Phil Sproson
English footballer
title: "Phil Sproson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["footballers-from-stoke-on-trent", "english-men's-footballers", "men's-association-football-central-defenders", "port-vale-f.c.-players", "birmingham-city-f.c.-players", "stafford-rangers-f.c.-players", "northwich-victoria-f.c.-players", "english-football-league-players", "national-league-(english-football)-players", "english-football-agents", "1959-births", "living-people", "20th-century-english-sportsmen"] description: "English footballer" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Sproson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary English footballer ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox football biography"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Phil Sproson |
| fullname | Phillip Jess Sproson |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Stoke-on-Trent, England |
| death_date | |
| height | |
| position | Central defender |
| youthyears1 | 1975–1977 |
| years1 | 1977–1989 |
| years2 | 1989–1990 |
| years3 | 1990-1991 |
| years4 | 1991 |
| totalcaps | 452 |
| :: |
| name = Phil Sproson | image = | caption = | fullname = Phillip Jess Sproson | birth_date = | birth_place = Stoke-on-Trent, England | death_date = | height = | position = Central defender | youthyears1 = 1975–1977| youthclubs1 = Port Vale | years1 = 1977–1989| clubs1 = Port Vale | caps1 = 426| goals1 = 33 | years2 = 1989–1990| clubs2 = Birmingham City | caps2 = 12| goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1990-1991| clubs3 = Stafford Rangers | caps3 = 2| goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1991 | clubs4 = Northwich Victoria| caps4 = 12| goals4 = 0 | totalcaps = 452| totalgoals = 33
Phillip Jess Sproson (born 13 October 1959) is an English former footballer who played as a central defender. He played in 500 matches (426 in the league) for Port Vale and scored 41 goals (33 in the league); this places him second in the list of appearances for Port Vale. He is the nephew of Port Vale defender Roy Sproson and son of Jess Sproson, who played for Vale between 1940 and 1947.
A strong and technically competent central defender, he helped Port Vale to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1982–83 and 1985–86, and was twice named on the PFA Team of the Year. Forced to retire in February 1989 due to a knee injury, he attempted a comeback with Birmingham City and later represented Stafford Rangers and Northwich Victoria. He remained in the game after retirement and became a football agent.
Early and personal life
Phillip Jess Sproson was born in Stoke-on-Trent on 13 October 1959. His son, Warren, also played for Port Vale's youth team.
Career
Port Vale
Sproson was spotted by Port Vale coach Reg Berks after Berks visited Thistley Hough High School to see the team play. After asking for the youngster's address, he visited him later in the day to get him on a contract, at which point he discovered the youngster was the nephew of Vale's manager, Roy Sproson. Berks asked the uncle why he had not told him he had a young family member who could play football, to which he responded "I didn't know I'd got one!". In the Vale youth team, Sproson was a midfielder, though as he grew into a tall young man he was converted into a centre-half role. He rejected an apprenticeship at Stoke City. Instead, he became an apprentice electrician until new manager Bobby Smith offered him forms with Port Vale in December 1977.
He featured in two Third Division games towards the end of the 1977–78 season. With the "Valiants" relegated into the Fourth Division, Sproson found first-team chances easier to come by at Vale Park as he played 25 games in the 1978–79 season under the stewardship of Dennis Butler. He scored five goals in 51 games in the 1981–82 season, after missing just four league matches. Vale boasted the best defensive record in the Football League, conceding only 34 goals. Stoke City manager Richie Barker had tried to sign Sproson earlier in the season but was put off by Vale's high asking price, so instead signed Paul Dyson.
The club suffered relegation in 1983–84, with Sproson scoring four goals in 44 appearances. The 1988–89 season saw Vale promoted from the Third Division; Sproson scored five goals in 29 games. In January 1989, Sproson suffered a severe knee injury during training and retired the following month.
Later career
Against medical advice, Sproson attempted a return to league football. In August 1989 he joined Dave Mackay's Birmingham City, who were obliged to pay Port Vale a "fee" of £50,000 in lieu of insurance money. He did though later play for Conference sides Stafford Rangers and Northwich Victoria.
Style of play
Sproson was a physical central defender who could pass with either foot and was strong in the air.
Post-retirement
Sproson worked as head of the PFA's Player Management Agency, but stood down in March 2009 to work on his own account. He has worked as an agent to players such as Curtis Davies, Marlon Harewood and Liam Dickinson. He has also acted as agent for Adam Crookes and Joe Worrall, as well as numerous players at Nottingham Forest due to his friendship with academy manager Gary Brazil. He has also worked as an analyst for BBC Radio Stoke.
Career statistics
::data[format=table title="Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{ENFA}}"]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Total | 426 | 33 | 31 | 3 | 43 | 5 | 500 | 41 | Career total | 438 | 33 | 31 | 3 | 47 | 6 | 516 | 42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Vale | 1977–78 | Third Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–79 | Fourth Division | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–80 | Fourth Division | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–81 | Fourth Division | 44 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–82 | Fourth Division | 42 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 51 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1982–83 | Fourth Division | 42 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983–84 | Third Division | 38 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 44 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–85 | Fourth Division | 44 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 54 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–86 | Fourth Division | 44 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 54 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–87 | Third Division | 44 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 52 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–88 | Third Division | 44 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 54 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–89 | Third Division | 20 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 29 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birmingham City | 1989–90 | Third Division | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| :: |
Honours
Individual
Port Vale
- Football League Fourth Division 3rd-place finish (promoted): 1982–83
- Football League Fourth Division 4th-place finish (promoted): 1985–86
References
References
- (1990). "Rothmans Football Yearbook 1990–91". Queen Anne Press.
- (12 June 2023). "'I wasn't aware that Port Vale had turned down bids from other clubs to sign me'". StokeonTrentLive.
- (27 January 2012). "Sproson: Rudge was a great coach". onevalefan.co.uk.
- Kent, Jeff. (December 1991). "Port Vale Tales: A Collection of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories". Witan Books.
- "Phil Sproson". sprosonfund.com.
- Kent, Jeff. (December 1991). "Port Vale Tales: A Collection of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories". Witan Books.
- Kent, Jeff. (1996). "Port Vale Personalities". Witan Books.
- "Port Vale matchday programme v Morecambe". Port Vale FC.
- (2 December 2016). "When Stoke City tried to sign a Port Vale legend". Stoke Sentinel.
- (26 December 2018). "Port Vale archives: When Vale set sights on being 'number one' club in Potteries". Stoke Sentinel.
- (22 February 2017). "Robbie Earle: My favourite five Port Vale central defenders". Stoke Sentinel.
- Shail, Mark. (26 June 2006). "Phil Sproson: a Port Vale legend now doing great things for the PFA". [[Professional Footballers' Association]].
- James, Stuart. (24 March 2009). "PFA fears player drain after agent Phil Sproson decides to go it alone". [[The Guardian]].
- (8 October 2009). "O'Neill unhappy with Davies". Sky Sports.
- (9 June 2010). "Harewood keen on Pompey". Sky Sports.
- (14 August 2012). "Cash-strapped Vale likely to miss out on striker". [[The Sentinel (Staffordshire).
- Michael Baggaley. (14 January 2019). "Who is Adam Crookes? All about Port Vale's signing from Nottingham Forest". Stoke Sentinel.
- (2 February 2021). "Seven players in four years: Port Vale's close relationship with Nottingham Forest". onevalefan.co.uk.
- {{ENFA
- Kent, Jeff. (1990). "The Valiants' Years: The Story of Port Vale". Witan Books.
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