Lifelong fan Steve’s book explores Scarborough Athletic’s brilliant season away from home

An award-winning journalist, prolific author, successful publisher and photographer, his articles and books chronicle the beautiful game - particularly the often-overlooked world of non-league football.

Tireless in his pursuit of a story and hugely enthusiastic, Steve is passionate about non-league football as a whole. “There is something more genuine about it, more intimate,” he says. “Fans, players and volunteers are all pulling together, like a band of brothers.”

Born in Leeds but raised in Scarborough and educated at Pindar School, Steve has supported his local team since the age of 11. His first match came in 1975, when Scarborough, then in the Northern Premier League, drew Wimbledon in the FA Trophy.

“A friend of my dad’s took me, and I went chiefly because Wimbledon had gained a reputation for giant-killing acts in the FA Cup against Burnley and Leeds,” Steve recalls.

Every detail of that afternoon remains etched in his memory, including Scarborough’s winning goal, scored by Tony Aveyard. “It’s especially poignant,” he says, “because a couple of years later, Tony died so tragically young on the football pitch.”

It was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with the club. As a youngster, he was already producing newsletters for all and sundry, nurturing an ambition to become a journalist. Being rejected by the then-Scarborough Evening News at the age of 16 was only a temporary setback. He became a postman and climbed the ranks with the GPO, eventually moving to the pay office in York.

At 25, and married, he finally got his big break as a junior journalist at the Selby Times. “I took a real gamble,” he says. “I forfeited 50 per cent of my salary, but I pursued my dream and got my foot in the door.”

It launched a remarkably nomadic career that has seen him live in 25 different homes, moving frequently between Yorkshire and East Anglia. “You could call me the journalistic equivalent of ‘have boots, will travel,’” he laughs.

There were promotions, a couple of redundancies, and eventually the ultimate responsibility of editing a regional weekly. Yet through every move and major life change, non-league football remained a constant.

So when Scarborough Athletic were forced to leave their home, Steve’s journalistic instincts told him it was a story that simply had to be told.

The resultant ‘Home Is Away - A Season in Exile with Scarborough Athletic’ is a compelling, beautifully presented book, chronicling the turmoil and triumph of that extraordinary season.

Published by his own imprint, Penny For Your Sports, the 330-page, glossily illustrated work details a remarkable campaign in which problems at Scarborough Sports Village forced the club into temporary exile, with every home fixture played at Bridlington Town’s Queensgate ground.

The 18-mile trek down the coast halved the average crowd from around 1,600 to a faithful 800, putting huge strain on finances. Grappling with severe logistical and financial pressures, the Seadogs were tipped by bookmakers as prime relegation candidates.

“The running theme was, would the club survive?” he says. “Instead, they defied every expectation.”

Producing this labour of love meant setting other commitments aside. “Basically, I had to step back from much of my other work and dedicate a year to it,” Steve explains. “I live in Lincolnshire, so although my journey to home matches was a bit shorter, I was now covering many away fixtures.”

Steve’s dedication shines through on every page. Far more than a match-by-match diary, the book brings the campaign to life through vivid reports, statistics and behind-the-scenes interviews with players, manager Jono Greening, and club directors and staff - notably marketing manager Rhiannon ‘Ree’ Hunt, the club’s only full-time employee.

Crucially, it also shines a light on the unsung heroes who keep non-league clubs afloat, from groundsmen and photographers to first-aiders and the kitman.

Scarborough Athletic finished sixth in National League North - their highest-ever finish in the English football pyramid - and improbably clinched a place in the promotion play-offs.

Though their fairy-tale run ultimately ended with a brave 4-2 play-off eliminator defeat away at Buxton, simply reaching that stage was a monumental achievement.

With the club now finally back on home turf, that gruelling season when every match was away is officially history.

But its story has been preserved in a book that is about far more than football results.

It is a story of loyalty, resilience and community – a club tested to its limits and a remarkable group of people who refused to let adversity defeat them.

For Steve it is also the latest chapter in a career devoted to telling the stories that might otherwise go untold - and a fitting tribute to the enduring spirit of non-league football, where the rewards are measured not in millions, but in memories, friendships and a shared love of the beautiful game.

Home Is Away - A Season in Exile with Scarborough Athletic by Steven Penny is published by Penny For Your Sports and available now in Scarborough from: Mrs Lofthouse’s Emporium, Queen Street; Indie Revival, Newborough; The Hideout, Columbus Ravine; the Scarborough Athletic club shop and programme hut on match days; or via eBay direct from the publisher. The RRP is £16.