Steve Sumner

Steven Paul Sumner ONZM (2 April 1955 – 8 February 2017) was an English-born, New Zealand football player, who 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.

Steve Sumner
Personal information
Full name Steven Paul Sumner
Date of birth (1955-04-02)2 April 1955
Place of birth Preston, England
Date of death 8 February 2017(2017-02-08) (aged 61)
Place of death New Zealand
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Blackpool
Preston North End
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1980 Christchurch United 147 (36)
1981 Newcastle KB United 18 (3)
1982 West Adelaide SC 12 (2)
1983–1986 Manurewa AFC 66 (29)
1987 Gisborne City 25 (6)
1988–1989 Christchurch United ? (?)
Total 268 (76)
International career
1976–1988 New Zealand 58 (22)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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.[1] He is the only player to have won six Chatham Cup winners medals.[2]

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),[3] 58 of which were A-internationals.[4]

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.[5] He was the first player of the FIFA Oceania zone to score in a World Cup.

In 1991, he was inducted into the New Zealand Soccer Media Association Hall of Fame[6] 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.[7]

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.[8]

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".[9][10] 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.[11]

Honours

Individual
Sumner in 2016, after his investiture as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the governor-general, Dame Patsy Reddy

Club

Christchurch United

Manurewa

Gisborne City

References
  1. "Exclusive interview: Steve Sumner". Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  2. Hilton, Tony; Smith, Barry (1991). An Association with Soccer: The NZFA Celebrates Its First 100 Years. New Zealand Football. p. 176. ISBN 978-0473012915.
  3. "All Whites – 50 Caps Club". NZ Football. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  4. "A-International Appearances – Overall". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. 1 June 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  5. "NZ 1982 World Cup". New Zealand Football. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  6. "Hall of fame". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. 1 June 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
  7. "All Whites great Sumner awarded top honour". stuff.co.nz. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  8. "Football great Steve Sumner dies". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  9. "ISPS Handa Premiership – Steve Sumner Trophy to be launched at Final". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  10. "New Zealand football great Steve Sumner to be recognised with special trophy for final". Stuff. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  11. Voerman, Andrew (31 March 2019). "Callum McCowatt stars as Eastern Suburbs win national men's football league final". Stuff. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  12. "Honours List". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. 1 June 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  13. "Medal of Excellence". Friends of Football Website. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  14. "Queen's 90th birthday honours list 2016". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  15. "IFFHS ALL TIME OCEANIA MEN'S DREAM TEAM". IFFHS. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
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