Thank you eric whalley

[Doug]

We shouldn’t be getting in to this really; but had it not been for Eric Whalley, there would have been no Accrington Stanley for Ilyas Khan to save. Eric’s phase has ended, he is part of the Stanley family and heritage. Ilyas is now the future, Ilyas is today; what Eric was yesterday. And we move on. I believe Times are a changing…….

[Lancashire Stan]

The king is dead long live the king! for good or ill

[Lancashire Stan]

eerrmm!
Sorry Coley is king long may he reign!!!

[Chimer]

For me, the good outweighs the bad - if he hadn't made the good possible over 10 years or so, i.e if we'd still been in the Northern Prem, the last 3 years bad wouldn't have happened.

That said, I'm delighted we've now got the resolution we seem to have got today.

Sayonara Eric - Forza Ilyas !

[carpon]

Whalley promised the football league....of which he delivered under the stewardship of a very, very talented manager and his assistant. Despite all the turmoil and adversity, tight budgets, losing quality players and having to work damned hard on a shoestring to replace them...Coley and Bell are still surpassing expectations and spurring a good set of players onwards and upwards and still producing the goods / results. More of the same over the next month or so and we could find ourselves in league 1.

If Alan Knill and his backroom staff at Bury have cost Scunthorpe the reported £175k in compensation, then what price would we put on Coley & Bell??? Thank God somebody had the wisdom to tie these two down on the long term contracts they've so richly deserved. Time now to tie some of our quality players down on similiarly lengthy contracts.

Whalley didn't do himself many favours by his actions / inactions when the financial brown stuff hit the fan. At last the whole sorry episode now has some closure and hopefully, with Illyas' hard work and backing we can move on to the next level. As he (Illyas) has said, there is still hard work to be done, but with him at the helm, hopefully the bridges that were burned in those dark days can finally start to be rebuilt.

Thanks for all you did in the good times you enjoyed Eric.....you've helped deliver a club back from non-league obscurity to the promised land of the Football League.As others have said, without Whalley's efforts and intervention, this debate wouldn't be happening.

Now perhaps with this ownership debacle being sorted, this progress will pour fuel on the fire that currently burns in the form of a damn good football side looking a good bet for the play-offs, or dare we wish for better ???? After all we're only six off the automatics with a game in hand

High time for the public of Accrington to get to the Crown to support it's flagship. With a captain at the helm it can trust in Mr. Khan. Two prized assets in Coley & Bell, who have steered the good ship Stanley through the troubled waters back to the Football League and continue to steer the club towards more glory and hopefully a fourth promotion.

I most certainly believe we as a club are on the verge of another historic chapter of glory!!!

[Mik Griff]

Can only echo most sentiments here, Cant thank Eric enough for what he did, But it's a new era now and we move on.

On the note of people staying away, I haven't been since Jase got banned, The farce that was the aftermath of the Newcastle match left a bitter taste in my mouth, and the crap that followed from the club regarding flags etc. didn't go down well either, However perhaps staying away wasn't the best thing for me to do for the club, But I always said that when the club's ownership was sorted once and for all I would return to The Crown, and I will... Now then when's pay-day....

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Mik Griff

But I always said that when the club's ownership was sorted once and for all I would return to The Crown, and I will... Now then when's pay-day....

Good to hear, mate. Hopefully, Tin Monkey, Shurm and many other stayaways including the wider local public who have been put off by the recent shennanigans will be wending their way to the Crown Ground.

We move on!

[Shurm]

Eric has done so much for the club both as Manager and Chairman but I personally feel this all went out the window when he and DO did nothing to save the club from closing after the hard work put in from the Accrington folk and Stanley fans. Until something ever comes out to the reasons why these people were unable to do anything at that time my opinion will always be good riddance.

Perhaps a statue can be erected at least them that still worship him can bow down whilst others can throw things at it

Never thought I'd hate a Football Chairman more then Bob Lord after the stories I was told as a kid about how he shafted Stanley in their hour of need.

Anyway onwards and upwards can't make Saturday but I'll be there Tues (+ it's cheaper and I'm skint)

[Whalley Red]

In time, I will thank Eric for all the work that he did as chairman. He completely changed the club after taking over from John Alty. But the emotions from the last couple of years are still too raw to praise him at the moment.

So, as Ilyas suggests, let's just concentrate on Saturday and supporting King Coley and the lads, rather than talking about the past.

[maccawozzagod]

all I would be prepared to offer on the subject will be now that he has finally gone the story can only be told by the history books. They will say that during his tenure the ground became a stadium and we rose from the then NPL (or below) to the Football League - becoming a professional side along the way. Just the same as during John Alty's reign we rose from the Cheshire League to the NPL and the pitch became a ground, just the same as during John Prescotts, Jack Hudsons and Bill Parkinsons reign the swamp became a pitch and we rose from obscurity to the Cheshire League. The history books will mention that his demise was a stormy and unlamented affair but most of what could be written will be unproven and only opinion. My opinion doesn't matter anymore so shan't be written.

Goodbye to yesterdays man and hello to todays King.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by maccawozzagod

all I would be prepared to offer on the subject will be now that he has finally gone the story can only be told by the history books. They will say that during his tenure the ground became a stadium and we rose from the then NPL (or below) to the Football League - becoming a professional side along the way. Just the same as during John Alty's reign we rose from the Cheshire League to the NPL and the pitch became a ground, just the same as during John Prescotts, Jack Hudsons and Bill Parkinsons reign the swamp became a pitch and we rose from obscurity to the Cheshire League. The history books will mention that his demise was a stormy and unlamented affair but most of what could be written will be unproven and only opinion. My opinion doesn't matter anymore so shan't be written.

Goodbye to yesterdays man and hello to todays King.

damn good summary/view rob, we move on. having slept on this news, am looking even more forward to sats game than i was, a new era, lets make it count.

[AsFc62]

Eric Whalley helped deliver a club back from non-league obscurity to the promised land of the Football, because of this man we can shout STANLEY ARE BACK across the terraces. Nuff Said!

End of Chapter.

[jaysay]

You should never look back just say thanks for what has gone before then move onwards and upwards

[Bob Dobson]

I hope that in (say) fifty years time, when someone is writing the history of t'Stanley, they will have access to the heartfelt words written in the last couple of days.

[Haggis316]

Heartfelt thanks to Eric for all the good that you did.

Heartfelt thanks to Ilyas for all the good that he did at the same time - often behind the scenes.

Heartfelt thanks to the people that saved that good - namely Ilyas and Peter and the people of Accrington that cared enough to contribute to its salvation by their efforts including Jase, John Timmins, Rob, and Stephen Lowe.