Adam Stansfield

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

He competed professionally for Yeovil Town, Hereford United and Exeter City, and won promotion from the Football Conference to The Football League with all three teams.

Having played for three counties as a child, Stansfield began his career in non-league with Cullompton Rangers and Elmore, and had unsuccessful trials at league teams.

At the age of 23, he signed his first professional contract with Yeovil Town, after impressing their manager Gary Johnson in a match against them.

In that match, Yeovil's first in The Football League, he came on as an 80th-minute substitute for Kirk Jackson in a 3–0 win against Carlisle United.

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.

On 2 June 2001 he married Marie, with whom he had three sons.

In October 2001, Stansfield's performances for Elmore impressed Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson to sign him.

He made his debut in the Conference on 9 November, playing the entirety of a 3–0 loss away to Southport.

His first goal came on 1 December, concluding a 3–1 victory at Northwich Victoria.

His first season at Huish Park was a success, finishing as the top scorer with 16 goals, eight of which came in the club's victorious FA Trophy run.

He scored twice in a fourth round replay at Doncaster Rovers, as Yeovil came from 0–3 down for an eventual 5–4 victory.

In the final on 12 May he scored the second goal of a 2–0 win over Stevenage Borough at the Villa Park, Birmingham.

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.

It was later confirmed to be a break of the tibia and fibula.

He missed the remainder of the season, in which Yeovil won the Conference to be promoted to The Football League for the first time.

In his first season, he helped them win the FA Trophy, scoring in the 2002 final.

The following season, Yeovil won the Conference and promotion into The Football League, although Stansfield was ruled out with a broken leg in the first game.

He recovered to feature in the next campaign, making his league debut on 16 August 2003.

In 2004, he transferred to Hereford United, where he won promotion to The Football League via the 2006 play-offs, and repeated the feat with Exeter City two years later.

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.

At international level, Stansfield played five matches and scored one goal for England's national semi-professional team, winning the 2005 Four Nations Tournament.

He scored 20 goals across the season, including two on 25 March 2005 in a 6–0 win at Farnborough Town.

He also helped Exeter earn promotion into League One in 2009.

Stansfield was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in April 2010.

He returned to training after surgery and chemotherapy, but 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.

He has posthumously been featured on a Flybe airliner livery and a local currency banknote in Exeter.

Stansfield was born in Plymouth, Devon, as the third of four children, and supported Nottingham Forest.

By the 2019–20 season, his son Jay was scoring regularly for Fulham's Under 18 team, and in 2022 joined Exeter on loan from the Craven Cottage side, wearing number 9, the shirt number synonymous with his father's legacy at the club.

He made his debut as a substitute during Exeter's 1–0 victory over MK Dons.

Devon journalist Gary Andrews remembered Stansfield senior as a man who would spend time with his family after matches while speaking to fans and the press.

He wrote that "I had the pleasure of interviewing Adam on a regular basis... I say pleasure, because his answers were thoughtful and intelligent and he came across as a man who was delighted to be back home with his friends and family."

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.

His siblings joined the Royal Air Force and he thought of joining them, but continued searching for a breakthrough in professional football.