Having previously played for non-league Ford United, Stannard began his professional career with Fulham making his debut against Swindon Town in 1981, but managed only 41 Football League appearances for the Craven Cottage club in his first five years, during which he was loaned out to Southend United and Charlton Athletic. In 1985 Southend signed him on a permanent basis and he made over 100 appearances before being sold back to Fulham in 1987. For the next eight years he was Fulham's first-choice keeper. He was affectionately known by Fulham supporters as "He's fat, he's round, he's worth a million pounds" or "He's fat, he's round, he can't get off the ground". But Stannard never played against many top English teams as his term was during a time when Fulham were in the lower divisions of the Football League. In 1995 manager Tony Pulis made him one of his first signings for Gillingham and, despite the fans' initial reservations about his age and burly build, Stannard proved instrumental in the Kent club's promotion from Division Three as he let in just 20 goals all season, a record for a 46-match league season. He also kept 29 clean sheets. Stannard retired in 1999, but came out of retirement to sign for Division Two side Brentford on a non-contract basis in 2003, backing upAlan Julian for two matches during the early months of the 2003–04 season.
Coaching career
Stannard was forced to retire in 1999 due to injury and later served as goalkeeping coach at Gillingham and Brentford. In January 2005 he was appointed manager of non-league Redbridge, the club where he had started his career in 1980, but his reign only lasted until October of the same year. It was announced in July 2007 that he had returned to Gillingham as goalkeeping coach on a part-time basis. Stannard later served as goalkeeping coach for Crystal Palace from January 2008, until he was made redundant in May 2010. After this, he again returned to Gillingham on a part-time basis. Stannard left Gillingham to join Championship club Southampton at the start of the 2011–12 season as first team goalkeeping coach. He was dismissed, along with manager Nigel Adkins, on 18 January 2013.
