Stuart Pearce – SkyBlueArchive

Position

Defender

Nationality

Place Of Birth

Shepherd's Bush, London

Date Of Birth

April 24, 1962

Age

Height (cm)

178

Games Played

Per Game

Games Started

1.0

Per Game

Minutes

4805

89.0

Per Game

Goals

0.1

Per Game

Assists

0.1

Per Game

In 1983 the newly appointed Coventry City manager Bobby Gould had to rebuild the side after eight first team players exercised their freedom of contract and left for pastures new. He signed eleven new players and arguably his best signing came in the November when he paid £50,000 for Wealdstone’s left-back, a 22-year old electrician called Stuart Pearce.

Pearce made his debut at home to QPR, the team he had supported as a boy, and he made a massive impression on all who saw him. QPR manager Terry Venables heaped praise on a youngster he had tried to sign months earlier and admired Gould for taking the plunge. In only his fifth game he helped the Sky Blues beat the champions Liverpool 4-0 in one of the most memorable games seen at the ground in years. Stuart’s class shone through in a season, which looked so promising at Christmas, with City in the top six, but ended with a last day win over Norwich needed to avoid relegation.

Twelve months later, after another final game victory, 4-1 over Everton, had kept the Sky Blues up, Pearce was hot property. His dazzling performances in a lack-lustre Sky Blues team had brought him to the attention of the top clubs and Nottingham Forest’s Brian Clough snapped him up in a £450,000 double swoop for him and Ian Butterworth. Pearce’s initial contract had run out and he had indicated that he wanted to move on. Fortunately in those days there was no Bosman free transfers and City banked a healthy profit on the Londoner. He played 54 games and scored four goals the most important being the penalty at Stoke to give the Sky Blues three vital points in their must-win penultimate game.

Pearce went on to have an outstanding career; arguably no other player who has left the Sky Blues has had more success. He played twelve seasons at Forest and although he won few domestic honours, two League Cup winners medals in 1989 and 1990, he played 78 games for England, and ended up as player-manager in 1996. He left Forest to join Newcastle on a free transfer in 1997, before signing for West Ham in 1999.

In 2001 he made his final move, joining Manchester City where he captained the side to the First Division Championship in his final season before, at the age of 40 joining the coaching staff under Kevin Keegan. In 2005 he replaced Keegan as manager, a job he held for two years and also managed England’s under 21 side.

Penalties (2 - both scored)
1984-85
4 May 1985 v Tottenham Hotspur A, scored
17 May 1985 v Stoke City A, scored

Free kick goals (1)
1984-85
2 February 1985 v Arsenal A

Own goals (1)
1983-84
3 December 1983 v Luton Town A