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Diminutive striker Mark Stein was enjoying a prolific season with Stoke
City when Chelsea manager Glenn Hoddle swooped to seal his signature for
£1.5 million in October 1993. Purchased to add goals, if not weight, to
a woeful strike force, Stein made his debut in a 1-0 defeat by Oldham
at Stamford Bridge and subsequently failed to find the net during his
first seven games, from which Chelsea managed to secure a paltry two
points. He eventually broke his duck in a 3-1 defeat at Southampton
which saw the Blues fall into the relegation zone but that goal was the
catalyst for an outstanding run of goals which shot Stein into the
limelight and lifted the gloom around SW6. 24 hours later he struck the
only goal of the game against Newcastle and found the net again in each
of his next five Premiership games to set a new top-flight record by
scoring in seven consecutive matches. In addition to the aforementioned
strikes, Mark netted in wins over Swindon and Everton, against whom he
struck twice, and in 1-1 draws against Norwich and Aston Villa. He
struck another brace against Everton in a 4-2 defeat, that scoreline
transposing the score when the two teams had met just weeks earlier at
Stamford Bridge.
At the end of February, Stein struck twice, including a
last minute penalty, as Chelsea won a topsy-turvy game with Spurs 4-3
and a week later his headed pass set up the only goal of the Blues'
clash with champions Manchester United for Gavin Peacock. However, he
was later stretchered from the field at Old Trafford and was unavailable
for selection until the final day of the League season. Mark returned
for a clash with Sheffield United and, with Chelsea trailing 2-1, he
scored twice, including a last minute winner, to consign United to
relegation. In his enforced absence, the Blues had negotiated their way
to the FA Cup Final and Stein was selected for the Wembley showpiece
against Manchester United. There was to be no dream ending for Stein
though as he struggled for fitness throughout the game and was
eventually substituted as Chelsea collapsed to a 4-0 defeat.
Stein's
1994/95 season was ruined by injury as the legacy of returning too soon
the previous season rendered him unavailable for selection for the first
half of the campaign. He returned in time to again score crucial goals
as the Blues battled against the drop, including a brace in a 2-1 win at
Manchester City and winning goals against Aston Villa and Arsenal. His
most spectacular goal, however, came at Upton Park with a stunning shot
to defeat West Ham that recalled memories of Marco Van Basten's
super-strike in the 1988 European Championship Final. He finished the
season with eight goals from 21 League appearances in addition to three
goals in cup competitions. Sadly, as Chelsea splashed out on big name
signings in a bid to return to the big time, Stein was unable to
replicate his previous form. He failed to find the net in eight
early-season appearances in 1995/96 and thereafter became a perennial
reserve for the next two years, during which time he failed to break
back into the first team at any time. In the summer of 1998 he joined
Bournemouth on a free transfer. (Kelvin Barker)
1984–1988 Luton Town 71 (23)
1986 Aldershot (loan) 2 (1)
1988–1989 Queens Park Rangers 44 (7)
1989–1991 Oxford United 92 (18)
1991 Stoke City (loan) 5 (3)
1991–1993 Stoke City 123 (68)
1993–1998 Chelsea 63 (25)
1996–1997 Stoke City (loan) 11 (4)
1997 Ipswich Town (loan) 11 (3)
1998 Bournemouth (loan) 11 (6)
1998–2000 Bournemouth 116 (44)
2000–2001 Luton Town 36 (4)
2001–2003 Dagenham & Redbridge 76 (40)
2004 Waltham Forest 7 (3)
Total 486 (255)
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