Steve Wright (footballer, born 1893)

Stephen Wright (1893 – 15 October 1959) was an English professional footballer who played as a half back in the Football League for Bolton Wanderers, Norwich City and Brighton & Hove Albion.[2] He also played in Ireland for Bohemians, and managed Dundalk to the 1932–33 League of Ireland title.

Steve Wright
Personal information
Full name Stephen Wright[1]
Date of birth 1893 (1893)[1]
Place of birth Leicester,[1] England
Date of death 15 October 1959(1959-10-15) (aged 66)[1]
Place of death Leicester,[1] England
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1]
Playing position(s) Half back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19??–1915 Belvoir Street Sunday School
191?–19?? Bohemians
1920–1922 Bolton Wanderers 10 (0)
1922–1923 Norwich City 36 (1)
1923–1924 Brighton & Hove Albion 4 (0)
Teams managed
1930–1934 Dundalk
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Wright was born in Leicester in 1893. He played representative football for Leicester Schools,[1] alongside future Bolton team-mate and Scotland international Alex Donaldson.[3] He went on to play for Leicester-based club Belvoir Street Sunday School, where he succeeded future England international Tommy Clay as team captain after Clay signed for Leicester Fosse.[3][4] During the First World War, Wright served with the Leicestershire Regiment and the Royal Army Medical Corps.[1] For a time he was stationed in Ireland, where he played for Dublin club Bohemians and was picked to play in an amateur international against England, the selectors believing him to be an Irishman; he did not accept the invitation.[3][5]

After the war, amid interest from "several first-class clubs", Wright signed for Bolton Wanderers of the Football League First Division.[3] He spent something over two seasons with the club, as backup for Jimmy Seddon,[6] and played 10 first-team matches, all in the league,[7] before moving on to Norwich City of the Third Division South in July 1922 for a £750 fee. Until then he had played as a centre half,[1] "[making] up for his lack of height by his cleverness"[8] – he stood 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) – but he was a regular for Norwich on the left of the half-back line. Wright saw his future in management, but after failing to get the player-manager vacancy at Chatham Town, he attempted to continue his playing career with another Third Division club, Brighton & Hove Albion, in 1923–24. He made just four appearances before a broken leg forced his retirement at the end of the season.[1][9]

Wright returned to Ireland in 1930 as trainer-coach – effectively, manager – of Dundalk.[6] He was later to describe the role as "doing everything except selling the programmes".[5] He led the club to runners-up spots in both league and Cup in his first season, and his team then won the President's Cup by a wide margin. In his third season, Dundalk became the first team based outside the capital to win the league title.[6]

After four years with Dundalk, Wright went back to England to take up the post of trainer to Lincoln City[8] Lincoln finished in the top four of the Third Division North three times in the four seasons that Wright trained them, and according to the Lincolnshire Echo, he "proved a popular and efficient trainer, and tributes to the fit condition of the players have been paid on many of the grounds on which City have appeared."[9] He joined Ipswich Town, newly elected to the Football League, as trainer in July 1938, but left them again soon afterwards.[10]

The following year, Wright was recommended by Stanley Rous, secretary of the Football Association, to their Norwegian counterparts for a three-month appointment as trainer-coach of SK Strong's football department and technical adviser to other teams in Oslo and elsewhere.[11]

Wright's son, Geoff, played league football for Walsall in the 1950s.[12][13]

Wright died in his native Leicester in 1959 at the age of 66.[1][14]

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References
  1. Carder, Tim; Harris, Roger (1997). Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Hove: Goldstone Books. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-9521337-1-1.
  2. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 289. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  3. "Ex Belvoir captain for Bolton". Leicester Daily Post. 31 March 1920. p. 4. Steve Wright, well known as a former centre-half in the Belvoir S.S. team, who has this season established a big reputation in Ireland while playing as an amateur for the Bohemians, a leading Dublin club, has signed on for Bolton Wanderers. Wright, who is young and built rather on the lines of the famous [Billy] Wedlock, is considered to have a big future in the football world. He succeeded Tom Clay as captain of the Belvoir Club, and at Bolton will renew acquaintance with another old Leicester schoolboy, Alec Donaldson. The latter, although he was not a member of the Belvoir football team, played cricket for Belvoir S.S. ... Several first class clubs have sought his services.
  4. "Belvoir S.S. F.C.". Leicester Daily Post. 2 July 1914. p. 2.
  5. "In the river". Lincolnshire Echo. 30 July 1938. p. 1. Curiously enough, he was once chosen to play for Ireland in an amateur international match against England, but, of course, he did not turn out. It was during the war when he was stationed in Dublin, and playing for Bohemians in the Irish League, and was mistaken for an Irishman.
  6. "Steve Wright". Dundalk F.C. Who's Who. Jim Murphy. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  7. "Overall appearances/goals record – W". BWFCstats.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012.
  8. "Football. Lincoln's new trainer. Steve Wright from Dundalk F.C.". Lincolnshire Echo. 30 June 1934. p. 1. He was a first-class centre-half in his day and made up for his lack of height by his cleverness. He has a thorough knowledge of the game, and that he knows how to keep the men fit and get the best out of them is shown by the fact that Dundalk topped the Irish Free State League the year before last, and have been in the semi-final of the Irish Free State Cup for the last three years. Wright has the reputation of being a very conscientious trainer.
  9. "City F.C. lose trainer. Steve Wright goes to Ipswich". Lincolnshire Echo. 23 July 1938. p. 1.
  10. "Former City F.C. trainer going to Oslo". Lincolnshire Echo. 7 March 1939. p. 1. In July of last year he was appointed trainer to the new League club, Ipswich Town, but left them shortly after the season opened.
  11. "Wanted for the Continent". Leicester Mercury. 8 March 1939. p. 24.
    "Steve Wright describes coaching in Norway". Lincolnshire Echo. 24 June 1939. p. 5.
  12. "Geoff Wright". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  13. "Signings". Rugby Advertiser. 23 July 1954. p. 3. The Town have signed Geoff Wright (24), inside forward, who was one of their players in the season 1951–52, when he was transferred to Walsall for £250. ... His father is Steve Wright, the ex-Bolton player.
  14. "Index entry". FreeBMD. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
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