George Robert Stephenson (born 19 November 1942) is a former English
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er and
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
.
He played first-class cricket for
Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
and
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
between 1967 and 1980. He also played football as an
inside forward
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
in the 1960s, notably with
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
.
Stephenson was born in
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
. He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper, who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1967 and 1968. He joined Hampshire for the 1969 season.
Hampshire played steadily during 1969, finishing the season in fifth place, though the team found the following season hard-going and ended 1970 with just four victories under their belt.
Stephenson continued to serve Hampshire through the inconsistent times of the mid-70s, the highlight being the team's second-ever victory in the
County Championship
The County Championship (referred to as the LV= Insurance County Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales and is organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It bec ...
in 1973. Stephenson remained a first-team choice through the late 1970s, and into the 1980 season, but he retired from first-class cricket after Hampshire's bottom-placed finish in that season's County Championship. Stephenson's sole first-class century came for Hampshire against
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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in 1976. He was club captain during his penultimate season following the retirement of
Richard Gilliat
Richard Michael Charles Gilliat (born 20 May 1944 Ware, Hertfordshire) is a retired English first-class cricketer.
Gilliat was educated at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford. He represented Oxford University and Hampshire as a left-handed ...
.
Stephenson was also a professional footballer, playing for
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group.
Founded in 1884 ...
,
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
and
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
in the 1960s.
See also
*
List of English cricket and football players
This is a list of sportspeople who have played both first-class cricket and top level football in England. The list includes thirteen sportspeople who are dual internationals, having represented England's national team at both sports.
Footballer ...
References
External links
Bob Stephensonon CricketArchive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Bob
1942 births
Living people
English cricketers
Derbyshire cricketers
Hampshire cricketers
Hampshire cricket captains
English men's footballers
Men's association football inside forwards
English Football League players
Derby County F.C. players
Shrewsbury Town F.C. players
Rochdale A.F.C. players
Leamington F.C. players
Footballers from Derby
Cricketers from Derby
Wicket-keepers