'I snubbed playing in Wembley final to give a team-mate a game' - ex-Portsmouth, Newcastle, QPR and Colchester winger Ian Stewart

As a left winger, he amassed 31 appearances and two goals for Northern Ireland, including representing his country in the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico.

He also featured for QPR, Newcastle and Pompey in Division One, before his career petered out with Aldershot and then non-league football.

It was while with then-Conference side Colchester United that he reached the FA Trophy final in May 1992.

Stewart had featured in the previous three matches in the competition for Roy McDonough’s side, netting twice.

Yet when it came to the showpiece occasion against Witton Albion in front of 32,254 at Wembley, he turned down first-team selection.

He told The News: ‘Martin O’Neill had asked me to join Wycombe in non-league, we were quite chummy from Northern Ireland.

‘It was February 1992 and I played in a friendly. At half-time we had a bit of a discussion, I wasn’t a yes person and there was a bit of a row.

‘Some of the players said “You shouldn’t be speaking to Martin like that”. I told them “I’ll speak to him however I want” and stormed out at half-time.

‘It was all to do with me slipping while taking a corner kick, I can laugh now thinking about it!

‘The next morning I was meant to ring Martin and sign for them, but instead Roy McDonough at Colchester met me and I joined them. I don’t think I spoke to Martin for years afterwards.

‘Colchester were doing really well in the Conference and I loved helping them win promotion to the Football League. It was on goal difference ahead of Wycombe too.

‘I was only going to play in the league, not the cup matches, but then some of the players got injured and I was needed.

‘For the away semi-final legs against Macclesfield, I was even asked by the manager to play as he didn’t want to go with some of the young lads. I didn’t even play in my normal position for that.

‘I wasn’t really interested in playing the final. I just wanted to play in the league and go home, that’s it.

‘There were boys who had been at Colchester for years, so I told the manager “Listen, let them play, I’m not interested”.

‘I had gone there and done what I had promised – to help them win the title and return to the Football League.

‘I’ve played at Wembley three or four times with Northern Ireland. I’d had my day in the sun, so wasn’t really interested. So I wasn’t in the squad.

‘When they won 3-1, I was delighted for them. I had enjoyed my 12 weeks at Colchester and met a lot of nice people.’

Stewart played 14 times and scored four goals during his short stay with Colchester – and also declined returning with them to the Football League.

Instead he spent a spell at Harrow Borough, before retiring at the age of 32 and taking his coaching badges.

He added: ‘When Colchester got promoted I thought that was me done, that’s enough. I didn’t want to play in the Football League any more.

‘I was aged 32 when I decided enough was enough. You either want to play a good standard of football or not play at all. So I stopped.

‘It was an easy decision. I had let myself go a wee bit and wasn’t playing to the standard I knew I could, such as dribbling with the ball, running at speed, the control, beating two or three players.

‘I could have stayed at Colchester for a few more years I suppose, but what for? It was time.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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