Steve Melton

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Steve Melton

| image =

| fullname = Stephen Melton{{Hugman|13474|access-date=5 April 2021}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1978|10|3}}

| birth_place = Lincoln, England

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=10734|title=Steve Melton | Football Stats | No Club | Age 42 | 1996-2010 | Soccer Base|website=soccerbase.com|accessdate=5 April 2021}}

| position = Midfielder

| years1 = 1996–2000 | clubs1 = Nottingham Forest | caps1 = 3 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2000 | clubs2 = Stoke City | caps2 = 6 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2000–2002 | clubs3 = Brighton & Hove Albion| caps3 = 46 | goals3 = 3

| years4 = 2002 | clubs4 = → Hull City (loan) | caps4 = 7 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2002–2004 | clubs5 = Hull City | caps5 = 23 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2004–2006 | clubs6 = Boston United | caps6 = 21 | goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2005–2006 | clubs7 = → Tamworth (loan) | caps7 = 7 | goals7 = 1

| years8 = 2006–2008 | clubs8 = King's Lynn | caps8 = 45 | goals8 = 5

| years9 = 2008–2009 | clubs9 = Boston United | caps9 = | goals9 =

| years10 = 2009–2011 | clubs10= Lincoln United | caps10= | goals10 =

| years11 = 2011 | clubs11= Lincoln Moorlands Railway | caps11= |goals11=

| years12 = 2011–2012 | clubs12= Grantham Town | caps12= | goals12=

| years13 = 2012 | clubs13= Worksop Town | caps13= | goals13=

| years14 = 2012–2013 | clubs14= Lincoln United | caps14= | goals14 =

}}

Stephen Melton (born 3 October 1978) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder.

He played as a professional in the Football League from 1996 until 2006, featuring for Nottingham Forest, Stoke City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Hull City and Boston United. At Non-League level he has represented Tamworth and King's Lynn before re-joining Boston United and then moving on to Lincoln United, Lincoln Moorlands Railway and Grantham Town.

Career

Born in Lincoln, Melton started his career back in 1996 as a trainee with Nottingham Forest.{{cn|date=April 2021}} He made his debut for Forest in the Premier League on the last day of the 1998-99 season against Leicester City.{{Cite news |date=16 May 1999 |title=Big Ron signs off in style |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/fa_carling_premiership/345260.stm |access-date=25 April 2020}} Melton only appeared for Forest on three occasions in the league before moving on to Stoke City in February 2000.{{cn|date=April 2021}} At Stoke, he made seven appearances in 1999–2000 and was an unused substitute in the 2000 Football League Trophy Final.{{Cite news |title=Looking Back Down 'Wembley Way' |publisher=Stoke City F.C. |url=https://www.stokecityfc.com/news/looking-back-down-wembley-way |access-date=25 April 2020}} He joined Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2000.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/aug/12/newsstory.sport2|title=Nationwide summer signings|date=12 August 2000|website=The Guardian|accessdate=5 April 2021}} Melton managed to find his way into the starting eleven and played 46 league games in which he scored three goals. In November 2002, he joined Hull City after spending time on loan with the club.{{cn|date=April 2021}} Although he never scored in a competitive game for Hull City, he was the first player to score at their Kingston Communications Stadium in a friendly against Sunderland to commemorate the stadium's opening on 18 December 2002.{{cn|date=April 2021}}

Melton joined Boston United in March 2004 on a contract until summer 2005.{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/3550349.stm|title=Boston sign four players|date=19 March 2004|accessdate=5 April 2021|publisher=BBC}} During his time with The Pilgrims, Melton was sent out on loan to Conference National side Tamworth. He was released by Boston United in summer 2006.{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/4986212.stm|title=Boston retain five and lose five|date=16 May 2006|accessdate=5 April 2021|publisher=BBC}} Melton joined King's Lynn in 2006.{{cn|date=April 2021}} He re-signed for Boston United in September 2008,{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_conf/7592482.stm|title=Second spell at Boston for Melton|date=1 September 2008|accessdate=5 April 2021|publisher=BBC}} but was released at the end of the season.{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_conf/8070661.stm|title=Boston axe 13 in summer clear out|date=27 May 2009|accessdate=5 April 2021|publisher=BBC}} Melton went on trial with Retford United in July 2009, but subsequently joined Lincoln United alongside former King's Lynn and Boston United teammate Matt O'Halloran.{{cn|date=April 2021}} In February 2011 he signed with Lincoln Moorlands Railway.{{cn|date=April 2021}} He joined Grantham Town in the summer.{{cn|date=April 2021}}

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{ENFA}}
rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|FA Cup !colspan="2"\|League Cup !colspan="2"\|Other{{ref label\|Other\|A

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{ENFA}}

rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|FA Cup

!colspan="2"|League Cup

!colspan="2"|Other{{ref label|Other|A

}

!colspan="2"|Total

!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

|rowspan="2"|Nottingham Forest

|1998–99

|Premier League

|1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0

|1999–2000

|First Division

|2||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||3||0

|Stoke City

|1999–2000

|Second Division

|5||0||0||0||0||0||2||0||7||0

|rowspan="3"|Brighton & Hove Albion

|2000–01

|Third Division

|28||1||0||0||1||0||2||0||31||1

|2001–02

|Second Division

|10||2||0||0||1||0||3||0||14||2

|2002–03

|First Division

|8||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||10||0

|rowspan="2"|Hull City

|2002–03

|Third Division

|25||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||25||0

|2003–04

|Third Division

|5||0||0||0||1||0||2||0||8||0

|rowspan="3"|Boston United

|2003–04

|Third Division

|25||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||25||0

|2004–05

|League Two

|9||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||9||1

|2005–06

|League Two

|3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||3||0

|Tamworth

|2005–06

|Conference Premier

|7||1||3||0||0||0||0||0||10||1

!colspan="3"|Career Total

!128!!5!!3!!0!!6!!0!!9!!0!!148!!5

:A. {{note|Other}} The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League play-offs, and Football League Trophy.

Honours

Stoke City

Football League Trophy: 1999–2000{{cite news |url=https://www.stokecityfc.com/news/looking-back-down-wembley-way |title=Stoke City FC - Looking Back Down 'Wembley Way' |first=Jon |last=Sidaway |website=Stoke City FC |date=7 December 2017 |access-date=24 March 2024}}