One of soccer player Jamie Zrobak’s fondest memories of Steve Steele was, before any game he refereed, Steele would make the players tuck in their jerseys and pull up their socks or he would not start the match.
Iain Livingstone, a longtime friend of Steele, said as a referee, he wasn’t known as a whistleblower.
“Just a quiet word from Steele on the field was enough to make the players behave,” said Livingstone.
Steele is remembered by many in Powell River’s soccer community and at the mill, where he worked as a millwright, as a humble man; funny, quiet and with a quick-witted sense of humour.
It was 20 years ago that Zrobak, now president of Powell River Villa soccer club, first laced up his cleats for the Steve Steele Memorial Boxing Day Match, and he is hopeful to play again this year in the friendly game honouring the memory of a Powell River soccer pioneer.
“I’ve missed a couple of games due to injury, being beat up from playing Villa games, but I haven’t missed too many,” he said.
Steele was also a family friend of Zrobak. “He was such a great guy,” he said. “He had a lot of involvement in Villa, the men’s league and refereeing.”
The Boxing Day match actually pre-dates Steele. It began as a fundraiser for the Cup of Milk fund the former Powell River News sponsored, beginning in the late 1960s. The match has been held in Steele’s honour since 1993 and proceeds are donated to BC Cancer Society.
Steele passed away after a long battle with cancer and his friend Livingstone has a lasting memory of him.
“He’d been having treatment and he was wearing a little cap because he’d lost a lot of hair,” said Livingstone. “That was the last time I remember seeing him on a soccer field.”
Livingstone said his last visit with Steele was a few days before his passing, and only weeks away from the opening games of the World Cup hosted by the United States in 1994.
“England weren’t in it, but it didn’t matter to him,” said Livingstone. “The World Cup was a big thing for him, so he was quite anxious to hang on to see who won it. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it.”
Steele was an integral part of soccer in Powell River. He was a player, coach and went on to do some refereeing. He was the initial coach of the Villa ladies’ soccer team, when there was one.
“He was very well-liked,” said Livingstone. “He was a quiet fellow. He liked his beer, no question about that. He was a really good soccer player. He’d played semi-pro for one of the lower English teams before he came here. He’d been around playing soccer all his life.”
There was only one year the memorial game held in Steele’s honour was cancelled, and that was due to a heavy snow, but it’s been on every other year, according to Livingstone, even when the weather has been inclement.
The friendly match is played between players from Powell River Villa soccer club and a team comprised of players from the men’s league and other players who are home for the holidays.
Zrobak said last year the game attracted a number of fans, despite terrible weather. According to his own forecast for this year’s match, he said “it’s probably going to be cold but clear, and we’re hopeful to get a lot of people out.”
Steve Steele Memorial Boxing Day Match will be played 1:30 pm on December 26 at Brooks Secondary School’s turf field.
