Adam Stansfield

Adam Stansfield

Stansfield holding the FA Trophy following Yeovil's victory in 2002
Personal information
Full nameAdam Stansfield[1]
Date of birth10 September 1978[1]
Place of birthTiverton, England
Date of death10 August 2010 (aged 31)
Place of deathEngland
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Playing positionStriker
Youth career
Cullompton Rangers
Elmore
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2001–2004Yeovil Town55(14)
2004–2006Hereford United62(25)
2006–2010Exeter City142(37)
Total259(76)
National team
2002–2003England Semi-Pro5(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Adam Stansfield (10 September 1978 – 10 August 2010) was an English footballer who played as a striker.

He began his career in non-league with Cullompton Rangers and Elmore, before signing his first professional contract at the age of 23 with Yeovil Town. He helped Yeovil to promotion into The Football League, as he later did with both Hereford United and Exeter City. He also won the 2002 Football League Trophy Final with Yeovil, and promotion into League One with Exeter.

Stansfield was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in April 2010. Despite surgery which was deemed successful, he died on 10 August that year. A foundation in his name was posthumously set up by his family to provide sporting opportunities and raise awareness of colorectal cancer.

Early and personal life

Stansfield was born in Tiverton, Devon as the third of four children, and supported Nottingham Forest.[3] On 2 June 2001 he married Marie, with whom he had three sons.[4]

Career

Early career

Stansfield's first club was Evesham Colts under-10s. He played at county level for Worcestershire, Leicestershire and Devon. When his family settled back in Devon he joined Twyford Spartans, scoring 84 goals in 54 matches. He played in Tiverton Town's youth team as a left back, before reverting to being a striker at his first senior club, non-League side Cullompton Rangers. He later moved to Elmore, where he attracted trials from Exeter City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Torquay United, all of which were unsuccessful.[3]

Yeovil Town

In October 2001, Stansfield played for Elmore against Yeovil Town Reserves and impressed watching Yeovil manager Gary Johnson so much that he signed a professional contract with Yeovil the following month.[5] He made his debut in the Conference on 9 November, playing the entirety of a 0–3 loss away to Southport.[6] His first goal came on 1 December, concluding a 3–1 victory at Northwich Victoria.[7] His first season at Huish Park was a success, finishing as the top scorer with 16 goals, 8 of which came in the club's victorious FA Trophy run. In the final on 12 May he scored the second goal of a 2–0 win over Stevenage Borough.[8]

On the first day of the following season, Stansfield was substituted through injury after 16 minutes of an eventual 2–2 home draw with Gravesend & Northfleet to be replaced by Abdoulai Demba.[9] It was later confirmed to be a break of the tibia and fibula.[10] He missed the remainder of the season, in which Yeovil won the Conference to be promoted to The Football League for the first time.[11]

He recovered to feature in the next campaign, making his league debut on 16 August 2003 coming on as an 80th-minute substitute for Kirk Jackson in a 3–0 win against Carlisle United, the club's first Football League match. His first of six goals in the Third Division season came on 6 September, opening a 2–0 home win over Swansea City. He was given a rare start in that match as first-choice forward Kevin Gall was away with Wales under-21.[12]

Hereford United

On 14 June 2004, Stansfield returned to the Conference with Hereford United, signed by Graham Turner to replace their previous season's top scorer Steve Guinan, who had been sold to Cheltenham Town.[13] He scored 20 goals across the season, including two on 25 March 2005 in a 6–0 win at Farnborough Town, after coming on in the 77th minute for Daniel Carey-Bertram who had also scored two.[14] Hereford reached the promotion play-offs, where they lost in the semi-finals to Stevenage. In the following season they won promotion by the play-offs, with Stansfield starting in the final on 20 May 2006 at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester, a 3–2 extra-time victory over Halifax Town.[15]

Exeter City

On 12 June 2006, with his contract expired, Stansfield decided to remain in the Conference, joining Exeter City.[16] He scored nine times in 40 league games in his first season, including two in a 2–1 home win over relegated Southport on 28 April 2007 in order to seal a play-off place.[17] Eleven days later, in the second leg of the play-off semi-final away to Oxford United, he scored a goal which took the match to extra time and eventually a penalty shootout which his side won.[18] In the final on 20 May at Wembley Stadium, he came on as a 36th-minute substitute for goalscorer Lee Phillips in a 1–2 loss to Morecambe.[19]

On 26 April 2008, Stansfield scored in Exeter's 4–4 draw at Burton Albion which qualified them for that season's play-offs.[20] He started in the final, whereby the team returned to The Football League for the first time in five years with a 1–0 Wembley win over Cambridge United.[21]

He scored 10 goals in 37 league games as they won a second consecutive promotion into League One in the 2008–09 season. This included consecutive braces on 27 September and 4 October, in wins over Macclesfield Town (4–1 away) and Gillingham (3–0 home).[22][23]

Illness and death

Stansfield suffered from persistent abdominal pain in the early part of 2010, and was admitted to hospital for tests at the end of March. On 8 April 2010, it was announced that Stansfield had been diagnosed with a form of colorectal cancer,[24] and he underwent surgery to remove part of his colon. The operation was considered a success[25] and Stansfield joined the Exeter squad for the first day of pre-season training in July, but his condition deteriorated rapidly and he died on 10 August 2010. As a mark of respect Dagenham & Redbridge postponed the game Exeter were due to play against them. His funeral service was held on Wednesday 25 August.[26] The club also announced the shirt number 9 would be retired for nine seasons.[27]

Posthumous recognition

Stansfield continues to be remembered by fans of Exeter. On 9 August 2014, as they started the new season against Portsmouth, a giant flag resembling his club shirt was displayed by the crowd.[28]

At his funeral, Stansfield's widow Marie had an idea to set up the Adam Stansfield Foundation, which by the fourth anniversary of his death had raised over £150,000. It works in offering children football in Devon, Somerset and Herefordshire, the three counties in which he played professionally, as well as increasing opportunities for the disabled to take part in the sport. The Foundation also aims to increase awareness of bowel cancer.[28]

In 2015, Stansfield was featured on legal tender £5 banknotes in Exeter.[29]

Career statistics

Club statistics
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup FA Trophy Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Yeovil Town 2001–02[30] Conference 23800—88003116
2002–03[31] Conference 1000—000010
2003–04[32] Third Division 3162000—2[lower-alpha 1]0356
Total 5514200088206722
Hereford United 2004–05[33] Conference National 391931—418[lower-alpha 2]35424
2005–06[34] Conference National 23610—328[lower-alpha 3]33511
Total 62254100731668935
Exeter City 2006–07[35] Conference National 38910—103[lower-alpha 4]14310
2007–08[36] Conference National 401120—203[lower-alpha 4]04711
2008–09[37] League Two 37101010—1[lower-alpha 1]04010
2009–10[38] League One 2772100—1[lower-alpha 1]0308
2010–11 League One 000000—0000
Total 142376110308116039
Career total 2597612210181126731696
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
  2. ↑ One appearances and one goal in Football League Trophy, four appearances in Conference League Cup, two in Conference National play-offs, one appearance and two goals in Herefordshire Senior Cup
  3. ↑ Three appearances and one goal in Football League Trophy and three appearances in Conference National play-offs, two appearances and two goals in Herefordshire Senior Cup
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Appearances in Play-off matches

Honours

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hugman, Barry J. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Queen Anne Press. p. 583. ISBN 1-85291-665-6.
  2. ↑ "Player Profiles". Exeter City F.C. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Adam's Biography - Early Days". Adam Stansfield Foundation. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "Adam's Biography - Outside Of Football". Adam Stansfield Foundation. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "New striker for Glovers". Non-League Daily. 9 November 2001. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  6. ↑ "Southport 3-0 Yeovil". BBC Sport. 9 November 2001. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Northwich 1-3 Yeovil". BBC Sport. 1 December 2001. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Yeovil lift FA Trophy". BBC Sport. 12 May 2002. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Yeovil 2-2 Gravesend". BBC Sport. 17 August 2002. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Stansfield breaks leg". BBC Sport. 19 August 2002. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "Doncaster 0-4 Yeovil". BBC Sport. 12 April 2003. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "Yeovil 2-0 Swansea". BBC Sport. 6 September 2003. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Bulls sign Stansfield". BBC Sport. 14 June 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  14. ↑ "Farnborough 0-6 Hereford". BBC Sport. 25 March 2005. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  15. ↑ "Halifax 2-3 Hereford (aet)". BBC Sport. 20 May 2006. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  16. ↑ "Exeter snap up Hereford striker". BBC Sport. 12 June 2006. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  17. ↑ "Exeter 2-1 Southport". BBC Sport. 28 April 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  18. ↑ Rae, Richard (9 May 2007). "Exeter prevail in penalty drama to reach Wembley". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  19. ↑ "Exeter 1-2 Morecambe". BBC Sport. 20 May 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  20. ↑ "Burton 4-4 Exeter". BBC Sport. 26 April 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  21. ↑ Whyatt, Chris (26 April 2008). "Exeter 1-0 Cambridge Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "Stansfield brace inspires Exeter". Sky Sports. 27 September 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  23. ↑ "Gills out-of-sorts as Stansfield bags a brace". Sky Sports. 4 October 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  24. ↑ "Exeter City striker Adam Stansfield has bowel cancer". BBC Sport. 8 April 2010. Archived from the original on 11 April 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  25. ↑ "Stansfield surgery a success". Sky Sports. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  26. ↑ "Adam Stansfield". Exeter City F.C. 10 August 2010. Archived from the original on 15 August 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  27. ↑ "Club Retires Number 9 Shirt". exetercityfc.co.uk. 20 August 2010. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Adam Stansfield Foundation continues to grow four years on from Exeter City striker's death". Exeter Express and Echo. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  29. ↑ D'Albiac, Stephen (9 April 2015). "Image of Yeovil Town legend Adam Stansfield to feature on banknotes in Exeter". Western Gazette. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  30. ↑ "Games played by Adam Stansfield in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  31. ↑ "Games played by Adam Stansfield in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  32. ↑ "Games played by Adam Stansfield in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  33. ↑ "Games played by Adam Stansfield in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  34. ↑ "Games played by Adam Stansfield in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  35. ↑ "Games played by Adam Stansfield in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  36. ↑ "Games played by Adam Stansfield in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  37. ↑ "Games played by Adam Stansfield in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  38. ↑ "Games played by Adam Stansfield in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Retrieved 8 May 2014.

External links