EXETER City boss Paul Tisdale has urged his side to make the rest of their season a fitting tribute to Adam Stansfield.

The Grecians yesterday postponed tomorrow's scheduled npower League One match at Dagenham & Redbridge in the wake of the 31-year-old forward's death on Tuesday.

City manager Tisdale believes it was right that the club and its fans were given time to grieve the popular striker, who had been diagnosed with bowel cancer in April.

But once the Grecians get back in action — starting with next Saturday's home encounter with Bristol Rovers at St James's Park — Tisdale said the best way his side could honour their former teammate is to play well.

"One of the biggest and best ways to be respectful of one of our teammates is to play as a good team," he said.

"This group who are all here now — who were Adam's teammates — their best opportunity is this season to show how much they care for Adam.

"In years to come this team will fade away, but at the moment all the players who were here on Tuesday are here for the season and the best way they can show their appreciation for Adam is to be a successful team. That is what I will be urging them to do.

"That has got to start straight away."

Tisdale revealed that Dagenham & Redbridge had a big say in postponing this weekend's fixture.

The Essex outfit contacted the Grecians on Wednesday morning, offering to delay the match until later in the season, before City had a chance to consider the option.

But even then it was not a straight-forward decision for the St James's Park outfit, as Tisdale acknowledged that postponing the game would not suit everyone.

"It was a club decision. The players are part of that process, but it's not just about the players — it's about Adam's family, it's about the supporters and setting a tone that is respectful and gives the right respect to this awful situation," Tisdale said. "Dagenham made the phone call to us before we had even thought about it on Wednesday morning, saying that they would support the idea should we not want to play.

"They made it very easy for us, so appreciation to them for a very timely phone call and we decided it didn't feel right for everyone.

"You can't please everyone. It's not the right decision for all supporters and players, but it seemed the safe and sensible option.

"We have to get the balance right between being deep in our thoughts and also making sure we do our jobs.

"I think we have found the right pitch. It didn't seem right to be travelling away from home.

"There is no perfect way of dealing with this situation. The key is you have to do what you feel is right. With all the variables concerned and people's emotions at stake, it seems the right thing to do."

City fans have been paying tribute to Stansfield since news of his death became widespread on Tuesday night, shortly after the Grecians' Carling Cup encounter with Ipswich Town finished.

The Big Bank terrace is covered with flowers, scarfs, pictures, football shirts and other memorabilia left by supporters in memory of Exeter's No. 9.

Further tributes are sure to be paid to the former Yeovil Town and Hereford United man at next weekend's Bristol Rovers game.

And the club is considering the option of making a longer-lasting gesture to honour Stansfield.

The idea of retiring the striker's shirt number has been mooted by some supporters and Tisdale says that, although it is ultimately not his decision, is a move he and the players would support.

He said: "It's not a hard process because it's brutally honest. It's awful, an awful situation we and the supporters are dealing with.

"Everyone wants to show their support and it's a simple truth it's happened. We loved Adam very much, always will and now is the time to show that acknowledgement of that appreciation.

"It (a long-term tribute) is not a decision for me and I wouldn't want to speculate. I think the club will do the right thing. Pitching that is difficult because everyone will have a different view on it.

"It's not for me to say, but I would support that (retiring the No. 9 shirt) and the players would support it. It would be a very fitting tribute — but I don't want to say that's what we should do and start the process of it."