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Post by romfordkev on Nov 6, 2008 15:55:04 GMT
Trawling my photos, I found 3 pictures of THE FRASER EAGLE STADIUM - home to ACCRINGTON STANLEY. These pictures were taken on that fateful day when Torquay lost 1-0 and the heavens opened in spectacular fashion, soaking the huge away contingent to the skin. Luckily, the images below were taken before kick off - in a somewhat empty ground and before my pockets filled up with rain!! Alas, that wasn't the worst bit of the day for me. We all know that "Stanley" scored in the dying seconds of the game that day - BUT I NEVER SAW THE GOAL!! Exiting the ground with only a couple minutes to spare, I heard the cheer of the home fans as I got to my car. The reason for my somewhat rare, early exit? Blackburn Rovers v West Ham United - with a 5:15 kick off for Sky TV......I was off to my 2nd game of the afternoon!! I have to say though,this really has to rival the likes of Macclesfield Town as one of the shittiest grounds ever to be allowed into the Football League. See what YOU think........ THE MAIN AND THE THWAITES STAND - FROM THE UNCOVERED COPPICE TERRACE, HOME TO VISITING FANS.  THE HOME END - A.K.A. "THE CLAYTON TERRACE". SINCE THIS SNAP WAS TAKEN, THE CLUB HAS REDEVELOPED THIS END, COVERING IT IN THE PROCESS AND RENAMING IT "THE SOPHIA KHAN STAND".  THE "WHINNEY HILL TERRACE." I'm SURPRISED THAT A HIGH WIND HASN'T TORN UP THIS RAMSHACKLE, CORRUGATED IRON MONSTROSITY BY NOW!!  |
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Post by David Graham's Eighth Pint on Nov 6, 2008 19:36:22 GMT
Torquay United's most famous fan slipping into a couple of pictures there.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2008 20:08:39 GMT
Good pictures, Kev. Took me a while to dry out that day, a washed-out programme remaining my sole souvenir of the day having obliterated the game from memory.
I lived about ten miles from Accrington 20/25 years ago and made a point at looking at the old club's former ground at Peel Park (where it played in the Football League). By then there was hardly anything left save the odd wall.
I never saw the new club, by then playing in the North West Counties League at its current ground (more properly known as the Crown Ground). To my thinking, at the time, it had no real link with the old club and was never going to make progress in a small town sandwiched between Blackburn and Burnley. Locally, Colne Dynamoes was the club with the big plans.
How wrong I was. The club's rise has been remarkable and it has grown into the mantle of the previous Accrington Stanley so that it does, to all intents and purposes, represent a "return to the league". You wouldn't have put any money - at all - on the town being represented in the Football League for the third time.
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NickGull
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Top of the League, we're 'avin a laugh!
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Post by NickGull on Nov 6, 2008 20:59:18 GMT
I remember that day. It was horrible weather. Absolutely appalling! And then the long journey back...  |
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Post by talbotgull on Nov 9, 2008 0:21:01 GMT
Not sure if the pics. will work...but.
Some day, We stayed the night and were in the Stanley social club after the game and ended up talking to Manager Coleman and big Mullen the centre forward, nice guys. Accrington had some great pubs. On Sunday, we visited the old ground and the war memorial to the 'Accrington Pals' Battalion'. Apart from the result for the Gulls it was a great trip and the local folk were brilliant. Hope we're back there soon! They have made a remarkable comeback.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Nov 9, 2008 8:08:26 GMT
Hi talbotgull welcome to you, reading your first line Of your post, It sounds like you wanted to put a picture on the thread? If that Is the case and you are having problems doing so, please PM me and I will help.
Many thanks Dave R
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2008 10:32:01 GMT
And here is the aforementioned programme from Accrington. I tend to save programmes of games I've attended rather than collect those from games I've not attended (any exceptions to this rule being generally pre-1970s, some of which may appear on this site from time to time). Watching a lot of football, and being old, I've thousands of the things. And, of all these relics, the one pictured below is in by far the worst condition due to the complete soaking it received under three layers of clothing. The cover, in reasonable nick, gives little clue to the horrors inside. Something of an appropriate souvenir of a day otherwise remembered for everybody receiving free entry to the game leading to a crowd of over 4,000  |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Nov 9, 2008 10:37:06 GMT
At your age bartondowns please don't call yourself old, because by doing so, you make me ancient  |
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Post by talbotgull on Nov 11, 2008 19:50:22 GMT
Here are the pics I tried to send the other day. The old guys, softened by 20 years of Scotland's all seat/covered grounds, are just remembering what football was like in the past! The young guy is trying to work out what he had done to be subjected to this!   |
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joebarlow
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Post by joebarlow on Nov 11, 2008 21:01:25 GMT
The weather was awful and so was the match.
The ref was rubbish and sent off Lee Mansell and the match was free to everyone and even though it was free there was people outside the ground on the bank looking in at the match., which was stupid seeing as they could get under a roof in the home end.
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Dave
TFF member
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Post by Dave on Nov 11, 2008 22:11:40 GMT
all sorted talbotgull
Dave R
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