List of Accrington Stanley F.C. seasons

Not to be confused with Accrington F.C., separate club from the same town.

Accrington Stanley Football Club is an English football club based in Accrington, Lancashire. The club participates in Football League One, the third tier of the English football league system.

History

The original town team, Accrington, were amongst the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888, before resigning from the league after just five years. A team called Stanley Villa already existed at the time, named as such because they were based at the Stanley Arms on Stanley Street in Accrington. With the demise of Accrington, Stanley Villa took the town name to become Accrington Stanley. The club entered the Football League in 1921 with the formation of the old Third Division North, along with the other top northern non-League clubs. In 1960, amid persistent financial difficulties mainly relating to the speculative purchase of the new Burnley Road stand, Stanley were relegated to the recently formed Division Four. However, they only managed to complete one full season in this division as bankruptcy followed shortly afterwards. Stanley lost their last League match 4–0 away at Crewe on 2 March 1962. The club sent a letter of resignation to the Football League and the resignation was accepted by Alan Hardaker, the League Secretary on 11 March, mid-way through the 1961–62 season. Stanley were accepted into the Lancashire Combination Division Two for the next season. They performed respectably well in their first season in the Combination, and earned their first (and only) promotion the following year. Unfortunately this proved to be a false dawn, as Stanley were immediately relegated after finishing bottom of Division One. By this point the club's debts had become overwhelmingly large once again, and the start of 1966 saw the final end for the club, who resigned from the Lancashire Combination and disbanded.

At a meeting at Bold Street Working Men's Club in 1968 the revival was initiated, and in August 1970 the new club was accepted into the Lancashire Combination and played its first match at a new ground, the Crown Ground.[1] Eric Whalley, a local businessman, took control of the club in 1995 and began the development of the club's ground. After the club was relegated in 1999, Whalley appointed John Coleman as manager. In 2005–06, Stanley won the Football Conference and were promoted to League Two, switching places with relegated Oxford United – in a reversal of fortune, the team that had been elected to replace the former Accrington Stanley as members of the Football League in 1962.

Key

Seasons

Year League Lvl Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Position Leading league scorer[2] FA Cup FL Cup
FA Trophy 		FL Trophy Average home
attendance[3][a]
Name Goals Res Rec Res Rec Res Rec
1896–97 QR1 0-0-1
1897–98 QR1 1-0-1
1898–99 QR3 2-0-1
1899–1900 PR 0-0-1
Joined the Lancashire Combination.
1900–01 Lancashire Combination 34 17 2 15 55 51 +4 36 9th of 18
1901–02 34 21 5 8 79 48 +31 47 3rd of 18 QR3 2-1-1
1902–03 34 26 2 6 114 36 +78 54 1st of 18 QR3 2-0-1
1903–04 Lancashire Combination
Division One 		34 24 4 6 89 36 +53 52 2nd of 18 QR3 3-1-1
1904–05 34 16 5 13 57 55 +2 37 7th of 18 QR3 0-0-1
1905–06 38 22 10 6 88 33 +55 54 1st of 20 QR4 4-0-1
1906–07 38 18 7 13 76 60 +16 43 5th of 20 R2 2-1-1
1907–08 38 16 9 13 77 66 +11 41 7th of 20 PR 0-0-1
1908–09 38 15 6 17 88 87 +1 36 12th of 20 QR4 4-2-1
1909–10 38 21 9 8 71 62 +9 47 3rd of 20 R1 2-0-1
1910–11 38 15 8 15 82 78 +4 38 7th of 20 R1 2-0-1
1911–12 32 12 6 14 70 66 +4 30 9th of 17 QR5 1-0-1
1912–13 34 21 3 10 75 54 +21 45 2nd of 18 QR4 0-0-1
1913–14 34 15 8 11 76 65 +11 38 7th of 18 QR4 0-0-1
1914–15 32 15 7 10 75 59 +16 37 6th of 17 PR 0-1-1
No competitive football was played between 1915 and 1919 due to the World War I.
1919–20 Lancashire Combination 34 18 4 12 86 73 +13 40 7th of 18 PR 0-0-1
1920–21 34 16 9 9 63 41 +22 41 6th of 18 PR 0-0-1
Football League Third Division North created. The club were invited to join.
1921–22 Football League
Third Division North 		3 38 19 3 16 73 57 +16 41 5th of 20 QR4 0-0-1 8,000
1922–23 38 17 7 14 59 65 -6 41 8th of 20 QR5 0-1-1 7,440
1923–24 42 16 8 18 48 61 -13 40 13th of 22 R1 2-1-1 5,660
1924–25 42 15 8 19 60 72 -12 38 17th of 22 R1 2-1-1 5,110
1925–26 42 17 3 22 81 105 -24 37 18th of 22 R3 2-0-1 4,248
1926–27 42 10 7 25 62 98 -36 27 21st of 22 R4 3-0-1 4,100
1927–28 42 18 8 16 76 67 +9 44 9th of 22 R1 0-0-1 4,741
1928–29 42 13 8 21 68 82 -14 34 18th of 22 R3 2-1-1 4,398
1929–30 42 14 9 19 84 81 +3 37 16th of 22 R2 1-0-1 4,236
1930–31 42 15 9 18 84 108 -24 39 13th of 22 R2 1-0-1 3,191
1931–32 40 15 6 19 75 80 -5 36 14th of 21 R2 1-1-1 3,521
1932–33 42 15 10 17 78 76 +2 40 13th of 22 R2 1-0-1 2,933
1933–34 42 13 7 22 65 101 -36 33 20th of 22 R3 2-1-1 2,989
1934–35 42 12 10 20 63 89 -26 34 18th of 22 R1 0-0-1 2,785
1935–36 42 17 8 17 63 72 -9 42 9th of 22 R1 0-0-1 3,351
1936–37 42 16 9 17 76 69 +7 41 13th of 22 R4 3-1-1 3,733
1937–38 42 11 7 24 45 75 -30 29 22nd of 22 R2 1-2-1 4,344
1938–39 42 7 6 29 49 103 -54 20 22nd of 22 R1 0-0-1 3,419
No competitive football was played between 1939 and 1946 due to the World War II.
1945–46 R3 2-1-3
1946–47 Football League
Third Division North 		3 42 14 4 24 56 92 -36 32 20th of 22 R1 0-1-1 3,976
1947–48 42 20 6 16 62 59 +3 46 6th of 22 R1 0-0-1 6,230
1948–49 42 12 10 20 55 64 -9 34 20th of 22 R1 0-0-1 6,001
1949–50 42 16 7 19 57 62 -5 39 13th of 22 R1 0-0-1 5,891
1950–51 46 11 10 25 42 101 -59 32 23rd of 24 R1 0-0-1 4,562
1951–52 46 10 12 24 61 92 -31 32 22nd of 24 R1 0-0-1 6,378
1952–53 46 8 11 27 39 89 -50 27 24th of 24 R2 1-0-1 5,549
1953–54 46 16 10 20 66 74 -8 42 15th of 24 R2 1-1-1 7,321
1954–55 46 25 11 10 96 67 +29 61 2nd of 24 R2 1-0-1 9,766
1955–56 46 25 9 12 92 57 +35 59 3rd of 24 R3 2-0-1 8,946
1956–57 46 25 8 13 95 64 +31 58 3rd of 24 R3 2-0-1 8,736
1957–58 46 25 9 12 83 61 +22 59 2nd of 24 R3 2-2-1 7,187
Regional Third divisions merged creating nationwide the Third Division and the Fourth Division. Qualified to join the Third Division.
1958–59 Football League
Third Division 		3 46 15 12 19 71 87 -16 42 19th of 24 R4 3-1-1 6,267
1959–60 46 11 5 30 57 123 -66 27 24th of 24
Relegated 		R1 0-0-1 4,083
1960–61 Football League
Fourth Division 		4 46 16 8 22 74 88 -14 40 18th of 24 R3 2-1-1 R1 0-0-1 3,530
1961–62 Failed to complete the season, record was expunged. R2 1-0-1 R1 0-0-1
Resigned from the league and joined the Lancashire Combination.
1962–63 Lancashire Combination
Division Two 		38 19 7 12 99 66 +33 45 8th of 20
1963–64 34 23 6 5 90 40 +50 52 1st of 18
Promoted
1964–65 Lancashire Combination
Division One 		42 7 4 31 48 127 -79 18 21st of 22
Relegated 		QR1 0-0-1
1965–66 Lancashire Combination
Division Two 		Failed to complete the season, record was expunged.
Folded and reestablished in 1968. Joined the Lancashire Combination two years later.
1970–71 Lancashire Combination 30 15 5 10 65 52 +13 35 6th of 16
1971–72 28 18 5 5 81 40 +41 41 2nd of 15 QR1 0-0-1
1972–73 38 26 7 5 96 36 +60 59 3rd of 20 QR2 1-2-1 R1 3-1-1
1973–74 38 29 5 4 80 26 +54 63 1st of 20 QR2 1-0-1 QR3 2-0-1
1974–75 38 17 7 14 75 55 +20 41 10th of 20 QR4 4-2-1 PR 0-0-1
1975–76 34 25 5 4 104 36 +68 55 2nd of 18 QR1 0-0-1 PR 0-0-1
1976–77 34 25 7 2 86 20 +66 57 3rd of 18 QR2 1-0-1 QR2 2-1-1
1977–78 34 25 7 2 99 32 +67 57 1st of 18 QR1 1-1-1 QR1 1-1-1
Transferred to the newly created Cheshire County League Division Two.
1978–79 Cheshire County League
Division Two 		34 18 6 10 65 43 +22 42 5th of 18 PR 0-0-1 R1 3-0-1
1979–80 34 20 9 5 67 33 +34 49 2nd of 18 QR1 1-0-1 QR2 1-1-1
1980–81 38 26 3 9 73 20 +53 55 1st of 20
Promoted 		QR2 1-1-1 QR3 3-1-1
1981–82 Cheshire County League
Division One 		38 11 11 16 40 57 -17 33 13th of 20 QR1 1-2-1
League merged with the Lancashire Combination to create the North West Counties Football League.
1982–83 North West Counties League
Division One 		7 38 13 12 13 56 55 +1 38 10th of 20 QR1 0-1-1 QR1 1-0-1
1983–84 38 17 8 13 67 60 +7 42 7th of 20 QR3 3-2-1 PR 0-0-1
1984–85 38 11 8 19 45 59 -14 30 15th of 20 QR2 1-0-1 PR 0-0-1
1985–86 38 13 11 14 62 60 +2 37 11th of 20 QR2 2-1-1 PR 0-3-1
1986–87 38 19 15 4 63 32 +31 53 2nd of 20 PR 0-0-1 QR1 1-1-1
Northern Premier League Division One created. Joined the new division.
1987–88 Northern Premier League
Division One 		7 36 21 6 9 71 39 +32 69 4th of 19 PR 0-0-1 QR2 1-0-1
1988–89 42 21 10 11 81 60 +21 73 6th of 22 QR2 1-2-1 QR1 0-1-1
1989–90 42 22 10 10 80 53 +27 76 3rd of 22 QR2 2-1-1 QR1 0-0-1
1990–91 42 21 13 8 83 57 +26 76 4th of 22
Promoted 		QR4 4-0-1 QR3 2-0-1
1991–92 Northern Premier League
Premier Division 		6 42 17 12 13 78 62 +16 63 8th of 22 QR2 1-1-1 QR3 1-0-1
1992–93 42 20 13 9 79 45 +34 73 6th of 22 R2 5-0-1 R1 3-0-1
1993–94 42 14 7 21 63 85 -22 49 16th of 22 R1 1-0-1 QR3 0-0-1
1994–95 42 12 13 17 55 77 -22 49 15th of 22 QR4 0-0-1 QR2 1-1-1
1995–96 42 17 14 11 62 54 +8 62 8th of 22 QR2 1-0-1 QR3 2-1-1
1996–97 44 18 12 14 77 70 +7 66 11th of 23 QR1 0-1-1 QR3 0-0-1
1997–98 42 8 14 20 49 68 -19 38 20th of 22 QR1 0-0-1 QR3 0-0-1
1998–99 42 9 9 24 47 77 -30 36 22nd of 22
Relegated 		QR2 0-0-1 R3 2-1-1
1999–2000 Northern Premier League
Division One 		7 42 25 9 8 96 43 +53 84 1st of 22
Promoted 		QR2 2-0-1 R2 1-2-1
2000–01 Northern Premier League
Premier Division 		6 44 18 10 16 72 67 +5 64 9th of 23 QR3 1-1-1 R3 2-1-1 613
2001–02 44 21 9 14 89 64 +25 72 6th of 23 QR3 1-0-1 R2 1-3-0 529
2002–03 44 30 10 4 97 44 +53 100 1st of 23
Promoted 		QR3 1-1-1 R2 0-0-1 1,133
2003–04 Football Conference 5 42 15 13 14 68 61 +7 58 10th of 22 Paul Mullin 20 R3 2-3-1 R3 0-0-1 1,797
Football Conference expanded up to two levels and changed name of a higher division.
2004–05 Conference
National 		5 42 18 11 13 72 58 +14 65 10th of 22 Paul Mullin 20 QR4 0-0-1 R3 0-1-1 R2 1-0-1 1,537
2005–06 42 28 7 7 76 45 +31 91 1st of 22
Promoted 		Paul Mullin 14 QR4 0-1-1 R3 2-3-0 R1 0-1-0 1,895
2006–07 Football
League Two 		4 46 13 11 22 70 81 -11 50 20th of 24 Paul Mullin 13 R1 0-0-1 R2 1-1-0 AQF 0-2-1 2,260
2007–08 46 16 3 27 49 83 -34 51 17th of 24 Paul Mullin 12 R1 0-0-1 R1 0-0-1 R1 0-0-1 1,634
2008–09 46 13 11 22 42 59 -17 50 16th of 24 Jimmy Ryan 10 R1 0-0-1 R1 0-0-1 R1 0-0-1 1,414
2009–10 46 18 7 21 62 74 -12 61 15th of 24 Bobby Grant 14 R4 3-1-1 R2 1-0-1 ASF 3-0-1 1,980
2010–11 46 18 19 9 73 55 +18 73 5th of 24 Phil Edwards
Sean McConville
Terry Gornell 		13 R2 1-0-1 R1 1-0-1 R1 0-1-0 1,868
Lost in the play-off semifinal.
2011–12 46 14 15 17 54 66 -12 57 14th of 24 Pádraig Amond 7 R1 0-0-1 R1 0-0-1 R2 1-0-1 1,785
2012–13 46 14 12 20 51 67 -16 54 18th of 24 Romuald Boco 10 R2 1-1-1 R1 0-0-1 R1 0-0-1 1,675
2013–14 46 14 15 17 54 56 -2 57 15th of 24 Kal Naismith 10 R1 0-0-1 R2 1-0-1 R1 0-0-1 1,606
2014–15 46 15 11 20 58 77 -19 56 17th of 24 Piero Mingoia 8 R2 1-2-1 R1 0-0-1 R1 0-0-1 1,611
2015–16 46 24 13 9 74 48 +26 85 4th of 24 Billy Kee 17 R2 1-0-1 R1 0-1-0 R1 0-0-1 1,834
Lost in the play-off semifinal.
2016–17 46 17 14 15 59 56 +3 65 13th of 24 Billy Kee 13 R4 3-0-1 R3 0-2-1 G 1-0-2 1,699
2017–18 46 29 6 11 76 46 +30 93 1st of 24
Promoted 		Billy Kee 25 R1 0-2-0 R2 1-0-1 R2 2-0-2 1,979
2018–19 Football
League One 		3 46 14 13 19 51 67 -16 55 14th of 24 Sean McConville 15 R4 3-0-1 R1 0-0-1 R3 2-1-2 2,827
2019–20 35 10 10 15 47 53 −6 40 17th of 24 Colby Bishop 10 R1 0-0-1 R1 0-0-1 AQF 4-1-1 2,997
Final league positions decided by Points-Per-Game after league was postponed due to COVID-19
2020–21 46 18 13 15 63 68 −5 67 11th of 24 Dion Charles 19 R1 0-0-1 R1 0-1-0 R3 3-1-1 – [b]
2021–22 46 17 10 19 61 80 −19 61 12th of 24 Colby Bishop 12 R1 0-0-1 R2 1-1-0 R2 2-2-0 2,915
2022–23 46 11 11 24 40 77 −37 44 23rd of 24
Relegated 		Tommy Leigh 7 R4 3-1-1 R1 0-1-0 SF 3-2-2 2,988
2023–24 Football
League Two 		4 46 16 9 21 63 71 −8 57 17th of 24 Jack Nolan 17 R1 0–1–1 R1 0–1–0 R3 3–0–2 2,560
  1. ^ Average home attendance = for league games only
  2. ^ COVID-19 prevented fans from attending games

References

  1. ^ Terry, Philip. "Club History". Accrington Stanley F.C. Archived from the original on 30 December 2005.
  2. ^ "Accrington FC club details". Soccerbase. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  3. ^ "English non-league attendances archive". EFS. Retrieved 2 March 2016.