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Lord Stiffupperlip · 15-01-2017, 12:19

Gentlemen,
Is magic just an illusion?
Last season Professor Coleman shuffled the pack and, hey presto! produced a hand of aces.
He cobbled together an assortment of young, talented players and moulded them into a team worthy of promotion.
We were the 200/1 outsider in the Grand National, who came from behind to lead the field over forty gruelling fences, only to stumble & fall at the last fence.
Who can forget the euphoria of that penultimate day of the season when our red army marched en-masse to Wycombe & returned home victorious.
He made us proud to be a Stanley fan. We felt ............INVINCIBLE!
In some ways, our success was mirrored by Leicester. Another team of unknown journeymen who defied all odds to win the Premier League title.
Somehow their performance exceeded the sum of their parts. 'Dilly Ding - Dilly Dong', it was just............MAGIC!
BUT THAT WAS THEN & THIS IS NOW.
Despite keeping virtually the same squad, Leicester have somehow lost their touch. Poof! - the magic has gone.
Their fall has matched Stanley's, with one notable difference - our squad was stripped of its aces.
John Coleman has done his best to re-group, but without any aces in the pack, we've ended up with a busted flush.
Ironically, I think our back four are better this season than last, but we've lost all creativity in midfield.
Even the most resolute defence will eventually crack when attacks don't get past the half-way line.
Should we blame the manager for this? NO! The difference between success & failure is wafer thin.
This season has seen us win games in which we were outplayed (Doncaster, Blackpool) and lost games we should have won (Newport, Plymouth)
It is illogical. The success we had last season is burned into our memories, such that every defeat reinforces the death of our hopes.
In frustration, we lash out at the officials, the manager, individual players. Brothers, this must stop!
In 1914, our little town was the smallest in the country to provide a full battalion of fighting men for the war effort - the famous Accrington Pals.
Their regimental motto was 'Spectamur agendo' - Judge us by our deeds! That is the motto we should wear on our shirts.
Like our brave lads of yore, we face a 'life or death' battle - and it's time to fix bayonets! This is a battle we must not, cannot lose.
103 years on, Accrington represents the smallest team in the English football league, proving our determination to overcome all odds.
To paraphrase our glorious war leader Winston Churchill - 'Let us brace ourselves, so that if in a thousand years Accrington Stanley are still in the football league,
men will say.............'THIS WAS THEIR FINEST HOUR!'
Stiff upper lip! Gentlemen. Stiff upper lip!

15-01-2017, 12:19	#1
Lord Stiffupperlip Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Rusting Manor Posts: 1,343 Liked: 1600 times Rep Power: 0	Death or Glory! Gentlemen, Is magic just an illusion? Last season Professor Coleman shuffled the pack and, hey presto! produced a hand of aces. He cobbled together an assortment of young, talented players and moulded them into a team worthy of promotion. We were the 200/1 outsider in the Grand National, who came from behind to lead the field over forty gruelling fences, only to stumble & fall at the last fence. Who can forget the euphoria of that penultimate day of the season when our red army marched en-masse to Wycombe & returned home victorious. He made us proud to be a Stanley fan. We felt ............INVINCIBLE! In some ways, our success was mirrored by Leicester. Another team of unknown journeymen who defied all odds to win the Premier League title. Somehow their performance exceeded the sum of their parts. 'Dilly Ding - Dilly Dong', it was just............MAGIC! BUT THAT WAS THEN & THIS IS NOW. Despite keeping virtually the same squad, Leicester have somehow lost their touch. Poof! - the magic has gone. Their fall has matched Stanley's, with one notable difference - our squad was stripped of its aces. John Coleman has done his best to re-group, but without any aces in the pack, we've ended up with a busted flush. Ironically, I think our back four are better this season than last, but we've lost all creativity in midfield. Even the most resolute defence will eventually crack when attacks don't get past the half-way line. Should we blame the manager for this? NO! The difference between success & failure is wafer thin. This season has seen us win games in which we were outplayed (Doncaster, Blackpool) and lost games we should have won (Newport, Plymouth) It is illogical. The success we had last season is burned into our memories, such that every defeat reinforces the death of our hopes. In frustration, we lash out at the officials, the manager, individual players. Brothers, this must stop! In 1914, our little town was the smallest in the country to provide a full battalion of fighting men for the war effort - the famous Accrington Pals. Their regimental motto was 'Spectamur agendo' - Judge us by our deeds! That is the motto we should wear on our shirts. Like our brave lads of yore, we face a 'life or death' battle - and it's time to fix bayonets! This is a battle we must not, cannot lose. 103 years on, Accrington represents the smallest team in the English football league, proving our determination to overcome all odds. To paraphrase our glorious war leader Winston Churchill - 'Let us brace ourselves, so that if in a thousand years Accrington Stanley are still in the football league, men will say.............'THIS WAS THEIR FINEST HOUR!' Stiff upper lip! Gentlemen. Stiff upper lip!