551 Dave Stewart

Biography

Pacy winger Charles David Stewart was plucked from the youth team of Northern Irish League side Bangor in July 1974 and joined Hull City on apprentice terms, playing several times for the Tigers’ Reserves side during the 1974/75 season. After making his first team debut in April 1975 Stewart was offered his first professional contract in July 1975, an event that triggered a £20,000 transfer fee to Bangor. Although initially bought to Hull by manager Terry Neill, an ex-Northern Ireland international who hailed from the same town, Stewart’s introduction to the first team was guided by Neill’s successor John Kaye. Kaye took a cautious approach to young players and flair players so Stewart spent the next two seasons on the fringes of the first team but impressing when he did get his chances.

Dave scored his first goal for the Tigers in August 1976, the second strike in a 4-0 drubbing of Southampton. Towards the end of 1976/77 season Kaye used Stewart more often and he began the 1977/78 season a first team regular. A poor run of Tigers form drew Kaye’s tenure to an end and when new manager Bobby Collins took over Stewart received a fillip, starting nearly every game and scoring goals including a superb brace in a 4-1 win over Cardiff in November 1977.

Injuries saw Dave miss two months in the early weeks of 1978 and when the next season began City had hands the managerial reins to Ken Houghton. Stewart was no longer in favour and played only five times under Houghton’s leadership during the 1978/79 season. Late in the season Dave requested to visit Australia and recover from injuries, City refused this wish and offered Stewart a new contract, but that offer was rebuffed and he was released in the 1979 close season.

In May 1979 Stewart joined Division Two side Chelsea, who were managed by former Northern Ireland manager Danny Blanchflower, but his time at Stamford Bridge lasted only six months and did not feature any first team appearances. In November 1979 he joined Division Four side Scunthorpe United – who had made a previous approach for Dave in March 1979 – and he went straight into the first team, debuting in November 1979 against Rochdale. He scored his first goal for The Iron in December 1979 against Newport County and across three seasons he scored twenty goals in 108 appearances for Scunthorpe United as they drifted around the bottom half of the Division Four table.

Despite being a first team regular at the Old Show Ground, Stewart was released by Scunthorpe United in the 1982 close season. In July 1982 ex-Tiger Geoff Barker, manager at Northern Counties East League side Bridlington Trinity, made an approach for Stewart and he joined Trinity a few weeks later. In November 1982 he switched to Northern Premier League side Goole Town, linking with another ex-Tiger manager Stuart Blampey – his performamces and goals for Goole impressed enough to attract the attention of Division Four side Hartlepool United. Dave joined Pools in March 1983 on a short term contract and he made 8 appearances during the remainder of the season, but was not offered a longer term contract and left in the 1983 close season. In August 1983 he returned to Goole Town, now a Northern Premier League side, then in October 1983 he joined Northern Premier League rivals Grantham Town. He served the Gingerbreads for two years before leaving the club in October 1985 amid a financial crisis, drawing an end to his playing days to a close at the age of 27.

Shortly after joining Hull City in July 1974 Stewart was involved in the Northern Ireland youth squad and was called up throughout the 1974/75 season. As his career progressed at the Tigers Stewart made his full international debut for Northern Ireland in November 1977 when he started a World Cup qualifying tie against Belgium at Belfast’s Windsor Park. It transpired that this would be Stewart’s only international honour.

Details

Nationality: Northern Ireland
Date/Place of Birth: 20 May 1958, Belfast
Hull City First Game: 12 April 1975, Blackpool H (Division Two), 16 years, 327 days old
Hull City Final Game: 31 March 1979, Lincoln City H (Division Three), 20 years, 315 days old

Clubs

Hull City (1974-1979), Chelsea (1979), Scunthorpe United (1979-1982), Bridlington Trinity (1982), Goole Town (1982-1983), Hartlepool United (1983), Goole Town (1983), Grantham Town (1983-1985)

Hull City Record

Career: 63 apps, 7 goals