Here is the 27th in our weekly series profiling players across the region. Each week a different player will reveal their best (and worst) moments. This week it is the turn of Thackley’s former Bradford City midfield dynamo Craig Bentham.
Thackley midfielder Craig Bentham played 30 times for Bradford City in the Football League
Name: Craig Bentham
Age: 32
Position: Midfield
Current Club: Thackley
Previous club: Bradford City, Farsley Celtic, Guiseley and Balcatta SC (Australia)
Day Job: customer associate for a mortgage company
Based: Steeton/Eastburn
Favourite Team: Leeds United
All-time favourite player and why?: Tough one this as I idolised Gary Speed as a kid but when I started to play football more seriously, Lee Bowyer was everything I wanted to be as a player. Box to box midfielder who loved a tackle and scored a few goals along the way.
Best mate in football: John Swift – we were YTS’s at Bradford together and have been friends ever since. We’ve been through a lot together which could come back to haunt me as he’s best man at my wedding in September. One of the funniest lads you will meet.
Description of career highlight: Getting sent on to man mark Paul Merson on my professional debut for Bradford City under Colin Todd (26/2/05) against Walsall.
Craig Bentham in action for Farsley Celtic (before the torrential rain fell) during one of his lowest moments – the 0-0 draw on a Tuesday night at far flung Weymouth
Lowest moment in football: Seeing Farsley Celtic get relegated from the Conference after my loan spell from Bradford City had ended with six games to go – I did go back permanently for the following season. I’d also add a 0-0 draw for Farsley away at Weymouth on a cold Tuesday night (11/3/08). We travelled down on the day and back home straight after the game. We set off at eight in the morning and got home at 5am the following morning. That game will forever be grained on my memory!
Description of most memorable match: Got to be my debut for Bradford. I was a shivering wreck waiting for the ball to go out so I could get on. Left my mark on Merson with a leveller on the half way line though which calmed the nerves.
Current Farsley Celtic joint manager John Deacey (pictured) was Craig Bentham’s first manager in semi-professional football
First semi-professional manager: John Deacey (Farsley Celtic). Deace signed me on loan for Farsley Celtic in the Conference. The following season i signed permanently when they dropped down to the Conference North. He’s a great guy, he did a lot for me when I was released from Bradford. I’m glad to see him back at Farsley and doing well again.
Description of first red card: Sent off for Guiseley away at Whitby. I was having a shocker, lost my head and dived in two-footed on a player I’ve never particularly liked. I then made the wise decision of kicking him again while the ref was stood over me. Not a good night!
Craig Bentham rates this picture as his all-time favourite from his football career
Craig Bentham has also played for Guiseley and in Australia
Description of first goal and semi professional level: Scoring at home for Farsley against Woking in a 3-0 Conference win (February 2008). Side foot finish from the edge of the box into the bottom corner. A ‘Tickler’ as Steve Burton calls it.
Description of favourite goal: Scoring for Thackley at home to Staveley last season. Cut back onto my right from distance and postage stamped it with a bit of whip. Celebrated like I did it every week and rightly copped stick of the lads for it.
What do you want to achieve in football in the future: In my twilight years now so I’d love to help Thackley get promoted before I hang my boots up. After that, who knows…
Craig Bentham celebrates with David McNiven after the striker scored the winner for Farsley Celtic in a shock win at then-Conference giants Torquay. The match was Bentham’s final game of his loan spell at Farsley before a later permanent move
Bentham played alongside the very popular Georges Santos, the former Sheffield United defender, at Farsley Celtic
Favourite Non League Ground to play at (barring your own club): Plainmoor, Torquay. Not an amazing ground but I’ve played well there a few times and they get a decent crowd. My last game on loan at Farsley was at Torquay and we stunned their huge support by winning 1-0. We didn’t get in their half in the second half, but we somehow held on. Big Georges Santos was one of our centre-halves and he was absolutely magnificent.
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