Robert William Thomas Stokes was an English footballer, best known for scoring the winning goal in the 83rd minute of the FA Cup Final for Southampton against Manchester United in 1976.
15 Facts About Bobby Stokes
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Bobby Stokes had spells at Portsmouth, Washington Diplomats, Dartford, Cheltenham Town, Chichester City, Waterlooville, Whitchurch United and Petersfield United before retirement.
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Bobby Stokes was born in Portsmouth on 30 January 1951, and was brought up in the Paulsgrove area of the city.
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Bobby Stokes struggled to get into the first team as a young player but made his debut on 7 April 1969, scoring twice against Burnley.
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Bobby Stokes continued to impress in the next few years, despite suffering relegation in 1974 with the team and missed only one game that season.
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Bobby Stokes had an average league campaign that season, scoring just eight goals and he nearly left The Dell before the cup final as part of an exchange deal with Portsmouth for Paul Went.
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Bobby Stokes scored the only goal of the game, placing his shot accurately into the corner of the net past Alex Stepney in the United goal.
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Bobby Stokes won a new car for scoring the first goal in the cup final but he was the only non-driver in the squad and still lived with his parents.
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Bobby Stokes left Saints with the club still in the Football League Second Division to join their South Coast rivals, and his hometown club, Portsmouth.
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At the age of 26, Bobby Stokes moved over to the US to play for Washington Diplomats.
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Bobby Stokes played alongside fellow imports Jim Steele, his teammate in the 1976 final, Tommy O'Hara, Wim Jansen and Johan Cruyff.
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Bobby Stokes took an active interest in horse racing and remained a popular and well respected figure all along the south coast.
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The pub was not a success though and Bobby Stokes took a job in the Harbour View Cafe belonging to his cousin down at The Hard in Portsmouth.
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Bobby Stokes died on 30 May 1995, aged 44, after contracting bronchial pneumonia, on the same day as Ted Drake, another footballer who started his professional career at Southampton.
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Bobby Stokes has been honoured by having one of the luxury hospitality suites at the St Mary's Stadium named after him, and Stokes Court, one of the buildings on the site of Southampton's former ground, The Dell.