Eric Skeels

Eric Skeels
Personal information
Full name Eric Thomas Skeels[1]
Date of birth (1939-10-27) 27 October 1939 (age 85)[1]
Place of birth Eccles, Lancashire, England[1]
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1957–1958 Stockport County
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1959–1976 Stoke City 507 (7)
1967 → Cleveland Stokers (loan) 12 (1)
1976 Seattle Sounders 16 (2)
1976–1977 Port Vale 5 (1)
Leek Town
Total 540 (11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Eric Thomas Skeels (born 27 October 1939) is an English former footballer. He played 512 games in the Football League, 507 for Stoke City. He is Stoke's record appearance holder having played in 597 matches in all competitions.[1][3]

Skeels joined Stoke City in 1959 and soon established himself as an indispensable member of Tony Waddington's starting eleven. He could play in all outfield positions, became known for his consistency, and racked up a club record 597 appearances. During his 17-year spell at the Victoria Ground he helped Stoke to win the Second Division in 1962–63, finish as runner-up of the League Cup in 1964, before winning the competition in 1972 he also helped them to reach the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1970–71 and 1971–72. He left for American side Seattle Sounders in 1976 before spending a short spell back in Stoke-on-Trent with Port Vale. He then became a pub landlord and played occasionally for Leek Town.

  1. ^ a b c d Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ Smith, Denis (2008), Just One of Seven, Know The Score Books, p. 81, ISBN 978-1-84818-504-3
  3. ^ Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. ISBN 1-874287-55-4.