Accrington Stanley F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Accrington Stanley Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The 'Owd Reds | ||
| Founded | October 1968 | ||
| Ground | Crown Ground | ||
| Capacity | 5,450 (3,100 seated) | ||
| Owner | Andy Holt | ||
| Manager | John Doolan | ||
| League | League One | ||
| 2018–19 | League One, 14th of 24 | ||
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Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football team. They are based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club plays in EFL League Two, which is the fourth level of English football. Their home ground is the Crown Ground. People often call the club Accrington Stanley, Stanley, or just Accrington.
The club became famous in 1989 because of a funny TV advert for milk. The advert used the catchy phrase Accrington Stanley, who are they?
The current club started in 1968. This was two years after the first Accrington Stanley team stopped playing. That older team played in the Football League from 1921 to 1962. Before that, they were in the Lancashire Combination. The town's very first club, simply called Accrington, helped start the Football League in 1888. But they closed down just six years later.
The current Accrington Stanley team joined the Lancashire Combination league. They moved to the Cheshire County League after winning the Combination title in 1977–78. Stanley won Division Two of the Cheshire County League in 1980–81. Then, they helped start the North West Counties League in 1982. Five years later, they joined Division One of the Northern Premier League. They moved up to the Premier Division in 1990–91 but were relegated in 1999.
In the early 2000s, the club earned three promotions in seven seasons. This happened under manager John Coleman. They won three league titles: the Northern Premier League Division One (1999–2000), the Northern Premier League Premier Division (2002–03), and the Conference National (2005–06). This brought them back into the Football League. They spent 12 seasons mostly in EFL League Two. They also reached the play-off semi-finals twice. In 2017–18, Coleman led them to become League Two champions, moving them up to EFL League One.
Contents
Club History
Starting Again (1968–2003)
Accrington had no football team after the first Accrington Stanley closed in 1966. The original team began in 1891. They played in the Football League from 1921 to 1962. For their last four seasons, they were in the Lancashire Combination. In 1968, people met to restart the club. In August 1970, the new club played at a new stadium, the Crown Ground.
Eric Whalley, a local businessman, took over the club in 1995. He started to improve the club's stadium. After the team was relegated in 1999, Whalley hired John Coleman as manager.
The club's journey back to the Football League was helped by a big payment. This money came from the transfer of former Stanley player Brett Ormerod in 2001. When he moved from Blackpool to Southampton, Accrington Stanley received a share of the transfer fee. This money helped the club win the Northern Premier League championship in 2002–03.
Conference Years (2003–2006)
In May 2003, the club moved up to the Football Conference for the first time. Their first game in this league was against Aldershot Town on August 10, 2003. The game was shown live on TV, and Stanley lost 2–1. The season was good, and they finished 10th in the league. A highlight was reaching the 3rd round of the FA Cup. They lost in a replay to Colchester United.
In 2004, Accrington Stanley became a professional club. In the 2004–05 season, Stanley finished 10th again. Stanley star Paul Mullin scored 20 more goals that season.
Stanley did not stay in the Conference for long. They returned to the Football League at the end of the 2005–06 season. They finished with 91 points. The team had a great run, going unbeaten for 19 games from October to March. This made it easy for them to move up to League Two. Players like Paul Mullin, Rob Elliot, and Gary Roberts helped the club get back to the league after 46 years.
Back in the Football League (2006–Present)
Accrington Stanley's first Football League game was on August 5, 2006. They played away against Chester City and lost 2–0. In their first season in the fourth tier, the club fought to avoid relegation. They won 5 of their last 9 games, finishing 20th. This was enough to stay in the league.
Highlights of that first season included their first Football League Cup match. They beat former European Cup winners Nottingham Forest 1–0. This led to a second-round game against Premier League team Watford. Stanley lost 6–5 on penalties after a 0–0 draw. The club also played in the Football League Trophy for the first time as a league club. They beat Carlisle United and Blackpool before losing to Doncaster Rovers.
The 2007–08 season was similar. The club again battled to avoid relegation with teams like Chester City and Wrexham. Five wins in their last 12 games secured a 17th-place finish. This meant another season in the 4th tier. However, they lost early in the FA Cup and League Cup.
In the 2008–09 season, the team improved. They finished 16th in League Two. Six league wins in the last 12 games ended the season well. Young player Bobby Grant started to show his talent this season. The club again lost in the early rounds of the domestic cups.
The 2009–10 season was much better. The club aimed for a play-off spot by the new year. They won 9 of 10 league games, giving them a chance for the play-offs. But this faded in March/April. The strong partnership between Michael Symes and Bobby Grant was key. Both players moved to bigger clubs after their success. In cup games, the club did very well. They reached the 2nd round of the League Cup, losing 2–1 to Queens Park Rangers. They made it to the quarter-finals of the Football League Trophy, losing to Leeds United. They also reached the 4th round of the FA Cup, losing 3–1 to Premier League team Fulham.
The club reached the Football League Two play-offs in the 2010–11 season. This was one of their most successful seasons. They lost only 1 game in 19 from February to May. This led to their best-ever 5th-place finish. They eventually lost to Stevenage in the play-off semi-finals. Players like Jimmy Ryan, goalkeeper Alex Cisak, and midfielder Sean McConville became stars. In the domestic cups, Stanley reached the second round of the League Cup. They lost 3–2 to Premier League team Newcastle United. The club won their first-round game in the Football League Trophy. But they had to leave the competition because they played an ineligible player. They also reached the second round of the FA Cup, losing to Port Vale.
The 2011–12 season was a time of change. Six players from the previous play-off team left. After a difficult start, Bryan Hughes joined in October and helped the team. They won 6 of 7 games over Christmas, briefly entering the play-offs. However, captain Andrew Procter was sold in January 2012. Then, manager John Coleman and assistant Jimmy Bell left for Rochdale. Former player Paul Cook became manager. Leam Richardson became his assistant. The team won only 3 of their last 17 games. But they still finished in a solid 14th place. In the cups, Stanley lost in the 1st round of the League Cup and FA Cup. They reached the second round of the Football League Trophy.
Andy Holt's Time as Owner (2015–Present)
On October 28, 2015, local businessman Andy Holt took over Accrington Stanley. Holt's company, What More UK, sponsors the Wham Stadium. He bought 75% of the club. In return, he paid off the club's £1.2 million debt. He also gave the club an extra £600,000. Stanley's chairman, Peter Marsden, stayed in his role. Five new people joined the club's board. Before Holt's takeover, Stanley was close to closing down. They had big debts and struggled to pay for daily costs, like wages.
Holt first got involved with Stanley in July 2015. He watched a friendly game against Burnley. Stanley won 4–2. During this game, Holt saw the club's problems. He found out the club's bar could not serve fans because it had not paid its suppliers. In his first season as owner, the 2015–16 Football League Two season, the club almost got promoted. They missed out on the last day after a 0–0 draw with Stevenage. Stanley then lost in the semi-final of the League Two play-offs. They lost 3–2 to AFC Wimbledon. After the season, Stanley lost several players who helped them push for promotion. These players moved to clubs that could pay higher wages.
Before the 2016–17 season, Stanley improved the Crown Ground. They replaced vendors with their own services. Also, chairman Marsden stepped down after ten years. Holt took over as chairman. In the 2016–17 season, Stanley finished 13th. They could not repeat their promotion push. However, the club had a good run in the FA Cup, reaching the fourth round. They lost 1–0 away to Middlesbrough.
At the end of the 2017–18 season, Stanley won League Two. Their 2–0 win over Yeovil Town on April 17, 2018, secured their promotion. In their first season in League One, they finished 14th.
Stanley was relegated to League Two in 2022–23. They finished second from bottom in League One. In March 2024, John Coleman was no longer manager after nine and a half years. John Doolan then took over. The team finished the season in 17th place.
Club Name
The first town club, Accrington, was one of the twelve teams that started the Football League in 1888. They left the league after only five years. At that time, a team called Stanley Villa already existed. They were named after the Stanley Working Men's Club on Stanley Street in Accrington. When the first Accrington club closed, Stanley Villa took the town's name. This is how they became Accrington Stanley.
Stadium
Since leaving their old ground, Peel Park, the club has played at the Crown Ground. It is currently called the Wham Stadium. This is part of a three-year sponsorship deal worth £200,000 with What More UK Ltd.
Before Andy Holt took over, the Crown Ground was known as one of the less impressive stadiums in the top four English leagues. But Holt's leadership led to many changes. First, they improved match day facilities. Then, a new Whinney Hill Stand was built and finished in late 2018.
The next season, Stanley spent about £300,000 on a new playing field. This included new drainage and a level pitch. This helped solve the club's problem with frequent floods at the Coppice End.
In January 2021, work began on a new Jack Barrett Stand. This project will add a new bar and hospitality area.
Team Rivalries
In a survey from August 2019, Stanley fans said their biggest rivals are other Lancashire clubs. These include Rochdale, Morecambe, and Bury. Nearby teams like Blackburn Rovers and Burnley are also seen as rivals.
Famous TV Advert
In the 1980s, the club was mentioned in a British advert for milk. This made the club briefly famous to many people. The advert showed two boys in Liverpool shirts. They were played by young actors Carl Rice and Kevin Staine. The advert joked about how unknown Accrington Stanley was compared to Liverpool's success at the time. Boy 1: "Milk! Urghh!" Boy 2: "It's what Ian Rush drinks." Boy 1: "Ian Rush?" Boy 2: "Yeah. And he said if I didn't drink lots of milk, when I grow up, I'll only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley." Boy 1: "Accrington Stanley, who are they?" Boy 2: "Exactly."
On the old weekly football show, Soccer AM, the phrase "Accrington Stanley, who are they?" is said every time the club's name is read out. This is a nod to the famous milk advert.
Players
Current Squad
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Retired Numbers
In January 2020, Accrington Stanley star Billy Kee stopped playing professional football. He had been dealing with mental health issues. His last game for Stanley was in the previous season. To honor him, Stanley decided to retire Kee's number 29 shirt. This means no other player will wear that number for the club.
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Former Players
In a survey from December 2007, Chris Grimshaw was named the all-time favorite player by Accrington Stanley fans.
Club Officials and Staff
- Chairman: Andy Holt
- Managing Director: David Burgess
- Directors: Thomas O'Neill/Virginia Hargreaves/David Burgess
- Academy Manager and Head of Youth Development: Chris Hough
- Manager: John Doolan
- Assistant Manager: Ged Brannan
- First Team Goalkeeper Coach: Andy Dibble
- Under 18 Manager: John Miles
- Under 18 Assistant Manager: Andy Gray
- Chief Doctor: Joyce Watson
- Head Therapist: Matthew Donnelly
- Kitman: George Quigley
- Physio: Paul Morgan
- Strength and Conditioning: Chris Scholes
- Scout: Ashley Hoskin
- Head of Coaching: Ben King
- Foundation Phase Lead: Stuart Jones
Managerial History
Honours
- Source:
League Titles
- League Two (level 4)
- Champions: 2017–18
- Conference (level 5)
- Champions: 2005–06
- Northern Premier League (level 6)
- Champions: 2002–03
- Northern Premier League Division One
- Champions: 1999–2000
- Lancashire Combination
- Champions: 1973–74, 1977–78
- Cheshire County League Division Two
- Champions: 1980–81
Cup Wins
- Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
- Winners: 2001–02
- Northern Premier League Challenge Shield
- Winners: 2002–03
- Lancashire Combination Cup
- Winners: 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77
- Lancashire Combination League Cup
- Winners: 1971–72
See Also
In Spanish: Accrington Stanley Football Club para niños
- List of Accrington Stanley F.C. seasons
- List of Accrington Stanley F.C. managers
- List of Accrington Stanley F.C. players
