Stuart Leary

Infobox Football biography
playername = Stuart Leary


fullname = Stuart Edward Leary
height =
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date|1933|4|30|df=y
cityofbirth = Cape Town
countryofbirth = South Africa
dateofdeath = death date and age|1988|8|21|1933|4|30|df=y
cityofdeath = Table Mountain
countryofdeath = South Africa
clubnumber =
position = Centre-forward
youthyears = ?–1950
youthclubs = Clyde F.C. (Cape Town}
years = 1950–1962
1962–1966
clubs = fc|Charlton Athletic
fc|Queens Park Rangers
Total
caps(goals) = 376 (153)
094 0(29)
470 (182)
nationalyears = 1954
nationalteam = England U23
nationalcaps(goals) = 001 00(0)

Stuart Edward Leary (30 April 1933 – 21 August 1988) was a South African footballer who played as a centre-forward.

Leary started his career with Cape Town side Clyde before moving to English side fc|Charlton Athletic in 1950 along with team-mate Eddie Firmani. He was one of a number of South Africans to move to the The Valley in this era. After making his debut in 1951, he became a prolific goal-scorer scoring a record number of league goals for the club. Despite being South African born, he appeared for the England U23 team but was prevented from representing the full team by the Football Association who banned non-English-born players from representing the national team. During his period of National Service he served with the Royal Air Force. In all, he made 403 appearances for the Addicks, scoring 163. After failing to agree a new contract, he joined fc|Queens Park Rangers in 1962 and remained there until his retirement in 1966.

Leary also had a reasonably successful spell as a first-class cricket player of Kent County Cricket Club between 1951 and 1971. He scored 16,517 runs and taking 140 wickets at an average of 34.

His body was discovered dead on Table Mountain in South Africa on 23 August 1988; it was believed he had died two days earlier.

References

*cricinfo|ref=england/content/player/16509.html