Steve Claridge

[bmt]

One of the first games I remember being at was when Claridge scored in the 18th second for Millwall against us. We won 4 1 I believe.

 

Think they had that twat Dennis Wise in their team.

[Foxdiamond]

I think Martin O'Neill referred to Steve as a poor man's Kenny Dalglish! Which was certainly a compliment and good enough 

[bovril]

He signed for us a few weeks after I went to my first ever game. And he scored the first goal in the first win I ever witnessed at Filbert Street. So really for me in that period he was Leicester City in the same way that Vardy is now, and like Vardy his character and story was as almost as important as what he did on the pitch. Growing up outside of Leicester he was really the only player of that era that non City fans took a great interest in. 

 

I'm not sure any player has had a greater per-game impact on the club and supporters. Only 63 league appearances (Luke Thomas has nearly made as many!) and he totally changed the history of the club. 

[whoareyaaa]

I don't think you get many players like him anymore, didn't give a shit about his appearance and just got on with it and got the job done.

[Parker Pen]

What a lift he gave us, and the fans got behind him with probably one of the best and most vociferous sung songs during that era! I loved that Charlton away game, what a first goal!

 

As for the play off final winner, probably one of the greatest moments I have witnessed watching Leicester, it certainly was the best ever moment up to that point!

[CrazyKopCorner]

1 hour ago, murphy said:

I remember that game very well.  We won the Filbert St leg 1-0 but we peppered them and it should have been more.  After every attack came the ironic chants of "boring, boring Leicester"

Yes we had loads of injuries but were the better team and John Gregory bloody well knew it the arse 

[Groby_Blue]

Oh man, so many wonderful memories of Super Steve. As many have said, that moment at Wembley against Palace will stay with everyone who was there forever, then the Coca Cola Cup Final replay at Hillsborough, his goal against Birmingham at Filbo where he ran to the away dug out pointing at Barry Fry and got dragged down by his team mates while still pointing at Fry, that great finish against United in the cup, him and Heskey looking superb together up front, him and Marshall looking like two pissed blokes dragged out of the pub and thrown on the pitch, the away game at Ipswich on Sky where his name was printed wrong on his shirt - Clarridge - and he had his shorts on backwards. 

 

Utter legend and I loved every second watching him play for us, and as others have said, his book is superb and hilarious. 

 

They certainly don't make them like Steve anymore. 

[J.Lisemore]

2 hours ago, bmt said:

One of the first games I remember being at was when Claridge scored in the 18th second for Millwall against us. We won 4 1 I believe.

 

Think they had that twat Dennis Wise in their team.

Yeah I remember this too, I think Millwall fans were banned that day. Dennis Wise was on corners and got pelters from our lot 

[DJW1]

On 03/03/2025 at 22:19, pazzerfox said:

He said it himself, in an interview after the match.  He clearly didn't "shin it", but he did say it.  Probably to try and get the interview done as quick as possible.

Thats what he said in his book "Tales from the Boot Camps", which is an excellent read. His follow-up book is a bit tedious.

[DJW1]

5 hours ago, Footballwipe said:

Don't forget we'd sold off Corica and Joachim for healthy fees around the time we signed Claridge, so with him and Lennon coming in as permanent players we had the money covered even if it was a high fee. I guess it highlighted the faith management had in MON to get the players he needed.

 

Also, can we talk about his goal against Man Utd in the Coca-Cola? That flick from Heskey and finish from Stevie. Lord almighty if that was scored in this media landscape you'd be seeing it for weeks.

 

I guess Cottee & Fenton coming in didn't help things, but his ending here just seemed to peter out quite quickly? Without having to read all the Fox Fanzines again can anyone remember whether it was just him falling down the pecking order, or was it something else that led to his departure?

In his first book, Claridge says that he refused to to Greece pre-season as the hot sun affects him badly and when the season started Ian Marshall was picked ahead of him. Claridge never really got back consistently in the team and left for Wolves, and then for Pompey etc. etc.

[old koppite]

5 hours ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Super Stevie Claridge .......... and he bloody well was 

“Suuupah Suupah Steve …..”  sang with passion- heard it in the toilets in old Wembley Way before the play off final and after on the way back to the station - sends a shiver! 

[accessory]

Steve is a sound bloke, and a more influential figure in our club's history than many realise.

 

Unlike some City players of more recent vintage,  he remembers - and respects - his roots.

 

Although his time in the limelight lasted barely 18 months, he accomplished more in that time than many top flight stalwarts did (and do) in a decade.

 

Like others on here, I remember the silence as he struck THAT shot at Wembley, followed by the eruption that followed as it dipped under the bar.

 

But there were many further adventures to follow the following season, including memorable goals at Liverpool, Newcastle, Spurs and Blackburn, plus the League Cup winner against Middlesbrough.

 

The goals dried up in 97-98 though, and he ended up moving to Pompey and then Wolves as his powers started to desert him and others (primarily Marshall and Cottee) overtook him in the Filbert Street pecking order.

 

Even so, his time with us coincided with a certain young Thai student taking an active interest in English football.

 

Without his efforts, and those of his team-mates, Leicester City may well never have featured on King Power's radar..

[westernpark]

23 minutes ago, accessory said:

 

 

Even so, his time with us coincided with a certain young Thai student taking an active interest in English football.

 

Without his efforts, and those of his team-mates, Leicester City may well never have featured on King Power's radar..

You don’t actually believe this do you

Edited 5 March by westernpark
Clarity

[The Doctor]

5 hours ago, bmt said:

One of the first games I remember being at was when Claridge scored in the 18th second for Millwall against us. We won 4 1 I believe.

 

Think they had that twat Dennis Wise in their team.

they did, that was the season that Millwall fans weren't allowed at our ground and vice versa, so the away end tickets for that home game were sent out to local schools. 

[Electric Yetis]

4 hours ago, accessory said:

Even so, his time with us coincided with a certain young Thai student taking an active interest in English football.

 

Without his efforts, and those of his team-mates, Leicester City may well never have featured on King Power's radar..

 

[Durnerz]

17 hours ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Apparently he couldn't feel his feet for the first few months with us. 

 

I always rated him and couldn't believe Birmingham sold him to us. 

 

Definitely a legend with those 2 strikes and a playing that always gave 100%. 

 

I also think he scored against us for Millwall and didn't celebrate which has been extremely rare where we're concerned. 

 

It probably helped that they had no fans in our ground that day 😂

[Groby_Blue]

11 hours ago, accessory said:

But there were many further adventures to follow the following season, including memorable goals at Liverpool, Newcastle, Spurs and Blackburn, plus the League Cup winner against Middlesbrough.

I was at that game at Anfield on Boxing Day sitting in the Centenary Stand, hanging onto the bottom of my seat when he scored so I didn't jump up and get my head kicked in. 

[newforestfox]

Genuinely nice bloke. Met him once when working for the bank that sponsored the premier league at the time and he was the ex-pro who was accompanying the trophy for the south coast leg of a "tour" of the offices. Really lucky that most of the youngsters that worked there didn't even know who he was other than a few Pompey fans.

 

After the obligatory photo shaking hands in front of the trophy and me telling him how I had turned to talk to the bloke behind me in the wembley stands so pretty much missed him "shinning" the winner (he definitely denied shinning it!), he proceded to talk to me for ages on all things Leicester to the point where I had to tell him that I had to go and get back to work! Think he might have had a quick photo with one or two others whilst we talked but there was more interest in the trophy than him.

 

Certainly had strong opinions on Mandaric and the way the club was going and definitely didn't hold back sharing them (pretty sure Mandaric was the one that sacked him at Portsmouth). Just came across as totally genuine and probably would have chatted to me for hours. As for the photo with the trophy... never did dream... it certainly came out again in 2016 

 

[bovril]

2 hours ago, Groby_Blue said:

I was at that game at Anfield on Boxing Day sitting in the Centenary Stand, hanging onto the bottom of my seat when he scored so I didn't jump up and get my head kicked in. 

We gave everyone a good game in those days, home and away. Apart from at Highbury, where we were regularly thrashed. 

[Foxmeister]

On 03/03/2025 at 20:30, jayfox26 said:

Didn't realise we paid £1.2m for him. Must have been a fair chunk of money for us back then. 

It wasn't popular either as it was money from the sale of Joachim.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

14 hours ago, accessory said:

Time with us coincided with a certain young Thai student taking an active interest in English football.

 

Without his efforts, and those of his team-mates, Leicester City may well never have featured on King Power's radar..

Do you genuinely believe this? If so message me about some magic beans I have for sale.

[CrazyKopCorner]

1 minute ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Do you genuinely believe this? If so message me about some magic beans I have for sale.

That Thai student loved the royal blue shirts we were wearing that day. 

 

if he'd had preferred Red 'The Boro' would have been Premier League champions I think you'll find 

[CrazyKopCorner]

3 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Do you genuinely believe this? If so message me about some magic beans I have for sale.

P.S How much do you want for the beans? You haven't got a genie in a bottle too have ya?  

[Sol thewall Bamba]

11 minutes ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

That Thai student loved the royal blue shirts we were wearing that day. 

 

if he'd had preferred Red 'The Boro' would have been Premier League champions I think you'll find 

Only if Boro had hired Nigel Pearson, Craig Shakespeare and Steve Walsh before they were purchased by King Power 

[CosbehFox]

 

15 hours ago, accessory said:

 

 

Even so, his time with us coincided with a certain young Thai student taking an active interest in English football.

 

Without his efforts, and those of his team-mates, Leicester City may well never have featured on King Power's radar..

Aiywatt is 39. 

 

He was 12 in 1997.