Steve Evans (footballer born 1962)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Steve Evans


fullname = Stephen J. Evans
dateofbirth = birth date and age|df=yes|1962|10|30
cityofbirth = Glasgow
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
nickname = | position = Striker
currentclub = Crawley Town (Manager)
youthyears = –1979
youthclubs = Bolton Wanderers
years = 1979–1981
1981–1984
1984–1985
1985
1985–1986
1979–1986
clubs = Clyde
Albion Rovers
Ayr United
Hamilton Academical
St. Johnstone
Total | caps(goals) = 036 0(4)
076 (28)
030 0(4)
002 0(0)
024 0(6)
168 (42) cite web | url = http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/steveevans.htm | title = Steve Evans stats | accessdate = 2007-03-18 | work = [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com Neil Brown] ]
nationalyears = | nationalteam = | nationalcaps(goals) = | manageryears = 1994–1998
1998–2002
2004–2007
2007– | managerclubs = Stamford
Boston United
Boston United
Crawley Town |

Stephen J. "Steve" Evanscite web |url=http://www.playerhistory.com/Default.aspx?page=player_details&playerID=128399 |title=Stephen J. Evans (Steve Evans) |accessdate=2007-05-29 |publisher=Player History] (born 30 October 1962) is a former professional footballer and football coach from Glasgow, Scotland. Evans played professional football for Bolton Wanderers, Clyde, Albion Rovers, Ayr United, Hamilton Academical and St. Johnstone until a knee ligament injury ended his playing career at 28.

After his retirement he became a football manager and is the manager of Conference National side Crawley Town Football Club and has been manager of Boston United Football Club on two separate occasions, he joined in 1998 from Stamford Football Club to start his first spell with Boston United.

Early life

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Evans was spotted by scouts from English team Bolton Wanderers when playing for his local youth football club in Glasgow,cite web |url=http://www.bufc.co.uk/article/26288/Steve-Evans-First-Team-Manager |title=Steve Evans' profile |accessdate=2007-06-10 |publisher=Boston United official website] and he joined Bolton after leaving school.

Footballing career

Playing career

Evans signed for Bolton Wanderers but failed to break into to first team and was released in 1979. He then returned to his native Scotland and joined Clyde, where he played in 36 league matches, scoring 4 goals, before joining Albion Rovers in 1981, where he scored 28 goals in 76 league matches during three years at Cliftonhill. He then moved to Ayr United in 1984, scoring 4 goals in 30 matches, and to Hamilton Academical in 1985, where he only played in two league matches. He joined St. Johnstone in 1985 and scored 6 goals in 24 matches before a knee ligament injury ended his playing career in 1986, aged 28.

Managerial career

Evans was originally appointed manager of Boston United in October 1998 after a spell with Stamford.cite web |url=http://www.leaguemanagers.com/manager/profile-367.html |title=Steve Evans: Manager Profile |accessdate=2007-01-12 |publisher=League Managers Association] He got Boston United promoted from the Southern League to the Football Conference in 2000 and subsequently to the football league in 2002. Both promotions have since been over-shadowed by revelations of off-the-field cheating.cite news |first=Chris |last=Summers |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5412612.stm |title=The football cheats who prospered |accessdate=2007-01-12 |date=3 November 2006 |work= |publisher=BBC News Online]

Evans was suspended by Boston United as manager in July 2002 after a much publicised FA investigation about "contract irregularities".cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/2093612.stm |title=Boston suspend Evans |accessdate=2007-05-28 |date=4 July 2002 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] He later resigned as manager of the club in September 2002 still suspended by the club.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/2270476.stm |title=Evans quits Boston |accessdate=2007-05-28 |date=20 September 2002 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] Evans was found guilty by the FA in December 2002 of impeding an FA inquiry into contract irregularities.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/2602605.stm |title=Evans found guilty |accessdate=2007-05-28 |date=23 December 2002 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] Evans was also suspended from the game for 20 months in January 2003 for involvement of the affairs of Boston United,cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/2707365.stm|title=Evans faces FA ban |accessdate=2007-05-28 |date=29 January 2003 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] in which players contracts lodged with the FA contained false salary details. Evans was further accused of impeding the inquiry and fined £8,000. Evans lodged an appeal against charges in May 2003,cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/2992655.stm |title=Evans set for appeal |accessdate=2007-05-28 |date=1 May 2003 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] but the FA rejected Evans' appeal later that month and the punishment stood.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/3042615.stm |title=FA rejcts Evans's appeal |accessdate=2007-05-28 |date=20 May 2003 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport]

Evans was linked with a shock return to the York Street club in February 2004.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3487983.stm |title=The gossip column |accessdate=2007-05-28 |date=14 February 2004 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] and Evans did return as Boston United's manager on 20 February 2004.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/3507829.stm |title=Boston reappoint Evans |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=20 February 2004 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] In September 2005, Evans and four other people connected with Boston United appeared in court, denying fraud charges.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4272600.stm |title=Football manager denies charges |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=22 September 2005 |work= |publisher=BBC News Online] In November 2005, Evans was given a £1,000 fine, suspended for a year, after admitting to using insulting or abusive words to the match official in a match against Peterborough United in October 2005.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/4459018.stm |title=Boston boss handed suspended fine |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=22 September 2005 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] On 11 February, 2006 was escorted from Grimsby Town's stadium Blundell Park by Lincolnshire Police at half-time, [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/4680544.stm |title=Grimsby 1-0 Boston Utd |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=11 February 2006 |work= |publisher=BBC News Online] Evans berated the fourth official after being incensed when Grimsby keeper Steve Mildenhall appeared to handle the ball outside his area and was immediately spoken to by a police officer after a complaint of alleged foul and abusive language. He was then escorted from the stadium by the police's football liaison. After the match Boston United chairman Jon Sotnick accused the football authorities of waging a "conspiracy" against his manager.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/4706264.stm |title=Police send FA report over Evans |accessdate=2007-06-10 |date=13 February 2006 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] In October 2006, Evans was linked with the vacant Darlington managerial vacancy, but Boston United chairman James Rodwell and Evans both denied the link.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/5398192.stm |title=Evans cool over Darlington link |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=26 October 2006 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] Also in October, Evans was sent from the dugout after an altercation with Wycombe Wanderers player Tommy Doherty.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/6072614.stm |title=Boston 0-1 Wycombe |accessdate=2007-06-10 |date=28 October 2006 |publisher=BBC Sport] After pleading guilty to conspiracy to evade tax, on 3 November 2006 Evans received a one-year suspended sentence and a £1000 fine.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/6113856.stm |title=Football scam boss spared jail |accessdate=2007-03-18 |date=3 November 2006 |work= |publisher=BBC News Online] Despite these events, Evans kept his manager's position at Boston United.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/6116660.stm |title=Shamed football manager keeps job |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=4 November 2006 |work= |publisher=BBC News Online]

In March 2007, Evans was only left with 11 professional footballers for the vital relegation clash with Bury.cite news |first=Pete |last=Oliver |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/6507119.stm |title=No selection headaches for Evans |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=29 March 2006 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] Although players were back from suspension, Evans was left frustrated after players such as Barnsley's on-loan striker Nathan Joynes quit the club, which left him with just 12 fit senior players and he was forced to put 16 and 17 year olds on an incomplete substitute's bench.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/6548505.stm |title=Boston manager is left frustrated |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=12 April 2007 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] After drawing 1-1 in their penultimate match of the season against relegated Torquay United,cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/6578969.stm |title=Boston Utd 1-1 Torquay |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=28 April 2007 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] , Boston needed a win against relegation rival Wrexham, to avoid the drop out of league football.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/6605993.stm |title=Evans ready for last-day battle |accessdate=2007-05-27 |date=28 April 2007 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] On May 2, 2007 he was linked to another vacant manager job, the Chester City job,cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/6614149.stm |title=Wednesday's gossip column |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=2 May 2007 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport]

On 5 May, 2007, Boston United faced Wrexham in a win or bust situation and things were looking good for "The Pilgrims" when Francis Green opened the scoring for Evans' outfit who lead 1-0 at half-time, but in the second half United conceded a penalty kick, which Wrexham defender Ryan Valentine converted, the goal which sent Boston United down, two late goals from Chris Llewellyn and Michael Proctor rubber stamped Wrexham's survival and saw Boston lose 3-1.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/6602943.stm |title=Boston lose Football League spot |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=5 May 2007 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] On 8 May 2007, Evans pledged his commitment to the Pilgrims despite their relegation and return to Non-League football.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/6635913.stm |title=Boss Evans will not leave Boston |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=8 May 2007 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] But, on 27 May 2007 Evans and assistant his manager Paul Raynor resigned from Boston United after with immediate effect.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/6696277.stm |title=Evans & Raynor leave Boston roles |accessdate=2007-05-27 |date=27 May 2007 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport] Evans' two occasions as manager combined at Boston United made him the clubs second longest serving manager behind Fred Tunstall, who had three occasions as manager of the club in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.cite news |url=http://www.bufc.co.uk/article/1063751/Evans-signs-off-in-second-place |title=Evans signs off in second place |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=27 May 2007 |work= |publisher=Boston United official website]

On 29 May 2007, two days after resigning from the Boston United managerial post, Evans took over as Crawley Town manager.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crawley_town/6700235.stm |title=Crawley appoint Evans as new boss |accessdate=2007-05-29 |date=29 May 2007 |work= |publisher=BBC Sport]

Managerial stats

:"As of November 24, 2007 inclusive."

Personal life

In 2006, Evans was living in the village of Eye, Cambridgeshire in the city of Peterborough. He is married to Sarah-Jane and has two daughters.cite news |url=http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/squad03.html |title=Boston United Squad 2003/2004 | accessdate=2007-06-10 | publisher = Fox, Ken ]

References

External links

*soccerbase (manager)|1824|Steve Evans'
* [http://www.bufc.co.uk/article/1063982/Its-354-and-out-for-Evans Steve Evans' season-by season breakdown of Boston United stats]
* [http://www.bufc.co.uk/article/26288/Steve-Evans-First-Team-Manager Steve Evans at Boston United site]
* [http://www.leaguemanagers.com/manager/profile-367.html League Managers Association profile]

Persondata
NAME=Evans, Stephen J.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Evans, Steve
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Football (soccer) player, coach & manager
DATE OF BIRTH=30 October 1962
PLACE OF BIRTH=Glasgow, Scotland
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=