Grantham hail Stamford bound skipper

Stamford AFC completed the signing of Grantham Town skipper Ben Saunders on Friday with manager Wayne Hatswell hailing his capture as a 'coup' for the club.

The 28-year-old striker, pictured lifting the Evo-Stik NPL First Division South Championship Trophy for Grantham in May, arrives at Kettering Road having made over 150 appearances for the Gingerbreads during a three-year stay.

Saunders played a key role in Grantham's promotion to the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's Premier Division last May under former managers Jimmy Albans and Wayne Hallcro after they made him one of their first signings.

New joint Gingerbreads boss Gary Sucharewycz paid tribute to their departed top scorer and said everybody at Grantham wished their former skipper well at the Evo-Stik NPL First Division South Daniels after his services to the club.

He said: "Ben will be missed at the club. He has been the sort of bull of a centre forward for Grantham that teams need and his influence has been missed when he has not been available to us. Ben has missed a few games for us this season but has been a great player for the team and a great influence in the dressing room since we joined. We wish him well at Stamford."

Daniels manager Hatswell was delighted with the arrival of his new frontman ahead of Saturday's postponed home game against Hucknall Town.

He said: "He's a player that has been on the radar for a while, as he has played against Stamford a number of times in the past. He has a vast experience of this level and in the league above. He scored 49 in 155 games for Grantham prior to this season, so it shows the calibre of player we are getting. He was also the club captain at Grantham, and I believe this is a massive coup for the club."

The addition of Saunders is another boost to the Daniels’ attacking options, with Jordan Hempenstall signing from Lincoln United last week.

Hatswell, who believes the front man adds a totally new dimension to his squad, added: "I believe at this level you need a big strong player up front and it gives me a lot of adaptability with the formation that I want to play. The spine of the team has to be solid and I needed a player with a bit of experience.

"He will definitely provide us with a bit of fire up front and he is someone I'm looking forward to working with. He's won promotion at this level, and that is experience that not everybody has. He ticked a lot of boxes - he knows the level and he knows what it takes to get out of this division - so I'm absolutely delighted that he has decided to come and join us."

* Gingerbreads joint managers Ian Robinson and Gary Sucharewycz added to their own squad on Thursday before the departure of Saunders when midfielder Danny Elliott signed from Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division rivals Eastwood Town.

Sucharewycz said: "Danny impressed us when we played Eastwood. We have tracked him for a while and are pleased to have got him. We fought off a couple of sides from the next level to get his signature. We know he is a good signing for us."