Accrington Stanley - Who are they?

Covered End

Accrington face winding-up order

Accrington Stanley have been issued with a winding-up order by HM Revenue and Customs over unpaid debts, but remain hopeful they will survive.

The League Two club will have a hearing in the High Court on 10 June.

They owe around £300,000 in unpaid tax and national insurance and claim this is a result of dropped income levels because of dwindling crowds.

A club statement read: "We're confident we will find a solution to clear the outstanding balance in full."

It added: "While we have been back in the Football League, our average attendance has dropped from 2,260 in our first season three years ago to 1,415 for the season just gone.

"Despite the falling attendances and general economic downturn our request for dispensation from the Football League to postpone having to install an additional thousand seats was turned down requiring us to carry out over £60,000 of work on the ground.

"We also took a significant hit with the collapse of our main sponsor Fraser Eagle midway through last season, with well over £100,000 owing to the club.

"All this said, the club fully accepts the liability. We believe that it is morally right that the money should be paid and are not seeking to avoid paying any part of the debt.

"With the end of the current season we now have the opportunity to restructure the finances of the club, particularly in terms of revising our playing budget."

The club resigned from the Football League in 1962 after suffering financial difficulties but returned to the League in 2006 after a 44-year absence.

Stanley finished 16th in League Two this season.

Miserableoldgit

£300'000.
A whole football team,club,supporters,staff out of work.
OR Frank Lampard (& many others) 2 weeks "wages".

cafckev

Its shocking that football allows a club to (possibly) go under for the sake of £300,000 yet allow clubs like Manchester Utd to go £700 million in debt.
At times when we see MP's getting £100,000 for floating duck ponds, and getting away with it, maybe 30+ people could lose their jobs because of £300,000.

BlackForestReds

The difference is that Man U can service their debt, teams like Accrington Stanley can't and that makes them insolvent. However at a time when the top leagues are making more money than ever the inability of the FA and Football League to look after lower league clubs is scandalous.

Nelsenout

[quote][cite]Posted By: Miserableold-ish git[/cite]£300'000.
A whole football team,club,supporters,staff out of work.
OR Frank Lampard (& many others) 2 weeks "wages".[/quote]

How right you are. Is it time that a wages levy and transfer levy were
applied to Premiersip clubs that could distribute monies in such cases.

northstandsteve

Burnley in the prem league wont help one bit just round the corner.

lancashire lad

They are the club that gave extensive 1st team experience to our 2 young goalkeepers - Elliot & Randolph

seth plum

If Accrington Stanley go under...the logical end product will be something like Manure/Liverpool/Arsenal/Chelski playing each other for ever, or maybe an eternity of Manure playing their own reserves. Football teams need opponents, therfore those opponents should be assisted, nurtured, respected and helped...or there will eventually be no football...it will be the Harlem Globetrotters situation.

charltonkeston

[cite]Posted By: seth plum[/cite]If Accrington Stanley go under...the logical end product will be something like Manure/Liverpool/Arsenal/Chelski playing each other for ever, or maybe an eternity of Manure playing their own reserves. Football teams need opponents, therfore those opponents should be assisted, nurtured, respected and helped...or there will eventually be no football...it will be the Harlem Globetrotters situation.

When will people/powers that are see this. Without 2 equal teams there is no contest.

pilchard

Would be a tremendous shame to lose one of our best known smaller clubs, Accrington Stanley have a very interesting history, they are a great example to Johnny come latelys and glory hunters that football is not all about pots and gongs, Chelsea and Sky Sports, Accrington have literally come back from the dead and are a club with soul and I for one hope they continue.

Miserableoldgit

[cite]Posted By: pilchard[/cite]Would be a tremendous shame to lose one of our best known smaller clubs, Accrington Stanley have a very interesting history, they are a great example to Johnny come latelys and glory hunters that football is not all about pots and gongs, Chelsea and Sky Sports, Accrington have literally come back from the dead and are a club with soul and I for one hope they continue.

You put it like I wanted to......
NOT blaming Lampard,Owen,Gerrard,etc.......who wouldn't take that money if it was offered ?
But theres something wrong somewhere, and all the time we (football supporters) are paying these prices to see these "superstars" things aren't going to change. I wish I could say "No More", but...................

LenGlover

The financing of football is an absolute scandal and more Sky money should filter down the food chain.

Spankie

I heard a rumour that 97% of all TV revenue goes to Premier League clubs, 2% goes to Championship clubs and the remaining 1% is split between League One and League Two. The proof is there, how many clubs i.e. the biggest current example being Southampton who were solventclub, attracting players and crowds and now are in administration and will start Division Three next season with -10 points and could conceivably be out of business. There's simply too much money in the top flight and not enough in the lower divisions. The financial penalty for being relegated from the Premier League is already enormous and it's getting bigger and bigger. The powers that be need to look after lower division clubs and ensure they survive. How many have had to suffer points deductions for financial difficulties and it's going to worse before it gets better and it's a tragedy when Liverpool, United, Chelsea et al spend hundreds of millions of pounds on new players, signing on fees etc etc and the average football club down the round is going under. Without grassroots football, football will cease to exist!!! How can you have the top of the pyramid when the pyramid is crumbling around us?!

leftbehind

bad new indeed and affraid many more to go that way overthe next few month

WSS

Its becoming a far too common news story nowadays. Very sad.

Henry Irving

Meanwhile....

Departing Blues manager Guus Hiddink and his partner Liza were each given a £50,000 Rolex Daytona watch by Chelsea players as a thank you. (The Sun)

pilchard

[cite]Posted By: Spankie[/cite]I heard a rumour that 97% of all TV revenue goes to Premier League clubs, 2% goes to Championship clubs and the remaining 1% is split between League One and League Two. The proof is there, how many clubs i.e. the biggest current example being Southampton who were solventclub, attracting players and crowds and now are in administration and will start Division Three next season with -10 points and could conceivably be out of business. There's simply too much money in the top flight and not enough in the lower divisions. The financial penalty for being relegated from the Premier League is already enormous and it's getting bigger and bigger. The powers that be need to look after lower division clubs and ensure they survive. How many have had to suffer points deductions for financial difficulties and it's going to worse before it gets better and it's a tragedy when Liverpool, United, Chelsea et al spend hundreds of millions of pounds on new players, signing on fees etc etc and the average football club down the round is going under. Without grassroots football, football will cease to exist!!! How can you have the top of the pyramid when the pyramid is crumbling around us?!

Agree with knobs on.

Miserableoldgit

*Playing Devils Advocate*....

How much money did we give to the lower teams when we were in the Premier for 7 years......

LenGlover

[cite]Posted By: Miserableold-ish git[/cite]*Playing Devils Advocate*....

How much money did we give to the lower teams when we were in the Premier for 7 years......

Not a lot BUT the great Peter Varney regularly argued for a more equitable distribution of the Premiership largesse but was regularly out numbered and out voted.

Henry Irving

[cite]Posted By: Miserableold-ish git[/cite]*Playing Devils Advocate*....

How much money did we give to the lower teams when we were in the Premier for 7 years......

When Bury were in trouble we paid all the outstanding fees to them Kiely's transfer upfront.

We played Gillingham in a friendly to help them out only for the Gills to not hand over our share of the gate.

But yes, we weren't dishing out cash.

As a business why should Manchester United vote to give away income to competitors? In the long term one could argue that a healthy competitive league is better for football and so for United but they could argue that the system works very well for them as it stands and it's up to the other clubs to put their own houses in order.

LenGlover

[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Miserableold-ish git[/cite]*Playing Devils Advocate*....

How much money did we give to the lower teams when we were in the Premier for 7 years......

When Bury were in trouble we paid all the outstanding fees to them Kiely's transfer upfront.

We played Gillingham in a friendly to help them out only for the Gills to not hand over our share of the gate.

But yes, we weren't dishing out cash.

As a business why should Manchester United vote to give away income to competitors? In the long term one could argue that a healthy competitive league is better for football and so for United but they could argue that the system works very well for them as it stands and it's up to the other clubs to put their own houses in order.

As a business you do what is best for you I agree so I don't blame Man Utd for feathering their own nest.

However Sky money is theoretically a fee paid to show football matches when and where Sky dictates. Therefore the FA should determine the distribution not clubs like Man U who have a vested interest in preserving the status quo.

I am not normally in favour of advocating strike action by trade unions but the PFA are failing the majority of players (and fans) by not pressing for a more equitable distribution of Sky money.

Chris_from_Sidcup

Chuffed for this lot.

Listening on the radio last night and their cup win over the Pikeys earned them 67k plus a home tie with Fulham which wipes out their debt. As others said above, it's ridiculous that a club was in severe danger of going under with debts less than what some prem players earn in a fortnight.

pilchard

Good old Accrington Stanley. Well done for beating the Scally bastards. Now beat Fulham!