Wolves are saddened to learn of the passing of league championship winner Ron Stockin at the age of 93.
Stockin, who for several years was the oldest surviving former Wolves player, spent two seasons at Molineux during the early 1950s, having joined from Walsall, and went on to make 21 league appearances in gold and black, while scoring seven times for the club.
The inside forward will be remembered as being part of the Wolves team which claimed the club’s first ever league championship success during the 1953/54 season – pipping local rivals West Bromwich Albion to the title.
Born in Birmingham, Stockin started out in the game in 1951 with Wolves’ Black Country rivals but didn’t make a league appearance for Albion. He soon made the short journey to Walsall the following year, before heading further west to join Wolves.
At the age of 22, Stockin made his full first-team debut in gold and black, as he started the 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Molineux in January 1953.
Stockin was a regular wearing the number eight shirt for the rest of the campaign as Wolves narrowly missed out on claiming the title that season, with the forward finding the back of the net in games over Chelsea, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as bagging braces versus Stoke City and Burnley.
Following his stint at Molineux, the forward went on to join Cardiff City, where he played for the next three years, before he enjoyed spells at Grimsby Town and Nuneaton Borough during a nine-year playing career.
Stockin played six games for Wolves during the historic 1953/54 season, including the first three in place of Peter Broadbent, but despite his contribution to the team, he didn't receive a title winner's medal at the time, as his appearance figures fell short of the qualification numbers.
But a relaxing of the rules by the game’s authorities several years ago brought him into the large band of players around the country who were due one, and the club worked with former Express and Star journalist and Wolves Heroes editor David Instone to give Stockin the recognition he deserved.
Tracking the then-90-year-old down through his Northamptonshire-based daughter, Janice, the club were delighted to not only have the medal struck for him but also deliver it to his West Bromwich care home in 2021, where he since lived until his passing this week.
The club has been informed that Stockin’s funeral will take place at Sandwell Crematorium on Friday 9th August at 10.45am.
The thoughts of everyone at Wolves are with Ron’s family and friends at this sad time.
