S TEVE K EMBER
Reserve Team Manager

Date of Birth : 8th December 1948

Birth Place : Croydon

Reserve Team manager Steve Kember is a local lad who first joined Palace as an apprentice in 1963, at the age of 15. He signed professional terms on his 17th birthday. Apart from becoming captain of the team in 1970, he gained an England Under-23 cap in that same season. He was in the side promoted to the top division for the first-time and inevitably followed other successful Palace players in moving on to a 'bigger' club, Chelsea in 1971. From there he moved to Leicester, but came back to Selhurst Park in 1978 under Terry Venables when Palace won the second division championship. Steve went to Canada and joined the Vancouver Whitecaps for two years, but re-joined Palace in 1981, when he was appointed coach to the youth side. After a brief spell as first team-manager, successful in that he avoided relegation to the Third Division, he was displaced by Alan Mullery in a surprising move that later proved to be mistaken. He re-joined Palace again as part of Alan Smith's coaching staff in 1993 and helped with the First Division Championship winning side. His record with the club as a player and coach is remarkable, having played 295 times and scored 38 goals from midfield. He has been involved in almost every major success that Palace have had in one capacity or another. To many Palace fans, the sight of Steve Kember working with the present players, during the warm-up before a match starts; is one of the most pleasing parts of a game and indicates the affection high regard the fans have for him.

Alan Johnston's profile of Steve - including full playing career details.