How Far we've come
 

I was looking through some newspaper cuttings going back a few years and it made me think just how amazingly far we've progressed in the last 15 years. I first started watching Stanley around the time of Phil Staley and well remember that the mid to late 90s were a period when (after Staley left) we did very little and struggled to hold our place in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. I'd never have dreamed when we were being hammered by the likes of Gainsborough in front of 300 fans that in such a relatively short period we'd be holding our own amongst the likes of Bradford City, Notts County and all the other famous league names - and going into a match against Huddersfield hoping to repeat victory over them!

And the ground - as small as we see it and our crowds its amazing to think back to the days when we were standing on gravel and mud behind a ricketty post and rail fence. It really isn't all that long ago.

I was reading a fantastic article about that famous match at Radcliffe in the run in to our promotion back to the Unibond Premier and I'd say that great match was a true turning point in the clubs history.

When you think about it Coley, Eric and all the team have really achieved a phenomenal amount in these last few years and they are still willing to learn and be open minded about what the club needs to be doing in the future.

On Stanley on!

Re: How Far we've come
 

Brilliant match in a great run. Radcliffe fan standing behind me reckoned Stanley would never score when we were losing 2-0. He got a big grin from me as each goal went in, (from memory Bell, Smith and Carragher, although I could be wrong).
Radcliffe had a decent centre forward I seem to recall. ;)

Re: How Far we've come
 

20 minutes left and 2 - 0 down, it looked like we were finished but with that awesome equaliser after Jamie Speares unbelievable kick and then when the heavens opened and everyone who wasn't already behind the goal moved into that bizarre stand they've got it was magic. And then of course was it Steve Caragher who got the winner right at then end and the ground erupted.

Everyone knew we were on our way after that.

And Mullin missed a couple he could have scored that day (I think Radcliffe had just turned down our offer for him - was it £5000 we wanted to pay?)

Re: How Far we've come
 

Most of Jamie's kicks were unbelievable, and all his successors have followed the tradition. :eek:

Re: How Far we've come
 

Yes I was looking back to stuff I printed off from the Stanleydemon site at the end of the Unibond League 1 Championship season and the size of gates we got then though we got just over 2600 I think for the last match clincher.