# Johnny Spuhler

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English footballer

Johnny Spuhler Personal information Full name John Oswald Spuhler[1] Date of birth (1917-09-18)18 September 1917 Place of birth Sunderland, England Date of death 7 January 2007(2007-01-07) (aged 89) Place of death Middlesbrough, England Position Centre forward Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1936–1939 Sunderland 35 (5) 1945–1954 Middlesbrough 216 (69) 1954–1956 Darlington 67 (19) Spennymoor United Total 318 (93) Managerial career Spennymoor United 1958 Shrewsbury Town West Auckland Town * Club domestic league appearances and goals

**John Oswald Spuhler** (18 September 1917 – 7 January 2007) was an English professional [footballer](/source/Association_football) who played as a [centre forward](/source/Centre_forward). He played in the [Football League](/source/Football_League) for [Sunderland](/source/Sunderland_A.F.C.), [Middlesbrough](/source/Middlesbrough_F.C.) and [Darlington](/source/Darlington_F.C.).

## Football career

Spuhler was born in [Fulwell, Sunderland](/source/Fulwell%2C_Sunderland) in 1917.[2] He won two caps for the [England schoolboys team](/source/English_Schools'_Football_Association).[2] He worked both in the office at [Sunderland AFC](/source/Sunderland_A.F.C.) and as a joiner before signing professional terms with Sunderland in September 1934.[3] Arsenal offered Sunderland £2,000 for Spuhler in 1937, but he turned down the transfer.[2] Spuhler scored 5 times in 35 matches prior to the onset of [World War Two](/source/World_War_Two).[1] During the Second World War, Spuhler appeared as a guest player for [Middlesbrough](/source/Middlesbrough_F.C.) and transferred to the club in October 1945 for a fee of £1,750.[3] He broke his nose in a match against [Blackpool](/source/Blackpool_F.C.) in 1950, which he eventually required hospital treatment for.[3] He scored 69 goals in 216 league matches for the club before transferring to [Darlington](/source/Darlington_F.C.) in 1954 for a fee of £1,000 after Middlesbrough's relegation.[3] He scored 19 times in 67 league matches for Darlington.[1] He became player-manager at non-League club [Spennymoor United](/source/Spennymoor_United_A.F.C.) in 1956 and later held a managerial role at [Shrewsbury Town](/source/Shrewsbury_Town_F.C.), and a coaching role at [Stockton](/source/Stockton_F.C.).[3] He also coached the Army in Germany, and managed the [West Auckland Town](/source/West_Auckland_Town_F.C.) side which reached the 1961 [FA Amateur Cup](/source/FA_Amateur_Cup) final.[2]

## Style of play

Spuhler played as a [centre forward](/source/Centre_forward). He was noted for his speed and heading ability, rather than technique on the ball.[3]

## Personal life

Spuhler married his wife Nancy in November 1939, and the couple had two children.[2] After retirement from football, Spuhler worked as a sub-postmaster in [Yarm](/source/Yarm) before retiring at 55.[2] He died on 7 January 2007 at [James Cook University Hospital](/source/James_Cook_University_Hospital) in [Middlesbrough](/source/Middlesbrough) following a short illness.[4][5]

## References

**General**

- [Johnny Spuhler](http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/johnnyspuhler.html) at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database

- [Johnny Spuhler, The Stat Cat](https://web.archive.org/web/20080706171314/http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Mplayers/MPG773.asp) at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) (archived 2008-07-06)

**Specific**

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hugman_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hugman_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-hugman_1-2) ["Johnny Spuhler"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240608000000/http://barryhugmansfootballers.com/player/18633). *Barry Hugman's Footballers*. Archived from [the original](http://barryhugmansfootballers.com/player/18633) on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-northern_echo_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-northern_echo_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-northern_echo_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-northern_echo_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-northern_echo_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-northern_echo_2-5) ["Spuhler - a Boro star on £12 a week"](https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/columnists/backtrack/backtrack/1119950.spuhler---boro-star-12-week/). *The Northern Echo*. 12 January 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-breedon_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-breedon_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-breedon_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-breedon_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-breedon_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-breedon_3-5) Glasper, Harry (1989). [*Middlesbrough : a complete record, 1876-1989*](http://archive.org/details/middlesbroughcom0000glas). Derby : Breedon Books Sport. p. 135. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-907969-53-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-907969-53-2).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: publisher location ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_publisher_location))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Boro legend Johnny Spuhler dies aged 89"](https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/boro-legend-johnny-spuhler-dies-3754491). *Teesside Live*. 9 January 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Football hero dies aged 89"](https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1109909.football-hero-dies-aged-89/). *The Northern Echo*. 9 January 2007.

v t e Shrewsbury Town F.C. – managers Adams (1905–12) Weston (1912–34) Roscamp (1934–35) Ramsay (1935–36) Bousted (1936–40) Knighton (1945) Chapman (1949–50) Crooks (1950–54) W. Rowley (1955–57) Potts (1957–58) Spuhler (1958) A. Rowley (1958–68) Gregg (1968–72) Evans (1972–74) Durban (1974–78) Barker (1978) Turner (1978–84) Bates (1984–87) Brownc (1987) McNeill (1987–90) Hartford (1990–91) Bond (1991–93) Davies (1993–97) King (1997–99) Batesc (1999) Ratcliffe (1999–2003) Atkinsc (2003) Quinn (2003–04) Batesc (2004) Peters (2004–08) McMahonc (2008) Simpson (2008–10) Turner (2010–14) Jackson (2014) Mellon (2014–16) Coynec (2016) Hurst (2016–18) Askey (2018) Coynec (2018) Ricketts (2018–20) Cotterill (2020–23) Taylor (2023–24) Hurst (2024) Parrishc (2024) Ainsworth (2024–25) Appleton (2025–26) Cowan (2026–) (c) = caretaker manager

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Johnny Spuhler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Spuhler) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Spuhler?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.