Burnley Memorabilia And Programmes

Name: Trevor McGregor Steven

D,O,B: 21st September 1963

Place of Birth: Berwick upon Tweed

Previous Clubs: Burnley, Everton, Marseille, Rangers

Position: Midfield

Fee: £340k to Everton

 In 1980 a young player by the name of Trevor Steven joined the youth ranks at Burnley FC, a  sixteen year old who hails from Berwick, had already won youth caps for England Schoolboys (7 in total),and represented Berwick & District Schools, with the honour of playing for Northumberland County Under 15s and Under 19s.  

It would be a reserve team fixture against Lancaster City, where Burnley began to see how good this youngster was, when he and Brian Laws played around the Lancaster defence for Laws to notch the winner. He would play in the reserves for most of his first season at the Turf, alongside future stars as Laws, Vince Overson, David Miller, Mickey Phelan, and Andy Wharton, the Clarets future was bright.

Steven aged just 17 made his first appearance in the first team against Steve Kindon’s Huddersfield Town, on 14^th April 1981, he would make the bench as an unused sub in the following game against Blackpool.

But it would be the Championship season of 1981/82 where Steven would make his mark, handed his first League start against Bristol Rovers wearing the No10 shirt (Steve Taylor’s shirt), he did enough to warrant a start in the next game and he was given the No8 a shirt he would wear for almost all of his duration at Burnley.

Burnley’s season was looking grim lying in 20^th place, until late November when Steven scored his first goal as a first team regular, with it Burnley’s season turned around, the 1-1 draw away at Reading was the catalyst for Burnley's stuttering promotion push, with the 2-2 Draw at home to newly promoted Wimbledon the game previous, Burnley went on a run that saw them go until March before they tasted defeat.

Steven and his young counterparts in the shape of Laws, Phelan, Overson, and Andy Wharton would make the progress through the league landing in 1^st spot on the last game the season , a rearranged game against Chesterfield (Which incidentally was my first ever Burnley game),was a wash out of a game, with high wind and torrential rain, th

1981/82 would be the first Championship medal in Steven’s cabinet, with a career North of the border and over the water still to come for this elegant 18 year old.  

The following year with Burnley promoted as Champions would see Trevor's fledgling career put to the test with big games in the shape of Blackburn, Bolton, Chelsea, Leeds, Newcastle, and Wolves all fighting to regain their place in the fist division. Trevor Steven shone (Burnley didn’t), His performances were catching the eye of many an admirer, with Games against all conquering Liverpool and the Argentinian spice of Spurs. Burnley’s fantastic cup runs of that season had TV cameras Scouts and Managers all flocking to Turf Moor checking the progress of Burnley’s Fledgling footballers Trevor Steven in particular.

But with the Cup runs and the change of manager it was a little too much for the young Clarets and relegation followed. With that so did our manager Frank Casper who was in caretaker charge, would not be offered the job.

Steven had played 38(1) League games in the season scoring 8 times, with a run in the League cup what saw Steven play all nine games culminating in the two legged semi final with Liverpool, scoring just the once against Bury in the opening League Cup game.

The FA Cup run was the same with Steven playing all seven games scoring against Carlisle and Swindon, before getting knocked out by Sheffield Wednesday, in the first 6^th round game Steven was upended in the penalty area by Wednesday keeper Bob Bolder, but Steve Taylor didn’t score the resulting penalty which could have seen Burnley through (Burnley lost at Hillsborough 5-0 in the replay).

John Bond walked through the door in June 1983, and with it Trevor Steven left, Everton and Howard Kendall signed Trevor for a fee in the region of between £325k and £350k (Newspaper reports differ). It would beat the record fee received for a Claret since Burnley accepted Derby’s offer of £310k for Leighton James years earlier.

Steven Played 74 (2)  League games for Burnley, scoring on 11 occasions, He played 13 times in the FA Cup scoring 4goals, and a further 10 League up games notching the 1 goal.

He was one of the best young Clarets to wear the shirt, but he would get better. Howard Kendall was put in charge of Everton and given the task of breaking the monotonous hold Liverpool had on English Football. And with his signing of young exciting players like Trevor Steven the monotony would be broken.

His first season wasn’t the best as a young 19 year old he was trying to make the step up from a 2^nd division relegation battle to first division Championship chase. But after a time on the sidelines, Steven came back into the Toffees first team with a bang, showing all the finesse and talent we all knew he had. An assist in the FA Cup final in 1984 when he put in a looping cross for Sky pundit Andy Gray, to knock into the goal passed Watford Keeper Steve Sherwood. “Tricky” Trevor, as the Blue half of Liverpool had christened him had picked up another medal, An FA Cup winners medal as Burnley under Bond were struggling to the point that the Bond reign would be shortly coming to an end.

The following season and Steven was in one of the best midfield quartets the league has seen, Steven, Peter Reid, Paul Bracewell, and Irishman Kevin Sheedy. With Steven and Sheedy supplying the ball, it was just left for Gray and Grahame Sharpe to score the goals. A League Championship medal in 85, and a European Cup Winners Cup victory, where Trevor scored, with the double secured the treble was just a step too far, a tired Everton lost out to Manchester United in the FA Cup final, when Norman Whiteside scored the only goal.

Everton and Steven were going from strength to strength, as Burnley were getting dragged deeper into the mire.

Trevor Steven, now an International who went to the world cup in Mexico, and played against Poland, Paraguay and Argentina where Maradona's hand is remembered more than the final itself. Steven went on to play 36 times for his country.

Steven  played  on the highest stage of all, when he played in the European Championships in 88, the World Cup in Italy in 90, the European Finals in Sweden 92.The 0-0 draw with France in Malmo would be Stevens’s last game in the three Lions.

Another loser’s medal this time against local rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup final and it was time for Steven to up-sticks and leave, the nucleus of the Toffees team was getting older, and the youthful team that beat all and sundry was falling apart, Steven who still an international was about to leave.

With Gary Stevens behind him ,the telepathic understanding the two had made them a unique partnership, so good Rangers manager Grahame Souness the man who was looking to break Celtics strangle hold of the SPL, signed Steven along with Stevens for his Ibrox revolution.1.5 million pounds secured the wide man’s signature and Steven was a Ger.

Another Championship medal this time in Scotland, as Steven was winning over every blue behind Hadrian’s wall, but it didn’t win over new England Manager Graham Taylor. Steven would win no more caps under him.

A fantastic career at Rangers was interrupted when Olympic Marseille paid Rangers 5.5mil for his services, and another Championship medal this time in France, would be added to his ever expanding cabinet.

A return to Glasgow and Rangers, where Steven finished his career being loved by every one of his previous clubs fans. No matter how old, or what team, not one supporter has a bad word for “Tricky” Trev.

Legend in Burnley, Everton, Marseille and Rangers

 England Career Statistics
Debut v Northern Ireland, 27 February 1985 aged 21 years, 160 days
Last Cap v France, 14 June 1992 aged 28 years, 267 days
Career 7 years, 106 days
First Goal v Rep of Ireland, 26 March 1985 aged 21 years, 187 days