Clem Stephenson

Aston Villa

Born in Blyth, Northumberland, Stephenson originally played for Aston Villa in 1910 as an inside forward. His career at Villa Park comprised 216 matches, in which he scored 85 goals. He was brought to Villa Park as Harry Hampton's career was nearing its end and soon acquired a reputation for intuitive play: his passes were said to be "as sweet as stolen kisses". His first silverware came in the 1913 FA Cup Final alongside Hampton and the England international Joe Bache in a victory over the League champions, Sunderland. Stephenson claimed before the 1913 FA Cup final to have dreamt that Villa would beat Sunderland with a headed goal from Tommy Barber. Villa did indeed win the final with a headed goal from Barber. Stephenson played in the semi-final the following year and was a winner in the FA Cup final in 1920 in his swansong for the club. During the First World War, Stephenson had guested for Leeds City, managed by Herbert Chapman, who saw qualities beyond Stephenson's well-renowned lack of pace. As a result of making irregular payments to wartime guest players such as Stephenson, Charlie Buchan of Sunderland, Franny Walden of Tottenham Hotspur and Billy Hampson of Newcastle United, Chapman's career at Leeds City came to a questionable end and led to the dissolution of the club in 1919.

Huddersfield Town

However, when Chapman took over the reins at Huddersfield Town (in August 1920) one of his first tasks was to secure Stephenson in a £4,000…

Stephenson went on to become Huddersfield's longest-serving manager from 27 May 1929 until 8 June 1942 overseeing club records:

The record 10–1 victory over Blackpool in December 1930 at Leeds Road. The record attendance at Leeds Road 67,037 attended in the FA Cup quarter-final versus a Herbert Chapman led Arsenal. But his League and Cup exploits were fraught with irony leading Huddersfield to second place in 1933–34 losing to Arsenal by 3 points in the season Herbert Chapman died, and reaching two FA Cup Finals and losing both: the first to a Herbert Chapman led Arsenal and the other to Preston North End in an exact reversal of the 1922 final, and the semi-final to Portsmouth the following year. Huddersfield have never reached the FA Cup semi-final since 1939.

As a player

Aston Villa

FA Cup: 1912–13, 1919–20 Huddersfield Town

Football League First Division: 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26 FA Cup: 1921–22; runner-up: 1927–28

As a manager

Huddersfield Town

FA Cup runner-up: 1929–30, 1937–38