24 - Stalybridge Celtic vs Hyde

INSIDE THE DRESSING ROOM...
WITH CHRIS DAGNALL
The best compliment you could give Chris Dagnall is that in those dying
moments against Belper Town a man down, scoreline all-square, and
those three points vital, if the ball was going to fall to anyone in the box
you’d want it to be the cool, calm and composed head of Daggers.
Of the Celtic dressing room at present, there are few that have had as intriguing
career as the 36-year-old Liverpudlian, playing in India, Scotland and a number
of teams in the Football League.
That experience has proven instrumental in our side, with the steady heads of
him and his mate Tom Miller leading the team through both the good times and
bad.
With it still all to play for, we caught up with Daggers to talk about his career and what lies ahead over the last
few weeks of the season…
Team You Support: Liverpool
Favourite Food: Sushi
Best Player Played With: John McGinn
Best Player Played Against: Rio Ferdinand
Dream Holiday: Dubai
Favourite TV Show: Suits
Hi Chris. Firstly, how are you? A few weeks to go now, fired
up and ready to go?
I’m all good, just looking forward to the last five games. Let’s
hope we can stay up!
You’ve had a long career with plenty of action at both ends
of the table. It’s a big final run in now, will you be looking to
use those experiences to help the younger lads through it?
Of course yes, I’ve been in situations where it’s gone down to
the last minute of the final game to stay up, and as long as the
younger lads don’t give up and just go out there and give it a
good go each game, that’s all that can be asked.
There’s a bit of a Stalybridge Celtic connection earlier in your
career in which former Connor Jennings moves to Scunthorpe
a few days before you made the step up to Barnsley. Was he
effectively brought in as your replacement?
I’d imagine he was brought in as my replacement but I can’t
remember that far back! Connor is a great lad. We played
together at Tranmere a few years ago as well.
10 years on you join us. How did your move to Stalybridge
come around?
Tommy Miller just kept constantly nagging me to join. So when
I decided to leave Hanley, I thought I would just shut him up!
We’ve got to talk about your time in India. How did you find
yourself going to play there, and what was life like for those
few months?
India was probably the biggest and best risk I took in my career.
Peter Taylor was our manager and I knew him from playing
against his teams many times over the years. He just asked if
I fancied it, but to go out there into the unknown and play in
front of 65,000 fans each week is an experience I’ll never forget!
Not long after you were part of a huge moment in Hibs’
history. Even as a neutral, watching the Sunshine on Leith
clip at Hampden is spine-tingling. That must have been quite
a moment to soak up?
It was absolutely unbelievable. The whole weekend was a party
from start to finish. Seeing the fans singing Sunshine on Leith
after each game during that cup run was unreal and then to win
the Scottish Cup like that just capped it all off!
Moving on to this season, you bagged an important goal on
Boxing Day against Hyde. Your favourite of the season? There
are a few crackers to choose from!
It was a good goal on Boxing Day but my favourite of the season
was my last-minute winner against Belper. I just don’t think you
can beat the feeling of scoring a winner so late.
Finally, there have been plenty of hurdles to overcome this
season, but where would staying in this league rank in your
long list of achievements?
Firstly, we shouldn’t fighting for survival. It’s as simple as that.
We should be top half in the league, but like you said, the club
has had its ups and downs this season and that’s shown on
the pitch. It’s still in our hands and we just need to not shoot
ourselves in the foot and most of all…stick together!
28
THE OFFICIAL STALYBRIDGE CELTIC MATCH DAY PROGRAMME