 Disley playing forGrimsby Town in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Craig Edward Disley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1981-08-24)24 August 1981 (age 44)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Worksop, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1999 | Mansfield Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2004 | Mansfield Town | 141 | (16) |
| 2004–2009 | Bristol Rovers | 203 | (25) |
| 2009–2011 | Shrewsbury Town | 42 | (3) |
| 2011–2017 | Grimsby Town | 234 | (34) |
| 2017–2019 | Alfreton Town | 34 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | →Cleethorpes Town (loan) | 36 | (1) |
| 2019–2021 | Barton Town | 27 | (0) |
| 2022 | Cleethorpes Town | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 717 | (79) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:10, 3 August 2018 (UTC) | |||
Craig Edward Disley (born 24 August 1981) is an English football coach and former professionalfootballer.
Primarily a box-to-box central midfielder, he began his professional career atMansfield Town in 1999 where he started as a youngster, and established himself in the "Stags" first team in the2001–02 season, helping them gain promotion into the Second Division. He then decided to joinBristol Rovers in July 2004, and helped the "Gas" to win promotion out of League Two in the2007 Football League Two play-off final. Deemed surplus to requirements, he joinedShrewsbury Town in May 2009, but injury problems meant he didn't hold a regular place in the team. He joinedGrimsby Town in June 2011, and became a linchpin in their midfield over the next 5 years, helping Grimsby to win promotion out of theNational League in the2016 National League play-off final atWembley Stadium. Having been released by Grimsby after a successful 6 years with the club, he joinedAlfreton Town in theNational League North for the next two years.
Born inWorksop,Nottinghamshire,[1] Disley came through the youth ranks atMansfield Town, and was promoted to the club'sfirst team in the summer of 1999 under the management ofBill Dearden.[2] He made his debut on 23 September 1999 in a 4–0 victory overShrewsbury Town, coming on as a 67th-minute substitute for Michael Sissons, also picking up his 1st yellow card within 3 minutes.[3] He went on to make a further five appearances in his first season atField Mill.[4]
During the 2001–02 season Disley scored his first and second career goals in a 2–3 away win overCheltenham Town on 25 August 2001,Liam Lawrence providing both corners as Disley opened the scoring for the Stags in the 29th minute with a header, before adding a second in the 47th minute with another header.[5] Disley earned promotion into theSecond Division with Mansfield in 2001–02 under the stewardship ofStuart Watkiss.[6] By the end of the 2002–03 season Mansfield had been relegated back down to the fourth tier of English football.[7]
Disley signed withBristol Rovers in July 2004 on a two-year contract.[8] The midfielder became a major part of the promotion campaign during the2006–07 season and his good form continued into the2007–08 season, when he scored nine times, including last-minute winners againstOldham Athletic[9] and atMillwall.[10]
On 5 May 2009, Disley was told that he was free to talk to other clubs as Bristol Rovers deemed him surplus to requirements.[11] On 4 June he signed forShrewsbury Town on a two-year contract.[12] On 22 February 2010, Disley broke his ankle, which ruled him out for the rest of the2009–10 season.[13]
He was released on 23 May 2011, after two years with Shrewsbury.[14]
On 23 June 2011,Conference Premier sideGrimsby Town announced they had offered Disley a contract.[15][16] On 24 June, he completed move to Grimsby a two-year contract.[17] On 15 October 2011, Disley scored his first goal for Grimsby in the 2–1 defeat atYork City, a cross fromRob Duffy for Disley to loop a firm header over keeperMichael Ingham on four minutes, he also acquired his 4th yellow card of the season after a poor challenge onJason Walker.[18]
On 11 August 2012, Disley scored the opening goal of the season for Grimsby in the 1–1 draw againstSouthport on 74 minutes, anAswad Thomas cross from the left by-line was parried by goalkeeper McMillan straight into the path of Disley, scoring from close range.[19]
Disley's goal tally reached double figures in the 2013–14 season and he was Grimsby's second top scorer, with 11 league goals, and a goal in the 3–2 FA Cup defeat toHuddersfield Town.[20] He also scored againstGateshead in both legs of the play-off semi finals, however this was not enough to prevent Gateshead progressing to the final.[21][22]
He missed just two league games of the 2014–15 season and he was Grimsby's third top scorer, with nine league goals asPaul Hurst's Grimsby came third in the Conference Premier, and secured a play-off spot.[23]
On 26 May 2015, Disley was the first player commit his future to Grimsby for the 2015–16 season, signing a new one-year deal.[24] Disley played in Grimsby's 3–1 victory overForest Green Rovers in the2016 National League play-off final atWembley Stadium, seeing Grimsbypromoted intoLeague Two after a six-year absence fromthe Football League.[25][26]
On 27 May 2016, Disley agreed to a new one-year contract with the newly promoted club.[27]
After making 32 appearances and scoring three goals for Grimsby in the2016–17 season he was released by the club on 9 May 2017.[28][29] Grimsby Town directorJohn Fenty released a statement following Disley's release; he said: "The club will be arranging a special benefit (testimonial) game for Craig in due course, an opportunity for good many like-minded fans to have the opportunity express their respect for a true Town legend."[30]
On 1 November 2017 Disley and his All Star team were defeated 7–2 by the current Grimsby Town team in his testimonial game. Disley's team included former Town players such asShaun Pearson,Lenell John-Lewis,Liam Hearn,Aristote Nsiala,Nathan Arnold andMichael Boulding. With goals coming from Disley himself andRoss Hannah.[31]
Disley signed forNational League North sideAlfreton Town on a two-year deal on 1 June 2017.[32] ManagerJohn McDermott said:"It was a fantastic signing for us and we fought off stiff competition from higher clubs to land his signature."[33]
On 7 August 2018 Disley signed forCleethorpes Town on season-long loan.[34]
Disley signed forBarton Town at the start of the 2019–20 season.[35]
On 12 June 2021, Disley announced his retirement from football.[36]
In the summer of 2018 as well as his playing duties Disley began coaching the U16 team at former clubGrimsby Town.[37]
On 19 November 2022, Disley returned toCleethorpes Town as assistant manager to his former Grimsby teammateNathan Arnold.[38] On 22 November 2022, due to a shortage of players for a match againstNorth Shields, Disley came out of retirement and was named as a substitute.[39]
Arnold and Disley left the club in March 2023 via mutual consent.[40]
An energetic box-to-box central midfielder with a good engine who can contribute with goals, he can also play out in a wider midfield position.[16]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Mansfield Town | 1999–2000[4] | Third Division | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2000–01[41] | Third Division | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| 2001–02[42] | Third Division | 36 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 7 | |
| 2002–03[43] | Second Division | 42 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 4 | |
| 2003–04[44] | Third Division | 34 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 42 | 5 | |
| Total | 141 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 158 | 16 | ||
| Bristol Rovers | 2004–05[45] | League Two | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[a] | 1 | 35 | 5 |
| 2005–06[46] | League Two | 42 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 47 | 8 | |
| 2006–07[47] | League Two | 45 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10[c] | 1 | 61 | 6 | |
| 2007–08[48] | League One | 44 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 9 | |
| 2008–09[49] | League One | 44 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 47 | 3 | |
| Total | 203 | 25 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 242 | 31 | ||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2009–10[50] | League Two | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| 2010–11[51] | League Two | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 29 | 2 | |
| Total | 42 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 3 | ||
| Grimsby Town | 2011–12[52] | Conference Premier | 44 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 52 | 1 | |
| 2012–13[52] | Conference Premier | 40 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 10[e] | 2 | 51 | 9 | ||
| 2013–14[52] | Conference Premier | 39 | 9 | 5 | 1 | — | 6[f] | 2 | 50 | 12 | ||
| 2014–15[52] | Conference Premier | 40 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | 6[g] | 0 | 48 | 9 | ||
| 2015–16[52] | National League | 43 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | 7[h] | 0 | 53 | 6 | ||
| 2016–17[28] | League Two | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[a] | 1 | 32 | 3 | |
| Total | 234 | 34 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 5 | 286 | 40 | ||
| Alfreton Town | 2017–18[52] | National League North | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Barton Town | 2019–20 | NCEFL Premier | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3[i] | 2 | 24 | 2 | |
| 2020–21 | NCEFL Premier | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[j] | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Total | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 4 | 2 | 34 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 663 | 78 | 47 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 63 | 9 | 784 | 92 | ||
Mansfield Town
Bristol Rovers
Grimsby Town
Individual
