Stadium Fraser Eagle Stadium, Livingstone Road Accrington BB5 BBX

Telephone 01254-356-950

Club Colours Red & White
Nickname The Stanley

Official Club Website www.accringtonstanley.co.uk
Key Personnel John Coleman Manager

Brief Directions By Road An early start required for this one everybody - M1 and M6 junction 29 and onto the M65 signposted Blackburn. Leave the M65 at Junction 7, taking the Clitheroe turn off the roundabout. Turn right at the first set of traffic lights opposite The Clayton Business Park, following the A678 (Blackburn Road). Follow the road over the Canal Bridge to the next set of traffic lights. Turn right again going over the motorway bridge and towards Accrington on the A680 (Whalley Road). After approximately half a mile turn left into Livingstone Road to find the ground, which is 50 yards past the Crown Hotel on the left. These directions are based on those provided by Accrington Stanley FC.

Car Parking Over 300 free spaces in two car parks available at the ground, and unrestricted in the surrounding streets. As the game will be segregated then Bees fans will be probably be directed to their own parking area close to the away terrace turnstiles.

Directions By Train A train from London Kings Cross will take around 4 hours with a change at Leeds. Accrington Station is a good 25 minutes walk away from the ground although the route passes numerous pubs! A bus from the station stops outside the Crown Pub, which virtually overlooks the ground and this runs every 15 minutes.

Supporters Coaches Coach travel to away fixtures this season is being organised by the Barnet Football Club Supporters Association. For further details about Supporters coach travel and how to book check out the BFCSA website at www.bfcsa.co.uk.

Eating And Drinking Locally The place is inundated with pubs and many close to the ground on Whalley Road. My sources reveal that The Stanley Arms on Stanley Street is particularly happy to receive away fans. I found the Oddfellows Arms which is just a few minutes walk away very accommodating in the past, but then I suppose I would! However there are many excellent pubs in the town centre that come recommended notably The Park Inn on the 68 Manchester Road which is supposedly haunted by an ex landlord called Edwin. I wonder what he was like a crossing a ball? I am told that the snack bars in the ground serve up excellent hot dogs, burgers and chips. Outside the ground Tracy's Fish Bar which is very conveniently placed close to the ground in Whalley Road, comes highly recommended by my contacts.

The Social Club The social club is out of bounds to away fans before the game.

Ground Description

Accrington Stanley are a 1968 reincarnation of the old league club that played at the Peel Ground and folded in 1962. The existing ground stands and terracing have only been around since the 1990's. The main stand is actually two separate stands one either side of the halfway line and there is seating for around 1,200. The Whinney Hill Terrace opposite the main stands is covered although it is a little shallow. With segregation in force it is the open Coppice Terrace is given to the away contingent. The slightly larger newly covered home end The Clayton Terrace completes the picture. The capacity is a healthy 5,057 including around 1,200 seats.

Rivals Burnley, Blackburn and even further back in the black and white days with long shorts, wing wizards, halfbacks and magic sponges -Nelson.

Admission Prices Terrace Adults £13.00, Concessions (Students with ID, OAP's and under 18's) £8.00, Juniors under 12 £4.00.

Seating area Adults £15.00, Concessions £10.00, Juniors £5.00

Our Last Meeting& MemoriesWe have only met Accrington 6 times in our history and won only once. Earlier this season Liam Hatch and Sagi Burton were our scorers in a 2-2 at Underhill. Last seasons meetings both finished 2-1 to Stanley. Our last meetings in the Conference in season 04/05 produced two home wins. In the February a 4-1 Stanley victory certainly was a wake up call to the table-topping Bees and Giuliano Grazioli's last minute goal was purely a consolation. The previous November a 3-0 Barnet win came courtesy of goals from Simon King, Richard Graham and an own goal from Mike Flynn. The previous season a 0-0 draw at Underhill in September was followed by a 2-0 Stanley win in the November. The game was billed as the battle of the strikers Grazioli v Paul Mullin. Mullin may have won that battle but we all know who won the war!

Overnight Stay Factor This trip is one of the longest away days and the attraction of an overnight stay becomes very appealing. It's grim oop north they say, but I am not so sure. I award an OSF of 6/10 just because one of the greatest British movies ever Whistle Down The Wind was shot just north towards Clitheroe. It still brings tear to my eye when I watch that film.

The club recommends Maple Lodge 70 Blackburn Road, Clayton-le-Moors, Accrington. Tel: 01254 301284 for En-suite bed and breakfast accommodation -check out their website http://www.maplelodgehotel.co.uk or the Wicketts Hotel 3 Blackburn Road, Rishton, Lancashire Tel: 01254 877878.

Celebrity Watch Musical talent is in abundance in Accrington as Monkees singer and original Day Dream Beeliever Davy Jones hails from these parts - well his aunties do anyway. The lead vocalist with rock legends Yes, Jon Anderson and The 4 Pennies (who had a number one smash with 'Juliet' in 1964) come from the town. Reckless Wonder Fact: The lead singer of the 4 Pennies, Lionel Morton became a presenter on Play School. Accrington's famous sons and daughters also include Morecambe FC President Jim Bowen, National Lottery expert (who is so mystic that she still has to work) Mystic Meg, Cricketer David Lloyd and numerous world renown actors from Coronation Street and Emmerdale (Farm).