99 Brian Stanton

Brian is the guy with the 'tache

Position : Winger (also played midfield and left back)

Played : 1986-7 t0 1987-8

Appearances : 49

Goals :4

Caretaker-manager Brian Taylor only made one signing but it was a good one. Brian S began with Bury as an amateur while completing an engineeering apprenticeship. In 1979 he moved to Huddersfield just in time to be part of the side that romped to the Fourth Division title. Three years later they went up to Division Two with Brian scoring 4 goals in a 6-1 thrashing of Bradford and completing the hat-trick in 6 minutes, thought to be a record for a non-striker. After a loan spell at Wrexham Brian was released in the summer of 1986 and surprisingly was only picked up by Morecambe.

Brian was the opposite to England's Peter Taylor in being a left footer who played on the right. His first couple of games in midfield were undistinguished then against Halifax away Shaun Reid played him a square pass on the halfway line and he exploded into life beating a couple of men on his way to shaving the far post, a run that seemed to surprise his team-mates as much as the fans. After that he played on the right and was still remarkably fast for a thirty-year old. He scored a fantastic goal at home to Aldershot when he beat at least three players before slotting it home. Unfortunately he pulled up at home to Wolves and had to sit out the rest of the season.

The following season was frustrating for Brian. When Eddie Gray signed Mark Gavin he decided against playing two wingers and Brian spent most of the first half of the season on the bench. Apparently when Dale went 4-0 down at Leyton Orient Gray turned to him and said "What do we do now Brian ?". When the financial crisis hit, Brian was forced to fill in at left back for the departed Peter Hampton. He did OK but it wasn't his position.

He didn't have the best of relationships with Gray who referred to him as "that idiot" when the Supporters Club dared to make him man of the match instead of Gray's prodigy Lee Warren. He was released at the end of 1987-88 and went on to play for Colne Dynamoes. Since retirement he has worked as a planning inspector for Bolton Council.