“I’m not a John Coleman fan, I’m not a Jimmy Bell fan, I’m not an Andy Holt fan…
“I’m an Accrington Stanley fan.”
– Unknown
After another torrid defeat at Wrexham, Stanley fans were still feeling bruised and dejected on the morning of Sunday March 3rd. Unfortunately, an abrupt and unemotional communiqué from the Wham Stadium compounded fans’ misery in a very big way. At 10 am, the following appeared on the club’s website:
STATEMENT: John Coleman and Jimmy Bell
Accrington Stanley can today confirm that John Coleman and Jimmy Bell have been informed that their contracts are terminated with immediate effect.
Everyone at the club thanks them for their long-standing service and we wish them all the very best for the future.
The Supporters’ Trust responded with this message:
The Accrington Stanley Supporters’ Trust, whilst saddened by today’s announcement, would like to place on record our thanks to both John Coleman and Jimmy Bell.
It’s disappointing that the well-publicised disagreement with the club’s owner could not be resolved amicably and has culminated in this morning’s announcement.
There is no doubt that the journey they have taken our team on over the past years has been unique, and one that very few could have achieved.
To continually progress the club through the leagues from the depths of non-league, generally with meagre financial resources, will never be forgotten and will stand alone in the club’s chequered history.
As a fanbase, however, we must remain united in our support of our team and club, and ensure that whoever is in charge over the coming weeks, whether permanent or temporary, is given our full backing.
On Stanley On!
I’ve been editing this Newsletter since 2020, but I’ve been attending the Crown Ground almost since the arrival of John and Jimmy. You could say I’m a glory hunter, I started going on when we won the Unibond League, and, although there were some perilous times, we progressed year on year until we made it to the unlikely heights of League One – The Third Division.
When I first started following Stanley in the 1950s, we were in the Fourth Division but eventually got kicked out and lost our Peel Park ground; and I lost faith in football and eventually, although not because of it, moved away from Accrington.
It took John and Jimmy to reunite me with my home town, and I’ve lost count of the many wonderful times I’ve had in Accy because of them. Some pretty miserable ones, too, but the highs far outweigh the lows. Now they are gone and I feel some very special Stanley magic has gone with them. I fear that the demise of the Coley era is going to bring a sea change in the club’s fortunes.
Sombre times indeed.
Please enjoy reading the latest edition of the OASST Newsletter, I hope you will find some items of interest.
If you would like to comment on anything included here, or, even better, would like to contribute to future editions, please contact editor@onstanleyon.com
Mike Procter, editor.
John and Jimmy
by Peter Leatham, OASST Chairman
I think there was a certain feeling of inevitability about John and Jimmy’s sacking, especially with little sign of the much-publicised public spat with the owner being amicably settled.
I can also fully understand the outpouring of surprise and bewilderment from some of the fanbase; there is no doubt that John and Jimmy have firmly etched their names into the chequered history of Accrington Stanley as our most successful management team.
Let’s face it there is an element of our fanbase that have known no different from John and Jimmy being in charge, so the outpourings are understandable.
That said there is also a school of thought which says they were responsible for some questionable signings over the past couple of seasons and John had admitted they went for quantity rather than quality last season and were found wanting when injuries to key players forced some substandard selections into the side.
This has washed into the current campaign but has resulted in some younger homegrown talent being thrust into the limelight.
The management team were given a budget and it’s up to them to spend it in a way they saw fit, this patently has been flawed with some of the larger earners seeing little game time due to long standing injuries.
Obviously injuries are part and parcel of the game however we are led to believe that some signings were carrying long standing issues when they signed. This may be fact or fallacy, however facts show we have rarely had a full compliment to choose from over the past couple of seasons.
It may be that the owner wishes to take the club in a different direction and utilise more homegrown academy players who have sometimes found their career paths blocked by more experienced players who were perhaps just not performing at their best.
This may not have been the vision shared by John and Jimmy but who knows what conversations have taken place, if any, behind closed doors?
This melting pot has resulted in where we find ourselves today, disgruntled fans who may be proved to be right or may be surprised once the future direction and management are in place.
In the short term it’s important that we try and unite behind our team and our club whilst not forgetting the enormous contribution the Merseyside duo have made to our club. Hopefully a point not lost on the current club ownership.
Only time will tell.
John and Jimmy – A statement from Stanley Ultras
In 1999, an ambitious Chairman by the name of Eric Whalley took a chance on a management duo hailing from Kirkby, Merseyside. With extensive careers in Non-League Football, John Coleman and Jimmy Bell had spent two seasons in charge of Ashton United and caught Eric’s eye. Enticing them to Accrington wasn’t difficult at the time. Relegated from the Northern Premier League in the 1998-1999 season, Stanley would now be a big fish in a small pond as they looked to bounce back immediately and gain promotion.
Coley and Jimmy did not disappoint, and successfully guided the team to the Unibond League Championship and back to the Northern Premier League. This first title started a love affair that no one could have foreseen, with the duo delivering 3 promotions in total, all of which were as league winners (adding Northern Premier League 2002 – 2003 and Conference 2005 – 2006.) In clinching the Conference title on that fateful day at Woking, John and Jimmy, together with Eric, delivered Accrington Stanley back to the promised land of the football league after 4 decades. What this has meant to us, the fans, the club and the town is immeasurable. However, it is perhaps more impressive that the club was then able to stay there in those first few years, against the financial odds, that kept Reds everywhere proud. John and Jimmy managed to build sides capable of punching well above their weight in the football league, consistently working in conditions where they relied on one-year contracts, wages not being paid on time, and the threat of a winding up order towards the end of the 2010’s. Despite all of this noise, John and Jimmy kept on delivering results for Accrington year on year.
After nearly 13 years in charge and becoming the clubs longest serving manager, the two took an opportunity at nearby Rochdale AFC, at the time, Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger were the only managers in England who had served their clubs longer. After spells at Southport and Sligo, Coley and Jimmy returned home in September 2014 for their second, glorious spell with us. Their brand of attacking, exciting football brought the reds into the League Two play-offs in 2016 and the League Two Championship in 2018, again, all against the odds.
They have brought us cup success along the way, most notably defeating Premier League neighbours Burnley and Preston North End. They again became the longest serving management duo purely in the English Football League after almost 10 years. To try and detail their achievements is impossible and would take too long. We all know the days that have meant most to us on that terrace, we will never forget singing together, dancing together, crying together. They have given us everything we could have ever wanted and so much more.
To understand the emotions of being an Accrington Stanley fan, is to understand what football is really all about. There are a number of us that have grown up together watching their teams. Many of us that fell back in love with the game and many brought into football fandom because of what this club offered, most of which was spearheaded by John and Jimmy. Our friendships forged on long coach journeys up and down the country, early rises and into the small hours to show a small bit of pride in our team and where we come from. The gratitude we feel to John and Jimmy for enabling us to do this can never be measured. Because it is their doing. They took over a team at the same level as Radcliffe and Bamber Bridge and delivered us to be on equal footing with Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers.
They allowed us to say who we supported with pride, in the school yard, the canteens, bars, restaurants, holidays, funerals and everywhere inbetween. No longer a milk advert punchline, we are now an established Football League outfit. To John and Jimmy, we would like to highlight that you delivered on the pitch for Accrington. But, perhaps more importantly, it is the friendships, relationships, countless hours of singing, dancing, joking and laughing on our coaches that is the real legacy you now leave behind. We don’t think it is possible to put into words what that has meant to us. Fans of other clubs possibly won’t be able to understand that. But the trust and belief we have always had in you raises emotions that we can’t begin to put down into words. You’ve given us more than we could ever want from our team, our town, our community. We just want you to know how grateful we will always be of that. Your legacy will outlast us all in Accrington, and you have done more than anyone in putting us back on the footballing map, where we belong.
Accrington FC were a founding member of the Football League; Accrington Stanley FC has been truly moulded in the image of John Coleman and Jimmy Bell.
Last Weekend, this duo who have given two decades of service to our club and town were sacked by text and given two sentences of coverage on the club’s website.
What has come since, we feel, has simply been unacceptable and a stain on the achievements detailed above.
We would like to place on record as a collective of fans our hurt and displeasure at the way this situation has been handled in the past week. From Sunday’s “statement” to now, the level of professionalism, or lack thereof, leaves us to question the leadership of the football club. For us, the circus hasn’t been befitting of Accrington Stanley and the club we know and all love. Ultimately, it still leaves us with more questions than answers. We are frustrated, angry, and disappointed.
To John and Jimmy, thank you for everything.
Up the Reds.
Stanley Ultras & Raw Milk.
Industry and Prudence Conquer
John and Jimmy – Andy Holt’s Statement
Four days after the terse club announcement of the sacking, the club published Andy Holt’s explanation of the events which led up to it.
To read it, click here.
STATEMENT: Chairman, Andy Holt, in His Own Words and Unedited
An update from me… regarding the termination of John Coleman’s and Jimmy Bell’s contracts.
I am now in a position to share some basic detail behind my decision to not renew the contracts.
Why?
A. Last year the recruitment of players was dreadful. Many performances were very poor, injuries were many. We were relegated from League One. During the season Jimmy often complained too many players were being engaged with not enough quality.
It undermined my faith in them.
B. At the end of last season, I had a meeting with John to discuss this current season. Whilst I was in that meeting, Jimmy was ringing another director saying ‘with that team we’re being relegated again’ or words to that effect.
C. The Board’s position was that they should be terminated. Their performance merited it.
D. It was discussed and suggested that they deserved credit for past historic great work at the club, they deserved a last chance.
E. This was communicated to them verbally in a meeting involving me, John, Jimmy, and Dave.
The crux of it was to give them a chance. We’d review around Christmas 2023 and if we looked safe, we would extend their contracts for another season. The extension would be for one season only but could be repeated indefinitely if we got back to our normal performances.
F. Despite this Jimmy went on Radio Lancashire telling the world how it was ‘their club, they built it and that they wanted three or four-year contracts.
This was deliberate and in my mind was done for one or more of the following reasons:
- To leverage their long-held support with many fans in order to pressure the club. As show of strength.
- To use this leverage to get new contracts of a longer period than that was on offer. The offer was a 12-month extension if we looked safe, despite Jimmy’s claim we would be relegated, which if it had happened, would have made them unaffordable and threaten our club.
- To announce their availability to the world as managers.
G. The calling me out in Andy Bayes’ interview was GUARANTEED to divide our club. I communicated this to our managers at the time and told them they had ‘killed me’ as owner of the club. A selection of fans would demand I give longer unsustainable contracts, others would say I should have terminated earlier.
This divide has been evident from that day to this. Even after the termination of contracts the fan base is still divided and more so than ever.
They had to retract the statement giving a united platform for owner and manager to sing from the same hymn sheet.
They refused to do so. Despite months passing by with opportunities daily to right this issue, it never came.
When?
It has been said that I got up ‘out of the wrong side of the bed and sacked them’.
This was not true. The last day in February this year was always pencilled in as a back stop date. The reason is that many players are running out of contract, and the manager, whether it be John or Jimmy or another, wouldn’t have had time to set up for next season.
Around 10 days before the final day I spoke at length with Coley, it was still a condition that a statement had to be put out allowing me to rebuild a united front for the club. It NEVER came.
How?
I WhatsApp messaged and texted both John and Jimmy at around 9am telling them of the decision. I also informed them the club would put a statement out soon.
The reason it was put to them in this way is that, had I discussed (again) with them a mixed message could have resulted. Both messages to them and that put out by the club may be used against the club, so it had to be simple, straight forward and seemingly cold.
Finally, MY comment.
I have worked with John and Jimmy and most of the time it was great, and fun.
They performed badly in our relegation season, I didn’t sack them like EVERY OTHER OWNER would have.
They made serious mistakes and despite this I didn’t want it to end. They went public and divided our fan base probably forever, an action that I did NOT deserve, having looked after them extremely well in my time at the club.
I knew without retraction our relationship was over. Despite having months and months to do this, they didn’t.
It was a combination of poor performance and the public disagreements that resulted in the end.
Their performances led to losses last season of £600,000 followed by this season of £1,000,000. Losses that I have a choice, either fund the club or put administrators in.
I chose to fund the losses because I still believe Accrington deserves and desperately need a great club.
But the continued funding of these losses stops at the end of this season.
I lost confidence in them after nearly two full seasons of poor performances.
I lost faith in them because they seemed to lose the fire in their belly’s.
I lost trust in them because they divided our fan base, when they knew full well I was doing my upmost to work through the problems. I am off Twitter for now because I knew how a good number of fans would feel. I’m not getting into a slanging match.
For me to continue to work with the club I have to be happy. Why would I put money into a club to be unhappy?
Now then.
All the above DOES NOT take away from their achievements at the club. I fully respect their record, I understand fans that have been around them for decades, have lost their heroes.
There should be proper recognition of their achievements. Coley’s bar was called Coley’s bar for a reason. It will remain Coley’s bar.
I believe they are good at what they do and deserve decent jobs going forward.
I passionately believe I have to take the club down another stable, long-term path, my job is to create a club that lasts long after my time or that of any manger or player.
I am still doing my best.
I knew this was coming. I offered the club for sale without receiving a single bid.
I’m trapped between funding the club or putting it into administration.
I chose to continue funding it ONLY if it can be put on a stable path, an outcome I know is achievable.
That’s what is happening and where I stand.
Good morning, BTW.
Dave Hargreaves Memorial Shield
Our brand new Dave Hargreaves memorial shield has arrived and will be awarded to Accrington Stanley’s top league goalscorer every season.
It’s been back dated to the 2017/8 promotion season, which seemed a logical starting point, when the winner was Billy Kee; and all the relevant shields have been inscribed with the top scorer each season, league goals only.
Dave ‘Haggis’ Hargreaves (1954-2018) began his career with Stanley in 1974, and scored 56 goals in 44 appearances in the 1975–76 season. He signed for Blackburn Rovers in December 1977, but only made two League appearances owing to injuries. He returned to Accrington, until 1985, during which time he scored a total of 309 goals in 322 games, a club record.
Dave Hargreaves family commented:
“It’s a great gesture from Accy Stanley Supporters’ Trust to honour his legacy with an award worthy of his goal scoring prowess, and something that us as a family can cherish his memory with forever.”
The shield will be displayed in the Arndale shop, with replicas presented to the annual winners.
Don’t Take Our Word For It…
This is a brief but impassioned endorsement of Coley’s Bar by ‘Tom’ (@teeceeisme) on his Sports page on TikTok. It’s great to know how highly thought of Stanley is.
Wrexham Record Gate
The Racecourse Ground in Wrexham is the world’s oldest international football stadium that still hosts international matches; it’s the largest stadium in North Wales (which isn’t difficult), and the third largest football stadium in Wales, after Cardiff and Swansea.
Until Saturday March 2nd, when Stanley visited, the largest gate was 34,445 when Wrexham played Manchester United in the FA Cup, in 1957. Such was the draw of having the famous Accrington Stanley playing in the depressed and depressing North Wales city (half the size of Hyndburn) that the gate, according to the BBC, was 122,009. Shame about the result.
Away Travel
by Adam Scarborough
On behalf of the OASST board, I would like to thank everyone who continues to travel with us regardless of the distance and recent results. It was great to have over 90 people travel with us to Wrexham recently.
Unfortunately our away trips in 2024 got off to a rather slow start with our first two scheduled away fixtures being postponed. This was due to Newport’s FA Cup run and bad weather down in Walsall. Therefore our first trip was to Forest Green which saw Stanley come home with a 1-0 victory.
Moving into February and we had a very eventful trip to MK Dons. A minor collision with a car saw a piece of trim come off the side of our coach. We then waited for a replacement coach which got us to Stadium MK in time – only for them to want £40 to park! A last minute winner for the Dons saw our fans wanting to get home as quick as possible. Things were going well until we had a tyre blow out near Warrington. Thankfully, our driver (by this time wondering what else could go wrong) managed to get us safely into a truck stop as we waited for coach number 3 to come to the rescue. A big thank you to Red Rose Travel for getting things sorted for us.
This trip was followed by a long journey to Colchester, certainly not an easy one to get to from the North West. February was rounded off by the rearranged Walsall fixture on a Tuesday night.
There are plenty more away days to look forward to as we support John Doolan and the lads for the remainder of the season. Please contact me if you wish to book onto any of these trips…
Best wishes
Adam
To see upcoming away trips, please click here
Tuesday 12 March
Swindon Town
14:30 departure
£30 / £25 under 12s
Saturday 23 March
Sutton United
07:30 departure
£35 / £30 under 12s
Monday 1 April
Mansfield Town
11:00 departure
£20 / £15 under 12s
Tuesday 9 April
Newport County
14:30 departure
£30 / £25 under 12s
Saturday 13 April
Doncaster Rovers
11:00 departure
£20 / £15 under 12s
Saturday 20 April
Stockport County
13:00 departure
£15 / £10 under 12s
Her Game Too – IWD2024 Special
by Jodie Boast
Gallery One: Saturday – Home to Bradford
Celebrating International Women’s Day (8th March) at the Wham. We would like to celebrate all of our female staff, players and supporters on this special weekend 🔴⚪️⚽️
Gallery Two: Sunday – AS Women FC v Penrith AFC Ladies
To read more about HerGameToo, please visit #HERGAMETOO
Sean McConville Sportsman’s Dinner
Friday 29th March, after the Morecambe derby, in The Venue at Accrington Stanley.
7pm until late.
Tickets are Silver £75, VIP Gold £100.
Gold includes pre-event drinks in the Snug with Sean and past and present players.
More details will follow.
Tables are available for 10, 8 or 6; individual places are also available.
To book, please click on one of the two options below.
To order and pay for tickets, please click here
To order tickets and request an invoice, please click here
Seamus Conneely Testimonial – The Overlap Stanley Style
Excellent night with great guys and a special thanks to Dan Jewell for super comparing and Josh Knowles for the technical support.
Massive thanks to all the fans who supported the event and to Gareth Penaluna and Josh Hindle for winning the auction items.
The Seamus Conneely Testimonial Masters
• This is a pairs event – entry fee £40 per pair
• 4 Ball better ball Stableford format
• 85% of handicap (Maximum playing Handicap will be 24)
• Select your preferred tee time
• Clubhouse Refreshments available
Total prize money – £1200
- 1st prize £300 each
- 2nd prize £150 each
- 3rd prize £100 each
- 4th prize £75 each
All prizes in golf shop vouchers
• ALL proceeds are in support of the Seamus Conneely, ASFC Captain, 2023/4 Testimonial Fund.
With thanks to Accrington & District Golf Club for their magnificent support for the event.
To book, please click here
Brazilian guests enjoy their visit to the Wham
by Luke Pearson @ASFCofficial
Accrington Stanley and the Official Accrington Stanley Supporters’ Trust (OASST) were delighted to welcome Brazilian journalist Fabricio Cardoso, his wife, Monica, and their sons, Inacio and Olavo, to the Wham Stadium.
Fabricio, who was born in the southern municipality of Pelotas, now lives in the country’s financial centre, São Paulo, and first came across the Reds when he and Inacio were playing FIFA on their PlayStation.
They have since followed the club’s progress and decided to travel to Lancashire, whilst visiting Europe.
Having landed at Manchester Airport on Tuesday, the family were picked up by OASST chairman, Peter Leatham, and were then given a guided tour of the Wham by Stanley’s managing director, David Burgess.
They returned to the stadium for that evening’s Sky Bet League Two fixture against AFC Wimbledon and were stood on the Clayton End as goals from Jack Nolan and Ben Woods saw the Reds to a 2-0 victory.
Fabricio said: “When Inacio was a child, we started a career mode on FIFA. As we’re not inclined towards easy options, we chose Accrington.
“We justified our choice by the colour of the shirt, the same as our Gremio Esportivo Brasil.
“Gradually, a love beyond fantasy grew within us. We started following Accrington.
“We thought we chose Accrington because of the shirt’s colour, but we were wrong. We chose because we had brothers in Lancashire.
“Many thanks to Peter Leatham and David Burgess, club officials, who opened the doors of the home that is now ours too.
“And I thank my children and my girl for their complicity in our madness.”
Managing Director, David Burgess added: “We were delighted to welcome Fabricio and his family to the Wham Stadium on Tuesday, firstly for a guided tour and then to that evening’s game.
“Everyone at the club hopes they enjoyed their time in East Lancashire, and we hope to see them back very soon.”
OASST chairman, Peter Leatham said: “It was a great pleasure to spend the day with the Cardoso family and I was blown away by their knowledge and enthusiasm for our football club.
“Although we broke up our journey with visits to both Old Trafford and the Etihad, they really couldn’t wait to arrive at the Wham Stadium.
“The ground tour, kindly hosted by David Burgess, was the stuff of memories for them, as was the hospitality we offered at the game itself.
“The guys enjoyed their time on the Clayton End and soon picked up on the songs and chants, and we really hope they can visit again in the future.”
Where’s Stanley?
by Eugene Carroll
We’ve been working in conjunction with the Community Rail Lancashire team and the football club to improve the signage at Accrington train station to make the directions from the station to the Wham stadium clear.
We’ve designed a couple of posters to be displayed on the noticeboards on the platforms, the first is aimed at football fans and gives any visitors arriving at the station directions to the Wham Stadium, with the QR code taking people to detailed directions ruins on the club’s website. The second is targeted more generally at people arriving at the station who may be continuing on onward journey by bus.
The posters are being printed and we hope to have them delivered and in the display boxes by the end of March. The posters are shown below.
Club 1968
Started in late 2020, building on the runaway success of the lockdown on-line 50/50 draw, Club 1968 has been a remarkable accomplishment of fund-raising for the club, and prizes for people you know. To date, there has been over £40,000 given back in prizes, with a similar amount raised for the club.
All winners can be seen by visiting the Club 1968 page
To make it even easier for fans to join in, Club 1968 has set up a new method of signing up, to read more about Club 1968, and to be in with a chance every month of winning £1000, please visit the Club 1968 page by following this link.
Recent Winners
High Quality Souvenirs
The Seamus Conneely Testimonial team have produced two luxury souvenir items which would be the perfect thing to spend any leftover Christmas present money on!
Seamus Conneely Testimonial Souvenir Brochure
We are delighted to bring you this A4 52-page glossy full colour brochure, detailing Seamus’s career journey to East Lancashire.
It’s packed with features including his early days at Newcastle in Galway, his time at Mervue United before joining Galway United and Sligo Rovers.
There are many tributes from friends and family as well as many former team mates and the fans at Accrington Stanley.
How to get your copy
In person: Copies are now available in the OASST Arndale shop in Accrington, from the Accrington Stanley Club shop at the Wham Stadium and also from the OASST tables on match days in Coleys and on the Fanzone.
By post: Click here for the order form
Limited Edition Seamus Conneely Shirt
This is your unique opportunity to own one of these Limited Edition (Edition of 100 – numbered inside the collar) Seamus Conneely testimonial shirts.
All shirts are this season’s Macron home shirt and are all one size, XL, for display purposes.
You may also request (at no extra cost) your shirt to have a hand signed, personal message from Seamus, on the front or the rear of the shirt.
The shirts are priced at £100 each plus postage, which is calculated geographically.
To purchase your shirt, please click here for the order form
Concerns, Ideas, Comments & Questions
The Supporters’ Trust is you, the fans’, voice and body to get things done with our football club.
We welcome your thoughts and ideas as well as any concerns (off the pitch) you may have regarding the running and day to day operations within Accrington Stanley.
We welcome suggestions as to how we make things better, either as a fan experience, or in growing our overall fanbase.
We will then take these on board and respond accordingly.
We meet at least once a quarter with our club and discuss a wide range of topics but are always happy to add to our agenda.
It’s your trust and club!
Book of Remembrance
The Supporters’ Trust is very pleased to announce that The Book of Remembrance is now on display in the Club shop at the ground. We are indebted to Supporters’ Chaplain, Deb Phillips, for her work in producing this beautiful book.
Supporters’ Chaplain
by Deb Phillips
At the time of writing (9th March) it is the end of a sad week. Social media has a lot of benefits but can also be destructive too.
A lot has been said this past week about the termination of contracts for John and Jimmy and we have also heard Andy Holt’s view too. I just wanted to take the opportunity to wish John and Jimmy all the best for the future and also to thank them for what they have done for the club. What they achieved has been outstanding and I can’t give them enough credit really.
But things must go on and having Andy still around as owner is a testimony of what we can regard as the best facilities (I believe) as compared to other league clubs. We only have to think of the facilities when we are on our travels to understand how lucky we are to have Andy.
I am a person who doesn’t take sides and really we won’t know for sure what has really gone on in “both camps”. However, now is the time to get behind John Doolan and the rest of the staff and give our young lads the support they need especially the next coming few weeks.
On Friday 8th March I attended (like many) Seamus’ testimonial event in Coleys which took us back to that infamous 2017/18 season. It was fantastic to see Scotty Brown, Mark Hughes and Billy Rodney Kee (to give him his full title) to relive and give stories of that great season – one which has gone down in history. Forget the so-called documentaries of the other “famous” team in our league at the moment – this was one of dreams and which were realised of the highest level.
Looking back with fondness at clips of goals from Seamus’ most memorable matches during that season and also seeing us climb league 2, finally seeing us win the league on 93 points. It was a very uplifting evening and it was held at just the right time after the week we had just experienced. Dan Jewell was a great MC and you could see how much they still value their friendships today.
The Book of Remembrance is finally finished and is on display in the club shop at the ground (see above). It contains all the names of people who are on the plaques in the memorial garden. If you haven’t already done so please pop in and and have a look – there are some lovely tributes written by family members.
It has been a very emotional week with quite a lot of people messaging me their concerns for the club and have been quite upset too. When I took on the role of Supporters’ Chaplain I didn’t envisage a week like I have just experienced.
Some of you are old enough to remember that there has been trying times in the history of Accrington Stanley and this week has been no exception. However, one thing we will probably agree on is that our love for Accrington Stanley will never die no matter what happens behind the scenes. We will always get behind the lads on the pitch and the manager (whoever they may be) and will also be glad that we ran out of beer when Andy visited the club all those years ago.
As ever I will finish as always by saying – Let’s look out for one another (and especially now).
Help
Useful numbers of some organizations:
Lancashiremind Local Mental Health Support 0800 953 0110
Samaritans Call 116 123 24hrs
Papyrus (Suicide prevention for under 35s) Hopeline UK 0800 068 4141 Mon-Fri 10am-10pm Sat-Sun 12 noon-12 midnight
Childline 0800 1111
Carers’ helpline (run by people with experience in care for people with MH issues) 0333 103 9747
Maundy Relief Counselling Service 01254 233 457 counselling@maundyrelief.org.uk
Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline-Refuge 0808 2000 247 (24hrs)
To contact Debra, the Supporters’ Chaplain,
please email chaplain@onstanleyon.com
