Crown Ground: Accrington Stanley
For people of a certain age the words ‘Accrington Stanley’ only ever elicited one response: “Who are they”? This back and forth was featured in a 1980s advert for milk in Britain, with two young Liverpool fans discussing the benefits of drinking milk and the suggestion being that if you don’t drink milk then you’ll only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley. Who are they? Exactly.
Of course Stanley have a rich and storied history that involves more than just being featured in a TV advert. They have played their home games at Crown Ground since 1970, though the stadium has had many names during that time owing to sponsorship. It is currently called Wham Stadium after a sponsorship deal was reached with What More UK Ltd.
Stats
| Crown Ground Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1968 |
| Capacity | 5450 |
| Average Attendance | 2560 |
| Record Attendance | 5397 (Accrington v Derby (Jan 2019)) |
| Pitch Size | 101 x 66 (6666) |
| Nickname | Crown Ground |
| Former Name | Fraser Eagle Stadium, Interlink Express Stadium, Crown Ground |
| Owner | Accrington Stanley Football Club |
| Sponsor | What More UK Ltd |
| Clubs Hosted | Accrington Stanley F.C. |
| Accrington Stanley Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1968 |
| Nickname | Stanley, Accy Stanley |
| Club Mascot | Winstanley |
| Rivals | Barrow, Altrincham, Southport |
| Previous Stadiums | Peel Park |
| Kit | Red (Home) / Blue & White Stripes (Away) / Multicoloured (Third) |
| Training Ground | Wilson’s Playing Fields and King George V Playing Fields |
| Shirt Sponsor | Wham |
| Team Owner | Andy Holt |
| Record Goalscorer | George Stewart (136) |
| Record Appearances | Jim Armstrong (260) |
Crown Ground Photos
robert wade [CC BY-SA 2.0]
Crown Ground Seating Plan and Where to Sit
The Jack Barret Memorial Stand is the newest and runs along half the length of the pitch with Whinney Hill Terrace making up the other half. The Clayton End is where the more vocal supporters go, The Eric Whalley Stand is where the away fans go as well as in The Coppice End.
Accrington Stanley Ticket Prices
The pricing system couldn’t be much easier at Crown Ground. You will pay the same price for any seat anywhere in the ground. The only thing that will make a difference is your age. Prices for adults and concessions are as follows:
- Adults: £22.00
- Concessions: £15.00
How To Get Accrington Stanley Tickets
Tickets are available on the turnstiles on match day, over the phone, and from the ticket office during the week.
Where to Buy
Getting To Crown Ground
Train – Accrington Railway Station is twenty minutes from the ground.
Bus – The Hyndburn Circular Bus runs from Accrington centre to the Crown Pub, which is near the stadium.
Car – Leave the M65 at Junction 7 then get onto the A678 before the A680. From the M66 follow the A56 then the A680. Follow the signs to the ground.
By Air – Manchester Airport is just under thirty miles from the ground and has excellent transport options.
Taxi – A taxi from Accrington centre to Wham Stadium will cost about £8 and should take no longer than five minutes.
Parking Near Crown Ground
There is parking at land opposite the ground limited to 300 cars, and additional space on streets nearby.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Crown Ground Hotels
As Accrington is sandwiched in-between Burnley and Blackburn, there are a number for hotel options for you:
Best Western Old Mill Hotel & Leisure Club - £50+
Holiday Inn Express Hotel Burnley M65 JCT10 - £60+
Mercure Dunkenhalgh Blackburn - £75+
Pubs and Bars Near Crown Ground
A town like Accrington was always going to have a couple of choice boozers; here are our top picks:
The Crown Inn
The Grey Horse
The Railway
Facilities
The Crown Ground is a simpler sort of stadium, so facilities are more limited. That said, you can still get a pie or a burger if you are peckish – they even sell Pot Noodles if you want to subject yourself to that sort of thing. Being the newest, the Eric Whalley Stand is the most comfortable.
Prices
- Programme: £3
- Pie: £2.5
- Cup of tea: £1.5
- Beer: £3.5
Hospitality
Hospitality options include Chairman’s Lounge, the 1968 Lounge, and the Snug Experience. The first two are more exclusive affairs, while The Snug is more accessible and relaxed. All offer food options and complimentary refreshments and things like that. You can expect the best seating via hospitality too.
Private Hire
With space for up to 160 guests, the bar at Crown Ground promises to tick every box on your list. They can provide whatever you need; DJ, cake decorators, catering – they will even dress the room for you if you want them to.
Stadium Tours & Museum
We will let you know if anything changes, but as of right now, there is no tour or museum available for visitors. They do offer them sometimes though, and they are free when they run. In the past this has been between seasons, with a few days on offer.
About Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley, who are they? They’re a team from Lancashire that was technically formed in 1968 after the collapse of the former Accrington Stanley in 1966. That side was formed in 1891, but the club as it is now has no association with its former iteration. The new Accrington Stanley revived after a meeting in the library in the town initiated by Stanley Worthington.
Over the years the club has climbed all the way up through the non-league pyramid in order to make it into the Football League. The entire club nearly disappeared into oblivion in 2009, with its financial situation dire indeed. It was rescued by Ilyas Khan, who decided to save Accrington Stanley because his son, Hassan, is a lifelong supporter. He left the club in 2012 but it is in a much better position for the future thanks to him. They call themselves ‘the club that wouldn’t die’.
Crown Ground History
The Crown Ground was built and opened in 1968 and has had a number of different names because of sponsorship over the years. Most notably it has been called Fraser Eagle Stadium and Interlink Express Stadium in recent times. It has also been the smallest stadium in the Football League on various occasions, depending on which teams have been promoted or demoted.
The original name of the stadium, Crown Ground, has got nothing to do with British Crown or monarchy. It is, in fact, named after the rather more inauspicious Crown Pub that stands nearby. The pub itself is now owned by the team, with every penny spent in there going towards Accrington Stanley. Your round, I think.
Future Developments
Accrington Stanley have agreed a new lease of the Crown Ground for fifty years and have announced plans to develop the stadium. The South Stand was improved in 2022, with VIP areas and changing rooms also getting a face lift. There are more phases planned, with the overall aim being to bring the stadium up to date and improve the facilities to a level befitting a club of their current stature.