Big Interview: Lincoln City midfielder Craig Stanley

by Matt Badcock

CRAIG STANLEY'S goal against was a Mighty Missile, and could certainly be described as Superior Quality.

He also rates Tuesday night's strike as one of the best he has ever, and probably will ever, score. But when the Lincoln City midfielder isn't in the thick of the Imps' campaign, he's hoping the horses he co-owns put in a performance of their own.

The first, Superior Quality, is in retirement but Mighty Missile has managed a couple of first place finishes at Stratford and Bangor.

“I get more nervous when he's running than I do playing big games of ,” Stanley says.

“Obviously you've got no control over it and you want him to do well – and as an owner win you as much money as he can! It doesn't always work like that of course.

“Mighty Missile goes into the sales in the next couple of weeks but he's won his last two races and done really well for us.

“It's something I like watching and going to. It's something different and a good way to chill out and spend my time.”

After setting up Matt Rhead's first in the Braintree win, the 32-year-old midfielder opened his Imps account with a wonderful long-range goal to wrap the game up at 3-1.

It sparked jubilant celebrations with his team-mates and the travelling supporters, before Lincoln boss Chris Moyses substituted him to rapturous applause.

CGmJL3XWQAErUH5But it was his substitution during 's Conference play-off semi-final against Grimsby that became a big talking point at the end of last season. In the glare of the live TV cameras, Stanley made his feelings known to Spitfires boss Richard Hill which erupted into a full-blown row and his exclusion from the second leg team.

Stanley says the fall-out has been resolved with Hill as he looks to show why Moyses snapped him up this summer.

“When you come to a new team you've got to show why the manager has given his faith,” Stanley, who returned to his former club yesterday, says.

“Yeah, things didn't work out with Eastleigh at the end. It was obviously all publicised and people saw what happened. It was frustration. Maybe I thought to myself I shouldn't be substituted in the play-off game because I thought I was doing well.

“I said to the manager this has happened too many times. He reacted poorly, he's apologised since, I've apologised since and I'm sure we'll speak this weekend.

“I'm not the first and I won't be the last who comes off as sub and says something to the manager. On TV… I shouldn't have said what I said, but that's how much I care about football. In a very important game like that, I felt I shouldn't have been substituted.

“It's gone now and while I haven't really got much to prove, I want to show people I'm still a good footballer.”

Stanley has been keen to make an impression with his new fans and he brings experience of what it takes to get out of .

In 2006 he won promotion through the play-offs at , before repeating the trick in 2007 with Morecambe in the first Conference play-off final back at . “Morecambe at the time was a small club and playing at the new Wembley, which some players will never do, was fantastic,” the former Bristol Rovers and Aldershot man says.

“We came back from 1-0 down and then Danny Carlton scored a very good goal in the last ten minutes. It was good to get another promotion. The second time was maybe that bit more special because it was at Wembley.”

On the face of it, Lincoln have added well this summer. They have more Conference title experience in the form of Rhead and Lee Beevers from Mansfield, a real goal threat if Liam Hearn can finally put his injury hell behind him and hit the form that had him as one of the level's most feared strikers at Grimsby, and versatility with Bradley Wood.

So can they end what will be a five-year stay back in Non-League at the end of this season?

“Everyone has strengthened this year,” Stanley says. “Tranmere, , Grimsby, Eastleigh – even Cheltenham who we played on the first day of the season looked strong. “There's a lot of teams that will be there or thereabouts. I think it will be the same sort of teams as we saw last season but fingers crossed we can do well too.”

While he's naturally keeping his powder dry, Stanley does concede promotion is the aim and he thinks the current spirit in the dressing room can carry the team a long way.

“It's been good since I've been here,” he says standing in the rain outside the Braintree tunnel. “It's important you have a good team spirit and that's what the gaffer's made sure we have. “There's no cliques here, everyone gets on well with each other and I think that showed in the celebration of my goal.

“At other clubs I've been at it doesn't always work like that. Here, every player other than Farms [keeper Paul Farman] celebrated. I'll be asking him why!

“On a Tuesday night, look how many fans were here. It's a massive club. They shouldn't be where they are but that's football.

“You have to fight, you have to come to these places and sometimes win nitty, gritty. That's what we did.”

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