Ben Waine (Port Vale | England)

Mansfield Town (17th) host Leyton Orient (9th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/04/08/england/league-one/mansfield-town-fc/leyton-orient-fc/4378825/

Mansfield lose 2-3
Again no Waine

Mansfield (18th) travel to Rotherham (13th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/04/18/england/league-one/rotherham-united-fc/mansfield-town-fc/4378887/

Edit - no Waine

3-3 draw

I see that the starter over him has just been sent to prison today. Good luck for Ben perhaps?

A sad yarn. Atkins driving his daughter to a piano lesson when he hit the cyclist. A terrible moment of carelessness. The victim's grief stricken wife angered, but saying she didn't want him to go to prison.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm24r3lgjr9o

Mansfield Town (19th) travel to Birmingham City (1st).
Highly unlikely but still a very small chance MT could be relegated.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/04/27/england/league-one/birmingham-city-fc/mansfield-town-fc/4378904/

Mansfield have 3 games in a week. Hopefully Ben will get a bit of game time.

Looks like Waine very late in the season, might get mins because of Atkins's imprisonment.

On at 62 mins (4-0) in a 4-0 loss at Birmingham City. 

The good news for Mansfield (19th) is that due to other results over the weekend they definitely can't be relegated.

L1 season finishes this coming weekend. Keep an eye out I wonder for Waine sightings in Welly next week. Visiting family, or something more than that??

Waine's contract with Argyle has a one year extension option for the club. He should know by now whether they will trigger it. As they have been relegated they may need to offload some the high wage players and keep players like Waine. He would certainly fit in with the current managers style.

Waine has only played 413 mins in League One this season, with the solitary goal. This for a side in Mansfield that has barely won a game the last few months. 

If he can't get much of a look in there, I'd be surprised if a side like Plymouth who should have immediate ambitions to return to The Championship next season, would give Waineo an extension.

Lets see what happens over the next month or so. It does yes often come down to the right manager and team fit. Nigel Clough may not rate Ben, but maybe Muslić at the Pilgrims does.

Mansfield (19th) host Peterborough (17th). Nether team having anything to play for. Start for Waineo?

No start, in fact no mins as Mansfield win 4-2. Rides the pine.
Baccus with MT's 2nd goal.

Was checking the other scores and stumbled upon this. I might be wrong but I thought only he and the reserve goalie were not brought on. In any case, a real shame. Let's hope his next destination suits him better. Has plenty to offer the game.

Another nothing game as Mansfield (18th) finish the season hosting Exeter City (15th) 

CHOO CHOO! Waine Train ends the season on a high with the third goal in a 3-0 win. Nice to finish what would have to say has been a tricky season for him with something to celebrate.

Yipe on at 69 mins, and gets a 82 min goal.
Very tough season for him, so understandably he looked pretty happy/relieved!

Nix? Plymouth (back in L1)? Mansfield? League Two?
Who knows.

Ben Waine wrapped up his loan at Mansfield Town with a goal

Now we wait to find if Plymouth Argyle will pick up his final-year contract option or if he becomes a free agent…#FlyingKiwis pic.twitter.com/MgqIuPTMdQ

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) May 3, 2025

Ben Waine, Saxon Earley, Will Jenkins Davies and Josh Bernard will depart Argyle upon the expiration of their contracts.

We wish all four the very best for the future. Thank you for your efforts in Green. 💚

— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) May 8, 2025

 On the move

Hutcho137

Ben Waine, Saxon Earley, Will Jenkins Davies and Josh Bernard will depart Argyle upon the expiration of their contracts.

We wish all four the very best for the future. Thank you for your efforts in Green. 💚

— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) May 8, 2025

 On the move

Sadly expected, but hopefully onwards and upwards!

I'm guessing that Mansfield wont be buying him.

me too, that's definitely illegal in the UK

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

I'm guessing that Mansfield wont be buying him.

imanixsupporter

me too, that's definitely illegal in the UK

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

I'm guessing that Mansfield wont be buying him.

Why is it illegal? He is a free agent now.

I can see him getting picked up by Auckland. Mata goes back to his parent club and they get Waine. 

I think Auckland will want to keep Mata, and he will want to stay. AFC and and being in the same city as the AWs coach, is better for his WC prospects than L2 with Shrewsbury - who played him mostly as a winger in his time there previously.

Sure he doesn't score that many, but he offers a point of difference with his large body. Other ALM sides often have to double team him around the box, where he's a proper nuisance from those big FDV throws.

I think Jonty Bidois has promise as a ALM player, and he should be better after his first pro season.

2nd Best has pointedly noted Waine's free agent status in the Nix 2025/26 season squad speculation thread. Dale know something most of us don't?

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/05/09/all-whites-striker-ben-waine-released-by-english-club-plymouth-argyle/

Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough spoke highly of Waine as the player’s loan period ended.

“It was lovely to see Ben Waine get on the scoresheet. We feel so much for him. He hasn’t had the opportunities that maybe he should have had,” former England international Clough said.

“He has done nothing wrong.

“We just had a chance to bring Jordan Rhodes in and Dom Dwyer in. We needed the experience because of the run we were in.

“If we were halfway up the league or something like that, or in a better run, he would have played more, but his attitude has been absolutely fantastic all season.”

I wonder if with the speculation that Des Buckingham could be the next manager of Cardiff city, if it might be a life line for waine in League 1 if he is appointed?

There is zero reason to think that would happen other than the fact that Des coached Waine once upon a time. There weren't even any rumours of kiwi players going to Oxford when Des was there. 

YellowAndBlack

I wonder if with the speculation that Des Buckingham could be the next manager of Cardiff city, if it might be a life line for waine in League 1 if he is appointed?

As a miserable Cardiff fan, I'd love it. He's done fantastic work on a small budget before, and I doubt Tan will want to spend much this season given how this one has gone (pretty sure we were one of the highest spending championship teams in terms of wages).

Get him in, and while he's at it, get some Kiwis in. Some of the old heads round here might know of one, but I can't recall any kiwi who has ever played for the Bluebirds.

imanixsupporter

There is zero reason to think that would happen other than the fact that Des coached Waine once upon a time. There weren't even any rumours of kiwi players going to Oxford when Des was there. 

Except Sarpreet Singh to Oxford (and others) was a rumour during Buckingham's time at the club.

If nothing else pans out for Waine over there, that is still a valuable connection/contact. You never know in football. Sadly I don't think he'll garner too much interest out of the UK this time around though. Prove me wrong Waineo!

If Des gets the Cardiff gig he should bring in Waine, Just & Singh as an AWs attacking trio. 

It will be either a masterstroke with a collective 40 goals, and promotion straight back to The Championship. Or by next January, Bucks will be sacked and the Kiwis all on loan at Newport County.

Regardless of whether or not Des gets the job, if Bling FC/Corica try to approach Waineo, here's how I would like that scenario to play out, or something similar.

Waine: "I don't know what to say, it's like a dream come true." "I got an idea though, why don't you take your MAGA money, and shove it up your ass, all up your ass."

HattyCW

Regardless of whether or not Des gets the job, if Bling FC/Corica try to approach Waineo, here's how I would like that scenario to play out, or something similar.

Waine: "I don't know what to say, it's like a dream come true." "I got an idea though, why don't you take your MAGA money, and shove it up your ass, all up your ass."

Gave you a this for the Rush Hour reference. 

Points lost for using "you" instead of "y'all" though.

YoungHeartHM

HattyCW

Regardless of whether or not Des gets the job, if Bling FC/Corica try to approach Waineo, here's how I would like that scenario to play out, or something similar.

Waine: "I don't know what to say, it's like a dream come true." "I got an idea though, why don't you take your MAGA money, and shove it up your ass, all up your ass."

Gave you a this for the Rush Hour reference. 

Points lost for using "you" instead of "y'all" though.

Understood, cheers. :)

YoungHeartHM

imanixsupporter

There is zero reason to think that would happen other than the fact that Des coached Waine once upon a time. There weren't even any rumours of kiwi players going to Oxford when Des was there. 

Except Sarpreet Singh to Oxford (and others) was a rumour during Buckingham's time at the club.

If nothing else pans out for Waine over there, that is still a valuable connection/contact. You never know in football. Sadly I don't think he'll garner too much interest out of the UK this time around though. Prove me wrong Waineo!

if you want a high chance of first team football wainey, good time to come home. 
Either that or maybe english 5th division or trying a scandanavian league

Signed for Port Vale, another season in League One. Hope he kicks on.

signed for 2 years, plenty of league 1 teams around that he'll be able to build a career bouncing around league 1 and 2 before ever having to come back to NZ

Thank fark! 

Couldn't stand the thought of him possibly signing up North with that bunch.

YoungHeartHM

Thank fark! 

Couldn't stand the thought of him possibly signing up North with that bunch.

in all honesty I didnt think he was ever going to AFC

He’s certainly got a lot to prove. I don’t think he did badly with the chances he got last season, but couldn’t get himself up the pecking order.