Stephen Crainey

Early career

Born in Glasgow, Crainey started his professional career with 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 Scottish League Cup. On 18 March 2001 he helped Celtic win the League Cup at Hampden Park when they beat Kilmarnock 3–0 in the Final. He then made 15 appearances as Celtic won the 2001–02 Scottish Premier League championship. Crainey started the 2003–04 season with Celtic, but 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 2–0 away to Arsenal. 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 Championship 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…

Crainey was capped by Scotland at under-21 level, then made his full international debut for Scotland on 27 March 2002 as they 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.

After his retirement from playing in 2016, Crainey rejoined Fleetwood Town as a youth team coach. He became their first team caretaker manager on 21 November 2021, and a month later he was appointed manager until the end of the 2021–22 season. Despite a 4–2 defeat to Bolton Wanderers on the final day of the season, Fleetwood survived relegation on goal difference. He returned to his U-23's team role on 4 May 2022. Crainey moved to Wigan Athletic in November 2022, becoming a youth team coach. Crainey was appointed as joint assistant manager at Bolton Wanderers in June 2024, joining existing assistant Peter Atherton. On 22 January 2025, manager Ian Evatt left by mutual consent — with Crainey leaving his role as well. After Evatt was appointed head coach at the pair's former club Blackpool, in October 2025, Crainey was brought in as his assistant.

Blackpool

Football League Championship play-offs: 2010 Individual

Blackpool Player of the Season: 2007–08