Full name Stephen W Dunn 1992–1995 Football League Years League 1995–2006 Premier League | ? -1986 Football Conference Name Steve Dunn 1986–1992 Football League Role Referee | |
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Born 24 October 1957 (age 66)
Gloucestershire, England ( 1957-10-24 ) | ||
Stephen W. Dunn is an English former FA Premier League football referee. He was born on 24 October 1957. He resides in his birthplace of Bristol, England with his wife.
Career
Steve Dunn started refereeing local matches in 1978.
He progressed through the Gloucestershire County League, the Western League and the Football Conference to become a linesman in the Football League in 1986.
His appointment to the Football League list of referees came in 1992, and in the same year he became one of the first of the new FIFA assistant referees.
Dunn's first ever Premiership match was on 23 August 1995, when Tottenham lost 1–0 at home to Aston Villa, the only goal coming from Ugo Ehiogu.
He reached the FIFA list of referees in 1997. Thus he became the first English official to achieve the "double" of the FIFA referees and FIFA assistants lists, a feat later matched by Steve Bennett, Graham Barber and Matt Messias. He completed six years at this level, stepping down at the age of 45 in 2002, although he continued refereeing as an over-age official in the 'domestic' competitions until 2005.
In 2000, he was the man in the middle at the FA Trophy Final between Kingstonian F.C. and Kettering Town.
One of his career highlights was the 2001 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Liverpool, when the 'Gunners' lost 2–1, their goal supplied by Freddie Ljungberg, but with two late goals coming from Michael Owen to reverse the scoreline at 90 minutes.
He would go on to referee Football League Cup semi-finals in 2002 and 2004.
Dunn's final Premier League game was Fulham's emphatic 6–0 win at home to relegated Norwich City on 15 May 2005.
He refereed his last professional match on 18 May 2005, when he took charge of West Ham's 2–0 win against Ipswich Town in the Championship play-off semi-final 2nd leg at Portman Road, both goals coming from Bobby Zamora. He was appointed to referee for the following season (2005–06) but made no appearances due to injury.