Heaton Stan and Whickham have agreed a deal which will see versatile attacking player Sam Johnson join the Stan, with striker Bailey Adamson moving the other way to join the Lang Jacks.

Sam has registered 7 league goals for Whickham so far this season, making him their joint-top scorer in their Northern League Division One campaign. Welcome to the Club, Sam!

Bailey first joined The Stan on loan from Hebburn Town back in the January of the 2024-25 campaign, before returning on a permanent basis in the summer ahead of the 2025-26 season. He leaves for Whickham with our best wishes for his next challenge, having made 18 starts over his Stan career, and a further 18 appearances from the bench, contributing 4 goals.

Heaton Stan assistant manager, Andy McBride, had this to say on the signing of Sam Johnson:

“We’re delighted to be able to bring Sam into the club. He’s someone we’ve watched for three years and every time we have, we’ve said he’s a Heaton Stan type player. We are really excited to get working with Sam, helping him progress and make the step up which he thoroughly deserves the opportunity to do.”

Adding the following on the departure of Bailey Adamson:

“We want to thank Bailey for all his efforts with us. A great lad and a great player who we hope getting the games he needs to progress will benefit him hugely and we hope to see him around in the future!”

We’d like to thank Whickham for their collaborative approach to agreeing this deal.