Nickname(s) The 'Owd Reds League Lancashire Combination Founded 1891 | 1965–66 Resigned mid-season Ground Peel Park | |
Full name Accrington Stanley Football Club Dissolved 1966; 51 years ago (1966) | ||
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.
Contents
History
The club were formed in 1891 and played in the Football League between 1921 and 1962.
In 1960, amid persistent financial difficulties mainly relating to the speculative purchase of the new Burnley Road stand, Stanley were relegated to the recently formed Division Four. However, they only managed to complete one full season in this division as 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 nearby Burnley. Stanley lost their last League match 4–0 away at Crewe on 2 March 1962 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 were 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 like a new beginning for the club. They performed respectably well in their first season in the Combination, and earned their first (and only) promotion the following year. Unfortunately this proved to be a false dawn, as Stanley were immediately relegated after finishing bottom of Division One. After four seasons in the Lancashire Combination the club disbanded. Two years later the club was reformed.
Notable Players
Players who played 100 matches for Accrington Stanley, or who gained international caps whilst with the club.