Steve Lovell (Welsh footballer)

Stephen "Steve" Lovell (born 16 July 1960 in Swansea) is a Welsh former professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager of National League side Bromley. He played professionally for Crystal Palace, Stockport County, Millwall, Swansea City, Gillingham and AFC Bournemouth and made over 450 Football League appearances.

Playing career

Although born in Wales, Lovell began his career as an apprentice with Crystal Palace in 1977. Playing at the time as a midfielder, he managed 74 Football League appearances in six years at Selhurst Park, during which he also had a spell on loan at Stockport County. In 1983 he moved to Millwall, where manager George Graham played him as a striker during an injury crisis. He went on to score 13 goals in 11 matches and remained a striker for the remainder of his career.^[11]

In 1986 Lovell was injured whilst playing for Wales and was unable to regain a place in the Millwall team and, after a short loan spell with his hometown club Swansea City, was sold to Gillingham for £20,000.^[11] During his time with the Kent club he played over 200 matches and scored over 100 goals, finishing as the club's leading scorer in four consecutive seasons^[12] and equalling a club record by scoring in seven consecutive matches in 1990.^[11] He scored four goals in Gillingham's 8–1 defeat of Southend United in 1987 but bizarrely failed to find the net at all when the team won 10–0 against Chesterfield the following Saturday.

After a brief loan spell with AFC Bournemouth in 1992, Lovell dropped into non-league football, where he played for nine different clubs in nine years, including three separate spells with Sittingbourne. In 2000 he played for Deal Town in the FA Vase final at Wembley.^[13] He finally retired in 2001.^[11]

Managerial career

Lovell's first managerial job came at Sittingbourne, where he was player-manager from February 1995 until September 1996, during which he led the team to the Southern League Southern Division championship.^[14] He then moved on to Gravesend & Northfleet where he was manager for a year.^[11]

After a spell as Football in the Community Officer for Gillingham (which overlapped the end of his playing career) Lovell returned to management with Hastings United in 2003 but left the club in 2004 after a drop in form.^[8] In 2005 he returned for a second spell managing Sittingbourne,^[9] a post he held until October 2007,^[15] when he left to take over at Ashford Town, where he remained until the club's demise in August 2010.^[16]

In December 2014 he was appointed co-caretaker manager of Gillingham alongside Andy Hessenthaler, Darren Hare and Mark Patterson following the sacking of Peter Taylor. The "Gang of Four", as they became to be known, remained in charge of the club until Justin Edinburgh was appointed as manager in February 2016. Lovell remained at the club in the role of first team coach.^[17] In May 2016 it was announced that he had left the club.^[18]

In June 2016, he was appointed as assistant manager of National League side Bromley, where he would work alongside former Gillingham team mate Neil Smith.^[19]

Personal life

Lovell's father Alan was also a footballer, although he only managed a single professional appearance for Stockport County.^[2][11] Lovell's son Mark also became a footballer, turning professional with his father's old club Gillingham in 2001. He also made only one professional appearance before dropping into non-league football.^[5]

References