Despite playing rugby at Crediton Grammar School, Stan Hurst turned to football with his works’ team, Jackson’s United, and in the village sides Newton Poppleford and Tipton St John before signing as an amateur for Exeter City in August 1932. The young forward represented both Devon and an F.A. XI vs Royal Navy, and had already made his Football League debut by the time he joined the paid ranks in December 1932.
Stan became a regular in the “Grecians'” attack for three seasons. Appearing in all the forward positions, scored 28 goals in 112 League and Cup games before transferring to Watford in August 1936 where he again met with some success hitting twelve goals in 29 Southern Section outings.
Stan impressed the Goldstone fans after joining Albion for a £125 fee in June 1937, but he was soon returned to the reserves a situation which puzzled supporters. In fact he had to wait until the 1938-39 season before getting an extended run in the team at outside-right, but in June 1939 he departed for Aldershot where he made his final appearance in the last wartime emergency season, 1945-46, before returning to his home patch with Crediton United.
Stan played 34 matches for the Seagulls between 1937 and 1939 scoring 11 goals.