Steve Hardwick

Today at 08:26 AM

Mansfield-born, Steve Hardwick joined Chesterfield as an amateur in the summer of 1972, having been an associated schoolboy with the club. He had had a successful trial with Huddersfield Town that year alongside the Chesterfield-born Bob Newton, and while Newt signed the Terriers' apprenticeship forms, Steve didn't. His early promise in Chesterfield's Northern Intermediate League side was noted, and he was called up for the England Amateur Youth international games against Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1973/74. The sale of Jim Brown to Sheffield United in March 1974 saw Steve graduate from the youth team to the reserves, in the North Midlands League. A penalty save in the North Midlands League Cup semi-final against Notts County in the same month helped the reserves into the final, where they lost to Hull City's second string. Steve stepped up to the professional ranks in July 1974 and made his Football League debut on October 12, 1974, in a 2-1 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers. Steve returned to the side for the last four games of the season after Phil Tingay broke a collar bone at Watford and performed well. Tingay reclaimed his place at the start of the 1975/76 season, […]