Graham Benstead

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Graham Benstead
Personal information
Full name Graham Mark Benstead [1]
Date of birth (1963-08-20) 20 August 1963 (age 59)
Place of birth Aldershot, England
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) [2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Frimley Green
(goalkeeping coach)
Youth career
Wimbledon
0000–1981 Queens Park Rangers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1981–1985 Queens Park Rangers 0 (0)
1985 → Norwich City (loan) 1 (0)
1985–1988 Norwich City 15 (0)
1987 → Colchester United (loan) 18 (0)
1988 → Sheffield United (loan)
1988–1990 Sheffield United 47 (0)
1990–1993 Brentford 112 (0)
1993 → Kettering Town (loan)
1994–1995 Kettering Town
1995–1997 Rushden & Diamonds 45 (0)
1997 Kingstonian 0 (0)
1997–1998 Brentford 1 (0)
1998–1999 Basingstoke Town 19 (0)
1999 → Chertsey Town (loan)
2000–2003 Farnborough Town 5 (0)
2003–2004 Stevenage Borough 0 (0)
International career
England Youth
1994 England Semi-Pro 3 (0)
Managerial career
Farnborough Town (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Graham Mark Benstead (born 20 August 1963) is an English retired professional footballer who made over 110 appearances as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Brentford. He also played League football for Sheffield United, Colchester United, Norwich City and was capped by England at youth and semi-pro level. Benstead is goalkeeping coach at Frimley Green. [3]

Contents

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] [5] He signed his first professional contract in 1981. [5] 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. [5]

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. [5] [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. [5] 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] [12] Despite suffering from hamstring and knee injuries, [13] 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, [15] 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. [16] 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. [5] [17] The deal was made permanent in December 1993, with Benstead signing on a free transfer. [17] Benstead made 144 appearances during just over three seasons at Griffin Park. [5]

Non-League football and return to Brentford (1993–1997)

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] [23] 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. [23] [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. [23]

Return to non-League football (1997–2004)

Benstead joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Basingstoke Town in 1998 and wound down his career with spells at Chertsey Town, Farnborough Town and Stevenage Borough. [23]

International career

Benstead was capped by England youth and won three caps for England Semi-Pro in 1994. [22] [25]

Coaching career

Benstead has worked as a goalkeeping coach at Brentford, Basingstoke Town, Chertsey Town, Farnborough Town, Stevenage Borough and Frimley Green. [3] [23] [26] He served as caretaker manager of Farnborough Town for one match and in 2004 was assistant to manager Graham Westley at Stevenage Borough. [26] [27]

Personal life

Benstead works as a self-employed painter and decorator. [28]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Queens Park Rangers 1982–83 [6] Second Division 001000—10
Norwich City (loan) 1984–85 [29] First Division 10———10
Norwich City 1986–87 [29] First Division130000000130
1987–88 [29] 2000—0020
Total160000000190
Colchester United (loan) 1987–88 [30] Fourth Division 18000001 [lower-alpha 1] 0190
Brentford 1990–91 [11] Third Division 45030409 [lower-alpha 2] 0610
1991–92 [11] 37010202 [lower-alpha 1] 0420
1992–93 [11] First Division25010204 [lower-alpha 3] 0320
1993–94 [11] Second Division50—20—70
Total1120501001501420
Rushden & Diamonds 1995–96 [19] Southern League Premier Division39060—6 [lower-alpha 4] 0510
1996–97 [19] Conference 6000—1 [lower-alpha 5] 070
Total45060—70580
Brentford 1997–98 [24] Second Division101000—20
Total1130601001501440
Basingstoke Town 1997–98 [31] Isthmian League Premier Division70———70
1998–99 [32] 12060—4 [lower-alpha 6] 0220
Total19060—40290
Farnborough Town 2000–01 [33] Isthmian League Premier Division0010—3 [lower-alpha 7] 040
2001–02 [33] Conference5000—3 [lower-alpha 8] 080
2002–03 [34] 0000—0000
Total5010—60120
Stevenage Borough 2002–03 [34] Conference00———00
2003–04 [35] 0000—0000
2004–05 [36] 0000—0000
Total0000—0000
Career total18201901003202810
  1. 1 2 Appearances in Football League Trophy
  2. ↑ Seven appearances in Football League Third Division play-offs, two appearances in Football League Trophy
  3. ↑ Appearances in Anglo-Italian Cup
  4. ↑ Three appearances in Northamptonshire Senior Cup, one appearance in FA Trophy, one appearance in Southern League Cup, one appearance in Northamptonshire Cup
  5. ↑ Appearance in Southern League Championship Shield
  6. ↑ One appearance in FA Trophy, one appearance in Isthmian League Cup, one appearance in Isthmian League Full Members' Cup, one appearance in Hampshire Senior Cup
  7. ↑ Two appearances in Isthmian League Cup, one appearance in Hampshire Senior Cup
  8. ↑ Two appearances in Hampshire Senior Cup, one appearance in FA Trophy

Honours

Sheffield United

Brentford

Rushden & Diamonds

Individual

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References

  1. ↑ "Graham Benstead". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. ↑ Graham Benstead at Soccerbase
  3. 1 2 "Experienced Benstead Joins Frimley Green". Pitchero Non-League. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "First, Best, Worst: Graham Benstead". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 380.
  6. 1 2 "Seasonal Stats – Files – 1982–83". QPRnet. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  7. 1 2 Norwich City Matchday Programme vs Manchester City 14 February 1987. 1987.
  8. ↑ Sheffield United F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  9. 1 2 Bassett, Dave (7 October 2002). Dave Bassett – Settling the Score. John Blake Publishing. ISBN   9781784185114.
  10. ↑ "Played for Both: Norwich City". Brentford FC. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2013). The Big Brentford Book Of The Nineties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 476–479. ISBN   9781906796723.
  12. 1 2 3 Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 445.
  13. ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 82-83.
  14. 1 2 Brentford F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  15. ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 116-120.
  16. ↑ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 142.
  17. 1 2 Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 144-146.
  18. ↑ Kettering Town F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Graham Benstead". rdfc1992. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  20. ↑ Rushden & Diamonds F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  21. ↑ "Good squad despite loss". Croydon Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  22. 1 2 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 20. ISBN   0955294916.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2013, p. 258-263.
  24. 1 2 3 "Games played by Graham Benstead in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  25. ↑ "England Matches - The C Team (Semi-Professional & The National Game)". www.englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  26. 1 2 "Mac takes Girvan to Boro -and gives Venables a lesson". News Shopper. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  27. ↑ "Assistant manager quits Stevenage". 28 October 2004. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  28. ↑ "Where Are They Now? Brentford Division Three Champions 1991–92". The League Paper. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  29. 1 2 3 Graham Benstead at WorldFootball.net
  30. ↑ "Player Match List – Colchester United". www.coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  31. ↑ "1997/98 matches". Basingstoke FC Online. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  32. ↑ "1998/99 matches". Basingstoke FC Online. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  33. 1 2 "Player Details". Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  34. 1 2 "Games played by Graham Benstead in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Graham Benstead in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  36. ↑ "Games played by Graham Benstead in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
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