Stan McEwan had played in excess of 200 league games for Blackpool when he added another 65 (along with fifteen goals) to his career total when playing for Exeter City in the early 1980s. He subsequently enjoyed several seasons at Hull City before rounding off his 435-game, 70-goal Football League career with spells at Wigan and Hartlepool.  

Stan commenced his career with Blackpool in 1974 and went on to feature in 213 league matches for the Bloomfield Road club whilst scoring 24 goals in the process.

Aged twenty-five Stan joined Exeter City on a free transfer in July 1982 and made his Grecians’ debut against Huddersfield Town at Leeds Road in a 1-1 draw on 28 August 1982. With the Grecians playing third-tier football at the time, Stan enjoyed a good season playing in 37 league games and scoring on six occasions including goals in games which ended 4-4 (twice), 3-4 and 4-2. 

With the tune changing in 1983/84, when City finished at the foot of the table under Getty Francis, Stan added another 28 league appearances (9 goals) as he missed just one game up until the Orient match on 18 February when he scored a penalty in the 3-4 defeat. Within days, he was transferred to Hull City where he tallied 113 league appearances (25 goals) during a four-year stay. 

Although it would have drawn little attention at the time, he had also featured in City's first-ever game in the Football League Trophy (also known variously as the Football League Group Cup and Associate Members' Cup) against Bristol City on 14 August 1982. 

Stan subsequently moved to Wigan Athletic in 1988 and Hartlepool United in 1989 prior to finishing in non-league football with Boston United in 1990.