Roy Vernon

Roy Vernon
Personal information
Full name Thomas Royston Vernon[1]
Date of birth (1937-04-14)14 April 1937[1]
Place of birth Ffynnongroew, Wales[1]
Date of death 4 December 1993(1993-12-04) (aged 56)[1]
Playing position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1955–1960 Blackburn Rovers 131 (49)
1960–1965 Everton 176 (101)
1965–1970 Stoke City 84 (22)
1967 → Cleveland Stokers (guest) 11 (2)
1970 → Halifax Town (loan) 4 (0)
1970 Cape Town City
1970–1972 Great Harwood Town
1972 Hellenic
Total 406 (174)
National team‡
1957–1968 Wales 32 (8)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:15, 25 November 2007 (UTC).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12:00, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Thomas Royston "Roy" Vernon (14 April 1937 – 4 December 1993) was a Welsh international footballer who played for Blackburn Rovers, Everton and Stoke City.[1] Vernon won 32 caps for Wales, scoring eight goals in total, and representing his country in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.[2]

Career

Vernon was born in Ffynnongroew, Flintshire.[2] He made his debut for Blackburn Rovers at the age of 18. He soon became a regular under Johnny Carey and Ewood Park and scored 15 goals in 44 games in 1957–58 as Rovers won promotion to the First Division. He took to the top flight with ease scoring 17 goals in 1958–59 as Blackburn finished in 10th position.

After an argument with Blackburn manager Dally Duncan, Vernon signed for Everton in 1960 for £27,000 plus winger Eddie Thomas.[2] He became a prolific goalscorer for the "Toffees" after scoring nine goals in his first 12 matches in 1959–60 he then scored 22 in 1960–61, a career best of 28 in 1961–62 and was the top scorer with 24 goals and captain when Everton won the First Division title in the 1962–63 season.[2] His striking partner who scored 22 goals in that title winning year was 'the golden vision' Alex Young.

Vernon was a lean player with an aquiline nose, a powerful left foot shot, great skill and a coolness when taking his chances. Brian Labone said of him: "Taffy Vernon was about 10 stone. Wet through he looked about as athletic as Pinocchio." Apart from his success in open play, Roy Vernon was probably the finest and most successful penalty-taker ever to play for Everton.[2] He made 200 appearances for Everton scoring 111 goals.[2]

After Everton manager Harry Catterick became 'fed up' with Vernon's off field antics he sold Vernon to Stoke City for £40,000.[2] He made a good start to his career under Tony Waddington scoring five goals in his first ten matches for the "Potters" at the end of the 1964–65 season. He scored 11 in 36 appearances in 1965–66 but a string of injuries reduced his effectiveness and after spending a short time out on loan at Halifax Town he moved to South Africa to play for Cape Town City and later Hellenic.[2]

Vernon was a heavy smoker, often smoking in the tunnel before the game and immediately after, and was reputed to bet on the horses in his spare time. He died in 1993 from cancer.[2]

International career

Vernon represented Wales at senior and amateur level.[3]

Career statistics

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Blackburn Rovers 1955–56 Second Division 12110–00131
1956–57 Second Division 311110–003211
1957–58 Second Division 371560–004415
1958–59 First Division 361621–003817
1959–60 First Division 15632–00188
Total 13149133–0014452
Everton 1959–60 First Division 12900–00129
1960–61 First Division 39211041004422
1961–62 First Division 37263200004028
1962–63 First Division 41243300304727
1963–64 First Division 31185231004921
1964–65 First Division 163004100204
Total 17610112711330202111
Stoke City 1964–65 First Division 105000000105
1965–66 First Division 31101041003611
1966–67 First Division 204100000214
1967–68 First Division 192210200232
1968–69 First Division 81000200101
Total 882241810010024
Cleveland Stokers (loan) 1967 USA 112–––112
Total 112–––112
Halifax Town (loan) 1969–70 Third Division 4000000040
Total 4000000040
Career Total 410174291119430461189

Honours

Blackburn Rovers
Everton

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ponting, Ivan (7 December 1993). "Obituary: Roy Vernon". The Independent. London. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  3. ↑ http://www.penmon.org/page85.htm
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