Having previously played for non-league Ford United (now Redbridge), Stannard began his professional career with Fulham making his debut against Swindon Town in 1981 (keeping a clean sheet), 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.
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.
[7] Stannard was forced to retire in 1999 due to injury and later served as goalkeeping coach at Gillingham and Brentford.
[3] In January 2005 he was appointed manager of non-league Redbridge,[8] the club where he had started his career in 1980, but his reign only lasted until October of the same year.
Stannard left Gillingham to join Championship club Southampton at the start of the 2011–12 season as first team goalkeeping coach.