| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Joseph McMahon | ||
| Date of birth | 20 August 1961 | ||
| Place of birth | Halewood, Merseyside, England | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1979–1983 | Everton | 100 | (11) |
| 1983–1985 | Aston Villa | 75 | (7) |
| 1985–1991 | Liverpool | 204 | (29) |
| 1991–1994 | Manchester City | 87 | (1) |
| 1994–1998 | Swindon Town | 42 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1981–1983 | England U-21 | 6 | (0) |
| 1988–1990 | England | 17 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1994–1998 | Swindon Town | ||
| 2000–2004 | Blackpool | ||
| 2005 | Perth Glory | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Stephen Joseph McMahon (born 20 August 1961) is an English former football midfielder who most notably played for Liverpool in the late 1980s. He is currently a football pundit for the Asia-based sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports.[1]
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Halewood-born McMahon started his career at Everton, the club he supported as a boy, playing for them as a teenager after appearing at Goodison Park as a ball boy. He made his league debut on 16 August 1980 in the 3–1 defeat to Sunderland at Roker Park, he went on to be voted the supporters player of the year by the end of the 1980/81 season. His commanding presence in the Toffees midfield earned him the captaincy of the club but Everton's lack of success couldn't quench his thirst for honours, so after 4 seasons which included 100 league appearances and 11 league goals McMahon was on the move.
He joined Aston Villa on 20 May 1983 for £175,000 (apparently rejecting a move to Liverpool in order to stay in the good books of the Evertonians), he made his league debut on 27 August 1983 in the 4–3 derby win over West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park. McMahon settled quickly and established himself in the heart of the Villains midfield. However the success he craved never materialised with Villa finishing a disappointing 10th in his first season at the club, and to confound matters his previous club, Everton, finished 3 places above them in 7th spot. The following season, 1984/85, ended up worse than the previous one as Villa finished in 10th spot again, only this time Everton won the title.
McMahon agreed to join Liverpool on the 12 September 1985 for £350,000 thus becoming the first signing to be made by new manager Kenny Dalglish, and filling the void left by Graeme Souness over a year earlier. He made his debut 2 days later on the 14th in the 2–2 league draw with Oxford United at the Manor Ground. He didn't have to wait long for his first goal either, it came a week later on the 21 September against his former club, Everton. McMahon's 42nd minute strike turned out to be the winner as the Reds triumphed 3 to 2.
He played a crucial role in Liverpool's "double" winning side of that season, although his joy at winning a League championship medal was tempered slightly by his omission from the side for the FA Cup final which again was ironically against rivals and former club Everton, the first all Merseyside FA Cup final. However, he was more fortunate than the other players left out by Dalglish as McMahon was given the substitute's role and ended up with a winners' medal when Liverpool won 3–1, though he did not get on to the pitch.
The following year, McMahon this time started at Wembley when Liverpool contested the League Cup final against Arsenal. He set up the opening goal for Ian Rush but they ultimately lost the match 2–1. He had earlier scored four goals in Liverpool's record 10–0 victory over Fulham in the same competition. McMahon had also missed a penalty in the same game, which would have made him the only Liverpool player to score five goals in a competitive game that season but scored another hat-trick in the following round against Leicester. In total, he scored nine goals in the League Cup that season, as well as five in the league, totalling 14 in all competitions, although Liverpool enduring only their second trophyless season in more than a decade.[2]
Dalglish reshaped the side the following season, incorporating new signings John Barnes, Peter Beardsley, John Aldridge and Ray Houghton but McMahon remained in the side. By now his reputation as one of the best hardmen in the game was established. Though his tackling was often subjected to scrutiny by the football authorities and criticism from opposing players and managers, there was no doubt that his skills as a footballer were of the highest order.
McMahon scored frequently for a man in his position as Liverpool played some of the best club football ever seen and coasted to the 1988 League title. Memorable strikes included a 30 yard shot against Manchester United and the opener in a crucial Merseyside derby against Everton, although Liverpool only won the latter of those two games. When Liverpool reached the FA Cup final again, McMahon was one of the team's two Scousers (along with Aldridge) obliged to perform a localised rap on the official FA Cup final song Anfield Rap, written in a trend-encapsulating rap and house music style by team-mate Craig Johnston.
The song got to No.3 in the UK charts, but Liverpool surprisingly lost the final at Wembley to Wimbledon. McMahon was afforded the ultimate respect by Vinnie Jones, who said that if he could stop McMahon, then Wimbledon could stop Liverpool. Jones and Mcmahon locked horns early on, and Jones fouled Mcmahon aggressively early on in the game with a two footed tackle. In Jones's autobiography he recounted that he wanted to "take out their top man" and McMahon actually managed to smash Jones in the eye with his elbow on the way down from the tackle, which lead to a cut and scar on his face that remained on his face for a while.[3]. Mcmahon also clashed with John Fashanu and Dennis Wise frequently throughout the match, as things got more physical although Liverpool lost on the day. McMahon was eventually voted second place in the PFA Player Of the Year Awards, the winner being his colleague John Barnes. Liverpool dominated the awards that year and McMahon was seen as one of the best players in what many experts regarded as the most exciting Liverpool team of all time.
Later in 1988, McMahon won his first of 17 caps for England. There had been widespread clamouring in the press for manager Bobby Robson to select him, and indeed ITV commentator Brian Moore rapped a verse to that effect on the Cup final song ("Well Steve McMahon sure can rap, it's about time he had an England cap; so come on Bobby Robson, he's your man; 'cause if anyone can, Macca can!") with the last expression repeated in a scratch mix manner to emulate Melle Mel's rap which eulogised Chaka Khan on her 1984 hit I Feel For You. Robson awarded him his debut on the 17 February '88 in a friendly international with Israel in Tel Aviv. McMahon played the full 90 minutes along with fellow Reds Barnes and skipper Beardsley but couldn't influence a victory having instead to make do with a goalless draw.
In 1989 McMahon was again a regular fixture as Liverpool again chased a "double" of League and FA Cup. As one of the local lads in the team, he was deeply affected by the Hillsborough disaster during the FA Cup semi-final on the 15 April, he, along with the rest of Liverpool F.C, showed great compassion and attended a number of the funerals. Brian Clough was publicly critical of McMahon afterwards, although many people could understand the scousers determination to propel the Reds into the final which was to be played against Everton, a fitting final in many peoples eyes, he also wanted to bring the famous old trophy back to Anfield as a dedication to the 96 supporters who lost their lives.
Liverpool won the Cup by 3 goals to 2 – McMahon set up the opening goal for Aldridge after just 4 minutes of the final – but they lost the League title in a decider at Anfield against Arsenal. Television viewers saw McMahon telling his team-mates they were one minute from victory and another "double" and shouting "come on!" to himself as the game's last seconds ticked away, only for Arsenal midfield player Michael Thomas to score Arsenal's late winner and win the championship.
McMahon again played frequently as Liverpool won back the title in 1990 but lost out on another "double" when they were beaten 4–3 by Crystal Palace in a thrilling FA Cup semi-final, in which McMahon scored.
He was then selected by Robson for the England squad which would play in that summer's World Cup in Italy. Competition was fierce as he had to compete with Bryan Robson, Paul Gascoigne, David Platt and Neil Webb for a central midfield slot. McMahon came on as a substitute in the opening group game against the Republic of Ireland, but was responsible for gifting the Irish side their equaliser in the 1–1 draw – he miscontrolled a ball midway inside his own half of the pitch and Kevin Sheedy, a former Everton team-mate of McMahon's, stole the ball and crashed a shot past Peter Shilton. McMahon started the later group game against Egypt which England won, and then started the second round match against Belgium. He did not do a lot wrong in this game, but fatigue and a tactical change saw him replaced by David Platt, who went on to score a spectacular winner and keep hold of his place right through until the semi-final defeat against West Germany, scoring twice more during the tournament. McMahon did not feature again until the 3rd place play off against Italy. He would play just once more for England after the World Cup, in a Euro 92 qualifier against Republic of Ireland in November 1990.
Graeme Souness had by now taken over as Liverpool Manager in 1991 and he immediately had some disagreements with some senior players including Mcmahon. In Souness's book, The Management Years he recounted that several players who were over 30 including Mcmahon were looking for bigger contracts at the end of their careers and were prepared to move elsewhere if their terms weren't met. There was also some resentment as new signings like Mark Wright were on bigger salaries, and the senior players wondered why players who had yet to win any trophies at Anfield could be earning more. Souness decided to sell Mcmahon, Houghton, and Beardsley as well as the young Steve Staunton thus removing three of Liverpool's best players under Dalglish and breaking up the last great Liverpool team to win a title. After playing 15 games of the 1991/1992 McMahon left Liverpool to join Manchester City for £900,000 on Christmas Eve 1991 after playing 276 games, during which time he scored 50 goals. Souness later admitted that he had sold some key players too soon, when he should have kept longer them until suitable replacements were found. In the end Souness bought Michael Thomas and Paul Stewart to compete in central midfield, neither of whom were to ever reach the same level as Mcmahon, despite Thomas having been a promising, energetic player at Arsenal and famously scoring against his future employers in 1989 to secure Arsenal the title, he was beset by injuries and never able to fully replicate the important role vacated by Mcmahon. In Stewart's case, he did not blend in at all and left soon after he signed. [4]
McMahon made his City debut two days later on Boxing Day in a 2–1 win over Norwich City at Maine Road. During his time for City, Mcmahon was initially seen as someone who would help raise their game due to his aggression and quality, but unfortunately the quality of team around him was not the same as at Anfield. Niall Quinn pointed out in his autobiography that Mcmahon reminded him of Roy Keane in his intensity and will to win- "Because he expected to win trophies, he could make the players at City feel bad about themselves, because we didn't have the same expectations... He was too intense for us... The lucky go happy atmosphere in our squad just didn't appeal to him". [5]
In 1993, McMahon was featured in Vinnie Jones's infamous Soccer's Hard Men video, in which Jones talks about his adoration and respect for other "hard men" from the past and present including Graeme Souness, Bryan Robson, Norman Hunter, Jack Charlton, Peter Storrie, Ron Harris and Nobby Stiles. Jones describes McMahon as his "only real rival" in modern day football for the accolade of "hardest man in football". He also described an incident where McMahon got his revenge on Vinnie for his nasty tackle on McMahon in the 1988 FA Cup Final whereby at Anfield the next season, McMahon kicked Jones to the floor with his studs, forcing him to have stitches on a major cut. [6]
McMahon played in 87 league matches for the Sky Blues before an offer to become player-manager of Swindon Town tempted him away from Manchester.
McMahon, a hero widely admired for his role as part of the late 1980s great Liverpool team, is fondly remembered by Liverpool FC and the club's fans, evidenced by having placed in 42nd position in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop poll which asked Red supporters to name the best 100 players of all time.
When he arrived at Swindon in November 1994, they had recently been relegated from the Premiership and were battling against a second successive relegation.
McMahon joined them as they were preparing for a Coca-Cola cup match with Derby. Caretaker manager Andy Rowland picked the team, and the Town progressed to the next round. McMahon took full control for the next game – a league match at Southend – and he picked himself in the starting line-up. The Town lost 2–0, and McMahon was sent off.
McMahon's first victory came with a 2–1 scoreline against top-of-the-table Middlesbrough.
As transfer deadline day approached, rumours were rife that leading goalscorer, Jan Åge Fjørtoft, would be leaving the club – most sources quoting a fee of between £3m and £4m. When the day finally came, Fjørtoft was sold for £1.3m – McMahon saying that no other offers were on the table.
After Fjørtoft left, the goals dried up. The Town failed to score in six of the next eight matches, and were relegated to Division Two. McMahon was quoted as saying the relegation left him "feeling lower than a snake's belly".
The Town bounced back the following season, winning the Second Division championship. McMahon won three manager of the month awards, and the manager of the year. The two top scorers that season were McMahon signings: Wayne Allison, arriving from Bristol City, and Steve Finney, from Manchester City, and the only real problems the Town had were breaking down the opposition's stubborn defence, most sides playing for a draw.
The next two seasons followed similar patterns – a decent start, followed by a poor run-in. In 1996–97, Town held a mid-table position right up until the middle of March, but then scored just two goals in their last ten games – getting thumped 7–0 at Bolton, 5–1 at Oldham and 4–0 at Ipswich in the process – ending up in 19th place.
The following season's demise was far more dramatic. A win at Portsmouth on 31 October 1997 took the Town to the top of the table, a position they held until the middle of November. They remained in a play-off position up until the middle of December, and then won just three of the remaining 24 matches, scoring just twelve goals. Again the Town slumped to huge defeats – 6–0 at Man City, 6–0 at Middlesbrough and 5–0 at Norwich.
When the 1998–99 season kicked off, Town had no wins and just three goals (two of which were own goals) in the first five games, the calls for McMahon's head began to be heard. Chairman Rikki Hunt and McMahon seemed united – McMahon saying he wouldn't resign, Hunt saying he wouldn't sack him. Two consecutive derby wins, against Bristol City and Oxford, only strengthened their position. This was followed by a 5–2 defeat at Portsmouth – and when Watford then won 4–1 at the County Ground, the fans held an on-pitch protest, sitting in the centre circle at the end of the match, demonstrating that both McMahon and Hunt should resign. McMahon left the club "by mutual consent".
His next stop came at Blackpool, with whom he signed an 18-month contract on 7 January 2000. He stated that the job was a "great opportunity"[7] and that his main task was to "keep us afloat this year and get us in a position where we can be safe".[7] It was not to be, however: in May they were relegated to Division Three, but McMahon took them to promotion via the play-offs the following season and also won two League Trophies in three years. He signed a new contract with the club on 8 February 2001 that would see him remain in charge until at least the end of the 2002–03 season.[7]
He left Blackpool following an argument over funds just before the final game of the 2003–04 season, having resigned midway through the season, only to burst in on the 15 January press conference announcing his decision to withdraw the resignation following a talk with chairman Karl Oyston. He spent his time after Blackpool as a pundit for BBC.
He was signed in early 2005 as the manager of Perth Glory F.C. for the inaugural Australian A-League season. However his tenure at the club was short. A combination of media speculation, poor signings, indifferent form, player discontent, a poor media image and an apparent dispute with the board saw him sacked in December 2005.
In early February 2006 through 2007, McMahon signed an eighteen-month contract to work as a television pundit for Asia-based ESPN Star Sports, and is currently in the process of extending his contract by three years. There, he worked alongside the likes of John Dykes as commentators, wrote his own blog,[8] and was based in Singapore. His comments during the broadcast are famous for being highly anti-Manchester United and he is often accused of being partisan towards his former clubs during broadcasts and hence leading to inaccurate and lopsided predictions. He was also responsible for recruiting other former English football stars like Les Ferdinand and fellow ex-Liverpool players, Ian Rush and Steve McManaman,[9][10] and was part of the draw for bringing them onto the shows like "Football Focus", "Final Score" and for coverage of live FA Premier League matches.
McMahon joined Profitable Group on their board of Directors as Group Commercial Director in March 2008 leading the Group's Strategic Sports Investment Division.[11]
It was revealed in the News of the World that the group had tried to purchase his former club, Everton, but were knocked back.[12]
It has also been reported that McMahon has played a part in the Group's rumoured bid for Newcastle United. .[12]
In late July 2009. McMahon has explained that Profitable Group had ended its interest in buying the club due to a lack of "communication and response" from Mike Ashley. [13]
The news media eported that the Singapore-based Profitable Group has shown no proof of funds. Since Profitable Group has shown no proof of funds, their offer was obviously rejected.[14] The Profitable Group was alleged by some to just be drawing up publicity and any serious involvement by them was met with skepticism by supporters. Since then, the sports investment division led by McMahon was taken out of the Group's website.[11]
As of May 2011 Profitable Group have ceased trading and are under investigation by the CAD (commercial affairs department) of Singapore.[15]
McMahon's brother, John, was an assistant manager of Shrewsbury Town, and was formerly on the coaching staff at Tranmere Rovers and now the current Reserves Manager for Liverpool FC, and his son, Steve McMahon, Jr. is a defender who played for Perth Glory F.C., Blackpool and was loaned out to Kidderminster Harriers in 2004.
On 20 June 2000, McMahon was charged with assault following an incident at a party at his home in Formby. He was bailed to appear before Sefton magistrates. His solicitor, Kevin Dooley, said it was a storm in a teacup and had been blown out of all proportion by the police. "It should have been dealt with as a minor domestic matter, and I am surprised that the police have decided to charge Mr McMahon. He denies all the allegations and will contest them vigorously."[7] In 2003, Dooley was struck off for his involvement in a multi-million pound fraud plot.[16]
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