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Archived News from May 2011

STAGS SIGN LEE STEVENSON
29th May 2011 0:11



Friday 20 May 2011 (evening)

Mansfield Town have signed Lee Stevenson. Stevenson scored 35 goals from midfield last season in Blue Square North for Eastwood Town, and has scored 96 goals in 3 seasons.

The signing was announced by CEO Steve Barker at the club's End of Season dinner.

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Stevenson is Cox's first new signing
Evening Post, 21 May 2011

PAUL Cox has completed his first signing as Mansfield Town boss by drafting in prolific goal scoring midfielder Lee Stevenson from old club Eastwood.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/sport/Stevenson-Cox-s-new-signing/article-3581783-detail/article.html?

The deal was announced by chief executive Steve Barker at the club's annual end-of-season dinner.

Stevenson, 26, had been made an immediate target by Cox, having scored 35 goals for the Badgers last season.

He was brought to Eastwood from UniBond Division One South Club Belper Town.

More details of the deal are expected to be announced on Monday

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Stevenson officially signs
mansfieldtown.net, Mon 23 May 2011 (late evening)

Goal machine Lee Stevenson has today officially signed from Eastwood Town for an undisclosed fee, we can confirm.

http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2365396,00.html?

The signing of the 26-year-old was announced at last Friday's end-of-season dinner, however, the paperwork has been confirmed only this evening by the Football Conference.

The prolific midfielder has netted 96 goals in his last three seasons, including 35 in the campaign just finished.

Stevenson, who started as a trainee at Sheffield Wednesday, later went on to impress at King's Lynn and Belper Town before signing for Eastwood.

After putting pen to paper to a two year deal, he told mansfieldtown.net: "The season's just finished but I can't wait to get on the training pitch and show everyone what I can do.

"I know Jon D'Laryea and Tom Naylor and they say it's a fantastic club. I went to look around other clubs but I got a good feeling about this place."

Lee's first interview is to follow on mansfieldtown.net

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video interwith with Lee Stevenson --->
http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2365604,00.html?

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Lee Stevenson eyes Stags goals after full-time switch
Evening Post, 25 May 2011

LEE Stevenson is bullish he can maintain his devastating goalscoring record at Mansfield Town after swapping postbag for training top.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/mansfieldtown/mansfieldtownnews/Stevenson-eyes-Stags-goals-time-switch/article-3590839-detail/article.html?

The 26-year-old will discontinue his nine-mile mail round in Sheffield in favour of full-time football after signing a two-year-deal at Field Mill.

Midfielder Stevenson – formerly on the books of Sheffield Wednesday as a youngster – is delighted to have secured a return to the professional game.

And having scored 96 goals in three seasons – including 35 for Eastwood in the Blue Square Bet North in 2010-11 – he is now eager to make an impact at the higher level.

"It's a big ask for anyone to get 35 goals again but hopefully I can repay Coxy (manager Paul Cox) for signing me by getting a few," he said.

"It is a level up but then I will be playing with better players.

"It's not particularly a wrench to leave my job – this is what I want to do. I won't miss going up and down all those hills for a start.

"I suppose I might have to do an extra bit of training now I'm not doing all that walking!

"I'm delighted to have signed and got my future sorted. That's the way I like it.

"Coxy being here made the decision easier, even though there were other clubs at this level interested.

"The stadium at Mansfield is fantastic and hopefully I can be part of a side that is pushing for the play-offs or promotion."

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Stevenson signs for Mansfield Town
Evening Post, 24 May 2011

GOALSCORING midfielder Lee Stevenson has officially signed for Mansfield Town for an undisclosed fee from Eastwood Town.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Stevenson-signs-Mansfield-Town/article-3587128-detail/article.html?

The paperwork was completed last night and the prolific midfielder, who has netted 96 goals in his last three seasons, including 35 in the campaign just finished, will join up with manager Paul Cox at Field Mill.

Cox has just taken over at the Stags after leading Eastwood to fourth place in the Blue Square Bet North last season and was keen to take his star player with him.

Stevenson, 26, has penned a two-year deal and said: "The season's just finished but I can't wait to get on the training pitch and show everyone what I can do.

"I know Jon D'Laryea and Tom Naylor and they say it's a fantastic club. I went to look around other clubs but I got a good feeling about this place."

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Lee Stevenson 'over the moon' with Mansfield Town move
Thursday, 26 May 2011

audio interview with David Jackoson --->
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13565387.stm

Midfielder Lee Stevenson says he is delighted with the opportunity to play professional football with Mansfield.

The 26-year-old joined the Blue Square Bet Premier club from Eastwood and will be reunited with manager Paul Cox who made the same move earlier this month.

Stevenson told BBC Radio Nottingham: "I'm over the moon - I'm looking forward to having a good summer now and coming back raring to go.

"He [Cox] persuaded me to come and I'm grateful everything's gone through."

Stevenson has scored 96 goals in the last three seasons from attacking midfield, helping Eastwood to a fourth-placed finish in Blue Square Bet North this season after joining from Belper Town in the summer of 2010.

And he is looking forward to making the step up to full time football with the Stags next season.

"It's going to be a massive difference training full time," continued Stevenson. "I'm going to be twice as fit.

"I'm just grateful for the opportunity that I've been given and I want to show the fans that I want to give it 110%.

"I'm at that age now where I just want to be playing regularly - my first goal is going to be massive and then hopefully the floodgates will open."

As well as signing Stevenson, Cox also brought in striker Lindon Meikle from his former club.

And Stevenson is keen to join up with the pair again for pre-season.

"I went to look round a couple of clubs, but I kept in contact with the gaffer throughout," said Stevenson.

"Cox has got a lot of belief in his players - I think the lads appreciate it and I personally like how he works. He's a great person to be around, he's a good manager and he gets the best out of players.

"London has got fantastic feet, he's like a little magician - he's like lightning and his change of pace is fantastic."

And Stevenson went on to outline his ambition for a promotion push with the Stags next season.

"I think it's every footballers' dream to play in the football league," he added.

"I think me and Lindon have been very unlucky not to be there already, but hopefully everyone can pull together and make the step up with Mansfield."

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New Stags boss brings in Badgers' star turns
chad.co.uk, Thursday 26 May 2011

THE Paul Cox revolution at Field Mill began this week with the signing of two of Eastwood Town's hottest properties from his former club.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/new_stags_boss_brings_in_badgers_star_turns_1_3420947

Ambitious young manager Cox was announced as the replacement for Duncan Russell on Thursday and, as expected, he went straight back to the Badgers' sett to capture the signatures of Lee Stevenson and Lindon Meikle, two of his star men from last season's successful BSB North side, for undisclosed fees.

Prolific midfielder Stevenson has netted 96 goals in his last three seasons, including 35 in the campaign just finished, while Meikle (23), who can play as a forward or speedy winger, netted 34 goals in 84 starts for the Badgers.

“Lee is one of the hottest proerties in non-League football while I think Lindon will come as a big suprise to a lot of people at this club. They are two excellent players, full of ability, and more importantly, full of desire to win.

“Lee could definitely play at League level and has that something you can't coach - he is a natural goalcorer.”

Stevenson, who started as a trainee at Sheffield Wednesday, later went on to impress at King's Lynn and Belper Town before signing for Eastwood.

After putting pen to paper on a two year deal, he told http://www.mansfieldtown.net: “The season's just finished but I can't wait to get on the training pitch and show everyone what I can do.

“I know Jon D'Laryea and Tom Naylor and they say it's a fantastic club. I went to look around other clubs but I got a good feeling about this place.”

Meikle has been with Cox at Eastwood since the age of 16 but has also had trials with clubs like Newcastle United and Forest and even had Liverpool monitoring his progress.

“Lindon can catch pigeons he is so quick,” said Cox. “Going full-time is definitely going to benefit him fitness wise, technically and tactically as, until now he has only trained twice a week.

“He wasn't the fans' favourite at Eastwood for nothing and, if his end product was better, he'd be at Championship level.”

He added: “My phone has been going non-stop, mostly with agents offering me players. I need to decide if they want to come here because they are ambitious and want to play for this club or if they just think they can come here and get a big wage packet.”

Cox, who will announce a retained list by the end of the week, will begin pre-season on 1st July and is expected to bring in his former Eastwood assistant Richard Cooper to work alongside him. However, after speaking with former Stags assistant boss Paul Hall, he said there could still be a role for Hall next season.

Cox also promised his Stags side would not be route one. “You do need a bit of height, presence, power and pace, but the game is all about entertaining,” he said. “We will want to get it wide and get as many balls into the box as possible which centre forwards thrive on.”

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