Jim Steel (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William James Steel | ||
| Date of birth | 4 December 1959 | ||
| Place of birth | Dumfries, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Centre Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1978–1983 | Oldham Athletic | 108 | (24) |
| 1982 | → Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2 | (2) |
| 1982–1983 | → Wrexham (loan) | 9 | (6) |
| 1983–1984 | Port Vale | 28 | (6) |
| 1984–1987 | Wrexham | 164 | (51) |
| 1987–1992 | Tranmere Rovers | 174 | (29) |
| Total | 485 | (118) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
William James "Jim" Steel (born Dumfries, 4 December 1959 and raised in nearby Dalbeattie[1]) is a Scottish former professional association footballer. A big, aggressive player, his position was centre forward.
After starting his career with Oldham Athletic in 1978, he moved onto Port Vale in March 1983 for a £10,000 fee, following loan spells at Wigan Athletic and Wrexham. He won promotion with the club in 1982–83, before he joined Wrexham for £10,000 in January 1984. He scored a critical goal in his two European campaigns during his four years with the club, and also lifted the Welsh Cup. He then enjoyed numerous successes with Tranmere Rovers after joining the club in 1987. During his five years the club won promotion twice, and reached the final of the Football League Trophy twice, winning it in 1990. He retired in 1992, having made 485 league appearances in a fourteen year career in the Football League, scoring 118 goals.
Contents |
[edit] Playing career
[edit] Oldham Athletic
The teenage Jim Steel was signed as an apprentice by Jimmy Frizzell for Oldham Athletic. Steel went on to play over 100 first team games for the Latics, all with Oldham in the second tier of the English football league system.
Frizzell was dismissed in early 1982 and Steel was unable to establish himself under new manager Joe Royle. Steel had loans spells with Wigan Athletic (scoring two goals in his two league games) and Wrexham where he scored six goals from his nine league games.[2] Steel left Oldham in March 1983 after making 108 league appearances and scoring 24 goals.[3]
[edit] Port Vale
Aged 23, Steel was bought by John McGrath at Port Vale for £10,000 in March 1983. He played in every game for the rest of that season as the club were promoted from the Fourth Division in 3rd place. Vale struggled the next season though and in December 1983 Steel lost his place in the team and McGrath lost his job.[4]
[edit] Wrexham
The month after his 24th birthday Steel returned to Wrexham for £10,000 in January 1984 who became the second club for whom he passed the 100 first team appearances mark. Of his non loan moves this was his most prolific period in front of goal with 51 strikes in his 164 league games.[2] Wrexham at the time could not afford the £10,000 transfer fee, but Steel joined the club after an interest-free loan was made to the club by a supporter David Wells, a businessman from Mold.
Following Welsh Cup final defeat to Shrewsbury Town,[5] Wrexham took on an F.C. Porto side of numerous then current Portuguese internationalists in the 1984–85 European Cup Winners' Cup (Shrewsbury as an English club could not represent Wales in European competition). Wrexham won the home leg 1–0 courtesy of Steel's goal.[6][7] Steel took the ball on his chest in the centre circle with his back to goal, and volleyed the dropping ball for John Muldoon to attack and cross from the right wing into the penalty area.[citation needed] Steel jumped to direct a bullet header past Petar Borota.[6][7]
In the second leg Porto were 3–0 up after 38 minutes. The Welsh club pulled two goals back before half time. In the 61st minute Paulo Futre restored Porto's aggregate lead before Wrexham's last minute strike meant the game finished 4–3 with Wrexham advancing on away goals.[6][7]
The second round draw paired Wrexham with the previous season's European Cup runners up, A.S. Roma, managed by Sven Goran Eriksson. Wrexham lost 3–0 on aggregate over the two legs.[6][7] Steel said of the adventure, "We went to Porto and there was a bloody hurricane. We come to Rome and the bloody shops are shut. When we play in Russia, Reagan will probably have the place blown up."[8]
With Steel scoring both goals in a Welsh Cup final replay 2–1 win over Kidderminster Harriers,[9] Wrexham appeared in the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup with a first round draw against Maltese side Żurrieq, whom they beat 7–0 on aggregate. Steel scored in Wrexham in the second leg. This earned a second round tie against Real Zaragoza which brought two goalless draws. At home in extra time in the second leg Wrexham matched the two goals by Patricio Yáñez. However on this occasion away-goals counted against Steel's side.[10]
[edit] Tranmere Rovers
Aged 27 Steel in late 1987 next played for Tranmere Rovers who became the third club for whom he past the 100 first team appearances mark. For a then club record transfer fee,[11] Steel was signed by Johnny King to act as target man for striker Ian Muir and Mr Wells got his loan repaid. They enjoyed considerable success together in the seasons to follow.[12]
At the end of that 1987–88 season, Tranmere played at Wembley on the weekend of April 16/17th in the 16 team Football League Centenary Tournament. A good mid-season run of form saw Rovers qualify as one of the fourth division's two representatives. Tranmere were the surprise package of an otherwise derided tournament, beating first division sides Wimbledon and Newcastle United before losing on penalties to eventual winners Nottingham Forest in the semi final. This became the first of five trips to Wembley for Tranmere in Steel's time at Prenton Park.[12]
Tranmere won promotion as Fourth Division runners-up in 1989. In the same season Rovers knocked top division Middlesbrough out 1–0 of the League Cup.[13] Top division Millwall were knocked out 3–2 of the same competition the season after.[13] Steel scored with a massive looping header[citation needed] against the Tottenham Hotspur side of Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne[14] in a 2–2 draw in the next round to earn a replay.[13] In October 1991 another top flight team, Chelsea, took a league cup exit at Prenton Park when they lost 3–1.[13]
Rovers in their first season in the third division, 1989–90, earned a place in the playoffs after finishing in fourth place. Notts County won 2–0 in the Playoff Final at Wembley Stadium. A week later at the Twin Towers Rovers defeated Third Division Champions, Bristol Rovers, 2–1 in the final of the Leyland D.A.F Trophy. This was Tranmere's first national piece of silverware. Club record scorer Ian Muir gave Tranmere an early lead with a volleyed strike. Devon White gave Bristol Rovers an equaliser early in the second half before Steel headed a late winner.[15]
Tranmere Rovers went one better in the 1990–91 season, winning the Third Division playoffs with a 1–0 win over Bolton Wanderers after Rovers finished in fifth place. Chris Malkin's extra time goal helped the club to promotion to the Second Division for the first time since the 1930s. Once again, Rovers made an appearance in the Leyland D.A.F Trophy final, this time losing 3–2 to Birmingham City with Steel again scoring. This made the play-off victory over Bolton Tranmere's fourth appearance in a Wembley final in just over a year.[15]
The 1991 promotion meant Steel played his last season at the level at which he began his senior career, England's second tier. Rovers finished their first season back at this level, 1991–92, comfortably in mid table.
Steel scored 29 goals in 174 Tranmere league games after which he retired from professional football at the age of 32.[16]
[edit] After football
Steel left football to start a career with the Merseyside Police force.[1]
[edit] Honours
- Port Vale
- Football League Fourth Division: Promoted (1982–83)
- Wrexham
- Welsh Cup: Champions (1985–86)
- Tranmere Rovers
- Football League Fourth Division: Promoted (1988–89)
- Football League Third Division: Promotion play off runners-up (1989–90), winners (1990–91)
- Football League Trophy: Winners (1989–90), runners-up (1990–91)
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Jim Steel"
- ^ a b "Wrexham on Neil Brown's football database". Neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. 2010-07-28. http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/wrexham/wrexham.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ "Oldham Athletic on Neil Brown's football database". Neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. 2010-09-27. http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/oldham/oldham.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 279. ISBN 0952915200. http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200.
- ^ "Welsh Football Data Archive: Preserving our football heritage". Wfda.co.uk. 1984-05-18. http://www.wfda.co.uk/welshcup_final_detail.php?id=97. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ a b c d Doyle, Paul (2009-11-06). "The Joy of Six: Great European upsets | Paul Doyle and John Ashdown | Sport | guardian.co.uk". Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/nov/06/joy-of-six-european-upsets. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ a b c d "606 - - A61214672 - Wrexham`s New Song". BBC. 2010-01-01. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A61214672. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ "Tue, Jan 13, 1998 - Wrexham hope to add to turnovers". The Irish Times. 1998-01-01. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/1998/0113/98011300146.html. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ "Welsh Football Data Archive: Preserving our football heritage". Wfda.co.uk. http://www.wfda.co.uk/welshcup_final_detail.php?id=99. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ "Cup Winners' Cup 1986-87 (game details)". Linguasport.com. http://www.linguasport.com/futbol/internacional/clubes/c2/C2_87gd.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ "Tranmere Rovers FC club history". Tranmererovers.co.uk. http://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/page/History/0,,10365~607354,00.html. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ a b Footymad Limited. "Tranmere Rovers Hall of Fame". Tranmererovers-mad.co.uk. http://www.tranmererovers-mad.co.uk/sngl/ed21/hall_of_fame_528905/index.shtml. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ a b c d "Competitions in Soccerbase". Soccerbase.com. 1970-01-01. http://www.soccerbase.com/comp.sd. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ [1] While this may not be the best source it does contain a useful scan of the team sheet from the match program
- ^ a b "'A POTTED HISTORY OF TRANMERE ROVERS FOOTBALL CLUB' by club historian Peter Bishop". Thecowsheds.co.uk. 2010-08-19. http://www.thecowsheds.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=85. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ "Tranmere Rovers on Neil Brown's football database". Neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/tranmere/tranmere.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
