Biography
Joseph Ronald “Joe” Stocks was a Hull-born wing-half and sometime forward who joined the Hull City youth team set-up in the late 1950s and signed his first Tigers professional contract in November 1958. He waited over a year to make his first team debut, deputising for Les Collinson at left half in February 1960 just two months after his 18th birthday. A further ten months elapsed before City manager Bob Brocklebank again turned to Stocks, with City now languishing in the Third Division. Stocks celebrated this return to first team action with a goal from the left half position in a 2-3 reverse against Torquay, then moved to the left wing for two games, one of which was one of five matches played in an epic FA Cup tie against Darlington. For the rest of the 1960/61 season Joe continued to fll in occasionally at wing half and ended the season with two starts at inside left. In the 1961 close season City changed manager and began to invest in more experienced players, and Stocks was not offered a further contract.
Joe had a trial with Fourth Division side MIllwall during August 1961 and was quickly snapped up by the Lions with City waiving the £1,500 transfer fee that had initially been imposed. He made only two starts for Millwall late in the 1961/62 season as the Londoners won the Division Four title. Stocks spent two further seasons at The Den, making 16 and 15 first team appearances respectively at left half and scoring his only Lions’ goal in a September 1962 5-2 win over Colchester United. Joe played his final game for Millwall in December 1963 and left the Lions in 1964 to join non-league side Romford. He also played for Southern League side Dartford before heading north in the 1966 close season to join Goole Town where he partnered Paul Feasey, another ex-Tiger wing half – an amusing tale has Stocks nibbling at the post-match sandwich selection ahead of full-time in one evening game while his whippet, tied up behind the stand, had his barks and howls broadcast to the stadium via the public address system. Returning to Hull to live and work, Stocks coached the East Mount Youth Club side in the 1970s. He also had a second career as a rat catcher and later in life moved to the Brigg area on south bank of the Humber.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 27 November 1941, Hull
Hull City First Game: 6 February 1960, Scunthorpe United A (Division Two), 18 years, 71 days old
Hull City Final Game: 29 April 1961, Port Vale H (Division Three), 19 years, 153 days old
Clubs
Hull City (1958-1961), Millwall (1961-1964), Romford (1964-1965), Dartford (1965-1966), Goole Town (1966-1968)
Hull City Record
Career: 10 apps, 1 goals
Joe Stocks| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958/59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1959/60 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1960/61 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |