All you need to know ahead of the Town's trip to Lancashire
WHO? Exactly. Stanley – famous or infamous, depending on your take on it – for their appearance in an advert for milk in the late 1980s – are far from a club that nobody knows about anymore. In fact this season will be the Lancashire club’s ninth season back in the Football League following their Conference championship success of 2006/07.WHERE? The ‘old’ or the ‘original’ Stanley – the club that collapsed and folded in 1966 – used to play their games at Peel Park, but these days the new club play their home fixtures at the 5,000-capacity Crown Ground. The venue is named after the Crown public house adjacent to the ground and it is well worth venturing in there for a pre-match pint and some home-cooked grub.
HOW FAR? The Town have already racked up a 550-mile round-trip to begin the season with and the Hatters faithful have a 200-mile, three-and-half hour trip to Accrington to negotiate in their second away fixture in the Football League.
BOB IT. As ever, the Bobbers Travel Club will be making the journeys up and down the motorways following the Hatters this season. For the trip to Accrington the Bobbers leave from a new departure point in town – bus stop LS12 at Luton railway station – at 9am. The fares are £29 for adults and £26 for concession. Book your place by calling 01234 856542.
ON THE DAY. Hatters fans have either an open terrace of covered seats to choose from at the Crown Ground. Admission is on the day with the cost the same whether you decide to sit or stand. It’s £20 adults, £15 for over-65s and students with ID, £10 for under-18s and £5 for accompanied under-12s.
THE LAST TIME. The Hatters will be making only their second-ever trip to the Crown Ground. For many Town fans this trip will be the first time as it was a cold Tuesday night in February that the Hatters drew 0-0 in the -30 season in 2009. At the time the 1,088 crowd was the lowest to watch a Town League fixture. The Town, lost the previous fixture with Stanley that same season, going down 2-1 at Kenilworth Road with Asa Hall netting the Hatters goal.
STANLEY CONNECTIONS. There is one former Red currently in the Town squad in the shape of Shaun Whalley. The winger played 55 times for Stanley and scored five times in two seasons at the Crown Ground.
TOWN TEAM NEWS. Defender Paul Connolly was a squeak of a chance of returning to action at Accrington after missing the last two games with a hamstring problem. Alex Lawless, Jonathan Smith, Andy Parry, Ricky Miller and Shaun Whalley all remain sidelined, however.
LIVE AND ONLINE. Hatters Player is the only place to listen to online commentary of the Hatters this season and once again the DiverseFM team will be bringing subscribers all the action from the Crown Ground. What’s more there will be a full report, reaction and photographs post-match and live text updates during the match itself. Click here to subscribe for as little as 10p per day.
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