Football’s Pioneers: Steve Stacey
Though he was unaware of it at the time, when Stacey made his debut for Wrexham in 1966, he was the first player of Afro-American heritage to play in the Football League. Three years later, representing Ipswich Town against Liverpool, he became the first to appear in the top tier of the English game.
Born in Bristol in 1944, Stacey’s father was a black American, born in Mississippi and then serving with the US forces in England. His mother was a local girl and he was brought up by her family, not meeting his father until the 1980s. Stacey takes pride in his middle name, ‘Darrow’, a mark of respect for Clarence Darrow, the famous US civil rights lawyer.
He grew up supporting Bristol Rovers, but signed, at 16, for Bristol City after scoring a lot of goals in local football. Though primarily regarded as a striker at this time, Stacey was later best known as a defender, but he was noted for his versatility. Playing when the number on a player’s shirt signified his position, he later recalled a season at Wrexham when he had worn 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 – and also played part of a match as a substitute goalkeeper.
Frustrated by lack of opportunities at Bristol City, Stacey moved to Wrexham for first-team football. He settled happily there, making 90 appearances before being transferred to Ipswich Town, newly promoted to the First Division, in 1969. His luck ran out almost immediately when he picked up a serious injury in his first match. He struggled to get over this setback, making only three First Division appearances for Ipswich over two seasons.
He had been signed by Bill McGarry and enjoyed a good relationship with Cyril Lea, who took over as caretaker before the arrival of Bobby Robson, with whom he did not get on. After loan spells at Charlton Athletic, Chester City and Northampton Town, he was glad to leave, returning briefly to Bristol City in 1970 and then moving on to Exeter City where he made a further 59 appearances before injury ended his Football League career in 1973.
After a spell of Non-League football with Bath City, Stacey’s fortunes took a surprising turn when he emigrated to Western Australia to play as a part-time professional, first for Floreat Athena and later Rockingham United. He later coached the state representative side with some success. He recently published a biography, The Colour of Football (2019), charting the ups and downs of his life in and around football.