Members News: Ben Starts A New Challenge At Ilson!

Thanks to the Covsport News Service Facebook page run by CCFPA Associate Member Kev Monks for alerting us (here) to the fact that one of our members, former two-time Sky Blue central defender Ben Turner has just found a new footballing home with Derbyshire side Ilkeston Town! The 33 year old left Buxton United this summer after signing from Notts County in July 2021. 

 

Ben’s new club, the Robins have just won promotion from the Northern Premier League – Division One Midlands League winning the title outright in 2021-22 and will therefore be upgraded to playing in the Southern Football League next season. Ilson ‘gaffer’ Martin Carruthers expressed his delight in signing Ben telling the club’s website,

“It’s another fantastic addition to what is an already talented squad, this being our last bit of business. The signing of Ben once again underlines the intent and willingness from the club to keep on developing and giving the amazing supporters the talented team that this club deserves. Ben is a hugely experienced and talented defender who will be a key player for us in the coming season.  big powerful defender who will give us steel and aggression in both boxes. Welcome Ben.”

Ben came up through the Academy ranks at CCFC starting in the Under 17s in 2003 and made his Championship debut as a sub for the Sky Blues on 22nd April 2006 in a 1-0 defeat at Stoke City. He also gained an England U19 cap whilst with City in 2007.

Though sent off on his home League debut v. West Bromwich Albion in late April 2007 (after two cup appearances earlier in the season), by the time he left for Cardiff City in August 2011 he had notched up 72 first team league appearances for the Sky Blues, scoring four goals (plus twelve appearances in other competitions) which might have been more but for a knee injury.  He also had loan spells with both Peterborough United in 2006 (ten appearances) and Oldham Athletic (2007 – one appearance) whilst at the Ricoh.

Signing a three-year deal with Cardiff City for reportedly £750k Ben made his debut for the Bluebirds in September 2011. In 2012 he scored a dramatic League Cup Final equaliser against Liverpool at Wembley which the Bluebirds eventually lost on penalties.  Ben was an integral part of the Welsh side that won the Championship title that season but, after only one campaign, Ben saw relegation with the Bluebirds and then missed most of the subsequent season due to injury. Ben came back to join the Sky Blues on loan in as a means of helping him recover from that injury in November 2013 and he promptly scored in his first appearance back at the Ricoh!

Sadly after only five appearances for us, he suffered another ankle injury and had to return to the Welsh club where he was not offered a contract renewal by Cardiff at season’s end. He had made 121 appearances for the other CCFC and netted four times. Ben joined CCFPA in 2014 alongside Aron Gunnarsson who had also moved to Cardiff City at a similar time.

In June 2016 Ben sought to resurrect his career by joining Championship newcomers Burton Albion and this worked well as he ended up appearing just one short of his century of games (netting three times) for the Staffordshire Club. Moving to Mansfield Town in February 2019 for the rest of the 2018-19 season Ben only got ten outings. Three season’s ago (2019-20) Ben joined Notts County who had been relegated from League Two into the National League joining a little colony of former Sky Blues  Michael Doyle, Dion Kelly Evans and Jim O’Brien (all now fellow CCFPA members). At the end of his second season with the East Midlands club he left the Magpies with two goals in his 44 appearances under his belt to go to Northern Premier League club Buxton United.

Now Ben has a new challenge with Ilkeston Town. We wish hime every good fortune with his new club!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images