Frank Stapleton
| Date of birth | 10 July 1956 |
| Place of birth | Dublin |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Position | Forward |
Rated as one of the best centre-forwards in Europe as he left Arsenal, he made a similarly favourable impression during his spell at Manchester United.
A wonderfully gifted striker, Frank is fondly remembered as a first class striker, powerful in the air, clever on the 'floor' and a team player.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 01 Sep 1973 | 01 Aug 1981 | |
| Manchester United | 01 Aug 1981 | 01 Jul 1989 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 01 Jul 1989 | 01 Oct 1991 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 01 Oct 1991 | 01 Dec 1991 | |
| Bradford City | 01 Dec 1991 | 01 Nov 1994 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-75 | Arsenal | League Division One | 1 | ||||
| 1975-76 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1975-76 | Arsenal | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 1975-76 | Arsenal | League Division One | 23 | 2 |
4 |
||
| 1976-77 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1976-77 | Arsenal | League Cup | 6 | 3 |
|||
| 1976-77 | Arsenal | League Division One | 40 | 13 |
|||
| 1977-78 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 5 | 4 |
|||
| 1977-78 | Arsenal | League Cup | 7 | 2 |
|||
| 1977-78 | Arsenal | League Division One | 39 | 13 |
|||
| 1978-79 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 11 | 6 |
|||
| 1978-79 | Arsenal | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1978-79 | Arsenal | League Division One | 41 | 17 |
|||
| 1978-79 | Arsenal | UEFA Cup | 6 | 4 |
|||
| 1979-80 | Arsenal | FA Charity Shield | 1 | ||||
| 1979-80 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 11 | 4 |
|||
| 1979-80 | Arsenal | League Cup | 7 | 5 |
|||
| 1979-80 | Arsenal | League Division One | 39 | 14 |
|||
| 1979-80 | Arsenal | UEFA European Cup Winners Cup | 9 | ||||
| 1980-81 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1980-81 | Arsenal | League Cup | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 1980-81 | Arsenal | League Division One | 40 | 14 |
|||
| 1981-82 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1981-82 | Manchester United | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1981-82 | Manchester United | League Division One | 41 | 13 |
|||
| 1982-83 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 7 | 3 |
|||
| 1982-83 | Manchester United | League Cup | 9 | 2 |
|||
| 1982-83 | Manchester United | League Division One | 41 | 14 |
|||
| 1982-83 | Manchester United | UEFA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1983-84 | Manchester United | FA Charity Shield | 1 | ||||
| 1983-84 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1983-84 | Manchester United | League Cup | 6 | 2 |
|||
| 1983-84 | Manchester United | League Division One | 42 | 13 |
|||
| 1983-84 | Manchester United | UEFA European Cup Winners Cup | 8 | 4 |
|||
| 1984-85 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 5 | 2 |
|||
| 1984-85 | Manchester United | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1984-85 | Manchester United | League Division One | 21 | 3 |
6 |
||
| 1984-85 | Manchester United | UEFA Cup | 4 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 1985-86 | Manchester United | FA Charity Shield | 1 | ||||
| 1985-86 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 5 | 2 |
|||
| 1985-86 | Manchester United | League Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1985-86 | Manchester United | League Division One | 34 | 7 |
7 |
||
| 1986-87 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1986-87 | Manchester United | League Cup | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 1986-87 | Manchester United | League Division One | 25 | 9 |
7 |
||
| 1987-88 | Derby County | League Division One | 10 | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-77 | Republic of Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1976-77 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1977-78 | Republic of Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1977-78 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1977-78 | Republic of Ireland | Representative | 1 | ||||
| 1977-78 | Republic of Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1978-79 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1978-79 | Republic of Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1978-79 | Republic of Ireland | UNICEF Charity | 1 | ||||
| 1979-80 | Republic of Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1979-80 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1979-80 | Republic of Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1980-81 | Republic of Ireland | B v A | 1 | ||||
| 1980-81 | Republic of Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 1980-81 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1981-82 | Republic of Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 2 |
|||
| 1981-82 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1982-83 | Republic of Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 5 | 4 |
|||
| 1983-84 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 1983-84 | Republic of Ireland | Japan Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1983-84 | Republic of Ireland | Kirin Japan Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1983-84 | Republic of Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1984-85 | Republic of Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 1984-85 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 1985-86 | Republic of Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1985-86 | Republic of Ireland | Independence | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 1985-86 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1986-87 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1986-87 | Republic of Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 6 | 2 |
|||
| 1987-88 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 1987-88 | Republic of Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 1988-89 | Republic of Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1988-89 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1989-90 | Republic of Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
2 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 1976 | Turkey v Republic of Ireland | D | 3-3 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Nov 1976 | France v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 5 |
| 09 Feb 1977 | Republic of Ireland v Spain | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Jun 1977 | Bulgaria v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 5 |
| 21 Sep 1977 | Republic of Ireland v League of Ireland | W | 2-1 | Representative | |
| 12 Oct 1977 | Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 5 |
| 21 May 1978 | Norway v Republic of Ireland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 24 May 1978 | Denmark v Republic of Ireland | D | 3-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 20 Sep 1978 | Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 25 Oct 1978 | Republic of Ireland v England | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 02 May 1979 | Republic of Ireland v Denmark | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 22 May 1979 | Republic of Ireland v West Germany | L | 1-3 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 1979 | Republic of Ireland v Argentina | D | 0-0 | UNICEF Charity | |
| 11 Sep 1979 | Wales v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Oct 1979 | Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 21 Nov 1979 | Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 06 Feb 1980 | England v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 26 Mar 1980 | Cyprus v Republic of Ireland | W | 2-3 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 10 Sep 1980 | Republic of Ireland v Netherlands | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 15 Oct 1980 | Republic of Ireland v Belgium | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 28 Oct 1980 | France v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 19 Nov 1980 | Republic of Ireland v Cyprus | W | 6-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 25 Mar 1981 | Belgium v Republic of Ireland | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 29 Apr 1981 | Republic of Ireland v Czechoslovakia | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 21 May 1981 | West Germany v Republic of Ireland | L | 3-0 | B v A | |
| 24 May 1981 | Poland v Republic of Ireland | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 09 Sep 1981 | Netherlands v Republic of Ireland | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 14 Oct 1981 | Republic of Ireland v France | W | 3-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 2 |
| 28 Apr 1982 | Algeria v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 22 Sep 1982 | Netherlands v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 13 Oct 1982 | Republic of Ireland v Iceland | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 17 Nov 1982 | Republic of Ireland v Spain | D | 3-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 30 Mar 1983 | Malta v Republic of Ireland | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 27 Apr 1983 | Spain v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 21 Sep 1983 | Iceland v Republic of Ireland | W | 0-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 12 Oct 1983 | Republic of Ireland v Netherlands | L | 2-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 16 Nov 1983 | Republic of Ireland v Malta | W | 8-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 04 Apr 1984 | Israel v Republic of Ireland | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 23 May 1984 | Republic of Ireland v Poland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 27 May 1984 | Japan Universities v Republic of Ireland | D | 0-0 | Kirin Cup | Group B |
| 01 Jun 1984 | Internacional Porto Alegre v Republic of Ireland | D | 0-0 | Kirin Cup | Group B |
| 03 Jun 1984 | China PR v Republic of Ireland | W | 0-1 | Kirin Cup | Semi-final |
| 05 Jun 1984 | Internacional Porto Alegre v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-1 | Kirin Cup | Final |
| 17 Oct 1984 | Norway v Republic of Ireland | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 14 Nov 1984 | Denmark v Republic of Ireland | L | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 05 Feb 1985 | Republic of Ireland v Italy | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Feb 1985 | Israel v Republic of Ireland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Mar 1985 | England v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 01 May 1985 | Republic of Ireland v Norway | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 02 Jun 1985 | Republic of Ireland v Switzerland | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 11 Sep 1985 | Switzerland v Republic of Ireland | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 16 Oct 1985 | USSR v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 13 Nov 1985 | Republic of Ireland v Denmark | L | 1-4 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 23 Apr 1986 | Republic of Ireland v Uruguay | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 25 May 1986 | Iceland v Republic of Ireland | W | 1-2 | Independence | |
| 27 May 1986 | Czechoslovakia v Republic of Ireland | W | 0-1 | Independence | |
| 10 Sep 1986 | Belgium v Republic of Ireland | D | 2-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 15 Oct 1986 | Republic of Ireland v Scotland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 12 Nov 1986 | Poland v Republic of Ireland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Feb 1987 | Scotland v Republic of Ireland | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 01 Apr 1987 | Bulgaria v Republic of Ireland | L | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 29 Apr 1987 | Republic of Ireland v Belgium | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 28 May 1987 | Luxembourg v Republic of Ireland | W | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 09 Sep 1987 | Republic of Ireland v Luxembourg | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 14 Oct 1987 | Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 7 |
| 23 Mar 1988 | Republic of Ireland v Romania | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Apr 1988 | Republic of Ireland v Yugoslavia | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Jun 1988 | Norway v Republic of Ireland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Jun 1988 | England v Republic of Ireland | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 15 Jun 1988 | Republic of Ireland v USSR | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 18 Jun 1988 | Republic of Ireland v Netherlands | L | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 07 Feb 1989 | Republic of Ireland v France | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Apr 1989 | Republic of Ireland v Spain | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 28 May 1989 | Republic of Ireland v Malta | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 06 Sep 1989 | Republic of Ireland v West Germany | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 1990 | Malta v Republic of Ireland | W | 0-3 | International Friendly | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.