Steve Death
Encyclopedia
Stephen Victor "Steve" Death (19 September 1949 – 26 October 2003) was an English
football goalkeeper
who played for Reading
for almost the entirety of his career. Death was one of the longest-serving players to appear for Reading.
before joining Reading, originally on loan, in 1969. He went straight into the team as first choice goalkeeper, and made the position his own for the next ten years with a total of 537 first team appearances.
Death set many other records during his time at Elm Park
. He was elected Player of the Season four times for seasons 1969/70, 1972/73, 1973/74 and 1976/77, won PFA Divisional Awards in 1973–74 and 1978–79, collected a Division Four Championship plaque in 1978–79, kept 26 clean sheets in that season, and at one stage made 156 consecutive first team appearances. This is still a Club record. Until January 31, 2009, Death held the record of 1,103 minutes without conceding a goal in English league football. This record was subsequently broken by Edwin van der Sar
playing for Manchester United versus Everton
on 31 January 2009.
Death was given a testimonial in the 1979–80 season, with over 7,000 watching his Testimonial Match against a Young England XI managed by his former boss at West Ham, Ron Greenwood. He left the game in 1982 and returned to his native Suffolk
. He subsequently returned to Reading to work as a greenkeeper at a local golf course. He died of cancer in 2003, aged 54.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
who played for Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
for almost the entirety of his career. Death was one of the longest-serving players to appear for Reading.
Career
Death was an England schoolboy international who made one League appearance for West HamWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
before joining Reading, originally on loan, in 1969. He went straight into the team as first choice goalkeeper, and made the position his own for the next ten years with a total of 537 first team appearances.
Death set many other records during his time at Elm Park
Elm Park (stadium)
Elm Park was a football stadium in the West Reading district of the English town of Reading. It was the home of Reading Football Club from 1896 until 1998, when they moved to the new Madejski Stadium....
. He was elected Player of the Season four times for seasons 1969/70, 1972/73, 1973/74 and 1976/77, won PFA Divisional Awards in 1973–74 and 1978–79, collected a Division Four Championship plaque in 1978–79, kept 26 clean sheets in that season, and at one stage made 156 consecutive first team appearances. This is still a Club record. Until January 31, 2009, Death held the record of 1,103 minutes without conceding a goal in English league football. This record was subsequently broken by Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history...
playing for Manchester United versus Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on 31 January 2009.
Death was given a testimonial in the 1979–80 season, with over 7,000 watching his Testimonial Match against a Young England XI managed by his former boss at West Ham, Ron Greenwood. He left the game in 1982 and returned to his native Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. He subsequently returned to Reading to work as a greenkeeper at a local golf course. He died of cancer in 2003, aged 54.