Steve Uzelac R.I.P

[EasyforDennis]

Very sad news about the passing of a real Rovers legend.

[roversdude]

One of my first Rovers heroes along with Kitch RIP Steve

[tommy toes]

RIP Steve. A member of one of my favourite Rovers teams.
Remember him talking about marking Geoff Hurst in a friendly against Stoke.
Says Geoff was asking him about what he did at the weekend as they were standing on the half way line and then shooting off mid sentence, leaving Steve flat footed.

[Donnywolf]

Yes , I'm with you there roversdude. A proper old time centre half .

Always remember the tales of him going to away Games in someone's car as he was prone to Car Sickness .


.

[BobG]

Tough lad was Steve. I remember him as young and fit! How old was he now? I suspect around mid 70's?

I don't think he played in the FL after rhe Rovers released him. Does anyone know what he did subsequently? He was the first CH that I really remember....

BobG

[DD]

Sad to hear that news.
My memory is shocking but I seem to recall him scoring a screamer from 25 yards out - left side of the box into Belle Vue end - I was right in line with it on Pop side. Great goal
RIP

[nightporter]

R.I.P Steve.  Steve and my Dad were mates, He joined us for Christmas Dinner a few times in the 70's, kicked my new leather football with him in the back garden, I was about 8 so probably 1975 ish. Lot of booze enjoyed and he probably played the next day.  He was a great bloke, He bought me a Rovers shirt, took it into the Rovers and all the players signed for me for my 40th birthday. 

[Ian Nimmo]

Sad to hear this, Steve was the same age as me so would be 71.
He was a good young centre half, went to Mansfield and also Preston and Stockport, but he didn’t play many games so didn’t really progress in the game after he left us.

[Lifelong supporter]

Steve was 72.
Played 185 games for Rovers, often alongside Stan Brookes, and finished up at Stockport after a brief spell at Preston.
I heard he became a policeman after retiring from football but might be wrong.

[Monolith No. 9]

Sad to hear that news.
My memory is shocking but I seem to recall him scoring a screamer from 25 yards out - left side of the box into Belle Vue end - I was right in line with it on Pop side. Great goal
RIP

That’d be a midweek game v Stockport County. Remember the goal well.

I met him briefly as a kid when I watched a Rovers XI play against Bawtry Town. He was there watching with Les Chappell and Terry Curran. They kept calling him Urko after the gorilla in Planet of the Apes. Urko was marginally better looking than Uzelac according to Curran. Curran was a bit of a berk and Chappell was a miserable git but Uzelac seemed like a decent bloke.

[JBRover]

Sad to hear that news.
My memory is shocking but I seem to recall him scoring a screamer from 25 yards out - left side of the box into Belle Vue end - I was right in line with it on Pop side. Great goal
RIP

he was 72 Bob

[Wokingviking]

Good player. In his book, Stan Anderson explains that he let him go on a free transfer as he thought he’d given enough to Rovers and should be playing at a higher level.  Went to Preston who were the 2nd Division… maybe Mike Elwiss was still there then too.
Coincidentally, he used to drink in Westminster Club with my Granddad when he was at Rovers.
RIP.

[Sprotyrover]

RIP Steve , our families were very close and he was actually the reason I first went to watch Rovers v Brentford in 1973.

[EasyforDennis]

Sad to hear that news.
My memory is shocking but I seem to recall him scoring a screamer from 25 yards out - left side of the box into Belle Vue end - I was right in line with it on Pop side. Great goal
RIP

he was 72 Bob

You couldn't be more wrong. He joined the prison service when he stopped playing.

[roversdude]

Did his father run a team of big hitters in the mines (Broncos)

[Donnywolf]

I think that rings a bell Rd.

[ravenrover]

Yep my Dad worked with Bronco at Broddie, not sure if he was his Dad or Uncle

[BillyStubbsTears]

He played in the first Rovers match I ever saw. 5-1 against Exeter in 1972. I was hooked by how exotic his name sounded

[Wild Rover]

Steve and his father ( Broncho) used to be fairly regulars in "Hare and Hounds" at Fishlake. I remember one time they were both "Rounding up " cattle which had escaped from a farm up Thorne Rd ( sour Lane) . Kershaws old farm. Never seen anyone like Steve at collating the cattle. Jumping fences and ditches to round em up. RIP Steve.

[Sprotyrover]

Bronko, actually Branko Uzelac was his Dad, a very fine man!

[Lesonthewest]

Really good defender was Steve. Sad news. RIP.

[richtherover]

Farewell Biffo. Very sad news. R. I. P.

[scawsby steve]

RIP Steve. A great CB, and by all accounts his dad, Branko, was a much liked guy at Broddy pit.

[PDX_Rover]

Sad news this. First match for me featured Steve. 1974. RIP.

[karlos]

Used to work with Steve at hmp lindholme top bloke. Rip Steve.

[roversdude]

Nice mention in this write up my first away game https://www.lfchistory.net/SeasonArchive/Game/779

[Mike_F]

I've known Steve as long as I can remember having been close friends with his son since we were toddlers. He was a witty bloke who didn't suffer fools (and would sometimes rightly bollock me when I was a kid) but always had your back.

 He was one of those who almost felt like another parent having spent so much time their house or on holiday together as I grew up. He was always quite humble about his footballing days and was never one for the limelight. As per a lot of players from that era his health suffered in later life from the effects of the extra curricular drinking  (and smoking) culture that was so prevalent in sportsmen with time on their hands. I hadn't seen much of him in the .last couple of years being busy balancing work, kids and the like, it was always a pleasure to see him. It's weird to think I'll never see his familiar smile and the twinkle in his eye again. RIP Steve.

[acacia94]

He played in the first Rovers match I ever saw. 5-1 against Exeter in 1972. I was hooked by how exotic his name sounded

Same BST! It was the exotic Uzelac bit that fired the imagination. Saw him same period. Presume its Slavic Serbian origin?

[Ian Nimmo]

Will never ever forget that Liverpool game, I still see that ball into the bar in the last few minutes. It was into the away end so right in front of the rovers following.
Always hated Kevin after that game!

[The Red Baron]

A few years ago,  thanks to Mike F, I got the chance to talk to Steve. On a warm, spring day we sat outside the Intake Club drinking orange squash and he told me some wonderful stories. I can place the date because we lost 0-1 to Charlton Athletic and we were going through bad times. The chat with Steve reminded of better times.

I was going to write a feature on him  and he was kind enough to lend me his treasured scrapbooks, kept by his mother.  Somehow the opportunity to write the article never arose. It's always later than you think.

RIP, Steve Uzelac .