Steve Perryman is to retire as Exeter City’s director of football.
The 66-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur captain will leave in May and end what will be a 15-year association with the League Two club.
Steve joined Exeter after it was relegated to the Conference, I recall him telling me, he had to do something in the game and by then they were his locals.
In May 2012 Steve suffered a torn aorta during the final game of the season at home to Sheffield United and was airlifted to hospital in Plymouth for emergency surgery. The stress of being a Director of Football is a silent killer.
Happily, he made a full recovery after giving just about everyone a real scare.
Inspirational former captain Steve played for us between 1969 and 1986, making a Club record 854 first team appearances in all competitions. Playing initially in midfield and latterly as part of our defence at right-back, he helped us to victory in the League Cup in 1971, UEFA Cup in 1972 and League Cup again in 1973 before leading the team to the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982 and UEFA Cup in 1984.
He was only capped once for England.
Steve made more than 850 appearances for Tottenham, but it was not until April 2012 that he and the club finally came to an accommodation that allowed him to join our Hall of legends, an honour that almost to a person not a single Tottenham fan could understand. Not too long before that I spent time with his and Jimmy Greaves manager, Terry who made me fully aware of what the issue was that laid behind this belated recognition of his services, but I was delighted when finally both the club and Terry found a way through the impasse.
I wish Steve a long and happy retirement. Finally, he can just be another fan – something which he really isn’t very good at – and he knows why!
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