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Patrick Gordon Stanton (born 13 September 1944) is a Scottish former football player and manager.

Stanton played for Hibernian for most of his career, making nearly 400 league appearances. Late in his career, he had a short and successful spell with Celtic. Stanton also made 16 appearances for Scotland. After retiring as a player, he assisted Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen and managed Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline Athletic and Hibernian.

Club career

Stanton is the great-great nephew of Michael Whelahan (a founder of Hibernian and its first captain) and the great-nephew of Hibernian centre forward James Hendren. He signed for the club in 1963 and made his professional debut later that year. He established himself in the Hibs first team, playing either in defence or midfield.

He won the 1969–70 SFWA Footballer of the Year award after an outstanding season, an achievement made more notable by the fact that Hibs did not win any trophies that season, finishing in third place in the league, thirteen points behind winners Celtic (who had also reached the 1970 European Cup final). Stanton captained the Hibs side which won the 1972 Scottish League Cup Final.

In 1976, Stanton signed for Celtic in a swap deal for Jackie McNamara, Sr. Jock Stein, who had briefly managed Stanton at Hibs in the 1960s and was a long time admirer, identified him as a player who could stop Celtic conceding soft goals. The move proved highly successful, with the experienced Stanton excelling in defence and playing a total of 44 league and cup games for Celtic, losing only 4.

Stanton was deployed by Stein as a sweeper, and had a successful season as Celtic won both the Scottish Cup and the Scottish league championship in 1976–77, clinching the title in a 1-0 victory against Hibs at Easter Road through a goal by Joe Craig.

Stanton played in Celtic's 1977 tour of Singapore and Australia, with Celtic winning the World of Soccer Cup tournament after victories against Red Star Belgrade at Olympic Park Stadium (2-0), a 3-2 win against Arsenal at Sydney Cricket Ground, and victories against the Singapore and Australia national teams. At the start of the 1977-78 season however, he suffered a knee injury in a 0-0 draw against Dundee United on 14 August 1977, which eventually forced his retirement from playing.

Hibs and Celtic played a testimonial match for Stanton on 30 April 1978, which was attended by over 40,000 supporters.

International career

Stanton was selected three times by the Scotland under-23 team early in his career. He won 16 caps for Scotland between 1966 and 1974, captaining the side three times. He also played for the Scotland under-21 team as an over-age player and represented the Scottish League.

Coaching and management

Stanton got a start in coaching when Alex Ferguson made him his assistant at Aberdeen, a position he held for one season, that resulted in winning the Premier Division title together. He then managed Cowdenbeath, then Dunfermline Athletic. He returned to Hibs in 1982, but his spell in the manager's chair at Easter Road was unsuccessful and he resigned in 1984. Stanton was also manager of the Scotland semi pro team for the Four nations tournament in 1981 and 1982.

Legacy

"I can pay no higher tribute than to suggest that any aspiring youth would do well to copy Pat's code of conduct both on and off the field."

"My admiration for Pat Stanton goes back a long time - to his junior days, to be exact. I tried to sign him for Dunfermline and found that his preference was for Hibs. It was their good fortune to have him for so long."

A composed midfielder who could also operate in a defensive role, Stanton was noted for his reading of the game, tackling, and passing ability. He is regarded as one of Hibernian's greatest ever players, and widely considered to be one of the finest Scottish players in the history of the game, with notable football figures including Jock Stein, Eddie Turnbull, and Alex Ferguson having praised him for his ability and sportsmanship.

Scotland manager Tommy Docherty was a keen admirer of Stanton, selecting him for a number of international matches, and claiming that he considered Stanton to be a better player than the legendary England captain Bobby Moore.

Honours

Hibernian

• Scottish League Cup: 1972–73
• Summer Cup: 1963–64
• Drybrough Cup: 1972–73, 1973–74

Celtic

• Scottish Premier Division: 1976–77
• Scottish Cup: 1976–77

Scotland

• British Home Championship: 1971–72

Individual

• SFWA Footballer of the Year: 1969–70
• Scottish Football Hall of Fame: Inducted 2012
• Hibernian Hall of Fame: Inducted 2012
• Hibs Special Merit Award: 2021–22

Other activities

Stanton had a minor acting role in the 1998 film adaptation of The Acid House, in which he played a barman in the segment titled 'The Granton Star cause'.

After leaving the club as player and manager, Stanton helps Hibernian with their matchday hospitality. Following complications and surgery after the birth in 2012 of his twin grandsons, Stanton has been devoting his time to support of brain-damaged children.

See also

• List of Scotland national football team captains

References

1. ^ "Pat Stanton profile". londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
2. "PAT STANTON PREVIEWS BONNYRIGG ROSE V HIBERNIAN". Hibernianfc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
3. Leslie, Colin. "Stanton on a final flourish at Celtic". Scotsman.com. Johnston Press. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
4. "They Died in the Conflict during Season 1914–1915" (PDF). Scotlands-war.ed.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
5. Meade, Matthew (6 July 2021). "Canon Hannan: the priest who helped found Hibs". Archdiocese of Edinburgh. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
6. ^ Pat Stanton at the Scottish Football Association
7. "Scotland - Player of the Year". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
8. "Player of the year". SFWA. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
9. "Final Players Confirmed For 'The Match'". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
10. "Hibernian's League Cup victories | SPFL". spfl.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
11. ^ Paul, Ian (26 May 2001). "Conflict of green loyalties". HeraldScotland. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
12. FC, Celtic (1 September 2021). "Becoming a Bhoy: Pat Stanton". Celtic FC. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
13. "Pat Stanton - the Team Talk XI". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
14. "Celtic in Australia, 1977 – Winners of the World of Soccer Cup". thecelticstar.com. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
15. "Little British Soccer Derby" at SCG.Celtic Glasgow vs Arsenal.2nd..." Getty Images. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
16. "Pat Stanton Testimonial". Celtic Programmes Online. Archived from the original on 20 July 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
17. "Hibs great Pat Stanton on being crowned Player of the Year, Jock Stein, Celtic and life in isolation". HeraldScotland. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
18. "Pat Stanton". fitbastats.com. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
19. "Pat Stanton | Scotland | Scottish FA". www.scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
20. "Scotland Unofficial Matches 1971-1990". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
21. "Pat Stanton". The Scotland Epistles Football Magazine. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
22. "Pat Stanton". Black & White Publishing. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
23. Spiers, Graham (6 November 2006). "Why Sir Alex Ferguson is a bona fide football legend". Herald Scotland. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
24. "PAT STANTON 1980-82". DAFC. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
25. "Stanton's impact still holding sway". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
26. "into be Scots boss for Aberdeen tournament". Evening Express. 24 April 1982. Retrieved 18 May 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
27. ^ Halliday, S. (12 November 2012). "Football Hall of Fame: Pat Stanton and Gordon McQueen among five new inductees". The Scotsman. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
28. ^ Aitken, M. (1 May 1978). "Fans out in force for Pat". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
29. Pattullo, A. (23 September 2019). "Pat Stanton, Hibs legend, to be guest of honour at Celtic clash". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
30. ^ Young, C. (24 November 1972). "A man for all seasons". Irvine Herald. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
31. Welsh, Irvine (21 May 2009). "There's only one Franck Sauzee". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
32. ^ "Pat Stanton". Scottish Football Museum. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
33. ""He was one of the best players I played with" – Hibs legend Pat Stanton leads tributes following death of pal & former team-mate Eric Stevenson". Deadline News. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
34. "Pat Stanton: "It's A Hibs Thing"". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
35. "The Acid House (1998) ⭐ 6.2". IMDb. 1 January 1999. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
36. "Hibs icon backs children's charity". East Lothian Courier. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2015.

• 1944 births
• Living people
• Footballers from Edinburgh
• Men's association football midfielders
• Scottish men's footballers
• Scotland men's international footballers
• Bonnyrigg Rose F.C. players
• Hibernian F.C. players
• Celtic F.C. players
• Scottish Football League players
• Scottish football managers
• Scottish people of Irish descent
• Cowdenbeath F.C. managers
• Dunfermline Athletic F.C. managers
• Hibernian F.C. managers
• Aberdeen F.C. non-playing staff
• Scottish Football League representative players
• Scottish Football League managers
• Scotland men's under-21 international footballers
• Scotland men's under-23 international footballers
• Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductees
• United Soccer Association players
• People educated at St Augustine's High School, Edinburgh