Sam Stockley

Barnet

Stockley began his career as a trainee at Southampton but could not break into the first team. He moved to Third Division club Barnet during the 1996–97 season, making his debut under Terry Bullivant in a 3–0 defeat by Swansea City at Vetch Field on 14 January. He played 20 league games that season before making 49 appearances in league and cup in 1997–98. He continued to be an almost constant presence at Underhill under John Still in 1998–99 and 1999–2000, making 45 and 39 appearances respectively, and scoring his first league goal in a 3–1 win over Hull City at Boothferry Park on 24 April 2000. He played 52 games for new boss Tony Cottee in 2000–01, scoring his second senior goal on 19 August in a 3–3 home draw with Mansfield Town. He was also named the club's Player of the Year for 2001 and picked up the club's 'Most Improved Player' award. Having played 209 games for the "Bees", he was sold to Oxford United for a fee of £150,000 in July 2001 after becoming dissatisfied with his wages at Barnet.

Oxford to Colchester United

He played 44 games for Oxford under Mark Wright and Ian Atkins in 2001–02 as the "Yellows" struggled to retain their Football League status. He was loaned out to Second Division Colchester United at the start of the 2002–03 season, then managed by Steve Whitton, before moving permanently on a free transfer in October 2002. He scored his third ever goal on 29 October, in a 1–1 draw with Barnsley at Layer Road, and finished the…

Stockley had helped to coach the academy at Wycombe Wanderers, Port Vale and Ferencvárosi but got his first full-time coaching role as Director of Raleigh at Triangle Futbol Club from 2012 to 2014. He spent 2013 to 2017 as assistant first-team coach at Carolina RailHawks and also coached girls' football for the North Carolina FC Youth. In January 2017, he was recruited to the Xavier Musketeers coaching staff by Kacey White. Eight months later he was appointed as the new Girls' Technical Director and Associate Girls' Development Academy Director at the West Florida Flames. He later went on to scout for the United States national soccer team. He was appointed head of coaching at Cymru North club Llandudno in August 2020. In October 2021, Stockley was announced as the Sporting Director for Lexington Sporting Club which will compete in third-division professional American soccer league USL League One in the regular 2023 season. On 13 October 2022, Lexington named Stockley first-team manager. He stepped down as manager on 17 September 2023 to focus entirely on his role as sporting director. Stockley took over as interim head coach for Lexington SC's USL Super League team in March 2025. In May 2025, he served a three-game suspension for violating the league's anti-harassment policies. Stockley returned to England in July 2025 to take the role of academy manager at Stoke City. In June 2026, Stockley was appointed as U21 lead coach.

Stockley completed his coaching badges at 'C' level to go into management. He studied broadcast journalism at University of Staffordshire during his time at Port Vale, hoping to pursue a career in the media upon his retirement as a player, specifically as a pitch-side reporter. During his time at Wycombe Wanderers he also had his own column in the club programme. He met his wife, Anna, in 2004 and has two children: Esmé and Jobe.

"I'm doing a degree in sports journalism, that's something which really interests me, I don't mind talking a little bit and to talk about football, or any sport, just really interests me and it was an opportunity I wanted to take."

Individual

Barnet F.C. Player of the Year: 2001 Colchester United

League One second-place promotion: 2005–06