Lewis Haldane

Haldane was a product of the Southampton youth academy. He moved on to Bristol Rovers though for the 2002–03 season, and had a brief spell on 'work experience' at Southern League side Weston-super-Mare.[3] His professional debut at the Memorial Stadium came on 27 September 2003 as he replaced Junior Agogo as an 85th-minute substitute; despite only playing for a few minutes he won a penalty in a 2–0 win over Cheltenham Town.[4] His first goal came seven days later at Belle Vue, the sole consolation of a 5–1 drubbing by Doncaster Rovers; he scored minutes after coming onto the pitch.[5] His first start came a week later, at Darlington, where he scored the opener of a 4–0 victory.[6] He made it three in three on 14 October, as Rovers crashed out of the Football League Trophy with a 2–1 defeat by Southend United at Roots Hall. He finished the 2003–04 season with 29 appearances to his name, scoring six goals and also picking up seven yellow cards. At the end of the season he was one of the few players retained, as eleven were let go.[7] He went on to sign a new three-year deal in November 2004.[8]

The teenager made sixteen appearances in 2004–05, all but one as a substitute, picking up one goal against Leyton Orient in the League Trophy. In April 2005 he joined Conference club Forest Green Rovers on loan.[9] He played six games before returning to Bristol, following the dismissal of manager Ian Atkins.[10] He began the 2005–06 season on loan at Forest Green,[11][12] putting in seven appearances before heading back to Rovers in September. He played 32 games for the League Two side, scoring three goals, two of them at the end of season clash with Macclesfield Town. During the season, he was utilized on the right of midfield, rather than his usual role as a striker.[13]

He played a remarkable sixty competitive games in 2006–07. The highlights of the season included playing in the Football League Trophy final at the Millennium Stadium and playing in the play–off final at Wembley Stadium. In the League Trophy final the "Gas" lost 3–2 to Doncaster Rovers, a game in which Haldane was man of the match,[14] but at the play-off final at Wembley they defeated Shrewsbury Town 3–1. Haldane started both games, but finished neither. At the end of the season he put pen to paper on a three-year contract.[15]

He made 38 appearances in 2007–08, as the "Pirates" adapted to life playing at a higher level. His only goal of the campaign was a late winning header over Millwall on 17 November.[16] At the reverse fixture he set up Craig Disley's winning goal.[17] He joined Oxford United on a season-long loan in July 2008, following the arrival of Jeff Hughes at Rovers.[18] He played 46 games for the Conference side, but remained on the transfer list at the Memorial Stadium upon his return.[19][20]

"It wasn't an easy decision to drop down to the Conference but once I had met the manager and seen the set-up I was convinced."

— Haldane took some convincing to drop down two tiers to play for Oxford.[21]

In August 2009, he joined Port Vale for a trial period.[22] This came despite talk of a loan move to Newport County.[23] He started a loan spell at Vale Park on 1 September,[24][25] hopeful of later earning a permanent deal with the club.[26] The one-month loan was extended by another month to keep him in Vale colours for October,[27] before the deal was extended once again in November.[28] Spending the maximum allowed loan time at Vale Park (93 days), he scored once in a total of twenty appearances. He remained in training with the club, hopeful of a short-term contract in January 2010.[29][30]

Lewis has got the ingredient that can hurt teams at this level, which is real pace. I still think he can get better and I still think he needs to be a little bit more selfish, but he's always a threat."

— Vale boss Micky Adams speaking in November 2009.[31]

Due to sign permanently for the "Vale", he was instead only able to re-join the club on loan on 31 December 2009, having failed to gain a release from Rovers.[32] That release was eventually secured however, and Haldane signed for Vale on 27 January 2010, just days before the transfer window closed.[33] He was sent off in his first game as a fully signed Vale player,[34] to his great disappointment.[35] He was offered a new contract by the club at the end of the season,[36] and quickly signed the two-year deal.[37]

In the 2010–11 pre-season, Haldane was rushed into hospital after being bitten by a blandford fly during a training session.[38] The unusual illness kept him bed stricken, and cost him his place in the team's trip to Ireland, giving Gary Roberts a chance to earn a contract.[39] He spent two weeks in hospital.[40] He had to wait until November before he had returned to match fitness,[41] and even longer before returning to full fitness.[42] Following his recovery he managed to finish the season with 27 appearances to his name.

Haldane won his first start of the 2011–12 campaign in a League Trophy clash with Tranmere Rovers; however he landed awkwardly after an aerial challenge, the result of which was a double leg break and another lengthy spell on the sidelines.[43][44][45] By January 2012 the bone had completely healed, however manager Micky Adams confirmed that another operation looked likely.[46] Three months later he took to the field again in a reserve team clash with Burton Albion.[47] He was given the opportunity to prove his fitness when he was offered a new six-month contract in May 2012.[48] However two months later he went under the knife again to remove scar tissue from his left ankle.[49] The leg injury proved too severe, and his retirement was officially announced on 7 October.[50]

"He's very much part of the Port Vale family and we look after our own. That's the right way to be at a football club and certainly the way I want to manage. Lewis is a great kid and we'll miss him. We'll try our best as a club to help him in whatever the next phase of his life is. He'll move on to the next chapter in his life and there's more to life than football, or so they say. He'll have enjoyed his career to a certain degree and he'll be very frustrated to have it curtailed at such a young age. But he's got a good family behind him and he'll decide over the next couple of months what he wants to do with his life. We wish him well."

— Following Haldane's retirement, manager Micky Adams justified his decision to hand him a six-month contract earlier in the year, and wished Haldane well in the future.[51]

Haldane began the 2013–14 season with Southern League side Yate Town.[52] He helped the "Bluebells" to a ninth place in Division One South & West in 2013–14, and was a prolific goalscorer, managing to score two consecutive hat-tricks in February.[53] He rejected an approach from Paulton Rovers in August 2014,[54] and three months later instead joined Frome Town.[55] The "Robins" finished one place above the Southern League Premier Division relegation zone in 2014–15. He re-signed with Yate Town in January 2016.[56] Yate finished 16th in Division One South & West in 2015–16, but Haldane was unable to feature due to work commitments.[57]