Steve Sumner facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Steven Paul Sumner | ||
| Date of birth | 2 April 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Preston, England | ||
| Date of death | 8 February 2017 (aged 61) | ||
| Place of death | New Zealand | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Blackpool | |||
| Preston North End | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1973–1980 | Christchurch United | 147 | (36) |
| 1981 | Newcastle KB United | 18 | (3) |
| 1982 | West Adelaide SC | 12 | (2) |
| 1983–1986 | Manurewa AFC | 66 | (29) |
| 1987 | Gisborne City | 25 | (6) |
| 1988–1989 | Christchurch United | ? | (?) |
| Total | 268 | (76) | |
| National team | |||
| 1976–1988 | New Zealand | 58 | (22) |
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Steven Paul Sumner (born April 2, 1955 – died February 8, 2017) was a famous football player. He was born in England but became a New Zealand citizen. Steve was the captain of the New Zealand national football team. He led them to their first ever World Cup tournament in 1982. The World Cup is a huge international football competition.
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Playing for Clubs
Steve Sumner started his football journey as a young player at Blackpool in England. In 1973, he moved to New Zealand. There, he joined a team called Christchurch United. In his very first year, his team won the National League.
Steve was a very successful player. He won the Chatham Cup six times. He also won five league titles with his teams. He is the only player to have won the Chatham Cup so many times. Later, he played for other teams like Newcastle KB United, West Adelaide SC, Manurewa AFC, and Gisborne City.
Playing for New Zealand
Steve Sumner played for the New Zealand national team from 1976 to 1988. He played in 105 games for his country. This was a record at the time! 58 of these games were "A-internationals," which are official matches between national teams.
Steve was an attacking midfielder. This means he played in the middle of the field and helped score goals. He once scored six goals in one game! This happened when New Zealand beat Fiji 13–0 during the 1982 World Cup qualifying games.
He also scored one of New Zealand's only two goals in the actual 1982 World Cup tournament in Spain. This was against Scotland. Steve Sumner was the first player from the Oceania region to score a goal in a World Cup. This was a big moment for football in his part of the world.
In 1991, Steve was added to the New Zealand Soccer Media Association Hall of Fame. In 2010, he received a very special award from FIFA, called the FIFA Order of Merit. This award is given to people who have made great contributions to football.
Life After Playing
After he stopped playing football, Steve Sumner stayed involved in the sport. He worked for TVNZ as a sports expert on television. He also joined the board of the Wellington Phoenix football club. He helped them with his experience as a professional player.
In 2015, Steve was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He sadly passed away on February 8, 2017, when he was 61 years old.
The Steve Sumner Trophy
To honor Steve Sumner, New Zealand Football created a special award in 2018. It's called the "Steve Sumner Trophy". This trophy is given to the best player in the final game of the New Zealand Football Championship.
The first player to win this trophy was Callum McCowatt. He scored the only goal in the final game, helping his team win. Callum won the trophy again the next year, scoring three goals in the final!
Awards and Achievements
Individual Awards
- Player of the Year: 1983
- Golden Boot (top goal scorer): 1983
- FIFA Centennial Award: 2004
- FIFA Order of Merit: 2010
- Friends of Football Medal of Excellence: 2015
- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (for his services to football): 2016
- IFFHS Oceania Men's Team of All Time: 2021
Team Achievements
Christchurch United
- National League: 1973, 1975, 1978, 1988
- Chatham Cup: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1989
Manurewa
- National League: 1983
- Chatham Cup: 1984
Gisborne City
- Chatham Cup: 1987
Images for kids
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A robot for kids
See also
In Spanish: Steve Sumner para niños
