{{short description|English footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Use British English|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Johnny Spuhler |image = |caption = |full_name = John Oswald Spuhler<ref name="hugman">{{Hugman|18633|access-date=31 March 2024}}</ref> |birth_date = {{birth date|1917|9|18|df=y}} |birth_place = [[Sunderland]], England |death_date = {{death date and age|2007|1|7|1917|9|18|df=y}} |death_place = [[Middlesbrough]], England |height = |position = [[Centre forward]] |years1 = 1936–1939 |clubs1 = [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] |caps1 = 35 |goals1 = 5 |years2 = 1945–1954 |clubs2 = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] |caps2 = 216 |goals2 = 69 |years3 = 1954–1956 |clubs3 = [[Darlington F.C.|Darlington]] |caps3 = 67 |goals3 = 19 |years4 = |clubs4 = [[Spennymoor United A.F.C.|Spennymoor United]] |totalcaps = 318 |totalgoals = 93 |manageryears1 = |managerclubs1 = [[Spennymoor United A.F.C.|Spennymoor United]] |manageryears2 = 1958 |managerclubs2 = [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]] |manageryears3 = |managerclubs3 = [[West Auckland Town F.C.|West Auckland Town]] }}
'''John Oswald Spuhler''' (18 September 1917 – 7 January 2007) was an English professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[centre forward]]. He played in the [[Football League]] for [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]], [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] and [[Darlington F.C.|Darlington]].
==Football career== Spuhler was born in [[Fulwell, Sunderland]] in 1917.<ref name="northern echo">{{Cite web |date=12 January 2007 |title=Spuhler - a Boro star on £12 a week |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/columnists/backtrack/backtrack/1119950.spuhler---boro-star-12-week/ |access-date=31 March 2024 |website=The Northern Echo}}</ref> He won two caps for the [[English Schools' Football Association|England schoolboys team]].<ref name="northern echo" /> He worked both in the office at [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland AFC]] and as a joiner before signing professional terms with Sunderland in September 1934.<ref name="breedon">{{Cite book |last=Glasper |first=Harry |url=http://archive.org/details/middlesbroughcom0000glas |title=Middlesbrough : a complete record, 1876-1989 |date=1989 |publisher=Derby : Breedon Books Sport |isbn=978-0-907969-53-2 |pages=135}}</ref> Arsenal offered Sunderland £2,000 for Spuhler in 1937, but he turned down the transfer.<ref name="northern echo" /> Spuhler scored 5 times in 35 matches prior to the onset of [[World War Two]].<ref name="hugman" /> During the Second World War, Spuhler appeared as a guest player for [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] and transferred to the club in October 1945 for a fee of £1,750.<ref name="breedon" /> He broke his nose in a match against [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] in 1950, which he eventually required hospital treatment for.<ref name="breedon" /> He scored 69 goals in 216 league matches for the club before transferring to [[Darlington F.C.|Darlington]] in 1954 for a fee of £1,000 after Middlesbrough's relegation.<ref name="breedon" /> He scored 19 times in 67 league matches for Darlington.<ref name="hugman" /> He became player-manager at non-League club [[Spennymoor United A.F.C.|Spennymoor United]] in 1956 and later held a managerial role at [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]], and a coaching role at [[Stockton F.C.|Stockton]].<ref name="breedon" /> He also coached the Army in Germany, and managed the [[West Auckland Town F.C.|West Auckland Town]] side which reached the 1961 [[FA Amateur Cup]] final.<ref name="northern echo" />
==Style of play== Spuhler played as a [[centre forward]]. He was noted for his speed and heading ability, rather than technique on the ball.<ref name="breedon" />
==Personal life== Spuhler married his wife Nancy in November 1939, and the couple had two children.<ref name="northern echo" /> After retirement from football, Spuhler worked as a sub-postmaster in [[Yarm]] before retiring at 55.<ref name="northern echo" /> He died on 7 January 2007 at [[James Cook University Hospital]] in [[Middlesbrough]] following a short illness.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2007 |title=Boro legend Johnny Spuhler dies aged 89 |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/boro-legend-johnny-spuhler-dies-3754491 |access-date=31 March 2024 |website=Teesside Live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1109909.football-hero-dies-aged-89/|title=Football hero dies aged 89|date=9 January 2007|website=The Northern Echo}}</ref>
==References== ;General * {{NeilBrownPlayers|player2/johnnyspuhler}} * {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706171314/http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Mplayers/MPG773.asp |title=Johnny Spuhler, The Stat Cat }} ;Specific {{reflist}}
{{Shrewsbury Town F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spuhler, Johnny}} [[Category:1917 births]] [[Category:2007 deaths]] [[Category:Footballers from Sunderland]] [[Category:Men's association football forwards]] [[Category:English men's footballers]] [[Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players]] [[Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players]] [[Category:Darlington F.C. players]] [[Category:Spennymoor United A.F.C. players]] [[Category:English football managers]] [[Category:Spennymoor United A.F.C. managers]] [[Category:Shrewsbury Town F.C. managers]] [[Category:West Auckland Town F.C. managers]] [[Category:English Football League players]] [[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]