Steve Sumner
{{Short description|New Zealand footballer (1955–2017)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Steve Sumner
| image = Steve_Sumner.jpg
| caption =
| fullname = Steven Paul Sumner
| height =
| position = Attacking midfielder
| birth_date = {{birth date|1955|4|2|df=y}}
| birth_place = Preston, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|2|8|1955|4|2|df=y}}
| death_place =New Zealand
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Blackpool
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = Preston North End
| years1 = 1973–1980
| clubs1 = Christchurch United
| caps1 = 147 | goals1 = 36
| years2 = 1981
| clubs2 = Newcastle KB United
| caps2 = 18 | goals2 = 3
| years3 = 1982
| clubs3 = West Adelaide SC
| caps3 = 12 | goals3 = 2
| years4 = 1983–1986
| clubs4 = Manurewa AFC
| caps4 = 66 | goals4 = 29
| years5 = 1987
| clubs5 = Gisborne City
| caps5 = 25 | goals5 = 6
| years6 = 1988–1989
| clubs6 = Christchurch United
| caps6 = | goals6 =
| totalcaps = 268 | totalgoals = 76
| nationalyears1 = 1976–1988
| nationalteam1 = New Zealand
| nationalcaps1 = 58 | nationalgoals1 = 22
}}
Steven Paul Sumner {{post-nominals|country=NZL|ONZM|size=85%}} (2 April 1955 – 8 February 2017) was an English-born, New Zealand footballer who played as a midfielder. He was captain of the national team during the country's first successful campaign to qualify for the World Cup, in 1982. He is also the first New Zealander to score in the World Cup, doing so in the 54th minute in New Zealand's 1982 opening game against Scotland.
Club career
Sumner began his football as an apprentice at Blackpool before moving to New Zealand in 1973 to play for Christchurch United, winning the National League in his first year. Sumner went on to win 6 Chatham Cups and 5 league titles.{{cite web|url=http://www.planetworldcup.com/SPECIALS/sumner.html|title=Exclusive interview: Steve Sumner |accessdate=8 August 2008}} He is the only player to have won six Chatham Cup winners medals.{{cite book |last1=Hilton |first1=Tony |last2=Smith |first2=Barry |title=An Association with Soccer: The NZFA Celebrates Its First 100 Years |year=1991 |publisher=New Zealand Football |page=176 |isbn=978-0473012915}}
International career
His international career spanned from 1976 to 1988, including a record 105 appearances for New Zealand (beating the record previously held by Brian Turner),{{cite web|url=http://www.nzsoccer.com/page/50_caps_club.html|title=All Whites – 50 Caps Club|publisher=NZ Football|accessdate=8 August 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080722082144/http://www.nzsoccer.com/page/50_caps_club.html |archivedate = 22 July 2008}} 58 of which were A-internationals.{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZRepSoccer/id1708.htm|title=A-International Appearances – Overall|publisher=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website|date=1 June 2008|accessdate=25 July 2008|archive-date=1 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501185855/http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZRepSoccer/id1708.htm|url-status=dead}}
An active and attacking midfielder, Sumner scored a national record six goals during New Zealand's 13–0 defeat of Fiji during the 1982 World Cup qualifying campaign. He was also one of New Zealand's only two scorers in the 1982 World Cup Finals tournament in Spain (along with Steve Wooddin), in New Zealand's 5–2 loss to Scotland.{{cite web|url=http://www.nzsoccer.com/page/1982_world_cup_team.html|title=NZ 1982 World Cup|publisher=New Zealand Football|accessdate=25 July 2008 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080723152233/http://www.nzsoccer.com/page/1982_world_cup_team.html |archivedate = 23 July 2008}} He was the first player of the FIFA Oceania zone to score in a World Cup.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}
In 1991, he was inducted into the New Zealand Soccer Media Association Hall of Fame{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZRepSoccer/id171.htm|title=Hall of fame|publisher=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website|date=1 June 2008|accessdate=29 July 2008}} and was then awarded FIFA's top award, the FIFA Order of Merit, before the opening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, along with Johan Cruyff and former South African president Thabo Mbeki.{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-world-cup/3794398/All-Whites-great-Sumner-awarded-top-honour|title=All Whites great Sumner awarded top honour|publisher=Stuff |date=10 June 2010|accessdate=17 February 2017}}
Career statistics
International goals
| class="wikitable" | ||||||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | rowspan=3| 23 March 1977 | rowspan=3| Auckland, New Zealand | rowspan=3| {{fb|TAI}} | align=center|2–0 | rowspan=3 align=center| 6–0 | rowspan=3| 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2. | align=center|3–0 | |||||
| 3. | align=center|4–0 | |||||
| 4. | 26 July 1979 | Nouméa, New Caledonia | {{fb|NCL|french}} | align=center|?–0 | align=center| 2–0 | Friendly |
| 5. | 25 February 1980 | Nouméa, New Caledonia | {{fb|TAH|1946}} | align=center|1–0 | align=center| 1–3 | 1980 Oceania Cup |
| 6. | 25 April 1981 | Auckland, New Zealand | {{fb|AUS}} | align=center|3–3 | align=center| 3–3 | rowspan=9| 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7. | 3 May 1981 | Ba, Fiji | {{fb|FIJ}} | align=center|2–0 | align=center| 4–0 | |
| 8. | rowspan=6| 16 August 1981 | rowspan=6| Auckland, New Zealand | rowspan=6| {{fb|FIJ}} | align=center|2–0 | rowspan=6 align=center| 13–0 | |
| 9. | align=center|7–0 | |||||
| 10. | align=center|9–0 | |||||
| 11. | align=center|10–0 | |||||
| 12. | align=center|11–0 | |||||
| 13. | align=center|13–0 | |||||
| 14. | 14 December 1981 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | {{fb|KUW}} | align=center|1–1 | align=center| 2–2 | |
| 15. | 15 June 1982 | Málaga, Spain | {{fb|SCO}} | align=center|1–3 | align=center| 2–5 | 1982 FIFA World Cup |
| 16. | rowspan=2| 25 September 1983 | rowspan=2| Auckland, New Zealand | rowspan=2| {{fb|JPN}} | align=center|1–1 | rowspan=2 align=center| 3–1 | rowspan=3| 1984 Summer Olympics Qualifiers |
| 17. | align=center|3–1 | |||||
| 18. | 7 October 1983 | Tokyo, Japan | {{fb|JPN}} | align=center|1–0 | align=center| 1–0 | |
| 19. | 5 June 1985 | Gisborne, New Zealand | {{fb|FIJ}} | align=center|?–0 | align=center| 3–0 | rowspan=2| Friendly |
| 20. | 7 June 1985 | Auckland, New Zealand | {{fb|FIJ}} | align=center|?–0 | align=center| 2–0 | |
| 21. | rowspan=3| 5 October 1985 | rowspan=3| Auckland, New Zealand | rowspan=3| {{fb|TPE}} | align=center|3–0 | rowspan=3 align=center| 5–1 | rowspan=3| 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 22. | align=center|4–1 | |||||
| 23. | align=center|5–1 |
Later life and death
After retiring Sumner maintained his involvement in football, being employed by TVNZ as a media personality. More significantly he sat on the executive board of the Wellington Phoenix bringing much needed professional playing experience to the table. In August 2015, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, from which he died on 8 February 2017, aged 61.{{Cite news|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/football/football-great-steve-sumner-dies|title=Football great Steve Sumner dies|work=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=8 February 2017}}
=Steve Sumner Trophy=
In 2018 New Zealand Football named the Man of the Match trophy for the New Zealand Football Championship final after Sumner, calling it the "Steve Sumner Trophy".{{cite web |title=ISPS Handa Premiership – Steve Sumner Trophy to be launched at Final |url=https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/60673 |website=New Zealand Football |access-date=8 March 2021}}{{cite news |title=New Zealand football great Steve Sumner to be recognised with special trophy for final |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/102724242/steve-sumner-to-be-recognised-with-special-trophy-for-final |access-date=8 March 2021 |work=Stuff |date=29 March 2018 |language=en}} It was first awarded to Callum McCowatt after he scored the only goal in Auckland City 1–0 win over Team Wellington in the final. McCowatt won it a second time the following year, this time while playing for Eastern Suburbs, where he scored a hattrick in the finals, again against Team Wellington.{{cite news |last1=Voerman |first1=Andrew |title=Callum McCowatt stars as Eastern Suburbs win national men's football league final |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/111676313/callum-mccowatt-stars-as-eastern-suburbs-win-national-mens-football-league-final |access-date=8 March 2021 |work=Stuff |date=31 March 2019 |language=en}}
Honours
=Individual=
File:Steve Sumner ONZM investiture.jpg by the governor-general, Dame Patsy Reddy]]
- Player of the Year: 1983{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZRepSoccer/id170.htm|title=Honours List|publisher=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website|date=1 June 2008|accessdate=25 July 2008}}
- Golden Boot: 1983
- FIFA Centennial Award in 2004
- FIFA Order of Merit: 2010
- Friends of Football Medal of Excellence 2015{{cite web|url=http://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/all-white-greats-receive-medals|title=Medal of Excellence|publisher=Friends of Football Website|date=14 November 2015|accessdate=23 November 2015|archive-date=1 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701161643/http://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/all-white-greats-receive-medals/|url-status=dead}}
- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (for services to football), 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours{{cite web|url=http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/qb2016-list|title=Queen's 90th birthday honours list 2016|date=6 June 2016 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet|accessdate=6 June 2016}}
- IFFHS Oceania Men's Team of All Time: 2021{{cite web|url=https://www.iffhs.com/posts/1150 |title=IFFHS ALL TIME OCEANIA MEN'S DREAM TEAM |publisher=IFFHS |date=14 June 2021 |access-date=23 December 2021}}
=Club=
Christchurch United
- National League: 1973, 1975, 1978, 1988
- Chatham Cup: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1989
Manurewa
- National League: 1983
- Chatham Cup: 1984
Gisborne City
- Chatham Cup: 1987
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080723152233/http://www.nzsoccer.com/page/1982_world_cup_team.html New Zealand 1982 World Cup squad]
- [http://www.planetworldcup.com/SPECIALS/sumner.html Planet World Cup interview]
- {{FIFA player|58575|Steve Sumner}}
{{Navboxes
|title = New Zealand squads
|bg = white
|fg = black
|list1 =
{{New Zealand squad 1980 OFC Nations Cup}}
{{New Zealand squad 1982 FIFA World Cup}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumner, Steve}}
Category:English expatriate men's footballers
Category:English men's footballers
Category:English emigrants to New Zealand
Category:Expatriate men's association footballers in New Zealand
Category:National Soccer League (Australia) players
Category:Naturalised citizens of New Zealand
Category:New Zealand men's international footballers
Category:New Zealand men's association footballers
Category:West Adelaide SC players
Category:Gisborne City AFC players
Category:Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Category:Christchurch United players
Category:Newcastle KB United players
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Deaths from prostate cancer in New Zealand
Category:1980 Oceania Cup players
Category:1982 FIFA World Cup players
Category:New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Footballers from Preston, Lancashire