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| Full name | Stamford Association Football Club Limited | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Daniels | ||
| Founded | 1896; 129 years ago (1896) | ||
| Ground | Zeeco Stadium,Stamford | ||
| Capacity | 2,000 (250 seated) | ||
| Chairman | David Whitby | ||
| Manager | Graham Drury[1] | ||
| League | Southern League Premier Division Central | ||
| 2024–25 | Southern League Premier Division Central, 6th of 22 | ||
Stamford Association Football Club is an Englishassociation football club based inStamford, Lincolnshire. They currently compete in theSouthern League Premier Division Central.
The club was established in 1896 and spent a single season in the East Midlands League. After several years without league football, the club joined the Northamptonshire League in 1909, and won the title in 1911–12. In 1933 the league was renamed theUnited Counties League. The club came to be known as "The Daniels" afterDaniel Lambert, often cited as England's heaviest ever man, a Leicester resident who died in Stamford and is buried in the town.[2]
They left the league in 1939, but after a season in thePeterborough & District League, they rejoined the UCL in 1946. They won the league's Knockout Cup in 1952, a season in which they also won theLincolnshire Senior B Cup. In 1955 they left the league again to join theCentral Alliance, before joining theMidland League.[3] In 1972 they returned to the UCL. They were champions in 1975–76 as well as winning the league cup and reaching the final of theFA Vase, where they lost 1–0 toBillericay Town after extra time. They won the league again in 1977–78 and the Lincolnshire Senior A Cup in 1978–79. They then went on to win the league three consecutive seasons (1979–80 - 1981–82), as well as the Knockout Cup in 1979–80 and 1981–82 and theFA Vase in 1979–80, whenGuisborough Town were defeated 2–0 in the final. In 1983–84 they reached the final for a third time, but lost 3–2 toStansted.
After the winning the UCL Premier Division title again in 1996–97 and 1997–98, Stamford joined the Midland Division of theSouthern League, which was renamed the Eastern Division at the end of their first season. In2003–04 they finished seventh and were promoted to the Premier Division due to league restructuring, but were relegated after asingle season. In2005–06 they reached the promotion play-offs, and after defeatingBarking & East Ham United 3–2 in the semi-finals, they beatWivenhoe Town 2–1 in the final with a goal from Mark Foster to earn promotion.
Stamford fared better in their secondPremier Division stint finishing the campaign in eighth place. The season ended with silverware as the Daniels claimed their fifth different county cup, beatingBrigg Town to win theSenior Shield atLincoln City'sSincil Bank Stadium.[citation needed]
At the end of July 2012Chris Rivett joined the board of directors and was appointed as chairman two weeks later. Under his stewardship, during the 2012–13 season the club announced that together with the town's college they were going to move into a new stadium on Ryhall Road, Stamford for the 2014–15 season.
Drury left The Daniels halfway through the 2012–13 season to take charge of Boston United so in January 2013 the board gaveWayne Hatswell his managerial debut with current player David Staff as his assistant. Hatswell guided Stamford to the play-offs, finishing 4th to set up a semi-final trip to 3rd place Belper. Recovering form 2–0 down after 10 minutes, Stamford won the game 4–2 to set up a play-off final at home to Chasetown. A bumper crowd of 864 saw Stamford win 2–1 to gain promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the first time since 2008.[citation needed] Stamford then had another managerial change with Hatswell leaving for a coaching role at League 2 Newport County. His deputy David Staff was promoted for his first managerial position for the 2013-2014 campaign. The season culminated in winning the Lincolnshire Senior Trophy in the final against Brigg Town.
The 2014–15 season was the last started at the Wothorpe Road ground, and their last game there on 22 November before the club moved to their new home at the Zeeco Stadium. On 13 December 2014 the club started a new chapter with the first game in the Zeeco Stadium. Unfortunately it took longer than expected to get their first home league win - it came down to the last game of the season (April 2015) against Witton Albion - when the win was the only way to stay in the Premier Division.[citation needed]
The 2016–17 season saw the Daniels reach the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time after beatingNational League sideWrexham 3–2 away in a 4th qualifying round replay.[4][5] In their first round tie they were beaten 3–0 byLeague Two sideHartlepool United.[6]
The2022–23 season saw Stamford crowned NPL Division One Midlands champions and earn promotion back to the seventh tier.[7]
From the formation of the club in 1896 until the end of 2014 the club played onHanson's Field in Kettering Road, St Martins.[8] When theBurghley Estate, owners of the land, decided to redevelop that site for housing a new stadium was built in conjunction with the nascent Sports Institute ofNew College, Stamford[9] at Borderville on Ryhall Road, to the north of town.[10][11] The stadium has a terrace behind one of the goals as well as an all-seated stand along one side of the pitch with room for 300 spectators.
The first game at the Borderville ground was on 13 December 2014 in a Northern Premier League match against Nantwich Town. The highest attendance at the Borderville ground is 1,771 set on 8 July 2025 when Stamford played League One sidePeterborough United in a Pre-Season Friendly.[citation needed]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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52°39′56.1″N0°28′8.1″W / 52.665583°N 0.468917°W /52.665583; -0.468917
