Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "darlington"
A dedicated professional
Kevin Stonehouse 1959-2019
Kevin Stonehouse was born in Bishop Auckland on 20 September 1959. He was a midfield player or forward who began his senior career with non-league Shildon before moving to Blackburn Rovers in July 1979. He was a most popular player at Ewood Park and he played 77 League games, made eight substitute appearances and scored 27 goals for Rovers, also playing in two FA Cup ties and three League Cup ties plus making one appearance as a substitute in the competition and scoring one goal.
Blackburn transferred him to Huddersfield Town for a fee of £25,000 in March 1983 and he went on to play 20 League games, make two substitute appearances and score four goals for Huddersfield. Blackpool signed him from the Yorkshire club for a fee of £25,000 on transfer deadline day, 23 March 1984. The fee was covered by the money Coventry were paying for the transfer of Dave Bamber. Blackpool manager Sam Ellis commented, 'The signing is a bit special. It's one for the future as well as boosting our promotion chances.' And Kevin Stonehouse said, 'Sam didn't have to sell the club very hard. It has obvious potential and I'm so excited about the move that we'll be moving house quicker than we've done before.'
He made his League debut for Blackpool against Chester City on 24 March 1984 when he 'struggled to fit into the system' as the game was drawn 3-3 after Blackpool had 'tossed away a two-goal lead'. He 'swept home his first Blackpool goal' in a 1-1 draw with Stockport County on 10 April 1984 and he went on to add another four goals, including two against Colchester United in a 3-2 victory on 1 May, when he earned the headline 'Two-goal Kevin caps a corker', and the only goal of the game against Hartlepool United on 20 April, in the 13 games that he played in the 1983/84 season.
After scoring twice in the opening game, a 2-0 victory over Halifax Town on 25 August 1984 his season was plagued by a niggling knee injury but even so he played 26 League games, plus making one substitute appearance and scoring 11 goals, and he was considered to have played a key part in Blackpool’s promotion to the Third Division as runners-up to Chesterfield.
The knee injury delayed his start to the 1985/86 season and at one point it was deemed serious enough for Blackpool to consider his future at the club. But manager Same Ellis decided to keep him on the wage bill in order to give him a chance to prove his fitness. And after returning to action in two games as substitute he regained his first team place in a 2-1 victory over Chesterfield on 22 October 1985. he went on a run of 14 consecutive games, scoring two goals, before, after some disappointing results, he was left out of the team after what proved to be his final league game for the club, a 0-0 draw with Reading on 18 January 1986. He was not happy as he felt he had been made the scapegoat but Ellis threatened that he would put him on the transfer list. He had played 14 League games, made two substitute appearances and scored three goals in the 1985/86 season.
A broken leg kept him out of action in the early part of the 1986/87 season and in late September 1986 he was seeing a specialist about the possibility of a comeback. But that was delayed and he did not begin his comeback until late November 1986 when he appeared in the Blackpool ‘A’ side. He did not appear in the league side in the 1986/87 season and he was released on 11 May 1987 after a total of 56 senior appearances in all competitions for Blackpool and he scored 19 goals.
He joined Darlington in July 1987 and he played 59 League games, made 13 substitute appearances and scored 20 goals for the club, who, in March 1989, loaned him to Carlisle United, where he made just three substitute appearances.
In July 1989 Darlington transferred him to Rochdale, where he played 13 League games, made one substitute appearance and scored two goals.
When he retired from league football, he had made 252 League appearances scoring 72 goals for his various clubs.
He later played non-league football for Bishop Auckland, South Bank, Northallerton and Willington. At the last named club he was also assistant-manager and physiotherapist. He was later in charge at Shotton Comrades and he took the team up as runners-up from the Northern League Division Two to Division One in the 1998/99 season.
He subsequently returned to Darlington where he spent time working in a variety of roles, including being the Football in the Community Officer.
Latterly he was a scout at Newcastle United and he was set to assist head coach Steve Bruce at the start of a new managerial era at St James' Park for the 2019/2020 season.
He died of a heart attack on 28 July 2019 while watching a pre-season friendly game at Hillsborough, only two days after returning from an international scouting expedition.
Kevin was much loved by all the clubs with which he was involved and he will be hugely missed by family, friends and supporters.
Kevin Stonehouse was born in Bishop Auckland on 20 September 1959. He was a midfield player or forward who began his senior career with non-league Shildon before moving to Blackburn Rovers in July 1979. He was a most popular player at Ewood Park and he played 77 League games, made eight substitute appearances and scored 27 goals for Rovers, also playing in two FA Cup ties and three League Cup ties plus making one appearance as a substitute in the competition and scoring one goal.
Blackburn transferred him to Huddersfield Town for a fee of £25,000 in March 1983 and he went on to play 20 League games, make two substitute appearances and score four goals for Huddersfield. Blackpool signed him from the Yorkshire club for a fee of £25,000 on transfer deadline day, 23 March 1984. The fee was covered by the money Coventry were paying for the transfer of Dave Bamber. Blackpool manager Sam Ellis commented, 'The signing is a bit special. It's one for the future as well as boosting our promotion chances.' And Kevin Stonehouse said, 'Sam didn't have to sell the club very hard. It has obvious potential and I'm so excited about the move that we'll be moving house quicker than we've done before.'
He made his League debut for Blackpool against Chester City on 24 March 1984 when he 'struggled to fit into the system' as the game was drawn 3-3 after Blackpool had 'tossed away a two-goal lead'. He 'swept home his first Blackpool goal' in a 1-1 draw with Stockport County on 10 April 1984 and he went on to add another four goals, including two against Colchester United in a 3-2 victory on 1 May, when he earned the headline 'Two-goal Kevin caps a corker', and the only goal of the game against Hartlepool United on 20 April, in the 13 games that he played in the 1983/84 season.
After scoring twice in the opening game, a 2-0 victory over Halifax Town on 25 August 1984 his season was plagued by a niggling knee injury but even so he played 26 League games, plus making one substitute appearance and scoring 11 goals, and he was considered to have played a key part in Blackpool’s promotion to the Third Division as runners-up to Chesterfield.
The knee injury delayed his start to the 1985/86 season and at one point it was deemed serious enough for Blackpool to consider his future at the club. But manager Same Ellis decided to keep him on the wage bill in order to give him a chance to prove his fitness. And after returning to action in two games as substitute he regained his first team place in a 2-1 victory over Chesterfield on 22 October 1985. he went on a run of 14 consecutive games, scoring two goals, before, after some disappointing results, he was left out of the team after what proved to be his final league game for the club, a 0-0 draw with Reading on 18 January 1986. He was not happy as he felt he had been made the scapegoat but Ellis threatened that he would put him on the transfer list. He had played 14 League games, made two substitute appearances and scored three goals in the 1985/86 season.
A broken leg kept him out of action in the early part of the 1986/87 season and in late September 1986 he was seeing a specialist about the possibility of a comeback. But that was delayed and he did not begin his comeback until late November 1986 when he appeared in the Blackpool ‘A’ side. He did not appear in the league side in the 1986/87 season and he was released on 11 May 1987 after a total of 56 senior appearances in all competitions for Blackpool and he scored 19 goals.
He joined Darlington in July 1987 and he played 59 League games, made 13 substitute appearances and scored 20 goals for the club, who, in March 1989, loaned him to Carlisle United, where he made just three substitute appearances.
In July 1989 Darlington transferred him to Rochdale, where he played 13 League games, made one substitute appearance and scored two goals.
When he retired from league football, he had made 252 League appearances scoring 72 goals for his various clubs.
He later played non-league football for Bishop Auckland, South Bank, Northallerton and Willington. At the last named club he was also assistant-manager and physiotherapist. He was later in charge at Shotton Comrades and he took the team up as runners-up from the Northern League Division Two to Division One in the 1998/99 season.
He subsequently returned to Darlington where he spent time working in a variety of roles, including being the Football in the Community Officer.
Latterly he was a scout at Newcastle United and he was set to assist head coach Steve Bruce at the start of a new managerial era at St James' Park for the 2019/2020 season.
He died of a heart attack on 28 July 2019 while watching a pre-season friendly game at Hillsborough, only two days after returning from an international scouting expedition.
Kevin was much loved by all the clubs with which he was involved and he will be hugely missed by family, friends and supporters.
