Accrington Stanley F.C. (1891)

Accrington Stanley was an English football club based in Accrington, Lancashire. Established in 1891, the club played in the Football League between 1921 and 1962, when the club became the second to resign from the League mid-season. The club went into liquidation in 1966. They played at Peel Park.[1]

Not to be confused with Accrington Stanley F.C. or Accrington F.C., completely separate clubs from the same town.

Accrington Stanley
Full nameAccrington Stanley Football Club
Nickname(s)The 'Owd Reds
Founded1891
Dissolved1966 (1966)
GroundPeel Park, Accrington
LeagueLancashire Combination
1965–66Resigned mid-season

History

The club was formed in 1891 and played in the Football League between 1921 and 1962.[2]

In 1960, amid persistent financial difficulties, mainly relating to the speculative purchase of the new Burnley Road stand, Stanley was relegated to the recently formed Division Four. However, the team only managed to complete one full season in that division because bankruptcy followed shortly afterwards. On 12 February 1962, Edwin Slinger, the chairman, resigned and revealed that Stanley owed up to £4,000 in unpaid transfer fees and a similar sum to the Inland Revenue. Pilkington, as life vice-president, brought in Bob Lord, who persuaded the rest of the board to resign by promising to buy shares, despite his chairmanship of the nearby Burnley Football Club. Stanley lost its last League match 4–0 away at Crewe on 2 March 1962[1] and, at a creditors' meeting shortly afterwards, further unsecured creditors were revealed. The club sent a letter of resignation to the Football League, and the resignation was accepted by Alan Hardaker, the League Secretary, on 11 March, midway through the 1961–62 season.

Stanley was accepted into the Lancashire Combination Division Two for the next season, and with some local investors stepping forward to reduce debts to a more manageable level, it seemed as if it might be a new beginning for the club. It performed respectably well in its first season in the Combination, and the team earned its first (and only) promotion the following year. Unfortunately this proved to be a false dawn, as Stanley was immediately relegated after finishing bottom of Division One.[3] After four seasons in the Lancashire Combination the club disbanded. Two years later the club was reformed.[2]

Honours

  • Lancashire Combination
    • Champions 1902–03, 1905–06
    • Division Two champions 1963–64

Notable players

Players who played 100 matches for Accrington Stanley, or who gained international caps whilst with the club.

References
  1. "Accrington Stanley: How The Reds got kicked out of the Football League – only to return over 40 years later!". Heroes and Villains. BBC Lancashire. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  2. Louise Taylor (27 October 2009). "Accrington Stanley desperate not to let history repeat itself". The Sport Blog. Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  3. Roger Hopkin (2009). "Lancashire Combination 1951–1965". Non League Football Matters. nonleaguematters. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
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