Club career
Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City (1981–1988)
Born in Aldershot, Hampshire, Benstead began his career as a part-time player at Wimbledon and then entered the youth system at Queens Park Rangers. [4] He signed his first professional contract in 1981. He had to wait until 8 January 1983 to make what would be his only appearance for the club, which came with a start in a 3–2 FA Cup third round defeat to West Bromwich Albion. [6] After a loan spell with Norwich City late in the 1984–85 season, Benstead joined the newly relegated Second Division club at the end of the campaign for an initial £10,000 fee, with up to £35,000 in add-ons. [7]
After promotion straight back to the First Division in 1985–86 and in the face of competition from new £100,000 signing Bryan Gunn, Benstead began the 1986–87 season as Norwich City's first-choice goalkeeper, but a shoulder injury suffered in November 1986 effectively ended his Carrow Road career. [7] After loan spells with Colchester United and Sheffield United, he joined the latter club on a permanent contract for a £35,000 fee in 1988.
Sheffield United and Brentford (1988–1993)
Benstead was a regular for Sheffield United during the 1988–89 season, at the end of which the club celebrated promotion to the Second Division after a second-place finish. [8] He lost his place to Simon Tracey during the 1989–90 season and made just one further appearance for the club before moving to Third Division Brentford in July 1990 for a £60,000 fee, [9] with a further £10,000 to be paid after 25 appearances. Benstead had a successful first season with Brentford, missing just one match, keeping 23 clean sheets and winning the club's Supporters' and Players' Player of the Year awards. [10] [11] Despite suffering from hamstring and knee injuries, things were even better during the 1991–92 season, when the Bees finished the campaign as champions of the Third Division. [11] [14]
Despite missing four months of the 1992–93 First Division season with knee ligament damage and a hamstring injury, Benstead made 32 appearances during the campaign, [11] which ended with relegation straight back to the Second Division. [14] Benstead rejected the new contract offered to him during the 1993 off-season and was made available for loan. He failed to see eye-to-eye with new manager David Webb and made just seven early-1993–94 season appearances before joining Conference high-flyers Kettering Town on loan in October 1993. The deal was made permanent in December 1993, with Benstead signing on a free transfer. Benstead made 144 appearances during just over three seasons at Griffin Park.
Benstead's 18 months with Conference club Kettering ended with second and sixth-place finishes respectively and he dropped down to the Southern League Premier Division to move to Northamptonshire rivals Rushden & Diamonds in June 1995. [18] [19] He had an excellent 1995–96 season, helping the club to the Premier Division title and promotion to the Conference. [19] [20] Benstead made just seven appearances during the 1996–97 season and had a non-playing spell with Kingstonian, [21] before making a surprise return to Brentford in July 1997, as player/goalkeeping coach on a week-to-week contract. [19] [22] Minor surgery required by first-choice goalkeeper Kevin Dearden meant that Benstead made his second debut for the club in a 3–1 defeat to York City on 11 October 1997. [24] He made one further appearance in an FA Cup first round replay versus former club Colchester United on 25 November, [24] before being released by new manager Micky Adams in January 1998.
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