R |
3R |
RU |
1R |
GR |
|
Played in FA Cup 1st Round
(15.11.58 - lost 3-2 at Headington United). Played in Kent League Cup Final (07.05.59 - lost 3-2 to Sittingbourne). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1959/60 (MFC) |
10 (57) |
N/A |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (7TH OF 22) |
2R |
1R |
RU |
SF |
|