Stanley’s meagre attendances and limited financial clout mean that successful players at the club jump ship often, for the obvious lure of wages, and in some cases, a genuine shot at success at a higher level. The summer of 2011 was particularly brutal for the Reds. After their first ever (and up to this point, only) play-off finish, a mass exodus occurred. The likes of Jimmy Ryan, Joe Jacobson and Alex Cisak all left, and the club began to plummet back down the league.
Stanley’s commitment to focusing on developing local talent and promoting a local community ethos make them widely popular, but it’s been a strategy borne more of necessity than sentimentality. Whilst the search for investors with increased financial clout or a rare marquee signing might make Stanley seem a bit less, well, Stanley – it’s realistically the only way they can progress up the Football League. There’s only so much you can do with players bought on a shoestring, especially when relative success simply leads to bigger clubs poaching that talent.
Even the club’s most recent managerial choice has – rightly or wrongly – been based on stability and tradition, instead of risk or experimentation. After the surprise exit of James Beattie, John Coleman – who had previously led for the club for 13 years – was re-appointed as boss. But, whilst Coleman did a tremendous amount of good for the club in Non-League, his Stanley side never looked like realistic promotion candidates in League Two the first time around. They certainly haven’t looked that way since his return to the Crown Ground hot seat in September 2014, either.
Last season’s 17th placed finish was the archetypal ‘mixed bag’ for the Accrington club. I saw them live once last year, in a 1-1 home draw with Cheltenham Town, and many in the Sophia Khan Stand that night were unhappy with Coleman’s style – allegedly not exciting enough – as well as his substitutions and team selection.
However, whilst Coleman’s team selection has sometimes been questionable, the stats reject any claim of dull football. Results like the 3-2 home victory over Hartlepool United and an incredible 5-4 triumph at Sixfields show that, whilst sometimes inconsistent and somewhat defensively frail, Stanley are frequently exciting to watch. Several men in Red caught the eye last season, too. Mingoia was a key source of goals from midfield. Naismith was frequently a nightmare for defenders. Luke Joyce was a reliable ever-present in the centre of the park. Despite these bright sparks, Stanley, lost 20 league games and shipped goals with alarming frequency.
My predictions for this coming season are much alike to the fortunes of the previous 12 months. Stanley have enough talent and invention on the pitch, and off it, to comfortably survive the drop. However, in a league where their budget, fanbase and town size are dwarfed by almost all around them, miracles will be needed for a promotion. It’s been an incredible achievement to get this far, for so long. But more will be needed for Stanley to smash the ceiling, and rise up into League One.
