STEVE DAVEY

Full Name: Stephen Gilbert Richard Davey

Born: 05 September 1948

Came from: Apprentice   Went to: Hereford United

First game: 19 November 1966   Last game: 21 September 1974

Appearances: 250 (238/12)   Goals: 55

Local boy Davey was born in Plymouth and watched Argyle as a youth, either via paid admission, or when unable to afford it, from perching in a tree outside Home Park. Having been selected for Plymouth & Devon schoolboys, he went on to graduate at Home Park as an apprentice, signing a full contract in July 1966. He made his debut as an 18-year-old in the 1966-67 season under Derek Ufton as a replacement for an injured Barrie Jones. He also went on to play for England Youth in the summer of 1967 in a tournament in Turkey, where he played twice in a squad which included future Argyle manager Peter Shilton, Trevor Brooking and Brian Kidd.

With Argyle relegated in the 1967-68 season, it took a little longer for him to truly establish himself. He had begun his career as a forward but showed his versatility by converting into a full-back by 1970.

It was following the arrival of Tony Waiters that Davey really flourished. Waiters' first full season (1973-74) was Davey's best - he would have been an ever-present, were it not for the suspension that followed a red card in the infamous 'Black Sunday' game at Port Vale in March 1974 when Argyle made headlines by becoming the first English club to have three players red-carded. He struck up an excellent relationship with Paul Mariner who outscored him in the league but Davey's goals in the League Cup run were enough to make him overall leading scorer.

He was a small but tenacious player, and had realised a dream by playing against the great Denis Law when Argyle faced Manchester City in the 1973-74 League Cup semi-final. Not only did Davey play against one of his idols, but he also gave Argyle the lead on that memorable, muddy day at Home Park. That season was his most successful as a striker, with 12 goals in the league and seven from six games in the League Cup run. He was certainly missed in the return leg at Maine Road, which City won 2-0 to go through to the final. Davey had dislocated his shoulder going for a late diving header in the first leg.

His Argyle career had spanned nine seasons in total with him being a regular for seven of those. His first season 1966-67 was his breakthrough season with nine appearances and his last was the 1974-75 Division Three promotion season in which he made just six appearances. This was largely due to the inclusion of Billy Rafferty along with Mariner and Waiters starting with a three-pronged attack - but this didn't really work and was abandoned with Davey seemingly the scapegoat. However, his relationship with Waiters directly, had also apparently soured. Davey's last league appearance for Argyle was as a substitute in a 1-1 home draw against Gillingham in late September 1974, after which Waiters had commented, "I am not saying there is not a place for Davey in football, but he must harness his individual ability for the good of the team, as everyone else does".

He soon found himself in the reserves and despite uproar from the supporters who still remembered the previous season's League Cup heroics, his days were numbered and he never played for the first-team again.

Argyle went on to win promotion without him and he left to join Hereford United, where he joined former Argyle colleague John Sillett for a fee of around £10,000 on a payment-by-results deal.

After 250 appearances in green and 55 goals, as of August 2025 Davey ranks within the Top 50 appearance makers and within the top 25 goal-scorers for the club - an impressive pair of accolades. The passage of time also perhaps mellowed Waiters' view, admitting in an interview on a first visit to Home Park in 40 years, in 2019 (just a year before he passed away), that in reference to Davey's departure, "we probably didn't handle that one as well as we might".

At Edgar Street Davey helped the Bulls win Division Three in the 1975-76 season and, once the season was largely done, returned to Home Park with his new club for his testimonial, Argyle running out 3-0 winners in front of a healthy 4,844 in April 1976. In total he made 107 appearances for the club and scored 32 times, but after two successive relegations which saw Hereford back in Division Four, he moved on again.

In 1981 he moved to Portsmouth for a small fee and played a key role in their promotion from the Fourth Division in 1979-80, playing mainly at centre-back, appearing 92 times and scoring eight goals.

His last season in the Football League was 1981-82, following a move to Exeter City, for whom he played 15 times without scoring. He finished with an impressive Football League career total of 438 appearances and 87 goals.

After retiring, he subsequently moved to Bideford and later played for Liskeard Athletic, Saltash United and St Blazey. Playing until 1984 he then returned to Plymouth to initially set up an upholstery business and then running a residential care home for the elderly in the city. Both his sons were Argyle apprentices and one of them, Damien, also went on to be an Exeter triallist and later physio for both Argyle and also for Torquay United. Steve's wife, is the sister of another former Argyle player, Fred Binney.

Steve was a regular contributor and co-commentator for many years on Argyle games for BBC Radio Devon often appearing with the late, great Gordon Sparks and remains living in the city.