The Adam Stansfield Foundation is set to visit Herefordshire next week to hand out over 30 ‘Football Packs’ to local Primary Schools, ensuring that Adams’ legacy continues to live on in the County.
Stansfield became a firm Hereford United fans favourite after arriving at Edgar Street in 2004. He was a key member of the Play-Off winning side that saw The Bulls promoted into the Football League in 2006.
The Foundation was set up in Adam’s name after he lost his battle against bowel cancer in August 2010. The Foundation aims to support youngsters at grassroots level and in schools to enjoy a healthy lifestyle through football.
“We are a small family charity supporting individuals, schools and teams in Somerset, Herefordshire and Devon. We support disability teams, including Powerchair, Deaf, Downs Syndrome and Ability Counts teams. We also support Under 16’s in completing their FA Football Leaders Award (the first coaching award you can achieve).
Last year the foundation started their ‘Primary Schools Initiative’. “We realised that school finances were being cut year on year and receiving many grant requests from them, we decided to become pro-active to ensure that teachers had the resources to do their jobs properly.
“We will be delivering our ‘Football Packs’ to Primary Schools in and around Hereford next week (3rd/4th December). The packs have been put together with PE in mind and we hope the schools will be able to make good use of them. Maybe producing the next generation of Hereford FC players!
The £300 pack consists of:- 2 x pop up goals/ 5 x size 3 footballs/ 5 x size 4 footballs/ 10 bibs/10 x hurdles/1 x parachute/ 1x resistance belt/50 x cones/ 5 x hoops/2 x agility ladders/ ball pump and whistle.
Individuals, schools and football teams can apply for grants from the Foundation on our website:- www.adamstansfieldfoundation.com
Adam signed for Hereford United in the 2004-05 season scoring 22 goals. Adam was a popular player, recognised not just for his goals but his phenomenal work rate and never say die attitude. Adam played a big part in helping to get Hereford into the play-offs. The season was to end in disappointment though as the club lost to Stevenage Borough in the play-off semi-finals.
The heartache of missing out on promotion seemed to spur the club on and the next season saw another exciting promotion push. In what was a stop start season and after sustaining a fractured cheekbone in a horrid aerial clash at Canvey Island in February, Adam recovered in time for another play-off in May. After beating Morecambe in the semi-final Hereford went on to face Halifax Town in the final at The Walkers Stadium. Adam again had a big say in the outcome of the match by sending over the most sublime of crosses for strike partner Andy Williams to equalise in the promotion showdown. A 3-2 win after extra time saw Hereford United and Adam promoted back to the football league.
Adam left Hereford in 2006 moving home to Devon and Exeter City. He had a similar journey at Exeter helping them in promotion to the Football League.
In April 2010, aged just 31, Adam found out he was suffering from Bowel Cancer. After an operation and chemotherapy, Adam attended his first pre-season training session in July. A routine blood test showed that the cancer had spread and Adam lost his battle on August 10th 2010.
