Bristol Rovers: Craig Stanley admits he's disappointed to be forced to move on
Midfielder Craig Stanley says he was surprised and disappointed when he was told that he would not be part of Bristol Rovers boss Mark McGhee's plans for the coming season.
Stanley, 29, was released by the club yesterday after coming to a mutual agreement with officials over an early termination of the two-year deal he signed last summer.
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Craig Stanley
"I'd known for a while that the likelihood was that I would be leaving the club," Stanley said last night. "I'm still very disappointed as I've really enjoyed my time at Bristol Rovers. It probably didn't start as well as I would have liked because we did struggle as a team up until Christmas and I'd admit that the supporters probably didn't see the best of me.
"I do think, however, that after Christmas I did a lot better and I also felt I did well in the games I played in after Mark McGhee arrived at the club. The manager did indicate that I was part of his plans towards the end of the season so it was a bit of surprise when he called me in two weeks later to tell me that it would be in my interests to look for a new club.
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"I'd not played in any of the games in that two-week period so I don't know what happened to change the manager's mind.
"That's the way it goes in football sometimes though, and you just have to accept it and move on.
"I could have stayed around and just picked up my wages every week, but that would have been no good for me. I'm 29 years old and I want to play football, so if I'm not going to get it at Rovers then it's in my best interests to go and look for it elsewhere."
Stanley, who played 39 times and scored one goal for Rovers, added: "I don't hold any ill-feelings towards anyone at the club. I was treated very well by everyone and I wish them all the very best.
"I think the team will do very well next year and I'm disappointed that I won't be a part of it.
"I'm sure Rovers will once again be favourites to go up like we were last summer and I really hope they can do it for the supporters this time.
"They were great to me during my time there. There were some ups and downs, but I hope that I won a lot them over with my performances in the second part of last season."
Comments
by Scrabble1971
Thursday, July 05 2012, 10:08AM
“concordgerald and Michael Rooney. Lets all chill out. MM knows what he is doing we are still a month away from the start of the season.”
by SimpleStan
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 9:09PM
“It all began when Mr Higgs told us he had one of the largest budgets in league 2 and then he offered Oxford a lot of money for Constable so everyone thought we would be making some big signings soon like the other teams have done. Now I wonder if Mr Higgs meant signing the boys we had on loan when he said we'd be getting six new players. I suppose hypocritically speaking they would count as new signings if they weren't ours in the first place.”
by larryjay
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 8:31PM
“no need to panic quite yet its still early days we will be ok come august, a lot of people seem to think were going to be making big signings and walking the league ,i can see us being up there and probably making the playoffs but fleetwood.rotherham,chesterfield,wycombe are the favourites for automatic promotion we need a striker so fingers crossed on that up the gas!”
by MichaelRooney
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 3:01AM
“McGee signing 19 year olds he's never seen play. Lund staying at Stoke and why oh why do we have to wait for Leicester to decide if they want their kids to stay or go to a better club or come to us. Are Rovers so low these days we have to sit at the feet of Leicester City with our begging bowl or hasn't McGee with all his years in the game got the ability to bring in decent permanent defenders ? You cant tell me Bolger and Parkes are the only central defenders in Britain we could get and they aren't that good anyway. The training starts tomorrow and we haven't got a team which could play in the Downs league with Woodards and Virgo still injured and McGee living in Brighton. They wanted Stanley out and made him say diplomatic things about the club but I don't believe a word of it. I'm an accountant and it doesn't add up. North as the caretaker manager is my guess.”
by chinesegas
Wednesday, July 04 2012, 2:04AM
“marksy , ok it will be terry we will convert him ,alongside our franks prediction lampard , sounds good to me ? i personaly think they have got most of the work done and over the next few weeks we will have some nice suprises xxxxx”
by concordgerald
Tuesday, July 03 2012, 9:14PM
“well ive heard it all now// We have the news that caqryol is being linked with a move to a club in a higher division and MM has a price on his head,I wonder how much he is worth??
We then have the wonderful news that MM is looking to bring in QUALITY at last.
Aaron Downes is under consideration but must wait to see if MM can find an excuse to retain him.
Fans are advised to get their season tickets by the end of June to gain the benefit of prices.
The stadium manager thinks cabaret would be a good thing at the mem???
Now we face the facts: The reason MM is requiring big money for caryol is that Mr Higgs would like it to keep it to save the directors putting their hands in their own pockets. MM will not see any of that money as was the case with Lambert.
Where were the signings prior to the season tickets alarm of a reduction.
Now that has passed we start bringing in the quality weve craved.
To start with we bring in a sixteen year old from Wales.Then we bring in Norburn 19years of age
This after bringing in a young goalkeeper from coventry
Aaron Downes has applied to Tesco's to do a bit of shelf filling to earn a few bob while he waits a decision from MM.
MM has made another signing in Lund all these QUALITY youngsters
Constable at Oxford will be staying where he is because Rovers offered peanuts to get him.
It would be a good shout to have cabaret at the club comedy at the match and comedy at night.We need two midfield players of class,A striker.and a centre half. Unless these players are signed Rovers will finish 14th . and the fans will have to accept continued BULL----t once again.Higgs will not get any of my money untill he comes out with honesty ?????”
by bulbous
Tuesday, July 03 2012, 5:29PM
“**** player, good riddance”
by manchestergas
Tuesday, July 03 2012, 1:49PM
“bluecamel sums it u well.
he may have been a bit disappointed at leaving but I hope we didn;t pay any of his contract off as he presuably had Aldershot lined up”
by Oldfrank
Tuesday, July 03 2012, 12:02PM
“chinesegas
Yes, I'm told it will be a Frank, but not sure whether Lampard or Spencer :)”
by marksy1
Tuesday, July 03 2012, 11:49AM
“by chinesegas
My guess is that it is going to be someone who is big, physical and able to kick the ball up into the air!”