Clem Stephenson
Encyclopedia
Clement "Clem" Stephenson (6 February 1890 – 24 October 1961) was an England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 captain whose 20 year career at Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 and Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

 included emphatic successes in both the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 and League Championships
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

. Stephenson’s place in history as a forward-cum midfielder was assured when Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman was an English association football player and manager. Though he had an undistinguished playing career, he went on to become one of the most successful and influential managers in early 20th century English football, before his sudden death in 1934.As a player, Chapman played for...

 targeted him as the man to lead Huddersfield Town's challenge for three consecutive League titles in the 1920s. He was also noted for having his son, grandson, nephew and dog all bearing his name.

Aston Villa

Not the fastest player, Stephenson originally played for Aston Villa in 1910 as an inside-forward; his career at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...

 totalling 216 matches, from which he scored a reasonable 85 goals. He was brought into Villa Park as Villa legend Harry Hampton’s career was nearing its end and soon acquired a reputation for intuitive play: his passes were said to be “as sweet as stolen kisses”. His first silverware came in the 1913 FA Cup Final
1913 FA Cup Final
The 1913 FA Cup Final was contested by Aston Villa and Sunderland on 19 April 1913 at London's Crystal Palace. Playing as the home side, Aston Villa won 1–0 on a goal by Tommy Barber on a crossed ball from Charlie Wallace...

 alongside Hampton and England national team player Joe Bache
Joseph Bache
Joseph William Bache , born in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, was a footballer who played for Aston Villa.Joe Bache was a prolific centre forward for Aston Villa between 1900 and 1919...

 in the victory over League Champions Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

; the only occasion in English football history when the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...

 was contested between the top two clubs in The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

. Stephenson claimed before the 1913 FA Cup final to have dreamt, that Villa, would beat Sunderland with a headed goal from Tommy Barber. Villa did indeed win that final with a headed goal from Tommy Barber. Stephenson was to play in the semi-final the following year and was a winner in the FA Cup final in 1920 in what proved a fitting swansong for the club.

During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 Stephenson had guested for Leeds City, a club managed by Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman was an English association football player and manager. Though he had an undistinguished playing career, he went on to become one of the most successful and influential managers in early 20th century English football, before his sudden death in 1934.As a player, Chapman played for...

, who, typically, saw qualities, beyond Stephenson’s well-renowned lack of pace, that would serve the player in his later career. It was as a result of making irregular payments to such Wartime guest players as Stephenson (Chapman had secured the services of Charlie Buchan
Charlie Buchan
Charles Murray Buchan was an English football player and writer.-Early career:Born in Plumstead, London, Buchan first played as an amateur for local club Woolwich Arsenal, joining the club in December 1909...

 of Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

, Franny Walden of Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

, and Billy Hampson
Billy Hampson
Billy Hampson was an English football player and later manager.Hampson was born in Radcliffe, Lancashire. He played for Rochdale, Bury and Norwich City before moving to Newcastle United for £1,250 in January, 1914. However before Hampson could properly settle at the club, war broke out later that...

 of Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

 ) that Chapman’s career at Leeds City came to a questionable end and led to the dissolution of the club in 1919.

Huddersfield Town

However, when Chapman took over the reins at Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

 (in August 1920) one of his first tasks was to secure Stephenson in a £4,000 move from Villa Park. This caused controversy at a time and at a club where money was scarce but within two seasons, Stephenson was playing inside-left in the narrow FA Cup victory
1922 FA Cup Final
The 1922 FA Cup Final was contested by Huddersfield Town and Preston North End at Stamford Bridge. Huddersfield won by a single goal, a penalty scored by Billy Smith....

 over Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

 at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...

 becoming the first player in the 20th century to win three winners’ medals in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 and eventually took the captain’s armband from Tommy Wilson
Tom Wilson (footballer)
Thomas "Tom" Wilson was a footballer who was a member of the Huddersfield Town team that won the Football League three times in the 1920s.-Playing career:...

. The Final was notable for the controversy surrounding the penalty decision that decided that match when Hamilton brought down Huddersfield's W.H. Smith
Billy Smith (footballer born 1895)
William Henry "Billy" Smith was a professional footballer who played most of his career at Huddersfield Town....

. Ivan Sharpe, writing in the Sunday Chronicle
Sunday Chronicle
The Sunday Chronicle was a newspaper in the United Kingdom.The newspaper was founded in Manchester by Edward Hulton in August 1885. He was known for his sporting coverage, already publishing the Sporting Chronicle, the Daily Dispatch and the Athletic News. The paper initially cost one penny and,...

, stated: "It was certainly a close thing. I had a fairly good view of the incident and my impression was 'Penalty!' The kick was to be taken by the victim, Smith. The goalkeeper Mitchell decided on the manoeuvre of dervish leaps in the air while the act was brewing, the intention obviously to put the Huddersfield marksman off his shot. 'Ne'er mind the devil-dances' seemed to be the tenor of Town captain Clem Stephenson as he advised Smith: 'Just shove it in the net.'

In another two seasons Huddersfield had won the first of three consecutive League Championships
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 and Chapman was moved to write to Stephenson: "I want to thank you personally for your play, your wholehearted efforts both on and off the field. I have never had such confidence in any captain of a team I have been associated with." It was later written: “Chapman bought perceptively, welded his assets together astutely and soon sent out one of the most successful League sides of all time. It was stubborn, disciplined and highly mobile with Clem Stephenson, once of Aston Villa, at the heart of everything. He was a stocky tactician without much pace but his passes were as sweet as stolen kisses." http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/managers/chapman1.htm

Chapman brought in the free scoring George Brown and Alex Jackson
Alex Jackson
Alexander Skinner Jackson was a Scottish footballer.Alex Jackson was born in Renton in 1905. A highly-talented winger, known as the Gay Cavalier, he was particularly adept at dribbling and free kicks. He initially played for Renton Victoria Football Club but was transferred to Dumbarton F.C. in...

 and between 1924 and 1925 led the side to two consecutive League titles before departing for fame and fortune with Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 Without his guile the brio was gone and whereas Stephenson led Cecil Potter
Cecil Potter
Cecil Bertram Potter was a former professional manager at Huddersfield Town, Derby County and Hartlepools United.-References:*99 Years & Counting — Stats & Stories — Huddersfield Town History...

’s team to a third straight League title in 1926 Huddersfield have never since won either the League Championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 or the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 instead finishing in second place in the League in 1927 and 1928 became the first side to have "Double Horror" and losing the 1928 FA Cup Final
1928 FA Cup Final
The 1928 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium. Blackburn won 3–1, with goals from Jack Roscamp and Tommy McLean...

 to Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

 and finishing second to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

 by 2 points. They lost the semi-final to Bolton Wanderers the following year and Stephenson played his last game for the club that year, becoming manager in May 1929 taking over from Jack Chaplin
Jack Chaplin
John "Jack" Fowler Chaplin was a former professional manager at Huddersfield Town.-References:*99 Years & Counting - Stats & Stories - Huddersfield Town History...

.

Career statistics

|-
|1910–11||rowspan="7"|Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

||rowspan="7"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

||5||3||–||–||5||3
|-
|1911–12||20||10||–||–||20||10
|-
|1912–13||34||14||6||5||40||19
|-
|1913–14||36||12||5||2||41||14
|-
|1914–15||37||10||2||1||39||12
|-
|1919–20||39||27||6||2||45||29
|-
|1920–21||21||8||5||1||26||9
|-
192||84||26||11||218||95
|-
|1920–21||rowspan="9"|Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

||rowspan="9"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

||9||1||–||–||9||1
|-
|1921–22||39||9||9||6||48||15
|-
|1922–23||27||1||2||1||29||2
|-
|1923–24||40||11||3||1||43||12
|-
|1924–25||29||5||1||0||30||5
|-
|1925–26||36||4||2||0||38||4
|-
|1926–27||25||5||1||0||26||5
|-
|1927–28||31||2||8||0||39||2
|-
|1928–29||12||4||–||–||12||4
|-
248||44||26||8||274||52

Management career

Stephenson went on to become Huddersfield's longest-serving manager from 27 May 1929 until 8 June 1942 overseeing club records:
  • The record 10–1 victory over Blackpool F.C.
    Blackpool F.C.
    Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

     in December 1930 at Leeds Road
    Leeds Road
    Leeds Road may refer to:* Leeds Road, former football and rugby league stadium in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England* A660 road, West Yorkshire, England, between Golden Acre Park and the Otley bypass...

    .
  • The record attendance at Leeds Road
    Leeds Road
    Leeds Road may refer to:* Leeds Road, former football and rugby league stadium in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England* A660 road, West Yorkshire, England, between Golden Acre Park and the Otley bypass...

     67,037 attended in the FA Cup Quarter Final versus a Herbert Chapman
    Herbert Chapman
    Herbert Chapman was an English association football player and manager. Though he had an undistinguished playing career, he went on to become one of the most successful and influential managers in early 20th century English football, before his sudden death in 1934.As a player, Chapman played for...

     led Arsenal
    Arsenal F.C.
    Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

    .


But his League and Cup exploits were fraught with irony leading Huddersfield to second place in 1933–34 losing to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 by 3 points in the season Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman was an English association football player and manager. Though he had an undistinguished playing career, he went on to become one of the most successful and influential managers in early 20th century English football, before his sudden death in 1934.As a player, Chapman played for...

 died and two FA Cup Finals and losing both: the first
1930 FA Cup Final
The 1930 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium. Arsenal won 2–0, with goals from Alex James and Jack Lambert...

 to a Herbert Chapman led Arsenal and the other
1938 FA Cup Final
The 1938 FA Cup Final was contested by Preston North End and Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium. Preston, losing finalists the previous year, won by a single goal. After 29 minutes of extra time it was still 0–0 and BBC commentator Thomas Woodrooffe said "if there's a goal scored now, I'll...

 to Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

 in an exact reversal of the 1922 final, and the semi-final to Portsmouth the following year. Huddersfield have never reached the FA Cup Semi final since 1939.

Honours

 
  • First Division
    Football League First Division
    The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

    • Runner-up: 1910–11, 1912–13, 1913–14

  • FA Cup
    FA Cup
    The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

    • Winners: 1913
      1913 FA Cup Final
      The 1913 FA Cup Final was contested by Aston Villa and Sunderland on 19 April 1913 at London's Crystal Palace. Playing as the home side, Aston Villa won 1–0 on a goal by Tommy Barber on a crossed ball from Charlie Wallace...

      , 1920
      1920 FA Cup Final
      The 1920 FA Cup Final, the first since the end of the First World War, was contested by Aston Villa and Huddersfield at Stamford Bridge. Aston Villa won 1–0, with the goal coming in extra time from Billy Kirton, to clinch the trophy for a record sixth time....



  Player & Manager
  • First Division
    Football League First Division
    The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

    • Champion: 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26
    • Runner-up: 1926–27, 1927–28, 1933–34
    • Third-place: 1922–23, 1935–36

  • FA Cup
    FA Cup
    The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

    • Winners: 1922
      1922 FA Cup Final
      The 1922 FA Cup Final was contested by Huddersfield Town and Preston North End at Stamford Bridge. Huddersfield won by a single goal, a penalty scored by Billy Smith....

    • Runner-up: 1928
      1928 FA Cup Final
      The 1928 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium. Blackburn won 3–1, with goals from Jack Roscamp and Tommy McLean...

      , 1930
      1930 FA Cup Final
      The 1930 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium. Arsenal won 2–0, with goals from Alex James and Jack Lambert...

      , 1938
      1938 FA Cup Final
      The 1938 FA Cup Final was contested by Preston North End and Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium. Preston, losing finalists the previous year, won by a single goal. After 29 minutes of extra time it was still 0–0 and BBC commentator Thomas Woodrooffe said "if there's a goal scored now, I'll...

    • Semi-finalist: 1939

  • FA Charity Shield
    FA Community Shield
    The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...

    • Winners: 1922
      1922 FA Charity Shield
      The 1922 Football Association Charity Shield was played on 10 May 1922. The game was played at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, and was contested by the FA Cup holders Huddersfield Town and First Division champions Liverpool. The game ended in a 1–0 win for Huddersfield Town with the...


External links

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