Robert Loudon Steel (25 June 1888 – 1972) was a professional footballer who played for clubs including Greenock Morton, Port Glasgow Athletic,[2] Tottenham Hotspur and Gillingham.[1][3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Loudon Steel[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 25 June 1888 | ||
| Place of birth | Newmilns, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 1972 (aged 83–84) | ||
| Position(s) | Inside left | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Newmilns | |||
| Kilwinning Rangers | |||
| 1906–1908 | Greenock Morton | 0 | (0) |
| 1906–1908 | → Port Glasgow Athletic (loan) | 50 | (7) |
| 1908–1919 | Tottenham Hotspur | 226 | (41) |
| 1919–1920 | Gillingham | 19 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Steel joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1908 from Port Glasgow (along with Willie Bulloch, who soon returned to Scotland)[4] and played mainly in the inside left position, although he was versatile and willing to fill in several roles, including in defence.[5] He featured in 245 games and scored 45 goals in all competitions[6] (but not counting unofficial fixtures during World War I) before joining Gillingham at the end the conflict – featuring in the 1919–20 Southern Football League[7] – and later becoming a referee.[5]
While at Tottenham, he was selected for the annual Home Scots v Anglo-Scots trial match in 1909[8] but never played for Scotland at full international level.[3]
His brothers Danny and Alex were also footballers, with Danny also having a significant spell at Tottenham Hotspur and Alex spending time with FC Barcelona; the three siblings played together in one Football League fixture against Bradford City in January 1910.[9][10]
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