Team-mate's tribute to goal-scoring "legend" Steve

Joe Roebuck told how Steve Burns, who died ten days ago from motor neurone disease, averaged two goals a game while playing for the Internet Millers team.

Steve also enjoyed a successful career in the Rotherham and District Sunday League.

But Joe said it was his spectacular exploits playing in the Internet Football Association (IFA) League that had really caught the eye.

He said: “Steve Burns’ reach as a legend extended far outside the Rotherham Sunday league.

“He is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Internet Millers where he regularly scored between 40 and 60 goals a season in a UK national league that consisted of only 20 games.

“The Internet Millers were a group of Rotherham fans that came together through the Internet and were part of the Internet Football Association (IFA) League.

“The IFA is built on the slogan ‘Building bridges between rival sets of supporters’ and the Internet Millers followed the ‘main’ team around the country playing the fans team of our opposition in the morning before going to watch the game in an afternoon.

“Steve fired the goals that saw IMFC be crowned the UK national champions in 2005 and in the same year they won the Worldnet tournament, where he scored 12 goals in an 8 game international tournament, beating the likes of Manchester United en route to victory.”

Steve’s place in history, Joe recalled, was sealed in dramatic fashion.

“He added to his legend status by scoring the golden goal in the last minute of extra time in the final,” he said.

“He also stamped his mark as a legend by representing his country in a supporter's international against Scotland, in which he scored all three goals in a 3-2 victory against the old enemy.

“A short number of years after IMFC was founded, Steve found out about the Internet Millers and was invited along to play.

“Little did we know at the time this lanky-looking youngster would turn out to be the goal scoring legend he was.

“He quickly established himself as the main striker for the team and if he didn't score two or more goals in a game it was almost a disappointment.

“What was never a disappointed was his ability to drink real ale after the match with his mates.”

Joe said Steve’s death on Sunday, July 4, had prompted “an outpouring of emotion across the country from those same players from the opposition he once tore to pieces”.

He added: “This is because the IMFC was not all about playing football, it was about making friends around the country and building bridges with other clubs.

“There was none better at this than Steve Burns, and with his big smile and unbelievable ability to organise he has left behind a trail of friends from many clubs across the UK, from Edinburgh to Barnsley to London.

“We have not only lost a legend of RDSL and IMFC, we have lost a best friend who wherever he went put a smile on peoples face.

“He may be gone but he will never be forgotten and he will live forever in the records as the best ever goal scorer to grace the UK supporters league.”

Steve, who grew up in Rotherham and was also a member of Rotherham CAMRA and Rotherham Round Table, leaves a wife, Sarah, and two sons, Charlie and Max.

His funeral will be held on Friday, July 15, at Hutcliffe Wood Cemetery at 12.30pm. Donations in lieu of flowers will be accepted for St Luke’s Hospice.