Dean Stokes

Dean Stokes

Personal information
Full name	Dean Anthony Stokes
Date of birth	(1970-05-23) 23 May 1970
Place of birth	Birmingham, England
Height
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Rochdale
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Castleton Gabriels
	Armitage 90
	Redditch United
1992–1993	Halesowen Town
1993–1998	Port Vale	60	(0)
1998–2000	Rochdale	30	(0)
	Leek Town
	Alsager Town
Total		90+	(0+)
Managerial career
2007–2008	Alsager Town
2009–20??	Rochdale Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Dean Anthony Stokes (born 23 March 1970) is an English former footballer and manager. A former professional with Port Vale and Rochdale throughout the 1990s, he spent time with numerous non-league clubs, before moving into management with Alsager Town and later Rochdale Town. He helped Port Vale to promotion out of the Second Division in 1993–94 and played in the final of the 1996 Anglo-Italian Cup.

Playing career

Stokes was a quick left-back, who after initially turning down Rochdale played for non-league sides Castleton Gabriels, Armitage 90, Redditch United and Halesowen Town.

He returned to the Football League in January 1993, signing for John Rudge's Port Vale of the Second Division. Halesowen Town eventually received £5,000 in payment, as a result of appearance clauses. His professional debut came on 18 December 1993, at the age of 23, in a 1–1 draw with Burnley at Vale Park. He enjoyed regular football for the rest of the 1993–94 promotion winning season, though did lose his place in April. After undergoing ankle surgery in August 1994, he hardly played in Vale's 1994–95 First Division campaign. He hardly featured in the 1995–96 season either, though did come back into first team plans in March 1996. He played in the 1996 Anglo-Italian Cup Final, as Vale lost 5–2 to Genoa.

One of the most successful seasons in Port Vale's history was 1996–97, Stokes played eleven games, ten of which were in the league. In 1997–98, he again appeared infrequently with just nine games that season, he was allowed to leave upon its conclusion. He in fact returned to the club of his youth – Rochdale, who were as ever, in the basement division. After eleven games of 1998–99, he was injured again. For the first time in a long time, Stokes enjoyed consistent football in 1999–2000. He played 26 games, six of which were cup encounters. However at the age of 30 he dropped out of the Football League to play for Leek Town.

Management career

A veteran of the non-leagues, Stokes became player-manager of Alsager Town in 2007. He quit the post in March 2008, and became part of the coaching set-up at Eccleshall.

In June 2009, he was made head coach at Rochdale Town. The club finished bottom of the North West Counties League in 2009–10.

Post-retirement

As of December 2011, Stokes works at Abraham Moss High School as a P.E teacher.

Honours

with Port Vale

• Football League Second Division runner-up: 1993–94
• Anglo-Italian Cup runner-up: 1996

External links

• Dean Stokes career statistics at Soccerbase