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Freddie Steele (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Frederick Charles Steele (6 May 1916 – 23 April 1976) was a footballer who played as a forward for Stoke City
and was a former England international
. He also had spells at Mansfield Town
and Port Vale
as a player-manager, leading Vale to a league title. He remains a legendary figure in the histories of both Stoke and Vale.
Signing with Stoke City in 1931 at the age of fifteen, he set a club record when he scored 33 league goals in the 1936–37 season. During the season his 214 day long international career also made for impressive reading, as he hit eight goals in six games for England. However a series of misfortunes severely disrupted his playing career. Picking up a serious knee injury in 1937, he retired two years later after suffering from depression - aged just 23. After an improvement in his physical and mental state he resumed his career, only to have it cut short again, this time due to the outbreak of World War II. Guesting for several clubs, he continued his Stoke career after the war, before joining Mansfield Town
as player-manager in 1949.
In 1951 he was appointed as Port Vale
manager. His six years with the club were some of the most significant in the club's history, as he masterminded a Third Division North
title winning season, as well the club's only ever FA Cup
semi-final appearance. After the team he cultivated proved to be 'past it' by 1957, he too left the club. Returning as manager in 1962, his second spell would prove less successful and he left the club for good three years later.
in 1931, aged 15, by manager Tom Mather
. He carried out work in the club's offices until he was old enough to turn professional. He signed pro papers in August 1933 and made his debut in December 1934. Nicknamed "Nobby" by fans, Steele was a prolific goalscorer for Stoke, scoring 220 goals in 384 games during his tenure at the club. This tally included 5 goals in a 10–3 win over West Bromwich Albion
, which is a record league win for the club. Steele's 33 league goals in 1936–37 remains a club record to this date. A knee injury sustained in a game against Charlton Athletic
sidelined him in 1937, which he struggled to recover from.
He decided to retire due to depression
in 1939, aged only 23. However after receiving treatment from psychiatrist
s he opted to return to the game, scoring 10 times in 5 matches upon his return. The outbreak of World War II
then halted his progress, as the Football League
was suspended. He guested for Sheffield United
, Northampton Town
, Notts County
, Leicester City
, Doncaster Rovers
, Bradford Park Avenue
, Leeds United
, Nottingham Forest
and Fulham
.
He returned to the Potteries
in 1945–46, scoring 49 goals in 43 games during the course of the season. He left the club in 1949, due to persistent knee problems. He remains the second highest scoring in the club's history
, after John Ritchie.
before moving on to Stoke's rivals
Port Vale
for a four-figure fee.
in December 1951, Steele was a popular choice as new player-manager. He dropped himself as a player in December 1952 to focus on management, building up a strong side based around a formidable defence, mainly using local players, also favouring more experienced players over more youthful hopefuls. This defence was known as 'The Iron Curtain' and 'The Steele Curtain'. He achieved great success, winning the Football League Third Division
and guiding the club to the semi-final stage of the FA Cup
in 1953–54
.
Steele left in January 1957 after the club were relegated to the third tier. After five years of Norman Low
Steele returned once more as manager, leaving for good three years later, his second spell rather more unsuccessful than his first. This time he spent big money in an attempt to build up a promotion worthy side, however he left 'by mutual consent' in February 1965, with Vale heading for the Fourth Division
. Sproson said that "he [Steele] had not got the enthusiasm or drive as before".
and scored in wins over Sweden
and Finland
. In the Sweden game, Steele scored a first half hat-trick
in a 4–0 win. He scored eight goals for his country in total, however a knee injury sustained in 1937 meant that he did not play for his country again.
later said that "he [Steele] was a great psychologist
. He was also a tremendous tactician and, looking back, was years ahead of his time." Graham Barnett
told of how Steele would know every detail about all of his players, and how the first team would idolize him for his inspirational personality. Tactically, he brought his wingers back to play four across the midfield, and had one side of his team as quick powerful tacklers and the other side as neat and skilful.
Sproson described Steele as a very tense individual who "would disappear for the last five minutes and was to be found hiding in the toilet." Ray Hancock
also said that Steele watched the games from the treatment room to distance himself from the pressure on the pitch, and even once left the ground entirely as he could not handle the stress of the occasion. In appearance Steele "used to wear a tweed
trilby
, a pair of black and white hooped football stockings with his suit and let his hair grow long!"
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
and was a former England international
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He also had spells at Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
and Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
as a player-manager, leading Vale to a league title. He remains a legendary figure in the histories of both Stoke and Vale.
Signing with Stoke City in 1931 at the age of fifteen, he set a club record when he scored 33 league goals in the 1936–37 season. During the season his 214 day long international career also made for impressive reading, as he hit eight goals in six games for England. However a series of misfortunes severely disrupted his playing career. Picking up a serious knee injury in 1937, he retired two years later after suffering from depression - aged just 23. After an improvement in his physical and mental state he resumed his career, only to have it cut short again, this time due to the outbreak of World War II. Guesting for several clubs, he continued his Stoke career after the war, before joining Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
as player-manager in 1949.
In 1951 he was appointed as Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
manager. His six years with the club were some of the most significant in the club's history, as he masterminded a Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
title winning season, as well the club's only ever FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final appearance. After the team he cultivated proved to be 'past it' by 1957, he too left the club. Returning as manager in 1962, his second spell would prove less successful and he left the club for good three years later.
Stoke City
Freddie Steele was signed for Stoke CityStoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
in 1931, aged 15, by manager Tom Mather
Tom Mather
Tom Mather , was a football player and manager.-Career:Mather was assistant secretary of both Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers before taking the manager's job at Bolton at the beginning of the First World War, remaining at the club until 1915 when he was called up by the Royal Navy...
. He carried out work in the club's offices until he was old enough to turn professional. He signed pro papers in August 1933 and made his debut in December 1934. Nicknamed "Nobby" by fans, Steele was a prolific goalscorer for Stoke, scoring 220 goals in 384 games during his tenure at the club. This tally included 5 goals in a 10–3 win over West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, which is a record league win for the club. Steele's 33 league goals in 1936–37 remains a club record to this date. A knee injury sustained in a game against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
sidelined him in 1937, which he struggled to recover from.
He decided to retire due to depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
in 1939, aged only 23. However after receiving treatment from psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
s he opted to return to the game, scoring 10 times in 5 matches upon his return. The outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
then halted his progress, as the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
was suspended. He guested for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
, Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
, Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
.
He returned to the Potteries
The Potteries Urban Area
The Potteries Urban Area is a conurbation in North Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England.It includes the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and the towns of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Kidsgrove....
in 1945–46, scoring 49 goals in 43 games during the course of the season. He left the club in 1949, due to persistent knee problems. He remains the second highest scoring in the club's history
History of Stoke City F.C.
It is claimed that the history of Stoke City F.C., an English association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, began when Stoke Ramblers were formed in 1863. However, as the Official Site states, "In 1863 the story goes that former pupils of the Charterhouse School formed a football club while...
, after John Ritchie.
Mansfield Town
Steele assumed a player-manager role at Mansfield TownMansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
before moving on to Stoke's rivals
Potteries derby
The Potteries derby is the football local derby in Stoke-on-Trent between Port Vale and Stoke City. The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals; this has led to a heated atmosphere at these matches, especially with the rise of football hooliganism and the 'Naughty Forty'...
Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
for a four-figure fee.
Port Vale
Replacing the unpopular Ivor PowellIvor Powell
Ivor Verdun Powell MBE is a Welsh former footballer who gained eight Welsh caps and later became a manager. He was born in Gilfach, Bargoed....
in December 1951, Steele was a popular choice as new player-manager. He dropped himself as a player in December 1952 to focus on management, building up a strong side based around a formidable defence, mainly using local players, also favouring more experienced players over more youthful hopefuls. This defence was known as 'The Iron Curtain' and 'The Steele Curtain'. He achieved great success, winning the Football League Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
and guiding the club to the semi-final stage of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1953–54
1953–54 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1953–54 season was Port Vale's forty-second season of football in the Football League, and their second season back in the Third Division North. Quite possibly the greatest season in the club's history, Freddie Steele's side were crowned Third Division North champions with 69 points out of a...
.
Steele left in January 1957 after the club were relegated to the third tier. After five years of Norman Low
Norman Low
Norman Harvey Low was a Scottish football player and manager. He was the son of Scottish international footballer, Wilf Low....
Steele returned once more as manager, leaving for good three years later, his second spell rather more unsuccessful than his first. This time he spent big money in an attempt to build up a promotion worthy side, however he left 'by mutual consent' in February 1965, with Vale heading for the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
. Sproson said that "he [Steele] had not got the enthusiasm or drive as before".
International career
Steele was capped six times for EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and scored in wins over Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
. In the Sweden game, Steele scored a first half hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a 4–0 win. He scored eight goals for his country in total, however a knee injury sustained in 1937 meant that he did not play for his country again.
Style of Play
Management style
Roy SprosonRoy Sproson
Roy Sproson was an English footballer and football manager for Port Vale. A one-club man, he holds the all-time appearance record for Vale, making 837 starts for Vale between 1950 and 1972. This includes a run of 128 consecutive appearances between April 1954 and March 1957...
later said that "he [Steele] was a great psychologist
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. He was also a tremendous tactician and, looking back, was years ahead of his time." Graham Barnett
Graham Barnett
Graham Barnett is a former English footballer who played as an inside-forward.He began his career with Port Vale in 1956, before he was sold on to Tranmere Rovers four years later. In 1961 he signed with Halifax Town, before he emigrated to Australia the following year so as to play for South...
told of how Steele would know every detail about all of his players, and how the first team would idolize him for his inspirational personality. Tactically, he brought his wingers back to play four across the midfield, and had one side of his team as quick powerful tacklers and the other side as neat and skilful.
Sproson described Steele as a very tense individual who "would disappear for the last five minutes and was to be found hiding in the toilet." Ray Hancock
Ray Hancock
Charles Raymond Hancock is a former English footballer. He is Ken Hancock's elder brother.-Playing career:Hancock played for Abbey Hulton United and Bury before joining Port Vale in May 1948. By September 1952, at age 27, he was believed to be experienced enough to be the first choice keeper, but...
also said that Steele watched the games from the treatment room to distance himself from the pressure on the pitch, and even once left the ground entirely as he could not handle the stress of the occasion. In appearance Steele "used to wear a tweed
Tweed (cloth)
Tweed is a rough, unfinished woolen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is made in either plain or twill weave and may have a check or herringbone pattern...
trilby
Trilby
A trilby hat is a type of fedora. The trilby is viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is commonly called the "brown trilby" in England and is much seen at the horse races. It is described as a "crumpled" fedora...
, a pair of black and white hooped football stockings with his suit and let his hair grow long!"
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
1934–35 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 1935–36 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 33 | 11 | |
| 1936–37 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 3 | 37 | 36 | |
| 1937–38 | 23 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 15 | |
| 1938–39 | 31 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 27 | |
| 1945–46 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | |
| 1946–47 | 38 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 43 | 31 | |
| 1947–48 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 12 | |
| 1948–49 | 38 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 42 | 19 | |
| Total | 224 | 140 | 27 | 19 | 251 | 159 | |
| Mansfield Town Mansfield Town F.C. Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910... |
1949–50 | | | |||||
| 1950–51 | | | ||||||
| Total | 53 | 39 | 53 | 39 | |||
| Port Vale Port Vale F.C. Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as... |
1951–52 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 |
| 1952–53 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | |
| Total | 25 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 12 | |
| Career Total | 302 | 191 | 27 | 19 | 329 | 210 | |
as a Manager
with Port Vale- Football League Third Division NorthFootball League Third Division NorthThe Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
: 1953–541953–54 Port Vale F.C. seasonThe 1953–54 season was Port Vale's forty-second season of football in the Football League, and their second season back in the Third Division North. Quite possibly the greatest season in the club's history, Freddie Steele's side were crowned Third Division North champions with 69 points out of a... - Football League Third Division NorthFootball League Third Division NorthThe Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
runners-up: 1952–531952–53 Port Vale F.C. seasonThe 1952–53 season was Port Vale's forty-first season of football in the Football League, and their first season back in the Third Division North, following their switch from the Third Division South...