Steve Bould, Arsenal’s new number 2

by Tony Attwood

Steve Bould played as a professional football for 20 years, starting with his local club of Stoke City.

After turning pro he went on loan to Torquay United (a club with which I have a special affinity, and so like to mention whenever I can) during which time the manager was Bruce Rioch, who later had one season with Arsenal as manager.  Steve played nine games in 1982/3 for Torquay.

Despite a period out with a back injury, Steve developed at Stoke, after returning from his loan spell, and he moved to Arsenal in June 1988 for a tribunal set price of £390,000, despite demands for much, much more from Stoke.

And so the Dixon, Adams, Bould, Winterburn defence was set up, and as parrt of that Steve won the league in 1989 and 1991.  He was also player of the year for the club in 1991/2 and on 15 August 1992 scored the first Premier League goal for Arsenal.

He also won a Cup Winners Cup medal in 1994 and he gradually lost his place to Martin Keown who had returned from a spell at Villa, but he still won the double with the club in 1998.   Indeed everyone who was at the final game of the season against Everton will remember that he knocked the ball forward perfectly for Tony Adams to score the fourth goal of that game which guaranteed the league title.  (If I may add a personal note – I have never know n the north bank move so much as it did then – I seriously thought the whole structure was going to collapse.   After the goal I look out to the street from my place in the upper tier and suddenly realise that the roads were packed solid with supporters who had failed to get into the ground).

Steve moved to Sunderland in 1999 for £500,000 – which meant an amazing profit to Arsenal on the transfer deal.  Eventually he retired after 21 games with Sunderland.

In June 2001 he returned to Arsenal and became youth team coach, and then head coach of the under 18 side that won their league in 2009, and 2010 and the youth cup in 2009.  He then became Assistant Manager in May 2012.

Steve has been a great servant to the club, and everyone at the Arsenal History Society wishes him every success in his new role.

 

9 Replies to “Steve Bould, Arsenal’s new number 2”

  1. “Steve Bould played as a professional football for 20 years”

    That’s hilarious!

  2. One of our unsung heroes. Hope Steve makes our defence as capable as was in his time.

  3. “Steve Bould played as a professional football for 20 years.”
    Best typo ever! Haha.

  4. “Steve Bould played as a professional football for 20 years, starting with his local club of Stoke City.”
    So Stoke were kicking around Arsenal players even then? :p

    That shameful poke aside…

    Thanks for the interesting post – good to see that he had so much success with the Youth team.

    and..

    “on 15 August 1992 scored the first Premier League goal for Arsenal.”

    and that TA assisst was just a superb moment. So sweet that two defenders, those tw defenders, combined for such a well grafted goal.

    I had forgotten that too.

  5. D’oh!
    I had forgotten about the first EPL goal – never tha TA assist 🙁

  6. Morning tony,I hope he brings in his defending experience cause we need improvement in that area

  7. kehinde

    Why would Steve Bould be a better defensive coach than Pat Rice who played in a team that conceded only 29 league goals in 1970-71 and was assitant-manager to a team that conceded only 17 league goals in 1998-99 and 26 in 2003-04?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *