Things To Be Grateful For
 

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I came across one of Stanley’s programmes recently. The Stanley Scene, season 1990/91. They were playing Netherfield on Wednesday, 14<SUP>th</SUP> November 1990. I found this rather strange since I didn’t actually watch Stanley until a year or two later. It was the Easter Monday fixture against then local rivals Rossendale United. Paul Beck scored for Rossendale in a 0 1 defeat. The weather was bitter and it almost snowed !<o:p></o:p>
The programme held two league tables. Stanley were in the First Division of the HFS Loans League.
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Premier Division ????? First Division
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1 Witton Albion 1 Whitley Bay
2 Stalybridge Celtic 2 Worksop Town
3 Buxton 3 Rhyl
4 Southport 4 Farsley Celtic
5 Morecambe 5 Bridlington Town
6 Bishop Auckland 6 Lancaster City
7 Fleetwood Town 7 Newtown
8 Leek Town 8 Warrington Town
9 Goole Town 9 Congleton Town
10 Marine 10 Emley
11 Hyde United 11 Eastwood Town
12 Frickley Athletic 12 Harrogate Town
13 Matlock Town 13 Accrington Stanley
14 Chorley 14 Curzon Ashton
15 Mossley 15 Rossendale United
16 Horwich 16 Caernarfon Town
17 Shepshed Charterhouse 17 Winsford united
18 South Liverpool 18 Netherfield
19 Droylsden 19 Workington
20 Gainsborough Trinity 20 Radcliffe Borough
21 Bangor City 21 Irlam Tow
22 Alfreton Town

Some observations

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[1] Had our team been called Accrington Town we would be nowhere today.
[2] Only one other team has really prospered. We meet on 6<SUP>th</SUP> November
[3] Teams like Marine who were awesome in the mid 1990s have faded. Leek Town, Southport, Stalybridge Celtic and perhaps a few others had a brief ascendancy before falling downwards.
[4] When teams like Nottingham Forest and Leicester City come to us. In a perverse way, I think not at how far Stanley have risen but when their supporters view our ground, how far their team has fallen.
[5] We should be constantly grateful to our players, the management team, the backroom staff and all the other people who make Stanley the club it is today.
This includes all those who have helped in past times as well.

Re: Things To Be Grateful For
 

Marine have faded because maybe Stanley nick all the good scouse players who don't make it.

Droylesden will probably think they have prospered now being in the Conference National.

Points 4 & 5 are so true & should always be remembered when we "moan"

On Stanley On

Re: Things To Be Grateful For
 

1990/01...that was some season...Fleetwood fans kicked off at the Crown...Phil Staley arrived...and we got promoted to the NWCL Premier Division, bringing the dream one step closer!

Reasons to be cheerful indeed!

Re: Things To Be Grateful For
 

I could be wrong here, but I think that Netherfield game was the last nail in Dave Thornley's managerial coffin. He was sacked after that game

Marine's biggest problem was their ground. There was nowhere to expand and it was only 3 sided to begin with.

Re: Things To Be Grateful For
 

Dave Thorney was in charge for that match so he could have been sacked afterwards. I was introduced to Stanley by a gentleman called Steve Moore who was an ardent fan. As a child I lived near Chester and watched then in the 1960s [O.K. I knew no better]. I lived in Bury for 13 years but never watched them as my league team was still Chester although it was a somewhat lapsed appreciation of them. So watching Stanley in the early 1990s meant that there was no conflict of interest. When Chester dropped out of the league any previous affection was lost. Sadly Steve Moore died very prematurely at 46 [?] so he never saw the march onwards that Eric instigated. The Fleetwood match that was mentioned previously and had been witnessed by Steve lived on in his memory probably gaining in notoriety as the years passed.

Re: Things To Be Grateful For
 

I knew Steve very well and would often travel with him to away games. The trip to Penrith in his Lada will stay with me forever. I still haven't fully recovered. ;)
Very sad that he passed away so young.

Re: Things To Be Grateful For
 

Really shocked to hear about Steve's premature demise. I spent many a happy hour standing on the Crown with him and I'd been puzzled by his non-appearance at Stanley for so many years.

RIP Steve, a true Red and a true gentleman.