Steve Finney facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Kenneth Finney | ||
| Date of birth | 31 October 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Hexham, England | ||
| Date of death | 2 February 2022 (aged 48) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1992 | Preston North End | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1992–1993 | Preston North End | 6 | (1) |
| 1993–1995 | Manchester City | 0 | (0) |
| 1995–1998 | Swindon Town | 73 | (18) |
| 1997 | → Cambridge United (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 1998–1999 | Carlisle United | 33 | (6) |
| 1999 | Leyton Orient | 5 | (0) |
| 1999 | Barrow | 10 | (1) |
| 1999–2000 | Chester City | 22 | (0) |
| 2000–2002 | Altrincham | ||
|
|||
Stephen Kenneth Finney (born October 31, 1973 – died February 2, 2022) was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was usually trying to score goals. Steve played for six different clubs in The Football League, which is a big group of professional football teams in England.
Contents
Steve Finney's Football Journey
Starting Out at Preston North End
Steve Finney began his football career as a young player, learning the ropes at Preston North End. He was like an apprentice, training hard to become a professional. He made his first official appearance for the team during the 1991–92 season. This was his professional debut, meaning his first game as a paid player.
Moving to Manchester City
After playing only six league games for Preston, Steve moved to Premier League club Manchester City in February 1993. The Premier League is the top football league in England. Even though he joined a big club, he didn't get to play for their main team.
Success with Swindon Town
In the summer of 1995, Steve Finney joined Swindon Town. This was a great move for him! In his first season, he scored 12 goals. His goals helped Swindon Town win the Division Two title. Winning the title meant they were the best team in that league division for the season.
Steve stayed with Swindon until July 1998. During this time, he also had a short "loan spell" with Cambridge United in 1997. A loan spell is when a player temporarily plays for another team, usually to get more game time.
Later Clubs and Challenges
After Swindon, Steve moved to Carlisle United in July 1998. But he didn't stay there for long. Before the 1998–99 season ended, he joined Leyton Orient for a short time.
In the summer of 1999, Steve tried out for Exeter City. After that, he played for Barrow, which was a "non-league" club. This means they were not part of The Football League.
He returned to The Football League on October 18, 1999, joining Chester City. He even sent his football resume to the club to get a chance! During his 14 months at Chester City, he didn't score any goals in official games. The team also faced a tough time and was moved down to the Football Conference, which is another league below The Football League.
In December 2000, Steve joined Altrincham, first as a loan player. He quickly made an impact, scoring three goals in one game (a "hat-trick") against Whitby Town in only his third match! He scored 11 goals in 24 games during his loan. After leaving Chester, he played one more cup game for Altrincham before finishing his playing career there.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing professional football, Steve Finney worked in sales. He also coached a local football team called Ullswater United.
Steve passed away on February 2, 2022, when he was 48 years old.
Awards and Achievements
Swindon Town
- Football League Second Division title: 1995–96
