Tiverton-born Stan Pope scored ten times in 26 league games for Exeter City in the late 1930s before joining  Torquay United. Although his time at St James' Park was relatively short, he played for the Grecians in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

After playing as an amateur with Tiverton, Stan joined Exeter City for the start of the 1936/37 season and played his first match, a friendly, for the reserves at Barnstaple Town.

He was called up into the first team for a 1-1 draw at Watford in November 1936 and went on to make 13 league outings that season scoring four goals; the first of which came in a 3-0 home win over Walsall in January 1937.

Then, in the early months of 1937, came the highlight of Stan's football career when he was part of the City side that beat Leicester City 3-1 in the 4th round of the FA Cup on 30 January 1937 and lost 5-3 at Preston in the 5th round.

Later, in October 1937, Stan scored five times in three games against Mansfield, Bristol Rovers and Northampton but then featured less-often after the start of December and was allowed to leave St James' Park in the summer of 1938 to join Torquay United where he played 13 League matches without scoring.