After so many years out of League football - it's great to see the boys from Accrington back. Who are they indeed!!!
I wholeheartedly agree. The phrase "footballing fairytale" could have been coined specifically for their fortunes. With the addition of a couple of new players and the support of a nostalgic country, I can see them achieving a respectable mid-table place at the end of next season, just missing out on the playoffs the year after, and making a genuine push for promotion to League 1 in 2008-09. I think (with the exception of actual Stanley fans) Stanley are everyone's second-favourite team right now!
Indeed, an d great to see Accrington in the Football League. But remember that this is a different club from the one that resigned from the league in '61. They re-formed in '68 and took the old name.
I've been indirectly following them for the last few years now, and my friend and I (he's from Michigan, USA) brought an Accrington Stanley-themed England flag to the England / USA friendly in Chicago last year. Donning our Stanley tops, we recieved too many "who are they"s to count, but it was truly a great time, and people really enjoyed seeing the club's name on a banner. You can even see a picture/article of us w/the flag here: http://www.accringtonstanley.co.uk/index.php?main=news/features/usvuk.htm Up the Stanley!
It’s great to see Stanley back in the football league and doing their bit for North West football. I’m sure it’ll be a great turn up when we play them away next season, especially with the two teams in close distance to one another. Hopefully we won’t get relegated. See you next season (hopefully) - Poppy the Shaker
We played them in the Boxing/New Years Day derby games, and they were decent, but didn't look any better than the rest of the competition (they needed two late equalisers). Of course they then proceeded to win 11 on the trot. Good luck to them next year, and I'm hoping we can join them in getting promoted. Just back from a very good result up at York. Should make the playoffs from here.
Good luck to Accrington Stanley next season. And here's hoping they can prosper and gain some more support. They've had a rapid rise in recent years and the danger for them is that the fan base won't quite be big enough to support anything other than a struggling side. If they can make it through the next couple of years they can go from strength to strength. I think they'll get quite good away support going to their place next season. The club's (previous) obscurity has bizarrely made them famous, had has given the club an evocative aura that it'd have never achieved had they not seemingly disappeared to oblivion for so long.
Their ground does struggle a bit with sizeable away followings. In particular trying to get out of it. Actually quite a nice place, but will be one of the smaller places around.