Steve Stacey (footballer)

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Steve Stacey
Personal information
Full name Stephen Darrow Stacey
Date of birth (1944-08-27) 27 August 1944 (age 80)
Place of birth Bristol, England
Position(s) Full Back
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1961–1966 Bristol City 0 (0)
1966–1969 Wrexham 105 (6)
1969–1970 Ipswich Town 3 (0)
1969 → Chester (loan) 1 (0)
1970 → Charlton Athletic (loan) 1 (1)
1970–1971 Bristol City 9 (0)
1971–1973 Exeter City 59 (0)
1973–1974 Bath City
1974–19?? Floreat Athena
Rockingham City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stephen Darrow Stacey (born 27 August 1944) [1] is an English former footballer who played as a full back in the Football League with Bristol City, Wrexham, Ipswich Town and Exeter City. [2] [3] He was the first footballer of African American heritage to play professionally in the United Kingdom. [4] [5] Stacey was the first Black player to play in the Football League for three of his clubs: Charlton Athletic (debut 7 February 1970); Ipswich Town (debut, 14 September 1968); and Exeter City (debut 14 August 1971). [6]

Personal life

Stacey is from a biracial background. He was brought up in Bristol by his mother, a white Englishwoman, after his father (who was a black American G.I.) returned home to the US after World War II. [5]

In 1974, he emigrated to Western Australia, where he spent four seasons in the first division with Floreat Athena and Rockingham City. [7]

He was appointed by the Western Australian State Government to chair a committee to establish 'The Future Direction of Football in Western Australia.'

He has written a book 'The Colour of Football' exploring his life as the first African American to play professional football in the UK.

References

  1. ↑ Hugman, Barry (1981). Football League Players Records (1946–1981). Aylesbury: Rothmans Publications. p. 317. ISBN   0-907574-08-4.
  2. ↑ "Steve Stacey". Neil Brown. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "Steve Stacey". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "Black History Month: Steve Stacey – GI's son and football pioneer". BBC Sport. 28 October 2024.
  5. 1 2 "The colourful life of a football pioneer". The Professional Footballers Association. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  6. ↑ Hern, Bill; Gleave, David (2020). Football's Black Pioneers. Leicester: Conker Editions. pp. 168–169. ISBN   9781999900854.
  7. ↑ "Hall of Merit for Players". Football WA. Retrieved 21 November 2013.


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