Robert Leonard Stephenson (14 July 1930 â 29 September 2014) was an English footballer. A centre-forward, he scored 26 goals in 93 league games in a seven-year career in the Football League for Blackpool, Port Vale, and Oldham Athletic.
Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in November 1948. It wasn't until just over two years later, on 20 January 1951, that he made his debut in a 2âÂÂ2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road. He scored the hosts' second goal in his only appearance of the 1950âÂÂ51 campaign. He made three First Division appearances during the following season, before injury struck, and sat out the entire 1952âÂÂ53 term, at the climax of which Blackpool won the FA Cup.
Stephenson returned to the Blackpool line-up two-thirds of the way through 1953âÂÂ54, scoring their first goal in a 3âÂÂ2 home league victory over Aston Villa on 23 January. He made seven more league appearances that season, scoring another three goals. He also scored in the FA Cup, in Blackpool's third-round replay victory over Luton Town at Molineux Stadium.
He scored five goals in his eleven league appearances during 1954âÂÂ55, including the only goal of the game in a victory over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on 11 December. He made his final appearance for the "Seasiders" on 15 January, in a 2âÂÂ0 defeat at home to Wolves.
Stephenson joined Port Vale on 10 March 1955 for ã5,000. He scored his first goal for the "Valiants" on 19 March, in a 2âÂÂ1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Vale Park. He made a further nine Second Division appearances, without scoring any further goals, in the 1954âÂÂ55 season.
With 14 goals in 33 appearances, he was the club's top scorer in the 1955âÂÂ56 season; however, he lost his place in January 1957 after manager Freddie Steele resigned from his post. The club were relegated under new boss Norman Low, and Stephenson was transferred to Oldham Athletic for ã1,025 in June 1957. He made eight Third Division North appearances for Ted Goodier's "Latics" in 1957âÂÂ58, before departing Boundary Park to finish his career with Cheshire County League side Witton Albion. He scored 11 goals in 23 games in the 1958âÂÂ59 season and 11 goals from 39 games in the 1959âÂÂ60 campaign.