16th October 1914

Sheffield

Half-Back

Missing the peak of his career because of World War Two, Steve Walker played for Exeter City between 1938 and 1950. He joined the club from Sheffield United, having also played for Leeds United and Gainsborough Trinity. He was to play for Minehead after leaving St James’ Park. 

Starting with Leeds United, Steve was with Gainsborough Trinity when he signed for Sheffield United in May 1937 although he was to never play a league match for the Bramall Lane club. Moving to Exeter City in May 1938, he made his debut at Somerton Park against Newport County on 22 October 1938 and quickly became a regular during the last full season of football before the outbreak of war.

During the war he guested for Dunfermline Athletic, Doncaster Rovers and Southampton whilst serving with the Royal Navy. Appearing for Exeter City again in both 'wartime' seasons of 1944/45 and 1945/46, Steve made 31 league appearances when 'official' football resumed in 1946/47 and continued to play regularly until the 1949/50 season as he added 111 post-war league appearances to those he had made in 1938/39.

Although he only scored three times in the league for the Grecians, Steve netted five times in the two-legged FA Cup games against Trowbridge Town in November 1945 (once in the 3-1 away win and four times in the return 7-2 victory at St James' Park). Playing just eight league games in what proved to be his final season with the club, one of Steve's last games was the FA Cup 4th round loss at Liverpool in January 1950. 
 
Having turned down a player-coach job at Ilfracombe Town, Steve became player-manager at Minehead in May 1950 until taking over a pub in Warminster in 1953. Perhaps more than any other City player, Steve's story is one of 'what might have been' had it not been for World War Two. Had he remained with the club, and injury free, he may well have played over four hundred league games for the club.

Steve Walker died in 1987.

League 141, FA Cup 12 (153)

Plus one game in the Division Three (South) Cup, three league appearances in the abandoned 1939/40 season and thirty-one matches in the interim 1945/46 league competitions

League 3, FA Cup 5 (8)

Plus one goal in the Division Three (South) Cup and eight goals in the interim 1945/46 league competitions