Steve Hetzke

Steve Hetzke
Personal information
Full nameStephen Edward Richard Hetzke
Date of birth3 June 1955
Place of birthMarlborough, England
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing positionDefender (retired)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1971-1982Reading261(23)
1976→ Vancouver Whitecaps (loan)18(0)
1982-1986Blackpool140(18)
1986-1987Sunderland31(0)
1987-1988Chester City14(0)
1988-1989Colchester United29(2)
Total475(43)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Stephen Edward Richard Hetzke (born June 3, 1955 in Marlborough, Wiltshire) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a defender.

Career

Hetzke began his career with Reading, where he twice won promotion from Division Four and received a testimonial match after leaving for Blackpool in July 1982 for a £12,500 fee, which was settled by a tribunal.

He made his debut for Blackpool in the opening league game of the 1982–83 campaign, a 2–1 defeat at Mansfield Town on August 28, 1982. He went on to make a further 42 league appearances that season, scoring twice.

He appeared in all but one of Blackpool's 46 league games in 1983–84, scoring seven goals. Two of these were game-winning penalties in single-goal victories – firstly against Torquay United at Bloomfield Road on December 17, 1983, and then ten days later against Hartlepool United at the same venue.

In 1984–85, Hetzke, who by now was the club's captain, made 30 league appearances and scored five goals, including both goals in a 2–0 victory at Torquay United on December 15, 1984. Blackpool won promotion to Division Three at the end of the season.

Hetzke's final season at Blackpool, 1985–86, saw him make 23 league appearances and score four goals. His final appearance for the club occurred on February 22, 1986, in a single-goal defeat at Cardiff City.

In March 1986 Hetzke joined Sunderland, although after relegation to Division Three in 1986–87 he moved on to Chester City. He made his Chester debut in a 5–0 home defeat to Northampton Town at the start of 1987–88 and added just thirteen more league appearances before joining Colchester United in a £10,000 transfer in February 1988.

Hetzke finished his league career at the Layer Road club at the end of the 1988–89 season.

Honours

Reading

Blackpool

References