Steve Walklate

Steven "Steve" Walklate (born 27 September 1979) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Darlington and in the Scottish League for Queen of the South. He began his career at Middlesbrough without playing first-team football for them,[1] and also played non-league football for a number of clubs in the north-east of England, mostly in the Northern League.

Steve Walklate
Personal information
Date of birth (1979-09-27)27 September 1979[1]
Place of birth Durham, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder, defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– Middlesbrough 0 (0)
2000–2001 Darlington 6 (0)
2001 Blyth Spartans 2 (0)
2001 Queen of the South 7 (0)
2001–2005 Durham City (2)
2005–2006 Bedlington Terriers
2006–2008 Sunderland Nissan
2008–2011 Shildon
2011 Bishop Auckland
2013–201? Crook Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He played either as a midfielder or in defence, whether at full back or in his preferred position of central defender.[3]

Football career

Walklate was born in Durham,[2] He was a member of Chester-le-Street Junior Schools representative football team for two years rather than the usual one,[4] and played for Durham County Schools at under-16 level.[5] He began his career with Middlesbrough, but never played for their first team, and after a trial,[6] signed for Darlington ahead of the 2000–01 Football League season. He made his debut on 2 September 2000, as a second-half substitute in the Division Three match at home to York City which finished as a 1–1 draw, and made his first start in the League Cup visit to Division One club Nottingham Forest a few days later; he was replaced at half time by eventual match-winner Stuart Elliott.[7][8] He also played in the next round of the competition, as Darlington lost 7–2 to Premier League club Bradford City.[7] His short-term contract was extended, and he made six more appearances in all competitions, the last of which was on 26 December, before being released at the end of February 2001.[9] According to the Northern Echo's correspondent, manager Gary Bennett was having to ask players, Walklate included, "to fill the boots of their of their quality predecessors – but the new bunch simply weren't up to the task".[10]

After his release, Walklate played two Northern Premier League matches for Blyth Spartans,[11] and then one Scottish Second Division match as a triallist for Queen of the South, in a 2–2 draw with Berwick Rangers on 25 March. He signed for the club, remained in the starting eleven for the next fixture, also against Berwick, and also a draw,[12] and appeared in five of Queens' six remaining matches, all but one as a starter.[7]

He returned to England and joined Durham City of the Northern League, with whom he was to spend four years. He assisted the team to four successive top-six finishes, including runners-up spot in 2003–04. In his first season, they progressed through seven rounds to the semi-final of the FA Vase only to lose to Whitley Bay on aggregate score,[13][14] and Walklate scored his first goal for the club in the Northern League Challenge Cup final, in which Durham beat Shildon on a golden goal to secure their first ever senior trophy.[15] His second and third seasons were disrupted by a double leg fracture suffered during a match in March 2003; he made his first-team comeback at the end of October.[16] He scored just twice in league matches,[17] at each end of the 2004–05 season: the late fourth in a 4–0 win away to Billingham Town, and a 35-yard (32 m) lob in a 1–1 draw at West Auckland Town.[18]

Walklate spent the 2005–06 season with Bedlington Terriers,[3] and then joined Sunderland Nissan.[19] He stayed with Nissan for two seasons, in the second of which he received the Manager's Player of the Year award.[20] The same year, he was a member of the Hetton Lyons team that won the FA Sunday Cup.[21] Walklate then spent three seasons with Shildon,[22] a few months with Bishop Auckland,[23] and a spell with Crook Town during which he helped them win the Northern League Division Two title.[24]

References
  1. "Steve Walklate". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  2. Rollin, Glenda, ed. (1999). Playfair Football Annual 1999–2000. Headline. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-7472-5975-6.
  3. "Archive: 2005–6: Penpics". Bedlington Terriers F.C. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  4. "District team: Past teams". Chester-le-Street Junior Schools Football Association. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  5. "Results and players 1995–96 to 1997–98". Durham County Schools' Football Association. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  6. "Experimental Quakers fail to impress". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 16 July 2000. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  7. "Games played by Steven Walklate in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  8. "Young guns are fired-up after cup win". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 8 September 2000. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  9. "Blow for Quakers". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 31 October 2000. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
    "Quakers boss persuades Jackson to forget Trophy glory". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 1 March 2001. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  10. Stoddart, Craig (13 August 2001). "High hopes at Feethams". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  11. "Blyth Spartans v Workington – 13th March 2001". Blyth Spartans A.F.C. Archived from the original on 23 April 2001.
    "Results and Fixtures – 2000–2001". Blyth Spartans A.F.C. Archived from the original on 15 April 2001.
  12. "This months latest news". Queen of the South F.C. March 2001. Retrieved 26 November 2014 – via QoSArchive.co.uk.
    "Referee wasn't on the spot for Berwick". Berwick Advertiser. 4 April 2001. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  13. "Durham City". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  14. Fox, Peter (30 March 2002). "FA Vase Semi-Final 2nd Leg". Whitley Bay F.C. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  15. Milgate, Ken (6 May 2002). "City win silver with golden goal". Durham City A.F.C. Archived from the original on 18 September 2003.
  16. "The Albany Northern League Today: Crunch time for Crook". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 22 March 2001. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
    "Albany Northern League". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne. 25 October 2003. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  17. "Statistics". Durham City A.F.C. Archived from the original on 9 May 2006.
  18. Milgate, Ken (17 August 2004). "City top the Bill". Durham City A.F.C. Archived from the original on 10 October 2004.
    "Albany Northern League". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne. 27 March 2005. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  19. "Albany Northern League". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 12 August 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  20. "End of season Awards". Sunderland Nissan F.C. 28 April 2008. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008.
  21. Stoddart, Craig (27 April 2008). "Hetton reclaim Sunday cup". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  22. "Skilltrainingltd Northern league". The Journal. Newcastle upon Tyne. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
    "Season Archive". Shildon A.F.C. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  23. "Whitley Bay 2 Bishop Auckland 1". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
    Simpson, Ray (4 December 2011). "Double figure win best ever for Shildon manager Forrest". Telegraph and Argus. Bradford. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  24. Simpson, Ray (8 February 2013). "Expect a tougher game this week, says Ainsley". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
    Todd, Ian. "Crook Town AFC Northern League Division 2 champions Season 2012–13". Crook Town A.F.C. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
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