Stiles: John Charles (John)

1984-1989 (Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Manchester: 06-05-1964

Debut v Middlesbrough (a): 02-03-1985

5’9 1/2” 10st 12lb (1986)

Stiles certainly had an hard family act to follow in football. His father Nobby, the Manchester United wing half, was one of England’s 1966 World Cup heroes and his Uncle, Johnny Giles, had been a legend at Elland Road. It was Giles who gave his nephew his first break by signing him for Shamrock Rovers. Stiles played alongside his cousin, Johnny’s son Michael at Shamrock in 1981-82, but, including games as a substitute, he made just five League appearances and two in the 1982-83 UEFA Cup. He joined his Uncle's former club Vancouver Whitecaps, where he met Peter Lorimer as he made sixteen appearances in the NASL Indoor League in 1983-84. On Lorimer's recommendation he was taken on by Eddie Gray at Leeds United in April 1984. He made progress through the Reserves, where he played on a regular basis before making his debut in March 1985, but that was his only appearance that season and indeed his only appearance under Eddie Gray. With the appointment of Billy Bremner in early October 1985 things did improve somewhat, as he was given forty-five minutes as a substitute in a 1-1 home draw with Sheffield United in the full-members Cup on 16th October 1985, but after that he returned to the anonimity of the Central League. With John Sheridan being unavailable for the away fixture with Wimbledon on 7th December 1985 he took over at inside right in a fine 3-0 win, but it was back to the Reserves the following week. He made a further ten starts and one game from the bench in the rest of the season, mostly as Sheridan's deputy, and in the first of those games he scored his first goal for Leeds in a 4-0 home win over Stoke City on 1st February 1986. A gritty midfielder, he enjoyed good form in the 1986-87 season playing the first dozen League games. He became a part of United's drive to the Semi-Final of the F.A. Cup and the play-offs for promotion from the Second Division. His most remembered event for United came in the sixth Round of the F.A. Cup when he opened the scoring in the fifty-eighth minute, as Micky got the second to beat the plucky Non-League Wigan Athletic at Springfield Park on 15th March 1987, to book their place in the Semi-Final. It was his best season for United as he started twenty-six and came off the bench in three more in the League, started one game in the Full-Members Cup, two in the League Cup, five in the F.A, Cup and two in the play-offs, without adding to his goal at Wigan. However, after that he was beset by injuries and came off the bench as often as he started, which was infrequent. During the 1987-88 season, in the League he started seven and was a substitute on six occasions, in the Full Members Cup he came off the bench once, and in the F.A. Cup he started twice and came off the bench twice. His only goal was in the League on 7th November 1987 in a 2-1 home win over Shrewsbury Town. He created another piece of history when he became the first substitute to be substituted at Leeds. After replacing Peter Haddock in the thirtieth minute of a 0-2 away defeat by Millwall on 8th December 1987, he was himself replaced by John Pearson forty-six minutes later. In his final season at Leeds, 1988-89, he started four and was used as a substitute six times in the League. He was transferred to Doncaster Rovers for £40,000 in August 1989. He was a regular at Belle Vue for a couple of seasons scoring two goals in eighty-nine League appearances, including one as a substitute, but lost his place through injury. He was loaned to Rochdale in March 1992, where he made two starts and had two games from the bench in League appearances, and, after playing in Ireland, he joined Gainsborough Trinity and played for four seasons. He worked for Abbey Insurance in Leeds from 1992 to 1997 and then became a football agent and did the after dinner circuit before becoming a stand-up comedian in 2002.