Steve Powell

Steve Powell
Personal information
Full name Stephen Powell
Date of birth (1955-09-20) 20 September 1955 (age 68)
Place of birth Derby, England
Position(s) Midfielder, defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1971–1985 Derby County 352 (20)
1979 → Tulsa Roughnecks (loan)[1] 19 (1)
Managerial career
1990–1991 Burton Albion
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stephen Powell (born 20 September 1955) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or defender. He spent the majority of his career at Derby County where he played 420 times, placing him in the top ten for total appearances for the club.[2] He also played for Tulsa Roughnecks in the NASL.[1]

Early life

Powell, the son of ex-Derby County player Tommy Powell,[3] went to Gayton Avenue Junior School, in the Littleover suburb of Derby, at the age of 11 he then moved to the Bemrose School just like his father once had many years before him.

Career

While at Bemrose School, Powell impressed the then Derby County managerial team of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor enough for Clough to sign him for Derby County on a visit to the school premises. Powell then went on to make his first team debut aged 16 years and 30 days in a Texaco Cup tie against Stoke City, which Derby County won 3–2.[4] He made his league debut three days later aged 16 years and 33 days in the 2–1 win against Arsenal.[5] Whilst at Derby County, Powell played as defender and midfielder. Powell made 352 appearances in the league for The Rams, scoring twenty goals. Powell won the player of the year (now named the Jack Stamps trophy) in the 1978–79 season.

Powell went from a schoolboy star into an exceptional professional league player. Despite playing in a declining league side towards the end of his Derby County career, Powell was completely dedicated to Derby County. He was part of the team during some of their highest and lowest moments. Derby won the First Division title twice during his time at the club; he made three appearances in the 1971–72 success[6] but played more regularly during the 1974–75 title winning season with 15 appearances.[7] There was also a European Cup semi-final appearance in 1973, relegation to the Second Division in 1980 and relegation to the Third Division in 1984. He retired in 1985 after well over a decade with the Rams, who had missed out on promotion back to the Second Division but would follow it up with two successive promotions.

Powell and his father, Tommy appeared in 824 senior games between them for Derby County, scoring 85 goals.[8]

Powell later worked at Derby College.

Honours

References

  1. ^ a b "NASL-Steve Powell".
  2. ^ "Top 10". ramzone.net. 1 January 2007. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  3. ^ "Darren is the seventh Powell to join the Rams ranks". Derby Evening Telegraph. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  4. ^ "Derby County 3 - 2 Stoke City". therams.co.uk. 20 October 1971. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  5. ^ "Derby County 2 - 1 Arsenal". therams.co.uk. 23 October 1971. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  6. ^ "Clough's messages, McFarland's radio agony, Durban's wise words - Derby County legends revisit the 71-72 title success". derbytelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  7. ^ "We are the Champions: 1974-75 – Derby County". gameofthepeople.com. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  8. ^ Mortimer, Gerald (2006). Derby County: The Complete Record. nreedonbook. p. 480. ISBN 1859835171.

External links