Steve Sumner

Steven Paul Sumner (2 April 1955 – 8 February 2017) was an English-born, New Zealand footballer who played as a midfielder. He was captain of the national team during the country's first successful campaign to qualify for the World Cup, in 1982. He is also the first New Zealander to score in the World Cup, doing so in the 54th minute in New Zealand's 1982 opening game against Scotland.

Club career Born in Preston, England, Sumner began his football as an apprentice at Blackpool before moving to New Zealand in 1973 to play for Christchurch United, winning the National League in his first year. Sumner went on to win 6 Chatham Cups and 5 league titles. He is the only player to have won six Chatham Cup winners medals.

International career His international career spanned from 1976 to 1988, including a record 105 appearances for New Zealand (beating the record previously held by Brian Turner), 58 of which were A-internationals.

Sumner scored a national record six goals during New Zealand's 13–0 defeat of Fiji during the 1982 World Cup qualifying campaign. He was also one of New Zealand's only two scorers in the 1982 World Cup Finals tournament in Spain (along with Steve Wooddin), in New Zealand's 5–2 loss to Scotland. He was the first player of the FIFA Oceania zone to score in a World Cup.

In 1991, he was inducted into the New Zealand Soccer Media Association Hall of Fame and was then awarded FIFA's top award, the FIFA Order of Merit, before the opening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, along with Johan Cruyff and former South African president Thabo Mbeki.

Career statistics International

+ List of international goals scored by Steve SumnerNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition 1. 23 March 1977 Auckland, New Zealand 2–0 6–0 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification 2. 3–0 3. 4–0 4. 26 July 1979 Nouméa, New Caledonia ?–0 2–0 Friendly 5. 25 February 1980 Nouméa, New Caledonia 1–0 1–3 1980 Oceania Cup 6. 25 April 1981 Auckland, New Zealand 3–3 3–3 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification 7. 3 May 1981 Ba, Fiji 2–0 4–0 8. 16 August 1981 Auckland, New Zealand 2–0 13–0 9. 7–0 10. 9–0 11. 10–0 12. 11–0 13. 13–0 14. 14 December 1981 Kuwait City, Kuwait 1–1 2–2 15. 15 June 1982 Málaga, Spain 1–3 2–5 1982 FIFA World Cup 16. 25 September 1983 Auckland, New Zealand 1–1 3–1 1984 Summer Olympics Qualifiers 17. 3–1 18. 7 October 1983 Tokyo, Japan 1–0 1–0 19. 5 June 1985 Gisborne, New Zealand ?–0 3–0 Friendly 20. 7 June 1985 Auckland, New Zealand ?–0 2–0 21. 5 October 1985 Auckland, New Zealand 3–0 5–1 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification 22. 4–1 23. 5–1

Later life and death After retiring Sumner maintained his involvement in football, being employed by TVNZ as a media personality. He also sat on the executive board of the Wellington Phoenix bringing much needed professional playing experience to the table. In August 2015, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, from which he died on 8 February 2017, aged 61.

Steve Sumner Trophy In 2018 New Zealand Football named the Man of the Match trophy for the New Zealand Football Championship final after Sumner, calling it the "Steve Sumner Trophy". It was first awarded to Callum McCowatt after he scored the only goal in Auckland City 1–0 win over Team Wellington in the final. McCowatt won it a second time the following year, this time while playing for Eastern Suburbs, where he scored a hattrick in the finals, again against Team Wellington.

Honours Individual Sumner in 2016, after his investiture as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the governor-general, Patsy Reddy. New Zealand Footballer of the Year: 1983 Golden Boot: 1983 Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (for services to football), 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours IFFHS Oceania Men's Team of All Time: 2021

Club Christchurch United National League: 1973, 1975, 1978, 1988 Chatham Cup: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1989

Manurewa National League: 1983 Chatham Cup: 1984

Gisborne City Chatham Cup: 1987