Steve Berry (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Andrew "Steve" Berry (born 4 April 1963) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League
for Portsmouth
, Aldershot
, Sunderland
, Newport County
, Swindon Town
and Northampton Town
, in the German second division
for Darmstadt
, and in the Hong Kong First Division League
for Instant-Dict.
, and played for Gosport Borough
before beginning his professional career with Portsmouth
. He made his League debut at the age of 18, on 29 August 1981 in the starting eleven for the Third Division
home draw with Lincoln City
. He played 35 games in all competitions and scored three goals in the 1981–82 season, but played rarely after the arrival of Bobby Campbell as manager. He joined Aldershot
on loan in March 1984 and moved to First Division
Sunderland
on a free transfer in July 1984.
Aged 21, he made his Sunderland debut on 25 August 1984 in a 3–1 win at home to Southampton
. He made 45 league and cup appearances including the League Cup Final
at Wembley that season. Sunderland were relegated at the end of the 1984–85 season and he found himself out of favour after the arrival of Lawrie McMenemy
as manager. He played just one game early the following season, and was transferred to Newport County in December 1985.
He subsequently spent six months at Swindon Town
, playing three league games as the club gained promotion to the Second Division, then joined Aldershot
in October 1987 in part-exchange for Bobby Barnes
, a future teammate at Northampton Town
. That club paid a £45,000 fee to sign Berry on a three-year contract. He played well over a hundred games for the Northamptonshire club before playing seven games for Darmstadt
in the 1992–93 season in the German second division
. He then played in Hong Kong
for Instant-Dict for three seasons.
Returning to England, he joined Stevenage Borough
, whom he captained to the Conference National
title in 1995–96. He moved to Kettering Town
, where he scored 6 goals from 89 appearances in all competitions, was club captain and then player-manager, before rejoining Stevenage. He spent time at Rushden & Diamonds
, as both player and coach
, and at Bedford Town
.
In August 2005, at the age of 42, Berry joined Cogenhoe United
as a player and helped them in their historic FA Cup
run, in which they narrowly failed to reach the fourth qualifying round.
In 2007, Steve moved to Paris and is currently global head of talent acquisition and retention for Ipsos, a leading market research agency headquartered in Paris.
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 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...
, Aldershot
Aldershot F.C.
Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...
, Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
, Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
and Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, in the German second division
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
for Darmstadt
SV Darmstadt 98
SV Darmstadt 98 is a German association football club based in Darmstadt, Hesse. The club was founded on 22 May 1898 as FC Olympia Darmstadt. Early in 1919 the association was briefly known as Rasen-Sportverein Olympia before merging with Darmstädter Sport Club 1905 on 11 November that year to...
, and in the Hong Kong First Division League
Hong Kong First Division League
Hong Kong First Division League is the top division football league in Hong Kong which was established in 1908, the oldest in Asia. It does not affiliate to any football leagues in the People's Republic of China.-Competition format:...
for Instant-Dict.
Career
Berry was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and played for Gosport Borough
Gosport Borough F.C.
Gosport Borough Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Gosport, England currently playing in the Southern League Division One South and West...
before beginning his professional career with 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 made his League debut at the age of 18, on 29 August 1981 in the starting eleven for the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
home draw with Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
. He played 35 games in all competitions and scored three goals in the 1981–82 season, but played rarely after the arrival of Bobby Campbell as manager. He joined Aldershot
Aldershot F.C.
Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...
on loan in March 1984 and moved to 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....
Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on a free transfer in July 1984.
Aged 21, he made his Sunderland debut on 25 August 1984 in a 3–1 win at home to Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
. He made 45 league and cup appearances including the League Cup Final
1985 Football League Cup Final
The 1985 Milk Cup Final was won by Norwich City. The Canaries defeated Sunderland 1–0 at Wembley Stadium on 24 March 1985 with an own goal scored by Gordon Chisholm, who deflected Asa Hartford's shot past goalkeeper Chris Turner...
at Wembley that season. Sunderland were relegated at the end of the 1984–85 season and he found himself out of favour after the arrival of Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy MBE is a retired English football coach, best known for his spell as manager of Southampton Football Club...
as manager. He played just one game early the following season, and was transferred to Newport County in December 1985.
He subsequently spent six months at Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, playing three league games as the club gained promotion to the Second Division, then joined Aldershot
Aldershot F.C.
Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...
in October 1987 in part-exchange for Bobby Barnes
Bobby Barnes (footballer)
David Oswald 'Bobby' Barnes is an English former professional footballer. He made over 300 appearances in the Football League and represented England at youth level.-Career:...
, a future teammate at Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
. That club paid a £45,000 fee to sign Berry on a three-year contract. He played well over a hundred games for the Northamptonshire club before playing seven games for Darmstadt
SV Darmstadt 98
SV Darmstadt 98 is a German association football club based in Darmstadt, Hesse. The club was founded on 22 May 1898 as FC Olympia Darmstadt. Early in 1919 the association was briefly known as Rasen-Sportverein Olympia before merging with Darmstädter Sport Club 1905 on 11 November that year to...
in the 1992–93 season in the German second division
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
. He then played in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
for Instant-Dict for three seasons.
Returning to England, he joined Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
, whom he captained to the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
title in 1995–96. He moved to Kettering Town
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
, where he scored 6 goals from 89 appearances in all competitions, was club captain and then player-manager, before rejoining Stevenage. He spent time at Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds F.C.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
, as both player and coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, and at Bedford Town
Bedford Town F.C.
Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....
.
In August 2005, at the age of 42, Berry joined Cogenhoe United
Cogenhoe United F.C.
Cogenhoe United is a association football team from Cogenhoe, near Northampton, Northamptonshire, England. They play in the United Counties League Premier Division.-History:...
as a player and helped them in their historic FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
run, in which they narrowly failed to reach the fourth qualifying round.
In 2007, Steve moved to Paris and is currently global head of talent acquisition and retention for Ipsos, a leading market research agency headquartered in Paris.
External links
- Stats and photo at Sporting Heroes
- League stats at Neil Brown's site