Robert Stein
Right-hand Bat
Right Arm Medium
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Debut: 21.05.1977
House: Field
At LP: 1965-1970
Batting head-gear
None
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Fielding head-gear
None
Favourite Graham Carter nick-name
1/2R
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What are your three favourite films?
1 - The King's Speech
2 - Lawrence of Arabia
3 - Doctor Zhivago
What is your desert island book?
History of Chelsea F.C.
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What is your desert island luxury item?
A Telephone
Please provide your eight desert island discs:
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1 - Blue Day - Chelsea F.C.
2 - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart
3 - Beethoven's 5th
4 - Beethoven's 9th
5 - Land of Hope and Glory - Elgar
6 - In the Summertime - Mungo Jerry
7 - Hey Jude - The Beatles
8 - Its All Over Now - Rolling Stones
Beer or Wine: Wine
Tea or Coffee: Tea
Wet Shave or Dry Shave: Dry
Pietersen or Boycott: Boycott
Warne or Murali: Warne
WG Grace or Bradman: Bradman
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And what are your three things to go into Room 101?
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1 - Not returning calls
2 - Ignoring emails
3 - Being given the “run around” by telephonic agents through the touchphone system
Robert “Arthur” Stein ( or Steennee as he is more usually known ) was in the original line up batting at No. 4 in the club’s first ever game on 21 May 1977. He soon became involved and offered his services of help in the club’s administrative duties. As a result he took over as Fixture Secretary after the first two seasons and remained in that role for 11 years and also continued as Availability Secretary through to 2001, thus playing an active part in running the club for 23 years. From 1978 to 2006 the club took part in the Brewers’ Cup competition for old boys’ sides and Robert represented us on the committee for 27 of these years.
On the field “Arthur of the City” started out batting in the mid to high order but he then tended to open the innings on a regular basis in his later years ( he played his last game on 20 June 2004 ). He would often occupy the crease for lengthy periods, but not always scoring at a great pace and hence leaving his partners to do that . As a result he shared in many lengthy stands, the most productive being 193 with Mickey Moss at Trowbridge in 1990.
Mr Steennee’s trade mark shot was the tickle down to fine leg and he also became renowned for the angle of his bat when facing the bowler. At the club’s 10th Year dinner in 1986 his stance at the wicket was described as follows : “When Robert started out his stance at the wicket was really quite conventional, but as the years progressed his bat gradually turned more and more to leg in an anti clockwise direction thus pointing the edge of his bat to the bowler. As a result of this he hasn’t scored a lot of runs recently. However it is hoped that by the end of his career the bat will have completed a full revolution so that the blade is once more facing towards the bowler”. His other habit has been to look down at the crease as the bowler was on his way in. His head would look down and then up at the bowler and down again and so on, and on a good day this would happen eight or nine times before the bowler reached his delivery stride.
Despite playing in 271 games, including batting on 246 occasions, Arthur surprisingly never scored a century, his highest score being 75 at Stoke Row in 1978. However he has been a very big part of the club’s history and as a result of his considerable contributions, Robert Anthony Stein became the first Life Vice President at the 25th Year dinner in 2001.
GWVC