Stuart Storer
Encyclopedia
Stuart Storer is a footballer, currently with Conference North
side Hinckley United
, where he played as a defender
, but is now first team coach.
in 1983 and was also loaned out to his local team VS Rugby
. Birmingham City
signed him in July 1984 but only made nine appearances for the (old)Division 2
club in his three years there. He was then signed by (old)Division 1
Everton
in March 1987 during the season they won the championship, but was loaned out to (old)Division 3
Wigan Athletic
.
in December 1987 for a fee of £25,000, having never played for the first team in nine months at Everton.
He was one of the fastest right wingers ever seen at Burnden Park
but often frustrated with his ability to deliver the final ball after beating the defender. Bolton
were struggling in (old)Division 3 at the time and finished the season relegated to (old)Division 4 after losing a relegation play off to Aldershot Town
. Better times were to come for Storer as during the seven seasons he was at Bolton
; they recovered and won promotion back to (old)Division 3 in 1988. Then won the Sherpa Van Trophy
in 1989 beating Torquay United
4-1. in the final. In 1992 (old)Division 3 was rebranded Division 2 and Bolton Wanderers
were runners up that season. Storer was transferred towards the end of this season, so missed out on that promotion.
for another £25,000. However two disastrous seasons saw Exeter
relegated from Division 2 and then finish bottom of Division 3. Storer was transferred out before the end of the second season.
. Brighton paid £15,000 for him, but he couldn't stop them being relegated from Division 2 that season. Further developments at the club revealed that major shareholder Bill Archer had sold Brighton's Goldstone Ground
and the club would soon be homeless. With active unrest and understandable protests amongst the fans, the football club was also failing on the pitch. Brighton went into the last two games in April 1997 bottom of the league and facing demotion out of the Football League
itself. For the last ever game at the Goldstone Ground
Brighton would play Doncaster Rovers
and needed to win to have any chance of survival. The ground was full to capacity as 11500 Brighton fans wanted to be there for the last ever match, and in the 68th minute they were given what they wanted. Storer saw his initial shot blocked on the line and Mark Morris saw his follow up header rebound off the bar. The ball fell back to Storer and he volleyed in at the far post to send the ground into wild celebration. Brighton held on to win the game 1-0 and Storer scored the last ever goal at the Goldstone Ground
. A draw on the last day of the season away at Hereford United meant that Brighton avoided demotion. Brighton again struggled for the next few season as they had to play their home games at Gillingham
. Storer spent four seasons at Brighton but will always be remembered for that goal.
and signed for Atherstone United
in August 1999, then playing in the Southern League Premier Division. He was only there for two months before moving to Vauxhall Conference
side Kettering Town
. Kettering
were runners up in the Vauxhall Conference
that season, but Storer didn't make that many appearances and moved on again in May 2000. He signed for Chesham United
playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. After another single season for Chesham
he moved closer to home and signed for Hinckley United
.
in March 2001 and was started in the team as a sweeper. He made enough appearances to qualify for a medal as Hinckley United
won the Southern League Midland/West Division Championship in May 2001. As the club moved forward into the Southern League Premier Division Storer was made club captain, and three seasons later qualified for the newly formed Conference North
. As Storer approached his late 30s he also began to help out behind the scenes taking a coaching role at the club, but also was kept on the playing staff. At the age of 40 Storer was a member of Hinckley United
team that achieved their highest ever league position of fourth in the Conference North
, qualifying for the play-offs, then reaching the play-off final, only to lose 4-3 to a last minute penalty. Recently in his eighth season at the club, Storer has passed the 300 appearance mark, confirming his great contribution to Hinckley United
, playing in positions such as sweeper, right midfield, right wing back, centre defence, centre midfield and even striker once.
winner 1989
Southern League Midlands/West Division Championship 2000/2001
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
side Hinckley United
Hinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
, where he played as a defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, but is now first team coach.
The early years
Storer's early career saw him move around, not settling anywhere for very long. He started as a youth team player at Mansfield TownMansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
in 1983 and was also loaned out to his local team VS Rugby
Rugby Town F.C.
Rugby Town F.C. is a football club based in Rugby, Warwickshire, which plays in the Southern Football League Division One Central. It is nicknamed The Valley, and plays its home matches at Butlin Road...
. Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
signed him in July 1984 but only made nine appearances for the (old)Division 2
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
club in his three years there. He was then signed by (old)Division 1
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in March 1987 during the season they won the championship, but was loaned out to (old)Division 3
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
.
Bolton Wanderers
Storer moved to Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in December 1987 for a fee of £25,000, having never played for the first team in nine months at Everton.
He was one of the fastest right wingers ever seen at Burnden Park
Burnden Park
Burnden Park was the home of English FA Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers who played home games here between 1895 and 1997. As well as hosting an FA Cup Final replay it was the scene of one of the greatest disasters in English football and the subject of an L. S...
but often frustrated with his ability to deliver the final ball after beating the defender. Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
were struggling in (old)Division 3 at the time and finished the season relegated to (old)Division 4 after losing a relegation play off to Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
. Better times were to come for Storer as during the seven seasons he was at Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
; they recovered and won promotion back to (old)Division 3 in 1988. Then won the Sherpa Van Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
in 1989 beating Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
4-1. in the final. In 1992 (old)Division 3 was rebranded Division 2 and Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
were runners up that season. Storer was transferred towards the end of this season, so missed out on that promotion.
Exeter City
March 1993 saw Storer transferred to Exeter CityExeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
for another £25,000. However two disastrous seasons saw Exeter
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
relegated from Division 2 and then finish bottom of Division 3. Storer was transferred out before the end of the second season.
Brighton and Hove Albion
Storer was again transferred in March 1995 to Brighton and Hove Albion. He didn't realise at the time, but he would become part of Brighton folklore and his name would become permanently linked with the Goldstone GroundGoldstone Ground
The Goldstone Ground was a football stadium and home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. between 1902 and 1997. The club currently plays at American Express Community Stadium, a stadium on the outskirts of the city, following the move from their temporary stadium in the Brighton suburb of...
. Brighton paid £15,000 for him, but he couldn't stop them being relegated from Division 2 that season. Further developments at the club revealed that major shareholder Bill Archer had sold Brighton's Goldstone Ground
Goldstone Ground
The Goldstone Ground was a football stadium and home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. between 1902 and 1997. The club currently plays at American Express Community Stadium, a stadium on the outskirts of the city, following the move from their temporary stadium in the Brighton suburb of...
and the club would soon be homeless. With active unrest and understandable protests amongst the fans, the football club was also failing on the pitch. Brighton went into the last two games in April 1997 bottom of the league and facing demotion out of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
itself. For the last ever game at the Goldstone Ground
Goldstone Ground
The Goldstone Ground was a football stadium and home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. between 1902 and 1997. The club currently plays at American Express Community Stadium, a stadium on the outskirts of the city, following the move from their temporary stadium in the Brighton suburb of...
Brighton would play Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
and needed to win to have any chance of survival. The ground was full to capacity as 11500 Brighton fans wanted to be there for the last ever match, and in the 68th minute they were given what they wanted. Storer saw his initial shot blocked on the line and Mark Morris saw his follow up header rebound off the bar. The ball fell back to Storer and he volleyed in at the far post to send the ground into wild celebration. Brighton held on to win the game 1-0 and Storer scored the last ever goal at the Goldstone Ground
Goldstone Ground
The Goldstone Ground was a football stadium and home ground of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. between 1902 and 1997. The club currently plays at American Express Community Stadium, a stadium on the outskirts of the city, following the move from their temporary stadium in the Brighton suburb of...
. A draw on the last day of the season away at Hereford United meant that Brighton avoided demotion. Brighton again struggled for the next few season as they had to play their home games at Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
. Storer spent four seasons at Brighton but will always be remembered for that goal.
Into Non-League
At the age of 32 Storer retired from the professional game and returned to non-league football. After leaving Brighton he moved back to the MidlandsEnglish Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and signed for Atherstone United
Atherstone Town F.C.
Atherstone Town Football Club is a football club based in Atherstone, Warwickshire, England.They were officially established in 2004 after a previous club bearing the same name folded in 1979...
in August 1999, then playing in the Southern League Premier Division. He was only there for two months before moving to Vauxhall Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Kettering Town
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
. Kettering
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
were runners up in the Vauxhall Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
that season, but Storer didn't make that many appearances and moved on again in May 2000. He signed for Chesham United
Chesham United F.C.
Chesham United is an English football club based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, currently playing in the Southern League. They are nicknamed "The Generals" because they were once the football team of the General Baptist Church in Chesham. Chesham Generals merged with Chesham Town to form United...
playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. After another single season for Chesham
Chesham United F.C.
Chesham United is an English football club based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, currently playing in the Southern League. They are nicknamed "The Generals" because they were once the football team of the General Baptist Church in Chesham. Chesham Generals merged with Chesham Town to form United...
he moved closer to home and signed for Hinckley United
Hinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
.
Hinckley United
Storer joined Hinckley UnitedHinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
in March 2001 and was started in the team as a sweeper. He made enough appearances to qualify for a medal as Hinckley United
Hinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
won the Southern League Midland/West Division Championship in May 2001. As the club moved forward into the Southern League Premier Division Storer was made club captain, and three seasons later qualified for the newly formed Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
. As Storer approached his late 30s he also began to help out behind the scenes taking a coaching role at the club, but also was kept on the playing staff. At the age of 40 Storer was a member of Hinckley United
Hinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
team that achieved their highest ever league position of fourth in the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
, qualifying for the play-offs, then reaching the play-off final, only to lose 4-3 to a last minute penalty. Recently in his eighth season at the club, Storer has passed the 300 appearance mark, confirming his great contribution to Hinckley United
Hinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
, playing in positions such as sweeper, right midfield, right wing back, centre defence, centre midfield and even striker once.
Coaching and Management
Storer moved off the pitch at Hinckley United, and became part of the coaching staff. Beginning as first team coach, and then for the 2010-2011 season became assistant manager. Storer reverted to first team coach in July 2011, and Mark Faulkner was brought in as assistant manager in August 2011.Honours
Sherpa Van TrophyFootball League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
winner 1989
Southern League Midlands/West Division Championship 2000/2001