Accrington Stanley

If you were asked to come up with the list of 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888, Accrington might be the last one you would think of – in part because they don’t exist anymore.

We will get to all of that, but first we have to talk about the milk advertisement, and the famous question, “Accrington Stanley, who are they?”

At some point in the 1980s, the writer of an advert for milk settled on the following idea: Have one kid tell another that if he drinks milk, he might play for Liverpool, and if not, he will only be good enough for, oh (searching for the name of an obscure club) … Accrington Stanley.

In response, the kid said, “Accrington Stanley, who are they?” And the other kid said “Exactly.” And, I would assume, every Accrington Stanley fan said to themselves, “We’ll never hear the end of this.”

And they have not — in part because every time the club is mentioned on the weekly highlights and analysis show “Soccer AM,” somebody yells, “Accrington Stanley, who are they?” A high percentage of English people mentioned it to me when I told them I was going there. Even the club’s official Twitter profile says, “We’re aware we were once mentioned in a milk advert. We hear ‘Who are they?’ and ‘Exactly’ a lot.” It’s been almost 40 years!

Here’s the ad on YouTube.

But back to the club’s history.

The club currently playing in town isn’t the one which commenced league play all those years ago. That club went bust way back in the 1890s, at which point another local club, founded in the Stanley Working Men’s Club on Stanley Street, changed its name from Stanley Villa to Accrington Stanley.

That club played for 70 years and went bust in 1966, and two years later a group of supporters founded a new club under the same name; that’s who is in business now.

They started in 1968 and played in local leagues until 1982, when they were founder members of the North West Counties League at tier 9. Starting in 2000, under manager John Coleman-who had the hob for more than 20 years, until 2024-, they gained three promotions in seven seasons to reach the Football League for the first time, and after 12 seasons in League Two they made League One in 2018.

By 2015, the finances were so bad the club couldn’t even open the bar at one home game, but new owner Andy Holt came in and stabilized things. They won League Two in 2018 and finished 14^th in League One the next season. After reaching an all-time high point of 11^th in League One in 2021, they were relegated in 2023 and so are back in League Two.

And now there seems to be trouble: As of this writing, Holt stepped down as chairman-though he said he will keep helping with finances-and the club closed its academy, citing financial problems.

2024–25 SEASON: 21st in League Two, 3rd Round FA Cup, 1st Round League Cup

2025–26 SEASON: League Two (relegated 2023)

Accrington sits between Blackburn and Burnley, which are just 12 miles apart, so one would assume either of them would be a rival. Indeed, one of the more famous goals in club history knocked Burnley out of a cup a few years back. But in fact they hardly ever play them, and supporters say the bigger rivals are Rochdale and Morecambe. Bury also qualified, but they went out of business. Should the new version of that club catch up to Accrington, that rivalry would presumably pick up again.

Accrington Stanley Women play in the North West Women’s Regional Football League Division 1 North, tier six of the pyramid. Home games are at the Stanley Sports Hub in town.

They have one that includes the lines, “Champions of League Two, we’ll do it again!” Tells you about their stature as a club. Otherwise, I don’t recall much. Then again, though I was in the middle of the singing ultras on the home terrace, I could hardly make out any lyrics through their thick Lancashire accents.

The Crown Ground, known as the Wham Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is quite nice for League Two. It holds 5,450 in four separate stands: two all-seaters on each side, a covered home terrace called the Clayton End, and an uncovered terrace that generally isn’t used unless the away team has a large following. Home rowdies are in the Clayton End, away fans will be in the Eric Whalley Stand at the far end from the home lot.

It has one feature which I cannot believe no one else has thought of. In their Fan Zone behind the Clayton End, there is a series of displays about “Goals That Mattered,” like the one against Burnley. There’s a photo, a description, and a QR code that you can scan to watch the goal on YouTube. Brilliant!

TOURS: None.

GETTING THERE: It’s about a mile from the town’s train station, so maybe a relaxed 30-minute walk.

PUBS: The club bar in the main stand is Coley’s, named for logntime manager John Coleman, and it’s lovely for this level of the league. The Crown is just across the road, a more traditional pub with a nice outdoor area. In town, The Stanley near the station is a nice choice, with the Grey Horse also a good option with Sky Sports.

GRUB: Standard fare at the ground, though at £3 at least the pies are cheap. The Cod’s Pollocks Fish and Chips is across from the Grey Horse and, next to the Hungry Hedgehog sandwich shop. There is also the Infant Street Chippy in town. 

AROUND TOWN: Accrington was the home of the Accrington Pals, a battalion of locals who signed up for World War I together and served together. They were famous because on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 700 of them attempted to cross No Man’s Land; in just 30 minutes, 235 of them were killed and 350 wounded. They are memorialized in a large mural in town.

The 1858 town hall is nice, as is the market hall, now filled with wares that might be rated “flea market plus” being sold by friendly people who all seem to know each other.

And then there’s Patch, a dog cast in bronze holding a football in his mouth, just outside the Town Hall. He’s in front a photograph which I confess I spent some time contemplating. It’s black and white, dated 1962, and in it we have a football stand, a goal, a snow-covered pitch, and a young girl in a short coat and bare legs smiling at Patch, some sort of chubby terrier holding a deflated ball in his mouth. Behind him is, according to the signage, one Harry Nash, Groundsman, standing with arched back and staring off to the camera’s left at … what, exactly? His snow-covered pitch? The girl’s parents? His club’s impending doom? Haunting memories of the war?

I’ve looked all over the Internet and even Tweeted at the club and its supporters, looking for more information on a local dog who earned a statue, with no response. The mystery only adds to Patch’s allure.

Seeing a Game at Accrington Stanley

There are so many layers to English football, especially clubs like Accrington Stanley, that one simply wouldn't know until one shows up, walks around, and talks to people.

Continue Reading →