Gary A. Stevens
Encyclopedia
Gary Andrew Stevens is an English former footballer who played in the Football League
for Brighton & Hove Albion
, Tottenham Hotspur
and Portsmouth
. He won seven caps
for England
.
, Middlesex
, and attended Thurston Upper School in Suffolk
. He joined Brighton & Hove Albion
in 1977. Stevens made his debut as a 17-year-old on 15 September 1979, in the First Division
as Brighton won 2–0 at home to Ipswich Town
, the club which had released him as a schoolboy. A versatile defender
who could also play in midfield
, he made 26 appearances in his first season, scoring once, and remained a regular in the side.
In 1983, Brighton, already relegated
to the Second Division, played in the FA Cup Final
for the first time in their history. Losing to Manchester United
2–1 with three minutes of normal time remaining, Stevens equalised, and teammate Gordon Smith missed an easy chance to win the game at the end of extra time, remembered for the commentator's line "And Smith must score..." Brighton lost the replay 4–0, and Stevens joined Tottenham Hotspur
for a fee of "about £350,000".
Stevens made his Tottenham debut at the start of the 1983-84 season
, again against Ipswich, but this time was on the losing side. He was a first team regular that season, making 40 league appearances and scoring four goals, and played on the winning side in the 1984 UEFA Cup Final
, scoring his penalty
in the shootout against Anderlecht
. He was also in the side that suffered an unlikely 3-2 defeat to Coventry City
in the 1987 FA Cup Final
.
He was also capped
seven times by England
, and was included in the squad for the 1986 World Cup
squad – as, confusingly, was the unrelated Everton
player Gary Stevens
. He lated joked that Sir Bobby Robson picked them both to make sure he got the right one. He made two substitute appearances in the tournament. He also won eight caps for England under-21s.
Stevens left Spurs for Portsmouth
in 1990 but persistent injuries forced him to retire in 1992. He had never fully recovered from a knee injury suffered three years earlier when tackled by Vinnie Jones
. The tackle was extremely reckless as Vinnie Jones slid into the back of Gary Stevens and followed through (much to the disgust of all on the pitch). At the time of the challenge, Gary Stevens was stood on the touchline and Vinnie Jones could easily have made a challenge from the side and played the ball out.
Following retirement he worked as a presenter for Sky Sports
, and for Talksport
radio in the UK, although he has since left the station.
He is now assistant coach, to Tony Adams at Gabala FC and the former Spurs player who recently coached at Charlton Athletic, the two men aim to turn the ailing club into a national icon.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8675874.stm.
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
, Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. He won seven caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Career
Stevens was born in HillingdonHillingdon
Hillingdon is a suburban area within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated 14.2 miles west of Charing Cross.Much of Hillingdon is represented as the Hillingdon East ward within the local authority, Hillingdon Council...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, and attended Thurston Upper School in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. He joined Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
in 1977. Stevens made his debut as a 17-year-old on 15 September 1979, in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
as Brighton won 2–0 at home to Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, the club which had released him as a schoolboy. A versatile defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who could also play in midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, he made 26 appearances in his first season, scoring once, and remained a regular in the side.
In 1983, Brighton, already relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the Second Division, played in the FA Cup Final
1983 FA Cup Final
The 1983 FA Cup Final was contested by Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Wembley Stadium.Manchester United were the favourites, as Brighton had been relegated from the First Division that season...
for the first time in their history. Losing to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
2–1 with three minutes of normal time remaining, Stevens equalised, and teammate Gordon Smith missed an easy chance to win the game at the end of extra time, remembered for the commentator's line "And Smith must score..." Brighton lost the replay 4–0, and Stevens joined Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
for a fee of "about £350,000".
Stevens made his Tottenham debut at the start of the 1983-84 season
1983-84 in English football
The 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history...
, again against Ipswich, but this time was on the losing side. He was a first team regular that season, making 40 league appearances and scoring four goals, and played on the winning side in the 1984 UEFA Cup Final
1984 UEFA Cup Final
The 1984 UEFA Cup Final was a football tie played on 9 May and 23 May 1984 between R.S.C. Anderlecht of Belgium and Tottenham Hotspur F.C. of England. Tottenham won 4–3 on penalty kicks after the tie finished 2–2 on aggregate.-First leg:...
, scoring his penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
in the shootout against Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
. He was also in the side that suffered an unlikely 3-2 defeat to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
in the 1987 FA Cup Final
1987 FA Cup Final
The 1987 FA Cup Final took place on 16 May 1987 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs were appearing in their third final in seven seasons, having won the trophy in 1981 and 1982 and were strong favourites, while unfancied Coventry were appearing...
.
He was also capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
seven times by England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, and was included in the squad for the 1986 World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
squad – as, confusingly, was the unrelated Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
player Gary Stevens
Gary Stevens
Gary Michael Stevens is a retired English footballer who is best remembered playing in defence for a successful Everton side of the 1980s, as well as for the England national football team....
. He lated joked that Sir Bobby Robson picked them both to make sure he got the right one. He made two substitute appearances in the tournament. He also won eight caps for England under-21s.
Stevens left Spurs for Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in 1990 but persistent injuries forced him to retire in 1992. He had never fully recovered from a knee injury suffered three years earlier when tackled by Vinnie Jones
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...
. The tackle was extremely reckless as Vinnie Jones slid into the back of Gary Stevens and followed through (much to the disgust of all on the pitch). At the time of the challenge, Gary Stevens was stood on the touchline and Vinnie Jones could easily have made a challenge from the side and played the ball out.
Following retirement he worked as a presenter for Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, and for Talksport
TalkSPORT
Talksport , owned by UTV radio, is one of the United Kingdom's three terrestrial analogue Independent National Radio broadcasters, offering a sports and talk radio service broadcast from London to the United Kingdom....
radio in the UK, although he has since left the station.
He is now assistant coach, to Tony Adams at Gabala FC and the former Spurs player who recently coached at Charlton Athletic, the two men aim to turn the ailing club into a national icon.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8675874.stm.
Honours
Tottenham Hotspur- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
winner: 19841984 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1984 UEFA Cup Final was a football tie played on 9 May and 23 May 1984 between R.S.C. Anderlecht of Belgium and Tottenham Hotspur F.C. of England. Tottenham won 4–3 on penalty kicks after the tie finished 2–2 on aggregate.-First leg:... - UEFA U21 winner: 1984 England V Spain
External links
- League stats at Neil Brown's site