Remember When: Steve Gaughan
By Ray Simpson
Steve Gaughan (by Craig Stoddart) The Doncaster-born midfielder joined Sunderland in 1992...
Steve Gaughan (by Craig Stoddart)
The Doncaster-born midfielder joined Sunderland in 1992 and he was an integral member of the 1995-96 side that reached the Twin Towers in the Division Three-play-off final, but after the 1-0 defeat to Plymouth he joined Chesterfield.
You should never go back to a former club is one of football’s unwritten rules, it’ll never be as good second time around they say, but Gaughan returned to Feethams in 1997 and was again an influential force.
He left again, prior to the 1999-00 season, but in the Farewell to Feethams book, published in 2002, he said: “David Hodgson told me he was going to sign more players and I might be on the fringe. I opted to join Halifax, which was a mistake.
“Hodgy told Peter Duffield the same thing, yet Peter became a key figure in the team that got to Wembley for a second time, and I might’ve been a regular too.”
He is pictured celebrating Mario Dorner’s goal in a 3-2 win against Exeter in January 1998. Gaughan crossed from the right for Andy Crosby to win the ball in the air, and set up Dorner to volley home the first goal of the day. Gaughan was also involved in Quakers’ second goal, pulling the ball back from the byline for Glen Naylor to cheekily beat Ashley Bayes with a back-heel.