# Steve Mardenborough
**Steve Mardenborough** (Stephen Alexander Mardenborough, born 1964 in Selly Oak, Birmingham) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward and winger for more than twenty clubs in [England and Wales](https://www.edgepedia.org/england-and-wales) between 1982 and 2003, with his most substantial spell at [Darlington](https://www.edgepedia.org/darlington).[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) • [2](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Alexander Mardenborough[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) |
| Born | Selly Oak, Birmingham, 1964[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) |
| Position | Forward; also listed as winger and central midfielder[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) • [2](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough) • [3](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/steve-mardenborough/profil/spieler/621838) |
| Senior debut | Preston North End (home), League Cup, 4 October 1983, as a substitute[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) |
| Career totals | 368 appearances, 46 goals, sent off twice[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) |
| Best-known club | Darlington, 1990 to 1993, over a hundred league appearances and eighteen league goals[4](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/5544) |
| Honours | Fourth Division winner with Cardiff City (1987/88) and Darlington (1990/91); Vauxhall Conference champion with Darlington; Darlington top scorer 1992/93[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) |
| Retirement | Last club Barry Town, 2003; retired 1 February 2004[3](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/steve-mardenborough/profil/spieler/621838) |
## Early career
Mardenborough began as an apprentice at Birmingham City and then Coventry City, turning professional in October 1982. He made no first-team appearance for Coventry, and moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 1983.[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) • [2](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough) His senior debut came as a substitute against Preston North End in a League Cup tie on 4 October 1983, and he made nine league appearances for Wolves in the 1983/84 season, scoring once, in a campaign that ended with the club's relegation from the First Division.[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) • [5](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=4802)
A loan to Cambridge United followed in February 1984, then a move to Swansea City in July 1984, where he scored seven league goals in the 1984/85 season.[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) • [2](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough) At Newport County between 1985 and 1987 he was a regular scorer, with 13 goals in 61 starts and 17 substitute appearances, and he scored twice against Wolves on 21 December 1985.[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) • [2](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough) Spells at Cardiff City, where he was in the Fourth Division promotion-winning side of 1987/88, and Hereford United followed, with a season in Sweden at IFK Östersund in 1989 and a short stay at Cheltenham Town before the move that defined his career.[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) • [2](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough)
## Darlington, 1990 to 1993
Mardenborough joined Darlington in June 1990, and the Feethams club was where he settled longest. The Grecian Archive records that he made over a hundred league appearances for Darlington, scoring eighteen times.[4](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/5544) Soccerbase's match-by-match record gives 79 league starts and 27 substitute appearances with 18 league goals in that period, consistent with the hundred-appearance figure once substitute entries are counted.[5](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=4802)
The honors list from these years is dense: Darlington won the Fourth Division as champions in 1990/91, were relegated from the Third Division in 1991/92, and won the Vauxhall Conference, with Mardenborough the club's top scorer in 1992/93.[1](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/) He left in May 1993.[4](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/5544)
## Later league career
Lincoln City signed him for £10,000 in July 1993, and he spent the 1993/94 season there, scoring two league goals in 14 starts and 7 substitute appearances.[5](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=4802) In the summer of 1994, shortly before his 30th birthday, he tried to win a contract at Exeter City after playing in the opening reserve fixture against Yeovil Town; the club wanted to sign him but was blocked by a recently imposed transfer embargo.[4](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/5544)
His professional career then wound down quickly. He played fourteen further league games across short spells at [Scarborough](https://www.edgepedia.org/scarborough), Colchester United, and a brief non-contract return to Swansea City, where he made a single appearance in the 1995/96 season.[4](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/5544) • [5](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=4802) At Colchester United, signed on a free transfer from Stafford Rangers by Steve Wignall, he debuted on 26 August 1995 against Lincoln City and scored in that 3-0 win, finishing with 2 goals in 14 appearances.[2](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough)
## Welsh league years
From 1995 onward Mardenborough moved through a long sequence of Welsh clubs: Cwmbran Town, Inter Cardiff, Aberystwyth Town, Rhayader Town, Haverfordwest County, Port Talbot Town, Llanelli, Carmarthen Town, and finally Barry Town in 2003.[4](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/5544) The Lincoln City fan site The Stacey West describes his time with Inter Cardiff and then [Aberystwyth](https://www.edgepedia.org/aberystwyth) as probably the best spell of his career; COLUDATA credits him with 68 appearances and 16 goals for Inter Cardiff between 1997 and 1999, and 51 appearances and 15 goals for Aberystwyth Town between 1999 and 2001.[6](https://staceywest.net/2016/08/04/steve-mardenborough/) • [2](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough) His final recorded club was Barry Town, for whom he made one appearance in 2003, and Transfermarkt records his retirement as 1 February 2004.[2](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough) • [3](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/steve-mardenborough/profil/spieler/621838)
## Family
Mardenborough is the father of [Jann Mardenborough](https://www.edgepedia.org/jann-mardenborough), who became a Formula 3 driver; a 2016 Lincoln City fan account describes him supporting his son's racing career while working for an electricity firm in [South Wales](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-wales).[6](https://staceywest.net/2016/08/04/steve-mardenborough/)
## References
1. [Mardenborough, Steve, Wolves Complete History](https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/mardenborough-steve/)
2. [Steve Mardenborough, COLUDATA, the Archive Database for Colchester United](https://www.coludata.co.uk/players/stevemardenborough)
3. [Steve Mardenborough, player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/steve-mardenborough/profil/spieler/621838)
4. [1994 Mardenborough, Steve, The Grecian Archive, Exeter City FC](https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/5544)
5. [Steve Mardenborough, Football Stats, Soccerbase](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=4802)
6. [Steve Mardenborough, The Stacey West, 4 August 2016](https://staceywest.net/2016/08/04/steve-mardenborough/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 1970–1989*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license