Dianne Jones has always been a team player, she has had to be from the moment she came into the world.
As the youngest of 9 children (7 girls and 2 boys) the family nearly had a football team themselves as they grew up in the Baswich area of Stafford with Dianne attending Leasowes Juniors before Walton High School together with her twin brother Dave.  After school she went to work at Groundslow Hospital as a ward clerk before the move to Stafford General Infirmary where she trained to become a Phlebotomist nurse, staying for 38 years. The last 3 years have seen her working as a Clinical Nursing Assistant/Phlebotomist within the Surgical Pre- assessment Unit. Recently she has been re-deployed to Royal Stoke Hospital in support of Coronavirus efforts.

‘It’s a very anxious, apprehensive and emotional time for all patients and staff right now ‘states Dianne ‘but everyone is supporting each other so fantastically and I have never been prouder of working for the NHS’
All at Stafford Rangers Football Club applaud the efforts of all the NHS and other front line workers and Dianne we are so proud of you and your colleagues.

Dianne’s Dad Jack Mayer was chairman of Stafford Sunday League football and it was he who inspired her interest in the game. They used to watch Stoke City one week then her beloved Stafford Rangers the next along with Southend Club, who Jack managed on a Sunday. Her infatuation with the Boro developed and she became a regular fan at both home and away games, she was hooked. Dianne went to all 3 Wembley games and then started working voluntarily for the club in 1972. Originally selling match day programmes with her sisters Linda, Chris & Pauline, she went onto work for Alf Wood and Mick Cullerton in the Commercial Department and also helped in the mobile canteen. She had a short break from the club when she had her son Lewis (now 21) but soon went back and worked in the boardroom hospitality unit when Stuart Maun was in charge.

Dianne is still a vital part of the team today making fans, sponsors and officials feel totally at ease and welcome in the new Chairman’s suite as well as being part of our fantastic bar staff on function nights. A true fan with a passion for the club and someone who has always stood together in good times and bad. Dianne is currently missing her football and her all-time favourite players who were Ben Seddon, Frazer wood and of course Shoota. We hope that whenever the season starts again we can add a new name or two to that list. We are so proud that one of ours is making such a difference off the pitch and know you will join us in saying thank you and we look forward to seeing you at the club Dianne as soon as we can. Please Stay Safe !

With over 50 applications made to the football club the interest in Stafford Rangers remains  as high as it has always been and we are delighted with the response we received. We said right from the start that we would carry out this recruitment carefully and professionally following all due process. Every application was considered and looked into in the initial review process and this was whittled down to 12. Due to the current pandemic we proceeded to send out a questionnaire to all 12 seeking information in areas not covered by applicants in their original CV and after reviewing these thoroughly have established a short list.

It is now hoped to complete interviews within the next week or so after which if an offer is ultimately accepted an announcement will be made. We believe that in the current lockdown situation the process has been as swift as we could make it and we hope to give you good news as quickly as we can.

Since Stafford Rangers first launched their Stand Together campaign only a few weeks ago the response from fans has been incredible and the club has now raised just over £50,000.

The overwhelming response has now been recognised by the wider football community with a glowing supportive statement from the Chairman of the Northern Premier league, Mark Harris who comments.

The initiative from the club enabled fans to attend virtual games and buy shares and the club has already set out their intentions to try and raise an additional £90,000 through commercial activity with a goal to make the club debt free and ensure the club has a sustainable future.

Not only have local supporters taken up the challenge It seems that once you set foot in Marston Road the love never leaves you if the list of benefactors is anything to go by. The Boro have had contributions from exiles in Cambridgeshire, Cardiff, Cheshire, Devon, East and West Sussex, Essex, Lancashire, Leicester, Lincoln and Lincolnshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Somerset, Southampton, South London, Sunderland, North and West Yorkshire, and the Canary Islands!

A spokesperson for the Business Continuity Group driving the initiatives states,