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Craig Stones

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Craig Stones
Personal information
Date of birth (1980-05-31) 31 May 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth Scunthorpe, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–2000 Lincoln City 21 (0)
1999–2000 → Grantham Town (loan)
2000–2001 Spalding United
2000–2003 Brigg Town
2002–2003 Gainsborough Trinity
2002–2007 Brigg Town
2006–2009 Sleaford Town
2009–2010 Bottesford Town
2010–2011 Sleaford Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 01:57, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Craig Stones (born 31 May 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

He notably played in the Football League for Lincoln City over a four-year period before moving into Non-league football, spending the rest of his career with Lincolnshire sides Grantham Town, Spalding United, Brigg Town, Gainsborough Trinity, Sleaford Town and Bottesford Town.

Career

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Stones made his Football League debut for Lincoln City as a 72nd-minute substitute for Worrell Sterling in the 4–0 home victory over Swansea City on 5 April 1997. Stones was aged just 16 years 309 days old and, at the time, the third youngest player to appear for the club in the Football League: he is currently the fourth after Jack Hobbs, Shane Nicholson and Carl Dawson.[1][2] He spent the end of the 1999–2000 season on loan at Grantham Town, debuting in the 1–0 home defeat to Burton Albion on 1 April 2000 and making a total of seven league appearances for the club, scoring a solitary goal in the 6–0 home victory over Atherstone United on 8 April 2000.[3] It was no surprise that, after just 21 league appearances in three seasons as a professional, he was released by the Sincil Bank based club at the end of season.[4]

He dropped out of professional football to sign with Spalding United before moving onto Brigg Town in March 2001. Having spent some time with the club during the pre-season[5] in November 2002 Stones signed for Gainsborough Trinity who were under the command of his former Lincoln coach Phil Stant.[6] He made his Northern Premier League debut for the club in the 2–1 home victory over Colwyn Bay on 23 November 2002 and made a further eight league appearances, scoring a single goal in the 4–2 home victory over Worksop Town on 26 December 2002, before returning to Brigg Town in February 2003.[7] He helped Brigg to secure the FA Vase that season, appearing in the 2–1 final victory over AFC Sudbury at Boleyn Ground on 10 May 2003.[8]

He moved to Sleaford Town in November 2006.[9] Stones was forced to miss the entire 2007–2008 season after breaking his leg in two places just two minutes into a friendly with Lincoln Moorlands Railway on 7 July 2007, the first fixture at Sleaford's new Eslaforde Park ground.[10] He returned to fitness ahead of the 2008–2009 season.[11] He departed Sleaford Town in July 2009 to link up with his one-time Brigg Town manager Ralph Clayton at Bottesford Town.[12] He remained with the club for a single season before returning to Sleaford Town ahead of the 2010–11 season.[13]

Personal life

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Stones works as a branch manager in the Grantham residential office of estate agents Pygott & Crone.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Teenager Hobbs makes history". Lincoln City F.C. 17 January 2005. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  2. ^ "Appearances – Football League". Lincoln City F.C. Official Archive. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  3. ^ Jon Barnes, The Who's Who of Grantham Town Football Club, pp. 167, Gingerjonny Publications, 2005.
  4. ^ "Stant takes over at Lincoln". BBC Sport. 28 June 2000. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Trinity newcomers retain trophy". NonLeagueDaily.com. 23 July 2002. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Stant recruits". NonLeagueDaily.com. 21 November 2002. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ "Trinity clear out". NonLeagueDaily.com. 24 February 2003. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ Metcalf, Rupert (11 May 2003). "Carter and Steer deliver the Brigg time". The Independent. London. Retrieved 13 July 2009.[dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Stones could be the key to promotion". NonLeagueDaily.com. 20 November 2006. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ "Horror injury marrs pre-season friendly". Lincolnshire Echo. 10 July 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  11. ^ "Stones return will be like signing a new player". NonLeagueDaily.com. 14 July 2008. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^ "Clayton bolsters Bottesford squad". Scunthorpe Telegraph. 6 July 2009. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  13. ^ "Call-offs hamper Rowland's preparations". NonLeagueDaily.com. 9 August 2010. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ "Pygott and Crone – Staff Contact Craig Stones". Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
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