Steve Claridge

Infobox Football biography
playername= Steve Claridge


fullname = Stephen Edward Claridge
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1966|4|10|df=y
cityofbirth = Portsmouth
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=5|in=11
currentclub = Harrow Borough
Squad number = NA
position = Striker
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1983–1984
1984–1985
1985–1988
1988
1988–1990
1990–1992
1992
1992–1994
1994–1996
1996–1998
1998
1998
1998–2001
2001
2001–2003
2003–2004
2004
2004–2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005–2006
2006
2006–2007
2007
2007
clubs = Fareham Town
Bournemouth
Weymouth
Crystal Palace
Aldershot
Cambridge United
Luton Town
Cambridge United
Birmingham City
Leicester City
→ Portsmouth (loan)
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Portsmouth
→ Millwall (loan)
Millwall
Weymouth
Brighton and Hove Albion
Brentford
→ Wycombe Wanderers (loan)
Wycombe Wanderers
Millwall
Gillingham
Bradford City
→ Walsall (loan)
Bournemouth
Worthing
Harrow Borough
Total
caps(goals) = 013 00(2)
007 00(1)
110 0(28)
000 00(0)
062 0(19)
079 0(28)
016 00(2)
053 0(18)
088 0(35)
063 0(17)
010 00(2)
005 00(0)
104 0(34)
006 00(3)
085 0(26)
047 0(24)
005 00(0)
004 00(0)
004 00(0)
015 00(4)
000 00(0)
001 00(0)
026 00(5)
007 00(1)
001 00(0)
001 00(0)
004 00(2)
802 (248)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears = 2001–2002
2003–2004
2005
managerclubs = Portsmouth
Weymouth
Millwall
pcupdate = 17:36, 22 February 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Stephen Edward Claridge (born 10 April 1966) is an English football player, pundit and coach. He plays as a striker. He plays for Harrow Borough football club of the Ryman Premier League, after being released by Bournemouth on January 3 2007. He is notable for having appeared in 1000 professional or semi-professional football matches.

Early career

Claridge was born in Portsmouth and grew up in Titchfield Common, a village near Portsmouth, and attended Brookfield Community School in Sarisbury Green, Southampton.

Claridge is a supreme example of the "journeyman" footballer, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/6078144.stm The O'Neill Effect] Bevan, Chris; 24 October 2006; BBC Sport; "Journeyman striker Steve Claridge was one of O'Neill's first Leicester signings" ] in that he has represented 15 different League clubs (some of them in more than one spell) and several non-league ones. He played at all levels of English football.

Having failed to impress in the youth system of Portsmouth, Claridge initially played for Fareham Town in the Southern League. His performances gained the attention of Football League side Bournemouth, though Claridge again stepped down the leagues after just seven games for Bournemouth to sign for Weymouth.

In October 1988 Claridge moved to Crystal Palace, but spent just two days with them before joining Division Four team Aldershot. He spent two years with the club as they struggled to avoid going into administration (the club folded soon after Claridge left in 1990), before signing with Cambridge United for £75,000. He moved with Cambridge up into the Second Division (which later became the First Division) and stayed with the club for most of the next four years. His tempestuous relationship with manager John Beck, which was exacerbated by Claridge's gambling problems [http://www.cambridge-united.co.uk/page/FormerPlayers/0,,10423~1186649,00.html] , eventually led to his being sold to Luton Town for only £120,000 in March 1992. With Luton in financial difficulties however he was sold back to Cambridge, for £190,000, just five months later (Beck having left the club by this time).

Bigger things and management

In January 1994 Claridge moved to Birmingham City, for £350,000, where he became the first player since Trevor Francis to score 20 goals in a season. This led to a £1.2 million transfer to Leicester City in March 1996. It was at Leicester under Martin O'Neill that Claridge reached the highest level of English football, the Premiership, scoring winning goals in both the 1996 play-off final that gave Leicester promotion and the 1997 League Cup final replay, giving Claridge his only major trophy as a player. In 1997 his autobiography "Tales From The Boot Camps", co-written with Ian Ridley, was first published.

In 1998 Claridge joined Portsmouth on loan and, following a brief period at Wolves, signed for Portsmouth on a permanent basis. From 2000 this was as a player-manager, though Claridge's reign lasted for just twenty-five games before he was demoted. After a successful period on loan with Millwall, he moved to the London club on a free transfer in 2001. He spent two seasons with Millwall before returning to Weymouth as the club's new player-manager. Claridge was initially successful: Weymouth just missed out on promotion to the Football Conference. However, following Ian Ridley's resignation as chairman, Claridge also left to return to playing league football.

Club-to-club

Since 2004, Claridge has moved between a number of clubs, rarely staying for more than a few months. Chronologically, he has played for Brighton and Hove Albion, Brentford, Wycombe Wanderers, Gillingham, Bradford City and Walsall. In the summer of 2005 he was appointed as manager of Millwall, but following board-room changes he was relieved of his duties after just 36 days, before his team had played any competitive matches. His replacement was Colin Lee. The decision to dismiss Claridge was taken by new chairman Theo Paphitis [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4153/is_20050727/ai_n14804732 Claridge sacked] Evening Standard; July 27 2005; at "findarticles.com"; accessed December 2006 ] , who stated to the BBC that "we had a strong chance of being relegated under Steve". Millwall were indeed relegated from the Coca-Cola Championship that season.

At the start of the 2006–07 season Claridge found himself without a club, having played 999 competitive league and cup games overall throughout his career. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/6158573.stm Thursday's football gossip] BBC Sport, 8 December 2006 ] . It was reported that Claridge had offered to play without payment in order to achieve the landmark of 1,000 games. Eventually in December 2006 he re-signed on a month-long contract with Bournemouth [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bournemouth/6213834.stm Claridge ties up Cherries switch] BBC Sport, 8 December 2006 ] and his 1,000th first-team match was a 4-0 defeat to Port Vale on December 9. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/6201750.stm Bournemouth 0-4 Port Vale] BBC Sport, 9 December 2006 ]

On 16 January 2007 he signed a contract with Isthmian League Premier Division side Worthing to play in one game only, against AFC Wimbledon. The match ended in a 1-1 draw [ [http://www.theargus.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1127004.mostviewed.football_its_hello_and_goodbye_for_rebel_claridge.php Football: It's hello and goodbye for Rebel Claridge] theargus, 17 January 2007 ] .

On 30 January 2007 Claridge joined Harrow Borough and scored on his debut in a 4-4 draw against Margate . [ [http://www.harrowboro.com/matchrep.php?typ=mch&id=165 Match report: Harrow 4-4 Margate] [http://www.harrowboro.com Harrow Borough F.C. Official Website] , 3 February 2007 ]

Media

During Claridge's time at Weymouth, he and Ian Ridley, who was club chairman at the time, were two of the subjects of a BBC documentary called "Football Stories". It was around the time that he left Weymouth that Claridge began to work in the media, initially for BBC Radio 5 Live. As well as co-commentating for the radio, he also works for the BBC and for Setanta Sports News. He has also contributed scouting reports to The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/mar/04/stokecity.championship] .

Driving conviction

On 10 June 2008, Claridge was given a six-month suspended jail sentence for dangerous driving after speeding at 100mph near Solihull. He already had nine points on his licence [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7445853.stm Driving ban for 100mph footballer] BBC News, 10 June 2008] .

Honours

With Leicester City

* 1997 League Cup winner

* 1996 First Division (Championship) play-offs winner

Managerial record

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=1469|name=Steve Claridge
*soccerbase (manager)|id=1634|name=Steve Claridge