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Steve Hunt (footballer, born 1956)

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Stephen Hunt
Personal information
Full name Stephen Kenneth Hunt[1]
Date of birth (1956-08-04) 4 August 1956 (age 68)[2]
Place of birth Birmingham, England[3]
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2]
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Aston Villa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1977 Aston Villa 7 (1)
1977–1978 New York Cosmos 48 (20)
1978–1984 Coventry City 185 (27)
1982 → New York Cosmos (loan) 22 (9)
1984–1986 West Bromwich Albion 68 (15)
1986–1988 Aston Villa 62 (6)
1988–1989 Willenhall Town
Total 392 (78)
International career
1984 England 2 (0)
Managerial career
1988–1989 Willenhall Town
1996 VS Rugby (joint manager)
2017–2018 Cowes Sports
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stephen Kenneth Hunt (born 4 August 1956) is a former England international footballer.

A winger, he began his career in 1975 as he ended it in 1988, winning promotion out of the Second Division with Aston Villa. In between these spells with Villa he spent most of his career in the First Division, attempting to keep Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion in the top-flight. He spent six years with Coventry, playing 185 league games as they successfully evaded the drop. He also spent three summers in the United States with the New York Cosmos, winning three Soccer Bowl titles (1977, 1978 and 1982), and was the MVP in Pelé's last game as a professional. In total, he scored 78 goals in 392 games in the Football League and North American Soccer League. He later went into coaching and managed Willenhall Town, VS Rugby and Cowes Sports

Playing career

Club career

Aston Villa

Born in the Witton area of Birmingham, Hunt began his professional career with hometown club Aston Villa in 1973.[4] Vic Crowe's "Villans" finished 14th in the Second Division in 1973–74, before securing promotion with a second-place finish in 1974–75 under the stewardship of Ron Saunders. Villa finished 16th in the First Division in 1975–76 and then fourth in 1976–77. Hunt scored one goal in seven league games at Villa Park.

New York Cosmos

Hunt enjoyed a spell in the North American Soccer League with the New York Cosmos in 1977 and 1978; the club doubled his Villa wages to £250-a-week.[5][6] The Cosmos won Soccer Bowl '77 with a 2–1 win over the Seattle Sounders at the Civic Stadium. Hunt scored the opener and also provided an assist to Giorgio Chinaglia, and was named the game's MVP in what was Pelé's last game as a professional.[7] Hunt also played for the Cosmos in their 3–1 Soccer Bowl '78 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies at the Giants Stadium, providing an assist for Dennis Tueart for the opening goal.

"Playing for New York Cosmos was like travelling in a rock and roll band. There were always celebrities in the dressing room after games. I've always been into my music and Mick Jagger came in after one particular game."

— Hunt enjoyed his time in America.[6]

Coventry City

He then returned to the English Football League with Gordon Milne's Coventry City, who finished tenth in the First Division in 1978–79. The "Sky Blues" then posted 15th and 16th-place finishes in 1979–80 and 1980–81. New boss Dave Sexton then took them to 14th place in 1981–82. Hunt returned to the New York Cosmos in 1982, and went on to win a third Soccer Bowl title with a 1–0 win over the Seattle Sounders in Soccer Bowl '82 at the San Diego Stadium. Back with Coventry, he helped the club to finish one place and one point above the relegation zone in 1982–83. Bobby Gould then took the club to one place and two points above the drop zone in 1983–84. Hunt scored 27 goals in 185 league games in his six years at Highfield Road.

West Brom & return to Villa

Hunt moved on to league rivals West Bromwich Albion, who finished 12th in 1984–85 under Johnny Giles's stewardship, before suffering relegation with a last place finish in 1985–86 after Ron Saunders failed to turn around the bad start made by new boss Nobby Stiles. He scored 15 goals in 68 league games during his spell at The Hawthorns, and was voted the club's Player of the Year in 1986. He then returned to the Villa, who were themselves relegated in 1986–87 under the stewardship of first Graham Turner and then Billy McNeill. New manager Graham Taylor led Villa to bounce back with promotion in second place in 1987–88, though Hunt had by then retired due to a knee injury.[6]

International career

Hunt made two international appearances for England, playing in a 1–1 draw with Scotland at Hampden Park on 26 May 1984 and then playing in a 2–0 defeat to the Soviet Union at Wembley seven days later.[8] Manager Bobby Robson also took him on the tour of South America later that summer, though he remained on the bench.[6]

Coaching career

After retirement he became player-manager of Southern League side Willenhall Town, and in July 1989 became the youth team coach at Port Vale.[9] He later took up the same post at Leicester City in June 1991.[9] He later moved to the Isle of Wight and had a role with A.F.C. Bournemouth's Community Sports Trust.[6] He spent part of 1996 as co-manager at VS Rugby, alongside David Jones.[6] On 22 April 2017, he was appointed as manager at Wessex League club Cowes Sports.[10] He led the "Yachtsmen" to a 19th-place finish at the end of the 2017–18 season, one place above the Premier Division's relegation zone.[11] He resigned as manager on 21 August 2018, just four games into the 2018–19 season, citing a wish to take a break from the game.[12]

Statistics

Source:[13]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other[A] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Aston Villa 1974–75 Second Division 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
1975–76 First Division 4 1 0 0 1 0 5 1
1976–77 First Division 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Total 6 1 0 0 2 0 8 1
Coventry City 1978–79 First Division 24 6 0 0 0 0 24 6
1979–80 First Division 35 1 0 0 3 0 38 1
1980–81 First Division 40 6 3 0 9 2 52 8
1981–82 First Division 36 9 4 3 1 0 41 12
1982–83 First Division 35 4 3 0 3 1 41 5
1983–84 First Division 15 1 4 1 1 0 20 2
Total 185 27 14 4 17 3 216 34
West Bromwich Albion 1983–84 First Division 12 2 0 0 0 0 12 2
1984–85 First Division 37 9 1 0 5 1 44 10
1985–86 First Division 19 4 1 1 9 3 29 8
Total 68 15 2 1 14 4 84 20
Aston Villa 1985–86 First Division 12 2 0 0 0 0 12 2
1986–87 First Division 39 2 2 2 6 0 47 4
1987–88 Second Division 11 2 0 0 2 0 13 2
Total 63 6 0 0 8 0 71 6
Career total 322 49 18 7 41 7 381 63
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the League Cup, Football League Trophy, Football League play-offs and Full Members Cup.

References

  1. ^ "Steve Hunt". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ a b "England players: Steve Hunt". England Football Online. Chris Goodwin & Glenn Isherwood. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Steve Hunt". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Football Heroes". sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  5. ^ "Player profile". NASL Jerseys. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "FA Cup: Steve Hunt on life with Pele, Mick Jagger and managing Cowes Sports". BBC Sport. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  7. ^ "Cosmos give Pele a championship sendoff". bigapplesoccer.com. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  8. ^ "Player profile". England Stats. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  9. ^ a b Jeff Kent (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 147. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  10. ^ "Cowes Sports Football Club". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  11. ^ "Steve Hunt leaves Cowes Sports". The Non League Football Paper - Daily football news. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  12. ^ Gee, Wendy (21 August 2018). "Former England winger quits Sydenhams Premier club". Daily Echo. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  13. ^ Steve Hunt at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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