After service in the Royal Navy during World War II he became a milkman and played in local league football, signing professional for Stockport County at the relatively late age of 22.
When the Stockport manager Andy Beattie moved to Huddersfield Town in the 1952 close season, Staniforth followed.
Staniforth, together with all the remainder of the defence, played in every game in the following season in which Huddersfield finished in second place and so were promoted back to the First Division.
In 1955 Huddersfield were becoming concerned about the ageing profile of their team and Staniforth was dropped after being given the run-around by Bobby Mitchell in a quarter-final of the F.A.
In July 1955 he moved to Sheffield Wednesday, along with Roy Shiner, in an exchange deal which brought Tony Conwell and Jackie Marriott to Huddersfield (they were respectively eight and four years younger).