Stacy Long

Stacy William Long (born 11 January 1985) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Leatherhead.
Long started his football career at Charlton Athletic in 1995 and progressed through the youth system, spending a total of ten years on the club's books, and although a regular in the reserve side he failed to make a single first–team appearance. Before the start of the 2005–06 season, Long joined Notts County after being released from Charlton. He spent one season at the club, before moving into non-league with Ebbsfleet United in July 2006. He played over 135 games in total for the club, helping them to FA Trophy success in the process. He joined Stevenage in June 2009, and helped the club reach the Football League for the first time in the club's history in his first season at the Hertfordshire outfit. Long's success at Stevenage continued the following season, helping the club earn back-to-back promotions, earning promotion to League One for the first time in their history. He was released by Stevenage after three years at the club, and subsequently joined AFC Wimbledon on a free transfer in June 2012. He was released by Wimbledon a year later, and subsequently re-joined one of his former clubs, Ebbsfleet United, ahead of the 2013–14 season. Long has represented England at various youth levels, as well as playing for the England C team in 2008.

Long began his football career at Charlton Athletic in 1995 and progressed through the youth system at The Valley. He signed a three-year professional contract in 2002 after impressing manager Alan Curbishley. On signing the contract, Long said "signing a professional contract is what I have always wanted ever since I first came to the club and was playing for the Under-8 and Under-9 sides". Despite featuring regularly for the reserve team, Long was released in May 2005, ending his ten-year association with the London club. When released, Long said, "the club is in such a strong position now that it is difficult for young players to make the breakthrough". Ahead of the 2005–06 season, Long joined Notts County on a one-year contract, following his successful trial at the club. He made his debut for the club in a 1–0 victory over Wrexham, scoring the winner in the 90th minute. Long scored his second goal for Notts County in a 5–2 away defeat at Northampton Town in the Football League Trophy on 18 October 2005. After Notts County's 2–0 home win against Stockport County in December 2005, he did not feature in the first-team for three months, making a 78th-minute substitute appearance in a 1–0 home defeat to Grimsby Town. He made just three further substitute appearances in the remaining three months of the season. Long made 23 appearances for Notts County during the 2005–06 season as Notts county narrowly escaped relegation from the Football League, scoring two goals. At the end of the season, he was one of seven players released by the club.

Long subsequently joined Conference National side Gravesend & Northfleet in July 2006. He made his Gravesend debut as a substitute in a 1–0 victory over Woking, and scored his first goal in the same season away at Kidderminster Harriers in a 2–1 victory. Long made 31 appearances during the 2006–07 season, and subsequently earned a contract extension for a further year. Long continued featuring regularly under Liam Daish in the club's 2007–08 campaign. He played 47 games in all competitions and scored 14 goals from midfield, including successive braces against Grays Athletic and Weymouth. Long was also instrumental in the club's successful FA Trophy campaign the same season, playing in all seven games, including the 1–0 win against Torquay United in the final at Wembley Stadium in May 2008. The 2008–09 season witnessed Long play 49 games for the Kent side, scoring four times.

Stevenage

After being released by the club, now renamed Ebbsfleet United, at the end of the 2008–09 season, Long joined Stevenage on a one-year contract in June 2009. He made his debut for the Hertfordshire side in the opening game of the 2009–10 season, starting in a 1–1 draw with Tamworth. Long found first-team opportunities hard to come by in the first half of the season, featuring just eight times in four months. However, after impressing in Stevenage's 4–1 win against Cambridge United on New Year's Day by providing two assists, Long scored his first goal for Stevenage in a 6–0 win over Vauxhall Motors, scoring the sixth goal. Three days later, Long continued his fine form with two goals against Kettering Town in a 2–0 win. Another brace followed shortly after in Stevenage's 2–1 victory over Workington in the FA Trophy. Long played a total of 26 times during the club's successful 2009–10 campaign, scoring 5 times as Stevenage finished the season as Conference champions.

Long played his first game of the 2010–11 season, Stevenage's first season in the Football League, in the club's 2–1 loss to Portsmouth in the League Cup, playing 45 minutes of the match. A month later, he started his first game of the campaign, against Crewe Alexandra, but was sent-off in the 63rd minute of the match for two bookable offences. He returned to the first-team on 18 September 2010, in Stevenage's 0–0 draw with Torquay United and remained a permnanent fixture throughout the remainder of 2010 – scoring his first goal of the season in a 1–1 home draw against Shrewsbury Town on 23 November. Long's second goal of the season came against Stevenage's rivals Barnet on 3 January 2011 – Long scoring a volley from just inside the area from Rob Sinclair's deep cross. His fine form continued, and he played a key role in Stevenage's noticeable 3–1 win over Premier League side Newcastle United. Long's shot from 25 yards out resulted in Stevenage's first goal, taking a big deflection off of Newcastle defender Mike Williamson. He also provided the assist for Michael Bostwick's goal in the same game. Long played a total of 30 games during the 2010–11 season, scoring three goals. This included three appearances in the 2010–11 League Two play-offs following Stevenage's sixth-placed finish. He scored in Stevenage's 2–0 home victory against Accrington Stanley in the semi-final first leg, which the club went on to win by a 3–0 aggregate scoreline. Stevenage earned promotion to League One after a 1–0 win against Torquay United at Old Trafford on 28 May 2011, with Long playing the whole game.

He made his first appearance of the 2011–12 season in Stevenage's first ever League One game, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute in a 0–0 draw with Exeter City. Long started the next game, a League Cup home tie against Peterborough United on 9 August 2011, scoring in the first half in an eventual 4–3 loss after extra-time. His first league goal of the campaign came against one of his former employers, Charlton Athletic, on 15 October. Long's goal was a deflected 25-yard shot that wrongfooted Ben Hamer in the Charlton goal, the goal gave Stevenage a 1–0 victory, consequently ending Charlton's unbeaten league start to the season. He went on to make 32 appearances in all competitions for Stevenage during the campaign, scoring twice. Despite playing more games during the season than in the two previous years at Stevenage, Long was released when his contract expired in May 2012.

AFC Wimbledon

In June 2012, Long joined League Two side AFC Wimbledon on a free transfer and on a one-year contract. He made his Wimbledon debut in the club's first game of the season, starting in a 3–1 defeat away to his previous employers, Stevenage, in a League Cup fixture on 14 August 2012. Long scored his first goal for the club in AFC Wimbledon's 3–0 away win over York City in November 2012. He scored his first goal at The Cherry Red Records Stadium a week later, on 17 November, scoring late-on in the second-half courtesy of a free-kick to salvage a point in a 1–1 draw with Aldershot Town. Long added a third to his goal tally on 1 January 2013, again scoring late in the second-half, this time netting an injury-time penalty to give Wimbledon a 3–2 away win at Torquay United. He made 32 appearances in all competitions during the season, scoring three times, as Wimbledon finished in 20th position, avoiding relegation by two points. Long was released by Wimbledon at the end of the season.

Return to Ebbsfleet

Following his release from AFC Wimbledon, Long took a "significant wage drop" and "rejected better offers from League clubs" to re-join Ebbsfleet United of the Conference South on 8 June 2013. On the move, Long said "I had a great experience here last time – obviously winning the Trophy at Wembley was the highlight for me – but overall it was a fantastic time and I hope to do the same under Steve Brown and achieve great things again". However, after just one season, he was released by the club, along with Osei Sankofa and club captain Paul Lorraine.

Long captained the England U16 side in 2000, which included Wayne Rooney, and represented his country at various youth levels. Long was named in the England C team, who represent England at non-League level, in February 2007, for a friendly against Northern Ireland C side. He came on as a substitute in the game, which ended 3–1 in Northern Ireland's favour.

Ebbsfleet United

• FA Trophy (1): 2007–08

Stevenage

• Conference National (1): 2009–10
• League Two play-offs (1): 2010–11

As of 1 April 2013.