Steve Tully, growing up between Paignton and Brixham, made an impressive start to his Torquay career before a somewhat surprising release at the age of twenty-one. Moving to Weymouth he was later given an opportunity at Exeter City in 2005 but moved on after just a few games. Back at St James’ Park in 2007, again via Weymouth, Steve won promotion twice with City and appeared over 250 times in a six-year stay. He later successfully managed Truro City.  

Steve, from a farming background, joined Torquay United as a trainee in 1997 and, having made his debut at Barnet in November 1997, became a professional in May 1998. After making 40 appearances in all competitions during 1998/99, Steve turned out 20, 33 and 21 times in each of the following seasons. Then, without ever wholly fading from the scene but maybe not doing quite enough, Steve was released in May 2002 and signed for Weymouth before - after a series of solid performances - accompanying teammate Lee Phillips to Exeter City in February 2005 as Weymouth experienced financial difficulties. With Lee Phillips flourishing, and City coming to the end of a second season in the Conference, Steve made his Grecians debut against Farnborough on 28 March 2005. However his move wasn’t a success and, following just one more appearance, Steve departed the St James’ Park scene.     

As the Dorset club returned to a more even keel, Steve found his way back to Weymouth and - with the team starting to do well in the Conference - played in the Boxing Day 2006 victory over Exeter City before the club’s financial woes resurfaced. City renewed their interest in Steve and this time he joined the Grecians alongside teammates Richard Logan and Lee Elam. Reappearing against Ebbsfleet on 20 January 2007, Steve never looked back and remained in the team throughout the rest of the season appearing in all three play-off games against Oxford United and Morecambe.

Growing as a player all the time, Steve featured in 43 league, cup and play-off matches in 2007/08 participating in each of City’s successful play-off matches against Torquay United and Cambridge United as the club returned to the Football League after a five-year absence. Then, back in League Two the following season, Steve played his first Football League games since leaving Torquay as a youngster as he notched up 39 appearances in all competitions whilst playing his part in the final-day victory at Rotherham United when promotion was assured.

With City now embarking on a three-year stay in League One, Steve was to participate in 41, 49 and 49 games over the next three seasons with the Grecians rising to 8th in the second of those campaigns.

Twenty-nine games followed in the first season after relegation before Steve, now aged thirty-two, was released in July 2013. Unlikely to necessarily seek a new club outside the South West - and having coaching aspirations - Steve had a brief stint with Tiverton Town before joining Truro City in October 2013 where he was to become player-manager in March 2014. Leading the club to promotion from the Southern League in 2015, Steve’s Truro finished 4th in National League South in 2015/16 before losing in the play-offs. In a surprising move Steve wasn’t offered a new contract and, after several attempts to return to first-team management, he worked as an under-15s and under-16s coach at Plymouth Argyle and then with Exeter City’s under-16s. Combining the latter role with running the football programme at a school in Torquay, Steve later moved on in July 2022 to become a professional development coach at Bristol Rovers.   

After just over eighteen months at the Memorial Ground, Steve returned to first-team management when he joined Poole Town in March 2024.