Mansfield Town might be a bit in the shadows from the footballing limelight, but a nice club playing their home games at Field Mill and their manager at present is no other than Nigel Clough. Despite being a club in a modest setting, they have over the years had a few Leicester City players on their books.
Matt Piper played eight league games on loan for The Stags early on in the 2001/02 season before returning to Leicester City and establishing himself in the first team under Bassett and Adams, and just a few weeks later as relegation was a fact sold on to Sunderland.
The next player to mention is a real legend at Leicester City joining from Mansfield Town as far back as January 1962. Matt Gillies paid £25.000 for a teenager named Mike Stringfellow. He had a great impact at Leicester City and played 315 league games before moving in 1975, spending thirteen years at the club being part of that great team of the 60’s and later also playing a part under the time Jimmy Bloomfield was in charge.
Former Leicester City goalkeeper Conrad Logan joined Mansfield Town in 2017 and played 84 league games before his release this summer. Logan had a ten year first team connection with Leicester City from 2005 to 2015, played 23 league games, but most of his period was spent on loan at a number of different clubs.
Paul Matthews was a talented fringe player at Leicester City, being part of the first team squad from 1964 to 1972 playing 61 league games and scoring 5 goals, but called it a day to get more regular first team football and joined Mansfield Town, being part of that great climb to the 2nd level for English football under the management of Peter Morris, who also had a life at Leicester City as coach and caretaker manager in the 80’s.
Trevor Christie started out at Leicester City and the forward later in his career played a period for Mansfield Town. He scored 24 goals in 92 league games while at Field Mill from 1988 to 1991. Christie played 31 league games at Leicester City and scored 8 goals before moving to Notts County.
Lee Glover was mostly known for his time with Nottingham Forest, but also had spells at Leicester City and Mansfield Town. Not probably much remembered for his short stints in both camps, and he was later back at Field Mill being the clubs assistant manager until January this year.
Steve Whitworth also had a spell late in his career with Mansfield Town, joining in 1983, playing 80 games and scoring his only 2 goals in League football, not being able to do so during his years at Leicester City, Sunderland and Bolton.
Charlie Adam, is also a player with a past at both clubs. Adam had a long career at Leicester City, the winger played in the 1949 FA Cup final and after his time at Filbert Street he played for Mansfield Town from 1952 to 1955.
Ian Baraclough started his professional career with Leicester City and later in life had a short period of Mansfield Town, playing 47 league games and scoring 5 goals from 1994 to 1996. Baraclough never played league football at Leicester City, but had a great and long lasting career at other clubs, IB was newly appointed N Ireland manager.
Damien Delaney also joined Mansfield Town on loan while on Leicester City books. The Irish international never hit the headlines at these camps, but remembered mostly for his contribution at Ipswich, Hull and Crystal Palace.
Midfielder Mark Blake who joined Leicester City from Aston Villa and played 49 league games and scored 4 goals from 1993 to 1996. Blake joined Mansfield in 1991 played 84 league games and scored 9 goals before a new move to Kidderminster Harriers happened in 2001.
Richard Cresswell joined Leicester City in 2000 being among those players signed by Peter Taylor, playing only 8 times before moving on to Preston North End. During his early years at York City he had a short loan spell at Field Mill playing 5 league games and scoring one single goal.
Gary Ford was a player at both clubs, playing at Leicester City from 1987 to 1988 and at Mansfield Town from 1990 to 1993. Ford played just 16 league games at Leicester scoring 2 goals. At Mansfield he had a more important position as he played 88 league games in 6 league games.
David Kelly who joined Leicester City from West Ham United in 1990 had a good period while at Filbert Street, scoring 22 goals in 66 outings. His final days in League football was played at Field Mill with Mansfield Town in 2002, playing 17 league games and scoring 4 goals.
Not to forget Jimmy Goodfellow and Nick Sharkey who both had careers at Filbert Street and Field Mill, bringing a good relationship from Leicester’s Football Combination (Reserves) side to Mansfield, as they had a few good years with The Stags. Sharkey playing 69 league games and scoring 17 goals. Goodfellow made 98 league appearances in which he scored 26 goals, it was the late 60’s and early 70’s as both players later drifted into the non-league football.
A list of players in both camps,
- Goalkeepers
- Conrad Logan
- Carl Muggleton
- Kevin Pressman
- Defenders
- Steve Whitworth
- Damien Delaney
- Ian Baraclough
- Pat Kruse
- Lawrie Madden
- John Ogilvie
- Norman Plummer
- Steve Prindiville
- Midfield
- Mark Blake
- Gary Ford
- Matt Piper
- Paul Matthews
- Lee Glover
- Neville Hamilton
- Nicky Platnauer
- Alan Sheehan
- Forwards
- Mike Stringfellow
- Trevor Christie
- Charlie Adam
- Richard Cresswell
- David Kelly
- Malcolm Partridge
- Alan Waddle
- Jimmy Goodfellow
- Nick Sharkey
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