davieG Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Former Player Remembers: Steve Lynex Posted: Wed 11 Feb 2015 Author: Leicester City image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/steve-lynex-4-280-2264703_478x359.jpg Steve Lynex Image by: Press Association Steve Lynex, whose pacey performances on the wing lit up Filbert Street in the 1980s, recently spoke to Club Historian John Hutchinson about his football career. Steve played over 200 games for Leicester City between 1981 and 1987, most of them in the top division. In the three seasons between August 1982 and May 1985 his attacking partnership with Alan Smith and Gary Lineker produced an incredible 156 goals in three seasons.“I went from school football to play Sunday League football for Sandwell Rangers. We won the League and Aston Villa tried to sign me, but West Brom became interested and I signed for them. I was a West Brom fan. As a boy, I used to sit on the wall behind the goal at the Hawthorns. Once, after Jeff Astle scored with a header, he came to the wall and picked me up. I didn’t wash for ages!” In 1976, Steve was in West Bromwich Albion’s FA Youth Cup winning team, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Final. “In the first leg I got injured by big Bob Hazell which put me out of the second leg. I hated him for ages! Years later when we were both at Leicester we travelled into Filbert together by car. He was a great guy. “When I became a professional at West Brom, Johnny Giles was the manager, but with players like Laurie Cunningham at the Club, he told me that first team opportunities would be limited. He released me, but within a week he had left West Brom and bought Shamrock Rovers. Then he phoned me up and invited me over there! I won the Irish Cup with Shamrock Rovers.” image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/steve-lynex1280-2264707.jpg In April 1979, Steve signed for Birmingham City and was in the side which, along with Champions Leicester City, was promoted to the top division. He signed for Jock Wallace’s Leicester City in February 1981. Leicester City were relegated at the end of the season. “Birmingham’s manager Jim Smith told me that the board had accepted an offer from Leicester. Going to Leicester was like going to a foreign country. Most of the lads were Scottish. It was great. I couldn’t understand a word but what a great bunch of lads! They looked after you and you were part of the family. It was really, really good. “It was easy to fit in. At the time they were looking for a certain style and I suited the team straight away.” In his second season at Leicester, Steve was an ever-present in the FA Cup run to the semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur. image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/steve-lynex2280-2264708.jpg “The atmosphere at Filbert Street for the quarter-final game against Shrewsbury was fantastic. It was end-to-end. We went behind, then Wally (goalkeeper Mark Wallington) was injured. Alan Young went into goal and he got injured. Then I went into goal. When Young felt better, Jock Wallace pulled me out. Straight after that, the ball came to me on the wing, I crossed it and Jimmy Melrose buried it. Fantastic! We won 5-2. “We were really gutted to lose the semi-final against Spurs. I don’t think they were superior. Ian Wilson scored an own goal and Tommy Williams broke his leg. He was out for ages and on his first day back training he broke it again. He was a great player.” Gordon Milne replaced Jock Wallace as manager in time for the new, promotion-winning season. “Jock had been all about being hard working, grafting and aggression. Gordon wanted that too but he changed the style of play. We played more football. It worked really well. He was a good manager. He was good at one-to-one. He had a lot of time for his players and protected them well.” image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/steve-lynex4280-2264711.jpg During Milne’s first season, in a 6-0 victory over Carlisle United, Steve scored a hat-trick, which included two penalties. “Gary (Lineker) had also got two goals and we were awarded a third penalty. If I’d have taken it, it would have been a record but Gary took it as he wanted his hat-trick too. Gary got the original matchball, not me, but I got another ball later. I don’t know where they got it from!” Playing alongside Gary Lineker and Alan Smith produced a lot of goals. “One year we were the highest scoring forward line. We got 57 goals between us, in the top division. There were no big headed players in the team. It was all about the team. That is why it was easy for players to go to Leicester. The manager bought players to fit the position. We didn’t all have to adjust for one player. It all seemed to click at the time. “We had some good players. Liverpool hated playing against us. I remember in a 3-3 draw at Filbert Street, I hit one straight over Bruce Grobbelaar. I had that goal on video but my dad, bless him, taped over it! It’s a shame because I would like to have shown my lad!” Steve was voted Leicester City’s Player of the year in 1983/84. image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/steve-lynex3280-2264709.jpg “I was surprised at that. I was in the toilet when they announced that. When I came out Gary was on stage with the runners-up award. I thought he had won Player of the Year. When I went up for what I thought was the runners-up award I said I thought the best man had won the Player of the Year! I didn’t know until after I’d said this that it was me who had won. Everyone must have thought that I was a right big-headed swine.” As well as being renowned for his speed, Steve is also remembered for his penalty taking expertise. “I think I scored 21 consecutive penalties until I missed one against Luton. I always put it in the same spot. I used to have a competition in training with Wally. I’d never miss and he used to save most of them! Good days.” Brian Hamilton became team manager in June 1986, with Gordon Milne becoming General Manager. image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/steve-lynex5280-2264712.jpg “I got Man of the Match in the first game of the season but the following Monday I was told by Brian Hamilton that I wasn’t in his plans, so I went on loan back to Birmingham. I was playing well there, but Leicester’s results were not going too well so I was recalled to Filbert Street. In the end I went to see Gordon Milne because I was not seeing eye-to-eye with Brian Hamilton. I was gone the next day. I signed for Ron Atkinson back at West Brom. The next season I scored for the Baggies against Leicester at the Hawthorns.” Steve finished his League career at Cardiff City. Looking back over his career, Steve feels that his most difficult opponent was Nottingham Forest’s John Robertson. “If you closed him down he would do one touch. If you stood off him he would tear you apart. He was such a good player. Another difficult opponent was Stuart Pearce. When he first came to Coventry he smacked me straight off the pitch onto the wall. As he picked me up he said, ‘My name’s Stuart Pearce. Remember that!’ Ten minutes later I did the same to him!” Steve concluded: “My time at Leicester was my best time. The fans appreciated what I was doing and were fantastic towards me.” Read more at http://www.lcfc.com/news/article/former-player-remembers-steve-lynex-2264740.aspx#i5rkj0jEWcwLPlFJ.99
Burmesefox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Loved Lynex. A great player but unassuming and quiet.
Voll Blau Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Wish I was old enough to have known those days...
TrentFox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 One of the most exciting players I've seen pull on a city shirt. Fabulous period of attacking football by city back then.
purpleronnie Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 I was a mascot at shepshed when they played Leicester (no not that kind of mascot). Steve lynex was captain that day so I shook his hand, my dad said 'don't wash your hands' like i had just shaken Peles hand or something.
Livid Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 One of my favourite city player's of all time. Stevie, Stevie Lynex, Stevie Lynex on the wing!
ashby_fox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Started watching City as a kid in 79/80 2nd div championship winning season. Lineker , Lynex & Alan Smith were my favourite players in those days. Remember a home game V Carlisle 82/83 we won 6-0 Lynex & Lineker both scored 3 goals each. Lynex was the normal penalty taker and had already scored 3 including 2 penalties when City were awarded a third penalty , he unselfishly gave it to Lineker so he got his hatrick too.
Crinklyfox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Never really in the limelight due to Gary Lineker and Alan Smith but a good player nonetheless.
fuchsntf Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Great write up. A great proffesional one of those unsung heroes.Gave and left all fans of LCFC great moments and memories. Many will put-in/mention his famous 2 partners, but for me this thread is about Steve Lynex today he stands alone as one of our best wingers, who not only had assists but scored some wonderful goals himself. .....Mind you their 3 first names gave us G A S, thats what they were and what they gave us, and were they... explosive.!! The manager Hamilton, lost alot of friends when he moved this great player on, steve had his legs and alot more to offer. In the making of Steve Lynex, Gordon Milne belongs in the credits, very underrated from the terraces, I am sure ,not in the dressing-room. I hope one day we have one of todays city players, who command the same adulation and respect.
davieG Posted 12 February 2015 Author Posted 12 February 2015 The club existed before Pearson? .....and the Premier league
Trav Le Bleu Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 When we used to play football as kids, I always used to say I was Lynex.
Bob Weasel Fox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 One of the most exciting players I've seen pull on a city shirt. Fabulous period of attacking football by city back then.ThisLynex was my favourite player of that era Well along with Alan Young, Gary Lineker, Bobby Smith, Jim Melrose, Kevin Macdonald, Iain Wilson and pretty much the whole team but seriously the stand out exciting winger was Lynex very good player in his day
Mayofox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 It was great having 3 potent strikers. The Shrewsbury FA Cup tie, when he was our third keeper that day, is my best Filbo memory.
Mayofox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 No mention of his swimming lesson?Yes, that's the first (and last) time I've seen someone swimming down the right wing!
Sunbury Fox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Superb winger. Had forgotten the swimming incident! Who were we playing that day? Remember the game was abandoned.
Crazy Kop Corner Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 He was a superb tricky winger with exquisite ball control and he could really cross a ball. The game where he was swimming was Southampton at home - I think it was postponed?
Dukes not bald Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Superb winger. Had forgotten the swimming incident! Who were we playing that day? Remember the game was abandoned. Southampton mate
The Horse's Mouth Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Imagine if he played under Pearson, would have easily ended up at Barcelona
Eddy Kellys Heroes Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Brilliant little player, we had a great team then, good times good memories.
ceredigion Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 The Southampton ''swimming lesson'' was fantastic. I was there that day and the rainfall was incredible. If memory serves, the match was finally abandoned with only about 20 minutes left, but the pitch was so waterlogged by then that players were in danger of drowning. MOTD cameras must have been there too because they used the footage of Steve Lynex's breast stroke for a while afterwards. For the record, we won the re-arranged game as well.
Turnofthefox Posted 12 February 2015 Posted 12 February 2015 Happy memories, i still remember growing up in St Albans and playing footie as a kid on the playground. Everyone pretending to be an Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool (how time has changed) player and i would pipe up im Steve Lynex - to the response 'Who!' Still remember him turning the likes of Kenny Sampson inside out - happy days
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