Continuing BN's look at Adam Stansfield's time with Hereford United, it's the 2005/06 season.
Pre-season Stansfield played for England in the Four Nations competition. He scored against Scotland.
The ball found its way through to DJ Campbell who outmuscled Kevin Souter in the penalty box and flicked it over Ally Ridgers. Scott Anderson raced back to stop the ball from crossing the line initially but before he could hook it clear Adam Stansfield charged in and bundled it over the line.
Stansfield had a new strike partner, Guy Ipoua, for the first few games of the season and Ipoua took most of the headlines.
"As long as we keep winning games then my goals will come," said Stansfield in early September.
"I had a couple chances against Tamworth and I'm feeling confident heading into the Altrincham match."
But no goals came.
"It's disappointing to draw and only get one point when we dominated the game so well and had so many chances, quite a few myself," he said. "We've not conceded that's one good thing."
Stansfield then suffered what was thought to be a groin injury. However in early October he had an operation for a double hernia.
"The operation will be carried out by one of the three top specialists in the country," he explained.
"He did a similar operation on Ryan Giggs. So, if it was good enough for him, it's good enough for me!"
Stansfield returned to action as a sub on November 22nd against Port Vale. But he didn't make the bench the following Saturday against Exeter.
"I can't wait to be involved again. I want to play every game, every week - it's very frustrating not being involved," he said.
"I travelled up to the game at Dagenham last weekend but I was sat in the stand and I couldn't help the team."
Against Stockport in the FA Cup on December 3rd Stansfield came on as a sub but couldn't help the Bulls who lost 2-0.
However the following Saturday, against York at Edgar Street, he came off the bench and within two minutes scored the only goal of the game. It was only his second touch of the ball and it was originally thought that he celebrated by running to the bench and pointing out he was a goalscorer.
He later said his wife was watching!
Graham Turner was pleased.
"The goal is just the sort of thing Adam Stansfield can do.
"He has not looked right in training or in the games we have played, but when he went on today, his goal, his work and in everything else it was back to the Adam we know."
Stansfield scored an important goal for the Bulls in their 2-0 win over Scunthorpe in the Quarter Final of the LDV just before Christmas.
Again Turner was pleased.
"Stansfield, for instance, coming back into the side. Scored against York, scored against Bognor, and again against Scunthorpe. So his confidence should be going upwards and he is getting better with each game that goes by."
Into the New Year and Stansfield scored the winning goal at Scarborough and another at Halifax in a Trophy Tie.
"I've been to the (Trophy) final and won it," he said. "It's a great day out and I'd like to get to the final and win it. Hopefully I'd like to think all the lads would as well."
Bulls coach John Trewick summed up Stansfield recent good form.
"Adam is contributing very well at the moment," said Trewick. "He is capable of scoring goals against anyone and, with his energy, he shows how vital he is to us.
"It's great to have Adam back and fully fit. He started the season with injury problems and that manifested itself into a hernia operation.
"So we've missed him for a large part of the season, missed his energy and his goals. He's a very, very valuable squad player."
But just as he had regained his form Stansfield suffered a hip injury but he was soon back on target with a goal against Cambridge in a 3-0 win for the Bulls on January 30th which lifted the club into third place.
Another important goal was scored by Stansfield against Hailfax two weeks later but at Canvey Island on February 18th, he suffered another injury, this time a suspected fractured cheekbone.
Winger Simon Travis explained.
"He looks in a bad way. He looks as though he has a depressed fracture of his cheekbones. His nose is in a pretty bad state as well. We know he is in hospital at the moment. It put things into propective when you see an injury like that it's just a game of football. There are far more important things than football and three points when Adam is in such a bad way."
John Trewick was clearly worried he would without his top striker.
"It's not a nice situation for Adam. It is also not a nice situation for us. We've now lost our top goalscorer for a lengthy period of time."
Graham Turner gave more information:
"Immediately after the game he was taken to Southend Hospital," said the Bulls manager. "He was discharged only to come back and make sure he got a specialist look at his face.
"It's a depressed fracture of the cheekbone. The swelling has got to go down before the surgery can be carried out. But it looks as though he will have to have a plate inserted in the depressed fracture of the cheek."
Stansfield made a remarkable recovery and was back in training by mid-March. He came off the bench in the home game against Kidderminster but couldn't help the outcome, a 1-0 defeat.
Exeter had been reportedly following his progress however at the end of March Stansfield said he was happy at Hereford.
"A move wouldn't interest us at the moment," he said. "These rumours are always hanging around but there's nothing in them.
"We have bought a house up here, my eldest son has settled in very well and we are more than happy."
During April Stansfield found it difficult to keep his place in the starting eleven and often had to be content with a place on the bench. Stuart Fleetwood, Guy Ipoua and Danny Carey-bertram were all fit and fighting for a starting place.
However Stansfield scored a goal in the draw against Southport on April 22nd to stake a claim for a start in the forth-coming play-offs.
The first leg was drawn at Morecambe but back at Edgar Street the Bulls won 3-2 and so secured a place in the final against Halifax. Stansfield started both games.
The play-off final against Halifax took place at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester on Saturday May 20th. Stansfield started and although he didn't score he was provided for one of Hereford's goals.
Meanwhile, Adam Stansfield was racing down the flank and, with the skipper making a decoy run to the front post, youngster Andy Williams was left unmarked at the far post to meet the ball with a diving header, that bounced off the surface before springing up, out of the reach of Kennedy, and just inside of the far post. and
United continued where they left off after the restart, and Stansfield almost put The Bulls in front. His mazy run bought him some space inside the box and he homed in on goal from the right but, with a clear sight on goal from just yards out, shot low to the near post, where Kennedy somehow managed to keep the ball out with his feet. and
Still, The Bulls battled on and Stansfield had another glorious chance to put them in front. Travis supplied the cross to the far post, where Stansfield towered to meet it, but he diverted his header inches the wrong side of the post.and
The Bulls were again looking threatening straight after the restart of the extra time period when Adam Stansfield lost his man before smashing the ball into the side netting, but with the net shaking, it would have appeared to some Hereford fans, located at the far end of the ground, that the ball had sneaked in side the near post.
The Bulls won the game 3-2 and they were back in the Football League.
Stansfield spoke to the press after the game.
"It was amazing. To come back twice was brilliant. We have worked so hard over the course of a long season. In the end it came down to one game and we produced the goods.
"I have played in the FA Trophy final, but this was up there with the biggest games I have been involved in. The game had everything, the atmosphere was electric and to top it all off we won. The play-offs had become a sore point in the past few seasons. Finishing second and not getting promoted had been a blow, especially as the club have been calling out for two teams to get automatic promotion. But it doesn't matter now. We are up and everyone is so thrilled.
"I haven't got a contract next season. I haven't been offered anything yet. We are in today and we will be told our futures in the next few days. I have had a few injuries, but hopefully I have done enough to be offered a new contract.
"Hereford are a league side really and well equipped to go into League Two. Being in the Conference for nine years has been hard but they are back now. Hopefully now we will be able to get some more league players that will help us stay in there. I was disappointed not to be offered something at Yeovil. But I chose to go to the club who still had the best chance of getting back into the League and it has turned into a good move for me.
"You look at the past few years and the teams who have got promoted from the Conference have either gone straight up again or they have managed to finish in the play-offs or just below them. So I think we have got every chance to do the same next season."
During the next week supporters waited to hear if Stansfield had signed a new deal. Rumours of a move to Exeter had surfaced.
"He (Graham Turner) has basically said he wants me but he is just waiting on his budget," said Stansfield.
"Now we have gone up he is not sure what money he has got at the minute so he is just waiting on that before he gets back to us. I will wait to see what the offer is. I will see if there are other clubs who show an interest. I will talk to them and see which offer suits me best.
"There are always rumours. My family are living down there and they tell me about the rumours and every time I go home the rumours seem to start up again. There is nothing in them."
By early June Sky repeated the story that Stansfield could move to Exeter whilst the Hereford United said he was still considering an offer to remain with the Bulls.
And on June 10th it was revealed that Stansfield had signed a two year deal with Exeter.
"He is a player I would have loved to have worked with," said Grecian manager Alex Inglethorpe.
"His ability is there for all to see. When he returned to the Hereford side towards the end of last season it triggered an upturn in their fortunes and he was the catalyst they needed to go on and finish the season strongly.
"He is a proven goalscorer and his importance was shown by the fact that Hereford started with him in both play-off semi-finals and the final."
Finally on June 13th Graham Turner commented on Stanfield's move.
"I spoke to him a week or so ago. He asked for a second year but the offer was for one year.
"He then asked if he played a certain number of games could a contract for a second year kick-in which I agreed.
"I thought he was away on holiday but I now read he's going to sign for Exeter.
"We wish him well. He did a decent job for us here."