Gudjon Thordarson, Stoke City's Promotion-Winning Boss, Dies at 71

Gudjon Thordarson, the former Stoke City manager, has died at the age of 71. His death will be felt most keenly at the Britannia Stadium, where he is remembered for guiding the club to promotion from the third tier in 2002.

Thordarson's spell at Stoke was the high point of his English management career, but it was not the only chapter. He went on to take charge of three other English clubs, building a record as a coach who knew the lower and middle divisions of the professional game well. Managers at that level are often judged on whether they can turn a squad around quickly, and Thordarson's promotion with Stoke is the achievement supporters tend to bring up when his name comes up.

News of his death is a reminder of how many former managers pass through a club's history without becoming household names, yet still shape its direction for a season or two. For Stoke fans of that era, his name belongs to a team that climbed back up the league and gave the club a clear sense of progress.

Our condolences go to his family, friends and former colleagues. Clubs and players who worked with him are likely to share their memories in the days ahead.