[Unemployed Coalminer]

Here's some views as an outsider and I promise these are nothing to do with rivalry or today's game which was a perfectly fair result reflecting the difference in standard between the two teams.

Firstly, Stanley have risen through the ranks very quickly which possibly has meant there hasn't been a steady growth in the hardcore fanbase. Also you may well still be attracting the same fans as in the Unibond years, and unfortunately to a lot of people, whether football fans or not, non-league is non-league.

I might be wrong but people in your town who have supported football for years are probably already loyal to other, higher placed clubs in the area and as we all know fans don't easily change their loyalties.

The ground is not particularly inviting and people who are used to Burnley, Blackburn or Preston will not be impressed i'm afraid. Might be worth some investment on the speculate to accumulate rule. You are also competing for sponsors and backers with those clubs and you have to appeal to their egos. A tatty ground and ineffective floodlights let you down.

Now i've never complained about Accy's achievements as a club or a team (apart from when you play Altrincham of course!) You don't seem to employ some of the miserable ego driven cynical tactics of some other clubs, but I think you have to sell yourselves a little better to get the recognition you so desire.