Professional footballer whose father was the professional featherweight
boxer Jack Matthews, and whose son, Stanley Jr. was a three times
British junior tennis champion.
He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1957 Queen's New Year Honours List and made a Knight Bachelor in the 1965 Queen's New Year Honours List for his services to Association Football.
He is regarded as the first footballer to be knighted but it was really John Charles Clegg in 1927 who was the first man to be knighted for football.
His ashes are buried beneath the center circle at Stoke's stadium.
In 1957 at age 42, he became the oldest person to play for England. He played pro football until he was 50.
He won the inaugural European Footballer of the Year award in 1956.