MARK  WINSTANLEY

Height  6' 1"

Weight 13  4lbs

Defender 

League Appearances over 450

Mark was born in St Helens on 22nd of January, 1968.  He signed as a trainee for Bolton on the 22nd of July 1986 and played 222 league games, scoring 3 times. On the 5th of August 1994 he was signed to Burnley for £150,000, playing well over 150 games there and scoring 5 goals.  Whilst at Burnley he had loan spells at Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe and Preston, finally signing on a free for the Shrews on the 1st of July, 1999.  He only scored once for Shrewsbury, a header from a free kick in a 4-1 home win on the 18th of September, 1999, the opposition being Carlisle United. Mark signed for Carlisle on a free on 1st of  August, 2000.

Winstanley  made his debut in the first game of the 00/01 season,  at home to Halifax on the 12th of August, a 2-2 draw. By the third game, at home to York on the 25th of August he had settled to his task and gained the Man of the Match Award in the 1-1 result. Mark was an ever present for the first 15 games of the season, although occasionally he was taken off late on in the game to make way for a more attacking option. Playing Scunthorpe at home on 28th of October, Mark pulled up with a suspected hamstring injury and was subbed for Julian Darby thus missing the following two league games. Back for the away game against Hull on the 25th of November he put in another steady performance, despite Carlisle losing 2-1.  Winstanley played in the next 8 league games, then for the game at home against Hartlepool on the 13th of February he was dropped to the bench to make way for the new loan signing Darren Carr.  Darren Carr made his mark, literally, in the first few minutes of the game and proved a very physical determined player.  Carr replaced Winstanley for the next two games and then  Winstanley was brought on  to replace Carr in the second half away at Exeter on the 24th of February, a 1-0 defeat for the blues. Winstanley was back in the starting line up for the next game, at home to Darlington, a 2-0 defeat.  Away at Barnet followed on  the 6th of March, a Tuesday night. This was arguably Winstlanley's best game of the season, he appeared to win every ball that came his way and the game ended in a crucial 1-0 win for Carlisle. Marks place wasn't guaranteed though and he was dropped to the bench again  4 games later for the home game against Torquay . Ian Atkins preferring to use the more physical presence of Carr against Torquay's John Gayle. This time Mark had to sit out the next four games before he was brought on in the Scunthorpe away game on the 16th of April. This was the game that Carlisle lost 3-0 and also had 3 players plus Atkins red carded by Mr Paul Alcock.. Darren Carr was one of the three sent off, after it appeared that he pulled down  a Scunthorpe player as he fell over.  Winstanley was brought on at the expense of Halliday in a desperate effort to stop the game  turning into a cricket score.  Winstanley kept his place for the remaining 4 games of the season.  Away at Southend on the 28th of April, Carlisle were winning 1-0, a scoreline that would guarantee league survival. With 10 minutes to go Southend equalised through Lee and Winstanley sank to his knees with a look of utter despair.  Fortunately for him and us, the following Tuesday night match at Lincoln City, a game which had been postponed twice, the match was played out to a 1-1 draw and Carlisle were safe.

 Season 2001/02 saw United field a  lot of young inexperienced players, who had to learn quickly, there was a real need for an older head who was unflappable whatever the circumstances.  Mark  was the linchpin in defence throughout most of the season.  Time and again it was his head that  took the ball away from our goal and his steady play that had a calming influence on those around him.  The start of the season gave little indication that Mark was going to end  up as one of the heroes of the campaign. In the third league game, against Torquay, away on the 27th of August he  picked up a yellow card for a foul in the 58th minute. Then with the game at one goal each, Mark picked up his second yellow of the game, again for a foul and was sent off., the game ending in a 2-1 defeat. On the 15th of December Carlisle were to play Swansea away.  The Carlisle squad were laid low with a flu bug but despite medical advice the football league insisted the game had to go ahead. With no recognised right back available Mark found himself playing in a new position filling in for Mark Birch.  On a barely playable frosty pitch United earned a 0-0 draw in a display  that  showed how much guts and determination had been instilled into the team. In January came the winning run that earned Roddy Collins manager of the month, with  3 wins and 2 draws. On the 19th of January Carlisle  played high flying Luton Town away and it took a sterling team performance to earn the 1-1 draw. One of my abiding memories of Mark was late in the second half when Luton's Valois broke  down the opposite wing  and looked odds on to get his cross  through to the Luton forward.  Mark got across the pitch in a thunderous do or die run and took the ball cleanly off  the Luton players foot and seconds later was back  on his left wing ready for the next move.   In February  those fans who braved the atrocious conditions ( the worst I've ever known at Brunton Park with driving horizontal rain and gale force winds) were to see two special goals from Carlisle in the 2-0 win.  The game was against Torquay on the 19th, a Tuesday night and by 80 minutes it looked as though the game was going to be a 0-0 draw.  However in the 83rd minute Stuart Green took a free kick on the right and put a lovely ball into the box where Mark was waiting to head the ball into the net, his first goal for United.  Stuart Greens fine individual goal on 88 minutes saw Carlisle earn the crucial 3 points.

Mark  was released at the end of the season and has signed for Southport for the coming season, they have got a bargain. We wish him all the best for the future.

To read the interview Mark kindly did for our site  Click here

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