The tragic news of Steve Hardwick’s passing has been made public through an official Newcastle United statement (see below).
From 1976 until 1983, the former NUFC goalie spent seven years with the team.
Steve Hardwick played for Newcastle United’s first team more than 100 times in that span.
Having signed in the summer of 1982, Kevin Keegan’s final seven league games were the first seven of the 1982–1983 season.
In the game against QPR, Steve Hardwick was in goal for Kevin Keegan’s historic and unforgettable first goal. Who knows how many people were actually inside St. James’ Park on that day—let alone the many thousands who were unable to enter—despite the declared attendance of 35,718.
Official statement from Newcastle United, September 18, 2024:
Steve Hardwick, a former goalie for Newcastle United, passed away at the age of 68.
Hardwick, a Mansfield native, started his professional career at Chesterfield before signing with the Magpies in December 1976 for a club record £80,000.
Hardwick, a former amateur and youth international for England, played for United for six years at St. James’ Park, totaling over a century of competitive appearances. In 1983, he left Tyneside to join Oxford United, helping the U’s climb from the Third Division to the English Premier League before moving to Huddersfield Town in the summer of 1988.
Following a three-year tenure with the Terriers, Hardwick had played in almost 600 league and cup games.
He was an enthusiastic cricket player for his club and subsequently played for Hoylandswaine, a village cricket team in Yorkshire. He started out as a wicketkeeper and eventually rose to the position of captain and groundsman, residing in a community close to Barnsley.
Everyone at Newcastle United is thinking of Steve’s family and friends.
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