Reg Stockill
Reginald Robert Stockill was an English footballer who played as an inside forward in the Football League for York City, Arsenal and Derby County.
Biography
Reginald Robert Stockill was born on 24 November 1913 in York, Yorkshire. He played as an inside forward and started his career with York City. He became the club's youngest first-team player when he made his debut aged 15 years and 281 days on 29 August 1929 in a 2–0 win over Wigan Borough in the Football League [Third Division North|Third Division North]. Stockill scored in the match, a feat which made him the second most youngest person to score in a Football League match, as well York's youngest scorer in the Football League. Stockill only played one more match for York before moving to non-League Scarborough for the 1930–31 season, in which he scored three goals in the Midland [Football League (1889)|Midland League].Stockill was signed by Arsenal in 1931, while still six months shy of his 18th birthday. He made his debut on 27 April 1932 against Huddersfield Town and played the last three games of the Arsenal F.C. season|1931–32 season] and the first two of 1932–33, scoring in both, before being displaced by Ernie Coleman. He only played two more games for Arsenal, his final appearance coming as they beat Blackburn Rovers 8–0, in which Stockill scored. After spending all of the 1933–34 season in the reserve team he moved to Derby County for a fee of £2,000 in September 1934. In total he played eight games for Arsenal, scoring four goals.
At Derby, a serious knee injury incurred in a match on 26 December 1934 kept him out of the game for 15 months, which severely hampered his career. After five seasons and just 66 league appearances at Derby, he left for Luton Town in 1939. The outbreak of the Second World War ended his football playing career.
Stockill died aged 82 on 24 December 1995 at York Hospital in York, North Yorkshire.