Tony Dinning (born 12 April 1975) is an English former football midfielder who spent sixteen years of an eighteen-year career in the Football League, making 515 appearances in league and cup competitions. A former Newcastle United trainee, he made his name at Stockport County between 1994 and 2000, helping the club to win promotion, he played 219 games in league and cup. Following a £700,000 move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, he was sold on to Wigan Athletic for £750,000 in 2001. Helping Wigan to promotion, he also enjoyed loan spells out to Stoke City (who he also helped to win promotion), Walsall, Blackpool, and Ipswich Town, before he signed with Bristol City in 2004. He moved on to Port Vale the following year, taking up the captain's armband. He then returned to Stockport for one season, before signing with Chester City in 2007. In 2009, he was loaned out to Grays Athletic and Gateshead, before dropping out of the Football League permanently after signing with Stafford Rangers via Hednesford Town. He retired in 2011, after a spell with Bridgnorth Town. Career Early career and Stockport County Dinning began his career at Newcastle United in 1993. During his time at the club he was loaned out to the Swedish team Djurgården in a player exchange program, where his first game ended in him producing an own goal. Dinning failed to make an appearance for Newcastle before being released. Following his release he joined Stockport County in June 1994. He played twenty league games in County's Second Division promotion-winning 1996–97 campaign. He cemented his place in the Edgeley Park first eleven throughout their subsequent First Division campaigns, culminating in him picking up the player of the season award for the 1999–2000 season, in what turned out to be his final season with the club. He played a total of 219 games for the club and scored 28 goals, 13 of which came in the 1999–2000 season. Wolverhampton Wanderers In September 2000, he moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers for £700,000. However, he remained with the club for less than a year; ironically, it was his former Stockport manager Dave Jones who decided he had no future at Wolves and sold him to Paul Jewell's Wigan Athletic for £750,000. Wigan Athletic Finding his form at Wigan, he was still soon loaned out to fellow Second Division side Stoke City for the closing months of the 2001–02