Does anyone remember the first Stephen Ward?
Not the Republic of Ireland international currently on loan at the Amex, but Albion’s reserve player of the 1970s.
When I asked on North Stand Chat, ‘One Teddy Maybank’ replied:
Yes, I don’t think he made an appearance for the first team, but being a keen youngster at the time, I watched a fair amount of mid-week league reserve fixtures. He probably would have been OK in the old Div 4, but just didn’t quite have the ability for the level Mullery had us playing at. He was sort of ungainly in movement…..
He was never going to displace Horton, Piper, Clark or any of the other midfielders around that time.
Although no relation to Peter, Stephen Ward does feature in various Brighton squad photos from 1975/76 to 1978/79. Here he is in 1976/77:
Back row: Tony Towner, Joe Kinnear, Vaughan Woolley, Stephen Ward, Robin Madden, Alan Lewis, Carmine Porpora, Steve Eley.
Middle row: Alan Mullery, Michael Jones, Dennis Burnett, Gerry Fell, Graham Cross, Andy Rollings, Ken Gutteridge, Ian Mellor, Chris Cattlin, Sammy Morgan, Graham Winstanley, Colin Murphy, Mike Bamber.
Front row: Glen Wilson, Ken Tiler, Harry Wilson, Peter Ward, Peter Grummit, Michael McKen, Philip Smith, Brian Horton, Peter O’Sullivan, Fred Binney, Steve Piper, George Aitken.
The Goldstone Wrap 
Yes, I remember the first Steve Ward !! Actually he was my best friend at senior school, Noel Baker in Derby. We played for school and for Derby Boys together. After leaving Brighton Steve went on to play for Halifax & Kettering Town. We always made a point of getting together once a year to play golf along with Steve’s brother Chris. In fact Chris had a trial with the Seagulls, he played up front in a friendly against Southampton youth at the Goldstone.
After leaving football Steve worked at Rolls-Royce in Derby for a time. He subsequently moved to the West Midlands, I think the Redditch area.
How do I know all this ? My name is Vaughan Woolley, I am standing between Steve & Joe Kinnear in this team photo !!
Best Wishes to all Seagulls fans and I have so many happy memories of my 3 years or so at the Albion between 1975 and 1978.
Vaughan Woolley
[…] and Brian Clough both knew Vaughan from Derby as he was captain of Derby Boys when at school. Another Brighton reserve, Stephen Ward, and Vaughan grew up together, went to the same school, Noel-Baker, and played for Derby Boys at […]
I spent a very sexy night with Stephen Ward when he played for Halifax Town in 1980 and was nuts about him for a long time , I called my son Stephen
Ruth
I met Stephen Ward when he played for Halifax Town in 1980, I was besotted!