The emotional story of Adam Stansfield who was succeeded by his son


Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 4:00 PM• Jonathan van Haaster • Last update: 16:25

We sing a song for our Stanno, and we will never let you go, ‘cus you will always be, at City with me. It is a touching song from the fans of Exeter City. Of Stanno Adam Stansfield is referred to, a former striker of the club who died on August 10, 2010 at the age of 31 from the effects of colorectal cancer. Twelve years later, son Jay makes his debut for Exeter.

By Jonathan Van Haaster

Adam Stansfield was a footballer who was characterized by work ethic and ambition. He started his career with amateur teams Cullompton Rangers and Elmore. Trials with professional teams came to nothing until he plays against Yeovil on behalf of Elmore. Trainer Gary Johnson is impressed by Stansfield and brings him to the club in 2001. There Stanno achieves his greatest success, when he wins the FA Trophy in 2002, the national cup tournament for semi-pros. At Villa Park, home of Aston Villa, Stansfield makes the decisive 2-0 against Stevenage Borough. 19,000 spectators witness the historic moment for Stansfield and Yeovil. In the 2002/03 season, Yeovil wins the Football Conference, England’s fifth tier. Promotion to League Two followed, but Stansfield was left behind in the Football Conference. He played there for two years for the now bankrupt Hereford United, with which he managed to force promotion to the League Two in his second season there. Still, Stansfield once again remained in the Football Conference. He moved to Exeter in 2006.

Climbing the ladder
Stansfield himself stated that his main goal is to help develop young players. Goals and promotion were of secondary importance. With that freedom Stansfield played and with his Exeter in 2007 he was close to promotion to the fourth tier. The final of the play-offs was lost that year, but the following year Exeter did get promoted. Stansfield helped his team advance to the playoffs by scoring in the 4-4 draw against Burton Albion. Cambridge United were defeated 1-0 in the final of the play-offs. In the League Two, Stansfield was of great value with ten goals in 37 games. Exeter continued in the right direction and even managed to force promotion to League One, England’s third tier. Stansfield has never played at such a high level, yet that 2009/10 season is proving to be bittersweet for him. He scores eight goals and appears to be perfectly capable of keeping up with the level. That season, however, he is also told that he is suffering from cancer.

Opposite BBC Spotlight manager Paul Tisdale said there was little good news to report about his striker. “But if there’s anyone who can handle this, it’s Adam.” In April 2010, Stansfield had part of his bowel removed. The operation was a success and the good-humoured Stansfield even reported to Exeter in July for the first day of preparation. However, the chemotherapy took its toll and he looked tired. Since then, he has rapidly deteriorated, eventually dying on August 10, 2010. As a tribute, Exeter has made his jersey number 9 unavailable for nine seasons and a grandstand in the stadium has been named after him. Hundreds of people attended his funeral at Exeter Cathedral. Many wear the shirt of Exeter City, while shirts from his other former clubs are also on display. The ceremony reiterates how much he loved his wife Marie and three sons Taylor, Cody and Jay.

Jay Stansfield
All the sons now play football. Taylor plays for Elmore, also a former club of his father, while Cody plays for Twyford Spartans. Jay joins Fulham at the age of sixteen, for which he made his debut in the Premier League this season. Still, he needed more playing time and so he was allowed to be rented out in the final phase of the summer transfer window. Exeter reported to Jay. Manager Matt Taylor played with Adam for three years and insists Jay join his roster. In the club’s announcement video on Twitter, Jay indicates that he is very happy with his temporary switch. “This means a lot to me. I knew the pressure would be high whether I chose the number 9 or not, so it only felt right that I chose it. I am proud to wear this shirt and hopefully I can follow in his footsteps and maybe more. When my father played here, I always dreamed of playing here with number 9. I will wear the shirt with pride and hopefully I will make my father proud too.”

The fact that Jay is Adam’s son is reflected in many traits. So Jay runs with his thumb up, just like his father did. Also the work ethic, position on the pitch and hunger for goals have been passed on to Jay. Even the competition meal, an omelette with ham and cheese, is the same. What father Adam couldn’t do, play in the Premier League, Jay did. Not least because of the ambition to keep improving itself. In the match against MK Dons, Stansfield makes his debut for Exeter as a substitute. The youngster thus has a new shirt that he can frame to hang on the wall. He has already hung up a series of his father’s shirts in his London home. Exeter chairman Julian Tagg saw the past in the present when he saw Jay defend his club’s colors for the first time. “When he ran over the wing, my God, it was déjà vu.” Either way, Adam Stansfield will always live on through the Adam Stansfield Foundation. The aim is to give young people the opportunity to achieve their goals in life through football. In addition, the foundation has set the goal to increase awareness about colorectal cancer.

In his childhood home in Tiverton, Jay regularly encounters memorable things from his father, he tells The Guardian. “It was a pair of Nike Tiempo 90s. I asked my mother: ‘can I wear them?’ I walked into the yard, wore them and in my mind I had already determined that I would wear them the next game. I thought it would be a nice gesture, but they didn’t last. The bottom fell off. I have many of his shoes in glass boxes. It’s nice to have stuff around. My mom gave me his watch for prom after I graduated there. I like looking at pictures, but of course it also upsets me and I don’t always want to be. There are positive things in life that have come out of the situation. I try to stay as strong as possible and look okay, even if I’m not sometimes.”