Highlights of the season

[Stanleymad]

Originally Posted by Kiwi John

Sitting by this computer at 10:30 on a weekday night waiting for word to come through from a court in London..Ilyas and Peter -what can anyone say that hasn't been said??... Reading of the fantastic support given game after game by the ULTRAS.
What wonderful, WONDERFUL people there are that make up the STANLEY FAMILY.
Snaps to you all.

Totally agree with u there Kiwi......gawd that felt like forever sitting by pc waiting for the outcome hoping club survived

[Exile on Spencer St]

The away game at Barnet where, on the pitch, Stanley's ten men fought back to win and, off the field, the Ultras played a blinder.

[SamF]

Holding on for the last few minutes at Spotland, my first away game, walked all the way through the rain, normally a mainstander but was screaming at the top of my lungs then.

Getting lost in the underpasses walking from Leeds train station to Elland Road, ending up walking with a Bradford fan and Leeds fan to the game, got the bus back :P

Seeing Stanley play at Elland Road.

Thrashing Crewe.

Realising we had one of the best strikers in the league last season and we'd been playing him down the wing.

[smudgie]

Id have to say.... meetin Ilyas at the Salisbury game, Battering Fulham for 45 minutes, Cheltenham and Crewe at home, Torquay weekend, Rochdale away, Burton away, I could go on and on.!

[Willie Miller]

Playing against Lutel James, Jonny Smith, Rommy & Jay Flannery in the Legends game, breakfast in the club house, sing song in the Changing Rooms, making over 2k for the SOS fund....

Barnet away and Illyas Khan being told to get down off the barriers, absolutely "romping" the home support for 90 minutes till in the end, they just stood & watched.

Fulham, everything about the day. Packed to the rafters, scarves up, brand new wavey flags in the Clayton End.

Also Salisbury for the relief & joy & party in the Clayton End that day. Club was saved, thank you Illyas Khan & Peter Marsden.

Sitting in a hastily arranged ASSF meeting with many like minded Accrington fans , all with one common goal SURVIVAL. No ego's, no blame culture, no hanging parties, just "what can we do?"

The Sheff Wed lads joining the Clayton End

QPR away, again everything was ace. Brill weather in London, 90 mins of proud noise, meeting the "chairman" of QPR, after the game Corteo back to the coach.

2 nil win @ Rochdale away, seeing Kenny "Grass is Greener over there" Arthur picking the ball out of his net twice.

The SOS games v Darlington & Crewe,meeting so many other fans who shared our pain. Big thanks to Bury FC, forever our friends.

Both SOS friendlies with Rovers & the Clarets, vocally battering their supports & showing our passion.

8 lads in a 2 man travelodge in Bournemouth, setting off for the weekend not knowing where or when you sleeping. Bubs in the mini bus & three "camping" under a motorway bridge!!!!!

The journey to Leeds United ( Nice one stewards)

Crewe away in Fancy Dress, legendary including a storming "gig" back at the Crown

2 young 'uns in Mini Ultra hoodies

Wins at Notts County & Shrews then "worrying" we might actually get promoted....

Nobody has mentioned "doing" Morecambe again home & away. Once again the home support cannot even get in the pool room of their own pub, never mind get a pre match song in edgeways....

Torquay weekender which needs a chapter on its own. Strippers, buskers, bands, kleptomaniacs.......

Barmaids in Chesterfields pub, just get there lads!

And right back in pre season, bamboozling the gate man at Halifax Town with a Real Hustle like exchange of money & getting in virtually free......

Its been a "monster!"

[smudgie]

Brilliant !

[Willie Miller]

Forgot Lew Carroll taking the reigns at the club shop...... A real positive move

And at QPR pretending to be deaf to the stewards only to be caught out at half time by the biggest bouncer type steward in England... Ooops

[Kiwi John]

...Also, having LEE CARTER come and stay. That was very good.. Whats happened to him now, married yet ?

[madkev]

Walsall Fizzypop Cup Match
QPR Away
SOS Darlington
Rochdale away
Bury Paintpot trophy
Burton Away
Notts County away
Fulham(Europa finalists)
Accy/Mariners v Barnet

Ilyas and peter saving Stanley and just being part of the Accrington experience is a highlight in itself A real friendly bunch you all are

[Revived Red]

Many highlights for me, but I'll pick out two.

The first is the performance at QPR and the warmth of their fans after the game.

But the real highlight as others have said was the performance against Fulham, especially in view of what Fulham have gone on to achieve.

[Pendle Red]

The biggest single highlight for me and probably for most fans was the news that filtered through on Wednesday 28th October that the Club had been saved from extinction in the High Court by one of Accrington’s own Ilyas Khan not forgetting Peter Marsden, the Club had endured a torrid time for several months off the field with the unpaid tax bill to the HMRC, there had been the Club’s attempts of pulling themselves out of the hole they were in with the SOS Fund. Stanley Fans, fans from other football clubs and general well wishers rallied to the cause of the Reds as once again they faced the unthinkable that they could go out of the League as their predecessors had forty seven years earlier.

Those SOS games galvanised the supporters of Accrington Stanley starting off with the bucket collection at Gigg Lane home of Bury, then took in a collections at Anfield and the two SOS games against local Premiership Clubs Burnley & Blackburn Rovers which helped to swell the coffers, then there were the two Friday Night games against Darlington & Crewe Alexandra when the whole of the Crown Ground was awash with shirts of Premiership & Football League Clubs from all over the country all rallying to the aid of this “Famous Little Club” pushing attendances over the collective 6000 mark for both games.

There have been some memorable games this season but nothing comes close to the relief that our club had been saved and the gratitude I feel to every single person who rallied to the cause and probably galvanised us more as fans than any game has.

Thanks to everyone who was involved in saving “Our Club” we now have a bright future to look forward to!

On Stanley On

[Redash]

For me,

Beating Rotherham and being safe by Easter.

Other fans wearing their colours, mixing and having a good time on our terrace.

The candle light protest, when a phone call came through to say Ilyas had saved us, when our directors didn't.

Snow shifting under floodlights, and beating Gillingham because of it.

Fulham players turning up already changed, because they didn't like their dressing room, giving Stanley all the motivation they needed.

Winning at Notts County, Morecambe, Rochdale, & Bury.

Some truly brilliant goals

Infact, all the early season money troubles, because none of the above would have happened without it.

The QPR game, being warned about their hoolies, turned away long before we got near their pub, then walking back to the coach with the street lined with QPR fans, applauding.

[Redraine]

Today on the Clayton End - seeing all the young kids having a ball and waving their banners and flags. Our future is assured with this change in the demographics of our support since I re-joined the Stanley bandwaggon 10 years or so ago.
The club owes a massive debt to Jase and his crew.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Redraine

Today on the Clayton End - seeing all the young kids having a ball and waving their banners and flags. Our future is assured with this change in the demographics of our support since I re-joined the Stanley bandwaggon 10 years or so ago.
The club owes a massive debt to Jase and his crew.

Would agree wholeheartedly with that, Redraine. At one time, we would've lost that lot to Burnley or Rovers. But the Ultras have made Stanley more appealing to the up and coming lads and lasses and for this, the club should be grateful.

The Clayton End...it's the new rock 'n' roll!

[OLDHAMADE]

Originally Posted by Willie Miller

Nobody has mentioned "doing" Morecambe again home & away. Once again

And once AGAIN finishing below em in the League

It's certainly IS a FUNNY OLD GAME