Tony Steenson, the former Hyde United captain and organiser of celebrity charity football matches, has died aged 78 after falling ill while on holiday in Portugal. Tributes have been paid by sports stars and celebrities who knew him as "The Gaffer".
Charity match organiser remembered
Steenson organised the All Stars charity football matches, which raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity over the past 50 years in Manchester. He also played for Hyde United, Salford Amateurs, and Mossley. During his professional life he worked as sales director for Newsquest Media, while in his personal life he arranged hundreds of charity events for decades.
Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall was among those paying tribute, sharing a photo with the caption "The Gaffa" and posting: "I love you mate. Some of my favourite memories of 30 yrs with you."
Stars pay tribute
Coronation Street legend Phil Middlemiss said: "I met Tony when I first came to do Coronation Street in 1990 and we travelled all over with the football team the All Stars. He was a very good friend of mine, he was a real character, a lot of people say that about people but Tony was the real McCoy - one of the nicest guys I've ever met."
BBC DJ Mike Sweeney said: "I met Tony Steenson in 1983 when I played in his testimonial match at Hyde United, he then took over as manager of The Piccadilly Attackers and made us one of the most successful charity football clubs in the country. Tony spent over four decades arranging charity football matches and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity. He was an absolutely unique individual and I was proud to have him as a teammate and one of my oldest friends. I'll miss you so much Tony."
Career highlights
Steenson began playing in the late 1960s with Salford Amateurs, who eventually evolved into League 2 team Salford City. He signed for Mossley in November 1972 but returned to Salford Amateurs after the manager resigned. He re-signed for Mossley in August 1973 and made 133 appearances, scoring four goals over two seasons. He joined Hyde United in September 1975, returned to Mossley in August 1984 as assistant manager, and was later appointed player-manager.
Hyde United posted: "The Hyde United Board are extremely saddened to hear of the recent passing of former Player & Captain, Tony Steenson. Having joined in 1975, Tony went on to make 276 appearances for the Club up to leaving at the end of the 83/84 season and was Supporters' Player of the Year in 77/78. A born leader and organiser (you could literally hear his shouts all around the ground!), he was arguably one of Hyde United's greatest ever captains, leading the team to the Cheshire League treble in 81/82 and promotion back to the Northern Premier League."
The club added that its historian, Mike Pavasovic, is producing a more in-depth tribute, and that the club intends to pay its respects properly at a future match. Manchester-born former West Bromwich star Len Cantello said: "Great guy. Not enough words to say how he was respected in everything he touched. I think I speak for everyone in the football world - he will be so sadly missed. As he always said, top man, and he was."
