Kevin Austin RIP

My best memory is that he stood up to Akinfenya in a match against Doncaster.

He was a solid and reliable player for us.

RIP.

Very sad news. Kevin was a superb human being and my thoughts are with his family and loved ones. xx

Always sad when someone dies young. My condolences to the family.

Sad to hear of the death of former Rovers defender Kevin Austin who died of cancer aged just 45 years old.RIP


KEVIN LEVI AUSTIN

b 12.12.1973 Hackney d 24.11.2018 Sheffield

6’ 1”; 14 st D

Début: 28.9.02 v Kidderminster Harriers

Career: Edward Redhead School, Walthamstow; Orient (schoolboy); football in Phoenix, Arizona; 1991 Leyton Wingate; 1.8.92 Saffron Walden Town; 19.8.93 Orient (free) [101+8,3]; 31.7.96 Lincoln City (£30,000) [127+1,2]; 5.7.99 Barnsley (free) [3,0]; 27.10.00 Brentford (loan) [3,0]; 1.8.01 Cambridge United (free) [4+2,0]; 1.7.02 Bristol Rovers [52+4,0]; 18.6.04 Swansea City [110+10,0]; 5.6.08 Chesterfield (free) [41+13,0]; 3.8.10 Darlington (free); 18.2.11 Boston United (loan); 13.6.11 Boston United (free) (to March 2012).


Sturdy and dependable central defender Kevin Austin was a feature of Rovers’ defensive line as the club struggled to establish itself in the basement division following relegation in 2001. His début as a 72nd-minute substitute for Trevor Challis, which followed a delay caused by a toe injury, came seconds before Paul Tait headed Rovers’ equaliser. He had made his début for the reserves in a 2-0 defeat at QPR ten days earlier. Austin was sent off in an FA Cup-tie at Bournemouth in November 2003 and again along with goal-scorer Adebayo Akinfenwa in the home match with divisional leader Doncaster Rovers in April 2004. Although he never scored a League goal in his career, his very late header from a left-wing corner in Rovers’ 4-0 drubbing at Yeovil was not far off the mark. A Spurs fan, who was taught PE at school by Tony Mercer, a highly experienced former non-league player, Austin had made his Orient début at Brentford in September 1993, played against Rovers that December and suffered relegation to Division Three in 1994-95. An ever-present as Lincoln were promoted to Division Two in 1997-98, he played alongside Paul Miller and Lee Thorpe at Sincil Bank and was sent off at Notts County in October 1998. He experienced highs and lows at Lincoln, helping the Imps knock Manchester City out of the League Cup but losing an FA Cup-tie to Wakefield and Emley and crashing 7-1 in the League at Colchester. Although his career at Barnsley was cut short by a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered against his former club, Lincoln, and a subsequent ten-month absence from football, he had attracted interest from Trinidad and Tobago, his parents’ country of birth, and he won one full cap in November 2000 in a 1-0 victory against Panama, the erstwhile Rovers striker Nigel Pierre scoring the only goal. Promoted to League One with Swansea in 2004-05, playing with Lee Thorpe, Ijah Anderson and Andy Gurney and appearing at The Mem in April 2005, he also appeared in the victorious 2005 Welsh Cup Final and was an unused substitute for the Football League Trophy Final against Carlisle United in April 2006. Sent off as Swansea defeated Bristol City 7-1 in September 2005, “The Doorman” played as the Swans subsequently lost a play-off final to Barnsley on penalties in 2006 and played twice against Rovers in March 2008 before being an unused substitute as Darlington knocked Rovers out of the FA Cup in November 2010. He also played eight times for Saffron Walden, thirteen for Darlington and 39 for Boston. Kevin Austin lived in Sheffield with his wife Joanne and sons Aaron and Kyle and helped out at the Sheffield Wednesday Academy and with the Sheffield Ladies University side. In March 2012 he launched the Sheffield branch of “Active Soccer Football Coaching” at 17 Shinning Bank, Handsworth.

A fine tribute Keith, thank you. x