Steve Johnson (English footballer)
Stephen Anthony Johnson (born 23 June 1957) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played in the Football League for six different clubs and also played in non-league football and abroad.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Anthony Johnson | ||
| Date of birth | 23 June 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Bangor City | |||
| Altrincham | |||
| 1977–1983 | Bury | 154 | (52) |
| 1983–1984 | Rochdale | 19 | (7) |
| 1984–1985 | Wigan Athletic | 51 | (18) |
| 1985–1986 | Bristol City | 21 | (3) |
| 1985–1986 | → Rochdale (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 1986 | → Chester City (loan) | 10 | (6) |
| 1986–1988 | Scunthorpe United | 72 | (20) |
| 1988–1989 | Chester City | 38 | (10) |
| 1989 | Husqvarna IF | ||
| 1989–1990 | Rochdale | 24 | (4) |
| 1990 | Limerick | 4 | (2) |
| 1990 | Cork City | 1 | (0) |
| Northwich Victoria | 3 | (1) | |
| Radcliffe Borough | |||
| Castleton Gabriels | |||
| Caernarfon Town | |||
| Haslingden | |||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Playing career
Johnson played non-league football for Bangor City and Altrincham before being signed by Football League side Bury in November 1977.[1] He spent six years at Gigg Lane and then had a relatively short spell with Rochdale before moving to Wigan Athletic in February 1984. 13 months later Johnson joined Bristol City for £40,000,[1] but he could not settle in the area[1] and returned north by rejoining Rochdale on loan and then reuniting with his former Wigan manager Harry McNally at Chester City in March 1986 in a further loan deal.
Johnson's aerial power was a welcome asset to Chester's attack[2] and he scored six times in the final 10 games of the season to seal promotion from Division Four. Johnson then spent two years with Scunthorpe until he joined Chester on a permanent basis ahead of the 1988–89 season. He played regularly alongside Carl Dale in the Chester attack as they narrowly missed the Third Division play–offs. During his spell at Chester, his all action playing style earned him the nickname 'Mean Machine'. After spending the summer months playing in Scandinavia, Johnson joined Rochdale for a third time to bring the curtain down on his league career.
He later played for Limerick, where he made a scoring League of Ireland debut on 1 September 1990, and in October 1990 he made one league appearance for Cork City. He also played for non-league teams Northwich Victoria, Radcliffe Borough, Castleton Gabriels, Caernarfon Town and Haslingden, while working as a financial advisor.[1]
External links
References
- Player Memories, Chester City v. Rochdale matchday programme; 26 February 1994; pg. 24
- Chas Sumner (1997). On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885–1997. Yore Publications. p. 102. ISBN 1-874427-52-6.