Stan Fan Monthly Draw

OCTOBER
Drawn: Friday 30th October 2026
Participants: 89
Prize Fund: £445

1st Prize £360 Number 81 Joe Robson
2nd Prize £50 Number 86 Max Storey
3rd Prize £25 Number 51 Darren Young
4th Prize £10 Number 91 Tom Boothroyd

Numbers were verified and drawn by Julie Haswell.

Huge thank you to all participants as you are providing valuable funds to the club.

If you to want to join in future draws contact George Clark on george.clark@heatonstan.co.uk

Entry is £10 per month, the more participants the higher the prize fund and the higher the prizes. Next Draw will be Friday 27th November 2026.

Heaton Stannington FC are delighted to announce the appointment of Andy McBride as First Team Manager, alongside an exciting new-look management team as we begin the next chapter in the Club’s journey.

Following the recent departure of Dean Nicholson, the Board is pleased to confirm that Andy will take charge of the first team after five years as Assistant Manager.

Andy knows our football club inside out. Having been a huge part of the journey over the past five years, he understands our identity, ambitions and standards. His knowledge of the Club and the squad makes him ideally placed to lead us, and he has the Board’s full backing and support as we begin this new chapter.

Andy will be joined by Gavin Fell as Assistant Manager. Gavin brings extensive experience across non-league football, having held coaching and managerial roles at clubs including Whitley Bay, Blyth Spartans, Spennymoor and Blyth Town. A highly experienced and respected figure in the North East, Gavin has enjoyed significant success throughout his career, including multiple promotions and FA Vase success. His knowledge, coaching and player-development experience, together with his understanding of the local football scene, will be valuable additions to our management team.

We are also delighted to welcome back Jamie Tunstall as First Team Coach. Jamie previously held the same role at the Club, so his return brings existing knowledge of the Stan. Since leaving the Club, Jamie has had spells with Crook Town and Guisborough Town, adding further experience to his already rich coaching background.

We are pleased to confirm that Nick Cassidy will be retained as First Team Coach. Cass has been an important part of the backroom staff, and we are delighted that he will continue to contribute to the Club.

We are also pleased to welcome Jonny Ward as Goalkeeper Coach. Jonny will play an important role in supporting our goalkeepers and helping them prepare for the challenges ahead.

The Board believes this is an extremely strong management team, bringing together continuity, proven experience, coaching expertise and a deep understanding of the Club, with the ambition, knowledge and leadership needed to drive Heaton Stannington FC forward.

We know the Stan Army will get behind the new management team and the players as we look ahead to the remainder of the season. Your support continues to make a huge difference, both at home and away, and together we can look forward with belief and excitement.

A new chapter begins!

Up the Stan ⚫️⚪️

#FollowTheStan

Today’s match v Bradford Park Avenue is being attended by family & friends of Andy Cole who passed away in July after a short illness after he had suddenly been diagnosed with brain cancer.

The match ball has been sponsored in Andy’s memory by Dave Cestaro a lifelong friend who has travelled from Northern Ireland to be here today.

Andy was an important member of the Stan Army, both home & away, & could normally be seen on the terraces along with his pal Ali. Although his first love was Fulham, Andy had been a devoted Stan fan since his 1st match on 15 October 2022 when the Stan beat West Allotment Celtic 4-1 at home & he was both a season ticket holder & a regular passenger on away coaches. One of the most memorable nights for him as a Stan fan was seeing the club win the Senior Cup at St James’ Park & the above photo demonstrates how much it meant to him.

Heaton as a whole was important to Andy & he was famous for looking after & planting flowers in the lane behind his house. His Hawaii themed garage bar was also a sight to see. Andy taught French & German throughout his career including at George Stephenson & Whitley Bay High Schools & pupils included Far Corner member Sam Henderson & Kit/First Team Operations Manager Joanne Forster.

Last season Andy travelled on the team coach to the Bradford PA away match in the FA Trophy & during the journey the coach door blew open just in front of Andy’s seat. It was an enjoyable trip despite the match being played & narrowly lost in near hurricane conditions. Last Easter Monday, Andy travelled by train to the Ashington match with myself & Ali struggling to keep up with him on the walk from the station to the ground as Andy was always keen to visit new grounds & add them to his database. Sadly, Andy’s last Stan match was the final match of last season at home against Hallam which he watched from the press box & enjoyed the half time hospitality just as much as he enjoyed the complimentary sweets when he happened to travel to away games in my car. Due to illness, Andy was unable to attend this year’s Senior Cup final, but he followed proceedings closely.

I hope you will all take the opportunity today to remember Andy & all the good times we had with him home & away following Heaton Stannington.

Heaton Stannington FC can confirm that manager Dean Nicholson has departed the Club by mutual consent.

Dean took charge of The Stan in June 2021 and, over the past five years, has played a pivotal role in one of the most successful and memorable periods in the Club’s history.

Working alongside his coaching staff, Dean has overseen remarkable progress on the pitch, guiding the team from Northern League Division Two to the Northern Premier League East through two hard-earned promotions. Under his leadership, the Club has continued to break new ground, establishing itself at a higher level of the non-league pyramid and achieving its highest-ever league finish.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of Dean’s tenure came in May 2025, when The Stan lifted the Northumberland Senior Cup for the first time in the Club’s history, following a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Morpeth Town at St James’ Park. Reaching the final again the following season was further evidence of the standards and consistency that Dean helped establish.

However, Dean’s contribution goes far beyond promotions, results and silverware. Throughout his time at the Club, he has helped build a competitive, entertaining side, created countless memories for the Stan Army and played an important part in the continued development and ambition of Heaton Stannington FC.

The Directors would like to place on record their sincere thanks to Dean for his commitment, hard work and dedication over the past five years. His contribution to the Club will not be forgotten, and he leaves with our gratitude and respect for everything he has helped us achieve.

He will always be a part of this Club’s recent history, and we wish him every success and happiness in whatever the future holds.

On behalf of the Directors, our loyal supporters and everyone associated with Heaton Stannington FC, we thank Dean for his service and wish him all the very best for the future.

Thank you, Dean 🖤🤍

Andy McBride will take charge of the team for Saturdays fixture against Bradford (Park Avenue) and the Club will make a further statement in due course.

Newcastle City Council pledges £250,000, completing the funding package for a project designed to secure the club’s future and benefit the wider community.

Heaton Stannington AFC Limited is delighted to announce a major milestone in its ambition to convert its existing grass pitch into a modern 3G artificial playing surface, following confirmation that Newcastle City Council will pledge £250,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) towards the project.

This commitment means that all the funding required for the project has now been raised, bringing the club’s vision significantly closer to reality.

The proposed development aims to secure the long-term future of Heaton Stannington, supporting our senior and junior teams while improving the club’s financial sustainability through significant potential cost savings. It would also create greater opportunities to develop the club as a community hub, supporting football alongside other community sports and physical activities.

Reaching this milestone has involved close collaboration with the Football Association, Northumberland FA, the Football Foundation, Newcastle City Council, our Ward Councils and our local MPs. While Football Foundation funding is available to contribute towards the project, the club is also required to make a significant financial contribution. Despite committing as much as is viable for a club of our size, additional support was needed to complete the funding package.

Scott Lyndon and Neil Drummond, Joint Chairmen at Heaton Stannington AFC Limited, had this to say:

“This is a hugely significant moment for our club. The prospect of a 3G pitch represents an investment in our long-term future, giving our senior and junior teams greater security while creating opportunities to welcome more people and activities into our community.

“We are extremely grateful to Newcastle City Council for its £250,000 pledge and to all the organisations and individuals who have worked with us to reach this stage. Securing the funding needed is a tremendous achievement, and we look forward to progressing the next steps.”

Although the funding is now in place, several stages of development, assessment and approval remain before the project can be fully sanctioned. The club will now begin working through these requirements and will provide further updates as plans progress.

We are committed to engaging closely with local community groups, neighbouring residents and businesses throughout the next phase of the project.

Heaton Stannington AFC would like to thank everyone who has supported this ambition to date. This is an important step towards a stronger, more sustainable future for the club and the wider community.

Heaton Stannington are delighted to announce the loan signing of defender Mitchell Parkinson.

The 19-year-old defender joins the Stan on a temporary basis from Redcar Athletic where he’s been since the start of last season.

Manager Dean Nicholson says:

“I’m very happy with the signing of Mitch. It’s clear with injuries and suspensions that we had to bring in some quality and Mitch does that. He has a lot of qualities we need in this league and he’s a lad who will certainly improve us. Welcome to the club!”

Heaton Stannington are delighted to announce the signing of left-back Bayley Hester on loan from Sunderland.

The 18-year-old has made three substitute appearances for the Black Cats’ under-21 side this season and joins the Stan to make his first steps into senior football, having signed his first professional deal this summer.

Manager Dean Nicholson says:

“I’m delighted to get Bayley in. He has a big future in the game, so we are happy to get him in and he’ll add huge quality to the group.”

Stan Fan Monthly Draw

SEPTEMBER
Drawn: Wednesday 30th September 2026
Participants: 91
Prize Fund: £455

1st Prize £370 Number 28 Joanne Forster
2nd Prize £50 Number 79 Jay Hornsby
3rd Prize £25 Number 75 Dan Lister
4th Prize £10 Number 82 Joe Shepherd

Numbers were verified and drawn by Trustees Terry Reid and John Ryan.

Huge thank you to all participants as you are providing valuable funds to the club.

If you to want to join in future draws contact George Clark on george.clark@heatonstan.co.uk

Entry is £10 per month, the more participants the higher the prize fund and the higher the prizes. Next Draw will be Friday 30th October 2026.