Cod Almighty | Article

by Baz Rockliff

5 January 2010

Right-back? Check. A bastion of reliability? Check. Originates from the land of the parmo? Check. All the elements required to be a GTFC number 2.

For a year after John McDermott's retirement, Town experimented with a bizarre 'no right-backs' policy, using various central midfielders, centre-backs, three-foot-tall wingers and a rotund Kiwi Scouser in the role.

That was until Alan Buckley made Robbie Stockdale his first summer signing in June 2008. He certainly had pedigree; he came through the Middlesbrough youth system, making 61 Premier League starts, playing alongside Gareth Southgate, Alen Boksic and Phil Stamp. He had loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham and Rotherham, before joining the Millers in the summer of 2004. An unproductive move to Hull followed, from where he also spent a short loan spell at perennial fourth-tier debt hoppers Darlington.

In the summer of 2006, Stockdale signed for Tranmere. He became a valuable member of the side, appearing in 80 league games, many in front of Danny Coyne. In May 2008, he was somewhat surprisingly released, moving a month later to Blundell Park.

Stockdale's Town career started slowly, a number of niggling injuries halting his progress. His first real run in the side came in November, a month which saw the long-awaited first win in ages, at Bury, and continued into December, where Shrewsbury were Town's first home victims of the season. Unfortunately, Boxing Day's home defeat to Notts County saw Stockdale limp off and he didn't appear again until the loss at Luton in March.

It was after this game that Town finally found some form, Barry Conlon grabbing the headlines with his five goals, but Stockdale more than played his part, part of a backline that conceded only four goals in the final eight games as survival was assured.

Evidence of Stockdale's influence over the side is borne out by facts. In his 20 league appearances last season, Town picked up 23 points, and conceded only 19 goals. In the 26 league games he missed (those with a knowledge of the 2008-09 table will see where this is going), Town picked up a paltry 18 points, while shipping 50 goals. Our optimism going into this season may have proved short-lived, but we might not have got ourselves into such a pickle had the Redcar man avoided injury this time round.