Stephen Crainey
Encyclopedia
Stephen Daniel Crainey (born 22 June 1981) is a Scottish
footballer who plays as a left back for Blackpool
and the Scottish national team
. He has also represented Scotland at under-21 level
.
, Crainey started his playing career with Scottish Premier League
side Celtic in 1997. He made a total of 58 appearances for the Hoops. He scored one goal when Celtic beat Hearts
5–2 in the quarter-final of the 2000–01
League Cup
on 1 November 2000. On 18 March 2001 he helped Celtic win the League Cup at Hampden Park
when they beat Kilmarnock
3–0. The following season he made 15 appearances as Celtic won the SPL.
Crainey started the 2003–04 with Celtic. On 6 February 2004 he moved to England when he signed for Premier League side Southampton. He made his debut four days later as the Saints lost 2–1 away to Arsenal
. However, he was to make a total of just five Premier League appearances for Southampton.
side Leeds United, initially on loan before the move was made permanent four days later for a fee of £200,000. This was Leeds United's first cash signing since relegation from the Premier League in May 2004. He made his debut on 14 August in a 0–0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers
at Molineux
. He made a total of 11 appearances in the 2004–05 season. The following season he played a total of 30 games as Leeds United reached the Play-offs. However, Crainey was sent off in the 68th minute in the second leg of the semi-final, as the Whites beat Preston North End
to reach the final, which they then lost 3–0 to Watford.
Crainey was a regular at the start of the 2006–07 campaign under former manager Kevin Blackwell
, but played less following Blackwell's departure on 20 September 2006. Crainey featured in the heavy defeats that quickly ended John Carver
's hopes of becoming the permanent Leeds manager. When new boss Dennis Wise
took over, he dropped Crainey in favour of Eddie Lewis
and, later, other options at left back. Crainey later regained his place, but then was dropped again before suffering an injury.
Crainey's recovery coincided with the return to fitness of loan player Robbie Elliott
who was regarded as Dennis Wise's first choice left-back. Elliott featured on the bench for the game against Leicester City
on 13 March 2007, in his first outing since returning from injury, but Crainey was not even included in the squad as Wise chose to start Armando Sá
in that role. His last appearance was on 30 January 2007, in a 2–1 win over Hull City
. Crainey was eventually released at the end of his Leeds contract on 15 May 2007 as the Whites were relegated to League One
.
in a one-year deal with an option for a further year.
On 13 August 2007, he was named in the Press Association
's Championship
"Team of the Week". Crainey scored his first-ever league goal on 19 September 2007, in a 2–2 draw with Bryan Robson
's Sheffield United
at Bloomfield Road
. On 3 December 2007, he was again named in the Press Association's Championship "Team of the Week". Crainey was also named in the Press Association's Championship "Team of the Week" on 4 February 2008. He made a total of 43 appearances in the 2007–08 season as the Seasiders finished nineteenth in the Championship, the club's highest-place finish in the Football League in 27 years.
In June 2008 newspaper reports linked Crainey with a £250,000 move to fellow Championship club Burnley
, but he instead signed a new contract with Blackpool. He missed the start of the 2008–09 season
with a groin injury and Blackpool brought in Mohammed Camara
on loan
to cover for him. On 9 September the club confirmed that Crainey had undergone an operation the day before which would keep him out of action for a further four to six weeks. He made his comeback on 24 January 2009 as an 87th-minute substitute in a 2–0 win over Birmingham City
at Bloomfield Road
. That season he made a total of 17 appearances.
Crainey was named in The Championship "Team of the Week", along with teammates Matthew Gilks
and Marcel Seip
, following his performance in Blackpool's 0–0 draw with Swansea City
on 24 October at the Liberty Stadium
.
On 22 January 2011, in a home defeat to Sunderland
, Crainey suffered an ankle injury that could see him miss the remainder of Blackpool's debut season in the Premier League.
With Blackpool relegated back to the Npower Championship, he put pen to paper on a new three year contract, Blackpool putting in a 'big offer' to help Crainey snub the interest of Premiership side Wigan Athletic.
He started as the first choice left back as Blackpool saw off Hull 1-0 in their first game.
|1999–2000||rowspan="5"|Celtic
||rowspan="5"|Scottish Premier League
||9||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||9||0
|-
|2000–01||2||0||1||0||2||1||colspan="2"|-||5||1
|-
|2001–02||15||0||2||0||1||0||1||0||19||0
|-
|2002–03
||13||0||2||0||2||0||2||0||19||0
|-
|2003–04||2||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0||2||0||6||0
|-
|-
|2003–04||Southampton
||Premier League
||5||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="3"|Leeds United
||rowspan="3"|Championship
||9||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||colspan="2"|-||10||0
|-
|2005–06||24||0||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||30||0
|-
|2006–07||19||0||colspan="2"|-||3||0||colspan="2"|-||22||0
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="5"|Blackpool
||rowspan="3"|Championship
||40||1||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||43||1
|-
|2008–09
||17||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||0
|-
|2009–10
||41||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||46||0
|-
|2010–11||Premier League
||31||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||31||0
|-
|2011–12||Championship
||5||1||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||5||1
|-
41||0||5||0||7||1||5||0||58||1
191||1||4||0||9||0||0||0||204||1
232||1||9||0||16||0||5||0||261||2
Notes:
a. Two league play-off appearances for Leeds United in 2006 (included in 2005–06 total)
b. Three league play-off appearances for Blackpool in 2010 (included in 2009–10 total)
and full level by Scotland. He made his full debut on 27 March 2002 as Scotland lost a friendly 5–0 to France
at the Stade de France
in Paris. He made a total of four appearances for Scotland in 2002, playing in the 1–2 friendly defeat to Nigeria at Pittodrie Stadium
, Aberdeen
on 17 April
and another friendly defeat on 21 August, 0–1 to Denmark
at Hampden Park
, Glasgow. He then made his competitive debut in the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying Group 5
2–2 draw with the Faroe Islands
at Svangaskarð, Toftir
on 7 September. His next international appearances came in 2004 in two more friendly defeats. On 31 March, 1–2 to Romania
at Hampden Park and 0–1 to Denmark on 28 April at Parken Stadium
, Copenhagen.
On 16 November 2010 Crainey made a return to the Scotland set up under Craig Levein
for a friendly against the Faroe Islands
at Pittodrie to claim his seventh cap.
Leeds
Blackpool
At the end of the season, he won five awards at the clubs annual presentation night on 6 May 2008:
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
footballer who plays as a left back for Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and the Scottish national team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. He has also represented Scotland at under-21 level
Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....
.
Celtic and Southampton
Born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Crainey started his playing career with Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Celtic in 1997. He made a total of 58 appearances for the Hoops. He scored one goal when Celtic beat Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
5–2 in the quarter-final of the 2000–01
Scottish League Cup 2000–01
The 2000–01 Scottish League Cup was the 55th staging of the Scotland's second most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the CIS Insurance Cup....
League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
on 1 November 2000. On 18 March 2001 he helped Celtic win the League Cup at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
when they beat Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
3–0. The following season he made 15 appearances as Celtic won the SPL.
Crainey started the 2003–04 with Celtic. On 6 February 2004 he moved to England when he signed for Premier League side Southampton. He made his debut four days later as the Saints lost 2–1 away to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. However, he was to make a total of just five Premier League appearances for Southampton.
Leeds United
On 6 August 2004 he joined Football League ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Leeds United, initially on loan before the move was made permanent four days later for a fee of £200,000. This was Leeds United's first cash signing since relegation from the Premier League in May 2004. He made his debut on 14 August in a 0–0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
. He made a total of 11 appearances in the 2004–05 season. The following season he played a total of 30 games as Leeds United reached the Play-offs. However, Crainey was sent off in the 68th minute in the second leg of the semi-final, as the Whites beat Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
to reach the final, which they then lost 3–0 to Watford.
Crainey was a regular at the start of the 2006–07 campaign under former manager Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Patrick Blackwell is an English former professional football goalkeeper who since retiring as a player has worked as a coach and a manager. He has an identical twin, Noel.-Early career:...
, but played less following Blackwell's departure on 20 September 2006. Crainey featured in the heavy defeats that quickly ended John Carver
John Carver (footballer)
John William Carver is a former English footballer and current assistant manager of Newcastle United.-Biography:...
's hopes of becoming the permanent Leeds manager. When new boss Dennis Wise
Dennis Wise
Dennis Frank Wise is an English former football manager and player, and former Executive Director at Newcastle United....
took over, he dropped Crainey in favour of Eddie Lewis
Eddie Lewis (soccer)
Edward James "Eddie" Lewis is a former American soccer player.During his 14-year professional career he played extensively in both the United States and England, notably for San Jose Clash, Preston North End, Leeds United and Los Angeles Galaxy...
and, later, other options at left back. Crainey later regained his place, but then was dropped again before suffering an injury.
Crainey's recovery coincided with the return to fitness of loan player Robbie Elliott
Robbie Elliott
Robert James "Robbie" Elliott is an English former football left back who is currently the strength coach for the United States U-20 men's football team....
who was regarded as Dennis Wise's first choice left-back. Elliott featured on the bench for the game against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on 13 March 2007, in his first outing since returning from injury, but Crainey was not even included in the squad as Wise chose to start Armando Sá
Armando Sá
Armando Miguel Correia de Sá is a retired Mozambican footballer who played usually a right defender.He also holds a Portuguese passport, and played professionally in four different countries in a 16-year professional career: Portugal , Spain, England and Iran.-Club...
in that role. His last appearance was on 30 January 2007, in a 2–1 win over Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. Crainey was eventually released at the end of his Leeds contract on 15 May 2007 as the Whites were relegated to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
.
Blackpool
On 9 July 2007, Crainey signed for BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
in a one-year deal with an option for a further year.
On 13 August 2007, he was named in the Press Association
Press Association
The Press Association is the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Ireland, supplying multimedia news content to almost all national and regional newspapers, television and radio news, as well as many websites with text, pictures, video and data content globally...
's Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
"Team of the Week". Crainey scored his first-ever league goal on 19 September 2007, in a 2–2 draw with Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
's Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
. On 3 December 2007, he was again named in the Press Association's Championship "Team of the Week". Crainey was also named in the Press Association's Championship "Team of the Week" on 4 February 2008. He made a total of 43 appearances in the 2007–08 season as the Seasiders finished nineteenth in the Championship, the club's highest-place finish in the Football League in 27 years.
In June 2008 newspaper reports linked Crainey with a £250,000 move to fellow Championship club Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, but he instead signed a new contract with Blackpool. He missed the start of the 2008–09 season
Blackpool F.C. season 2008–09
The 2008-09 season was Blackpool F.C.s 102nd season in the Football League. It was also their second consecutive season in The Championship, the second tier of English football. They finished sixteenth.D. J...
with a groin injury and Blackpool brought in Mohammed Camara
Mohammed Camara
Mohammed "Mo" Camara is a Guinean professional footballer. He is a left back and a Guinean international.-Early career:...
on loan
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
to cover for him. On 9 September the club confirmed that Crainey had undergone an operation the day before which would keep him out of action for a further four to six weeks. He made his comeback on 24 January 2009 as an 87th-minute substitute in a 2–0 win over Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
. That season he made a total of 17 appearances.
Crainey was named in The Championship "Team of the Week", along with teammates Matthew Gilks
Matthew Gilks
Matthew "Matt" Gilks is a football goalkeeper who plays for Blackpool. He previously played for Rochdale for seven years before moving to Norwich City in 2007. He stayed one season with the Canaries without making a first-team appearance...
and Marcel Seip
Marcel Seip
Marcel Seip is a Dutch footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bradford City as a defender, having previously played for Veendam, Heerenveen, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic.-Veendam:...
, following his performance in Blackpool's 0–0 draw with Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
on 24 October at the Liberty Stadium
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
The Liberty Stadium is a purpose-built sports stadium and conferencing venue in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales. The stadium is all-seated, with a capacity of 20,532 making it the largest purpose-built venue in Swansea and the third largest stadium in Wales after the Millennium Stadium and the...
.
On 22 January 2011, in a home defeat to Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, Crainey suffered an ankle injury that could see him miss the remainder of Blackpool's debut season in the Premier League.
With Blackpool relegated back to the Npower Championship, he put pen to paper on a new three year contract, Blackpool putting in a 'big offer' to help Crainey snub the interest of Premiership side Wigan Athletic.
He started as the first choice left back as Blackpool saw off Hull 1-0 in their first game.
Club
|-|1999–2000||rowspan="5"|Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
||rowspan="5"|Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||9||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||9||0
|-
|2000–01||2||0||1||0||2||1||colspan="2"|-||5||1
|-
|2001–02||15||0||2||0||1||0||1||0||19||0
|-
|2002–03
Celtic F.C. season 2002–03
-Overview:Celtic went into the 2002–03 season defending their Scottish Premier League title, which they won in 2001–02.They also entered the UEFA Champions League at the qualifing stage, as well as taking part in the two domestic cup competitions, the Scottish Cup and the Scottish...
||13||0||2||0||2||0||2||0||19||0
|-
|2003–04||2||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0||2||0||6||0
|-
|-
|2003–04||Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
||Premier League
||5||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="3"|Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
||rowspan="3"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||9||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||colspan="2"|-||10||0
|-
|2005–06||24||0||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||30||0
|-
|2006–07||19||0||colspan="2"|-||3||0||colspan="2"|-||22||0
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="5"|Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
||rowspan="3"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||40||1||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||43||1
|-
|2008–09
Blackpool F.C. season 2008–09
The 2008-09 season was Blackpool F.C.s 102nd season in the Football League. It was also their second consecutive season in The Championship, the second tier of English football. They finished sixteenth.D. J...
||17||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||17||0
|-
|2009–10
Blackpool F.C. season 2009–10
The 2009–10 season was Blackpool F.C.s 103rd season in the Football League. It was also their third consecutive season in The Championship, the second tier of English football. The club won promotion, via the play-offs, to the Premier League for the first time, their 28th overall season in the top...
||41||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||46||0
|-
|2010–11||Premier League
||31||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||31||0
|-
|2011–12||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||5||1||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||5||1
|-
41||0||5||0||7||1||5||0||58||1
191||1||4||0||9||0||0||0||204||1
232||1||9||0||16||0||5||0||261||2
Notes:
a. Two league play-off appearances for Leeds United in 2006 (included in 2005–06 total)
b. Three league play-off appearances for Blackpool in 2010 (included in 2009–10 total)
International career
Crainey has been capped at under-21Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....
and full level by Scotland. He made his full debut on 27 March 2002 as Scotland lost a friendly 5–0 to France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in Paris. He made a total of four appearances for Scotland in 2002, playing in the 1–2 friendly defeat to Nigeria at Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium is an all-seated football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
on 17 April
and another friendly defeat on 21 August, 0–1 to Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, Glasgow. He then made his competitive debut in the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying Group 5
UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying Group 5
Standings and results for Group 5 of the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 5 consisted of Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, Lithuania and Scotland...
2–2 draw with the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
at Svangaskarð, Toftir
Toftir
Toftir is a village in Nes Municipality on the island of Eysturoy, in the Faroe Islands .Toftir is part of a chain of villages stretching over a distance of 10 kilometres on the east side of Skálafjørður on Eysturoy....
on 7 September. His next international appearances came in 2004 in two more friendly defeats. On 31 March, 1–2 to Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
at Hampden Park and 0–1 to Denmark on 28 April at Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium is a football stadium in the Indre Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, built from 1990–1992. It currently has a capacity of 38,065 for football games, and is the home ground of F.C. Københaven and the Danish national football team...
, Copenhagen.
On 16 November 2010 Crainey made a return to the Scotland set up under Craig Levein
Craig Levein
Craig William Levein is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager of the Scotland national team. During his playing career he played for Cowdenbeath and Heart of Midlothian...
for a friendly against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
at Pittodrie to claim his seventh cap.
Honours
CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
- Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
winner: 20012001 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2001 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 18 March 2001 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 54th Scottish League Cup. The final was contested by Celtic and Kilmarnock. Celtic won the match 3–0, thanks to a Henrik Larsson hat-trick.... - Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
winner: 2001–02 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
runner-up: 2003
Leeds
- ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
play-off final runner up: 2005–06
Blackpool
- ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
play-off final winner: 2009–102010 Football League Championship play-off FinalThe 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium in London on 22 May 2010 to decide the third team to be promoted from The Championship to the Premier League for the 2010–11 season....
At the end of the season, he won five awards at the clubs annual presentation night on 6 May 2008:
- Leyland & Chorley SeasidersLeyland & Chorley SeasidersLeyland & Chorley Seasiders is a Supporters Group who follow English Premier League team Blackpool FC. Membership is open to any fan of the club who lives in Leyland, Chorley, Bamber Bridge and other surrounding areas.-Background:...
player of the season - BBC Radio LancashireBBC Radio LancashireBBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the county of Lancashire, in North West England. It began as BBC Radio Blackburn on 26 January 1971 on 96.4FM, then adding 854 kHz AM in 1972 and changing to its current name on 4 July 1981...
player of the season - Blackpool Supporters Association player of the season
- Players' player
- John Schofield Memorial Trophy Blackpool F.C. player of the season.
External links
- Stephen Crainey profile at blackpoolfc.co.uk
- Premier League profile
- BBC Sport profile