View source for Accrington Stanley F.C.

===Return to the Football League (2006–present)===

The club's first Football League game was on 5 August 2006, a 2–0 defeat at [[Chester City F.C.|Chester City]]. Accrington fought a relegation battle throughout its first fourth-tier season. Five wins in the last nine games of the season led to a 20th-place finish and was enough to avoid relegation. Highlights of that first season back included the club's first-ever [[Football League Cup]] match against former European Cup winners [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]. A 1–0 win led the club to a second-round away tie against then [[Premier League]] team [[Watford F.C.|Watford]], which Stanley lost 6–5 on penalties after a 0–0 draw and extra-time. In the Football League Trophy for the first time as a league club, Accrington defeated [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]] and [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] in the early rounds, but were knocked out by [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]] in the Area Quarter-finals.

The 2007–08 season saw the club involved in another relegation battle with strugglers [[Chester City F.C.|Chester City]], [[Wrexham F.C.|Wrexham]] and [[Mansfield Town F.C.|Mansfield Town]]. Five wins in the final 12 games were enough to secure a 17th-place finish and another fourth-tier season. However, the club failed to win a game in the [[FA Cup]] and [[Football League Cup|League Cup]], losing to [[Huddersfield Town F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] and [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]] respectively.

Performances during the 2008–09 season improved slightly, with the club achieving a 16th-place finish in [[Football League Two|League Two]], with six League wins in the last 12 games. Young prospect [[Bobby Grant (footballer, born 1990)|Bobby Grant]] finally fulfilled the early promise seen in previous seasons. The club again failed to make it past the early round of any of the domestic cups, losing in the first round to [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] in the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] and [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]] in both the [[FA Cup]] (albeit after a replay) and [[Football League Trophy]].

The 2009–10 season was better, with the club pushing for a play-off place at the turn of the year. Nine wins in 10 League games saw the club with a chance of making the play-offs, only for this to fade in March/April. The partnership of [[Michael Symes]] and Bobby Grant was a key aspect but, following their achievements throughout the season, both moved on to bigger clubs. In terms of cup performance the club reached the 2nd round of the League Cup (losing 2–1 to [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers)]], the quarter-finals of the [[Football League Trophy]] (losing 2–0 to [[Leeds United A.F.C.|Leeds United]]), and the 4th round of the [[FA Cup]] (losing 3–1 to [[Premier League]] team [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]]).

The club reached the [[Football League Two play-offs]] during the 2010–11 season, one of the most successful in its history. One defeat in 19 games from February to May saw the club finish in 5th position, eventually losing to [[Football League Two|League Two]] newcomers [[Stevenage F.C.|Stevenage]] in the play-off semi-finals. The season saw the emergence of [[Jimmy Ryan (footballer born 1988)|Jimmy Ryan]] as a star in the making, along with goalkeeper [[Alex Cisak]] and midfielder [[Sean McConville]]. In the domestic cups, Stanley reached the second round of the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] (losing 3–2 to [[Premier League]] team [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]). The club won its first-round game in the [[Football League Trophy]] away to [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]], but was then forced to resign from the competition having fielded the ineligible [[Ray Putterill]]. The club also reached the second round of the [[FA Cup]], but lost to fellow League Two side [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]].

The 2011–12 season was one of transition for the club. The loss of six of the playoff-chasing side of the previous season meant a shaky start but the arrival of [[Bryan Hughes]] in October transformed the club's fortunes, and six wins in seven games over the Christmas period saw the club briefly enter the play-offs. However, following the sale of club captain [[Andrew Procter]] to [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] in the January 2012 transfer window, the third-longest serving management team of John Coleman and Jimmy Bell departed for [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]]. Former [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] and club favourite [[Paul Cook (footballer)|Paul Cook]] was brought in as manager, with [[Leam Richardson]] promoted from caretaker manager to full-time assistant. But the club finished the season with just three wins in the final 17 games, ending in 14th position. Stanley exited the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] and [[FA Cup]] at the first round stages, losing to [[Scunthorpe United]] and [[Notts County]] respectively. The club reached the second round of the [[Football League Trophy]], after knocking out holders [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]], but lost to [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]] in the second round after a replay following a serious head injury to defender [[Tom Bender (footballer)|Thomas Bender]] in the initial tie.

==== Andy Holt's stewardship (2015–present) ====
In July 2015, local businessman Andy Holt attended Stanley's pre-season friendly at home against local rivals [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]], which they won 4–2. It was during this game that Holt got an insight into the dire state of Stanley, discovering the club's bar was unable to serve spectators due to a failure to pay its suppliers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Andy Holt: 'A Wild Two Years' |url=https://www.accringtonstanley.co.uk/news/2017/november/andy-holt-a-wild-two-years/ |access-date=2021-09-07 |website=www.accringtonstanley.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref> On 28 October 2015, Accrington Stanley's board voted to approve Holt's takeover of the club. Holt, whose company What More UK sponsored, and still sponsor, Stanley's Wham Stadium, attained a majority share of 75% in Accrington Stanley, in return for clearing the club's £1.2m debt as well as providing the club with further funds of £600,000. Stanley's chairman, Peter Marsden, remained as chairman whilst five new people joined the club's board.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-29|title=Stanley takeover to clear £1.2m debt|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/34665949|access-date=2021-09-07|website=BBC Sport|language=en-GB}}</ref> At the time of the takeover, Stanley had been on the verge of folding due to crippling debts and its inability to fund day-to-day running costs, including wages and its suppliers.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-25|title=The team owner who'll tell you all about it on Twitter|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/english-fa-cup/0/blog/post/3758637/accrington-stanley-owner-andy-holt-never-wanted-to-run-a-football-club-but-hell-tell-you-all-about-it-on-twitter|access-date=2021-09-07|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}</ref> Due to its precarious financial situation, the club had been accepting sponsorship deals at a value lower than what should have been demanded.

During Holt's first season as owner of the club, the [[2015–16 Football League Two|2015–16 Football League Two season]], the club narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to League One on the final day of the season, having been held to a 0–0 draw with [[Stevenage F.C.|Stevenage]]. Stanley were then defeated in the semi-final of the [[2016 Football League play-offs|League Two play-offs]], losing 3–2 on aggregate to eventual play-off victors [[AFC Wimbledon]]. At the end of the season, Stanley lost several players who had helped the promotion push, such as [[Tom Davies (footballer, born 1992)|Tom Davies]], [[Ross Etheridge]] and [[Josh Windass]], who had agreed contracts with clubs able to offer higher wages than Stanley. With Windass and [[Matt Crooks|Crooks]] being under 24, Stanley received £120,000 for the duo's transfer to [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Online|first=Record Sport|date=2016-06-20|title=Rangers and Accrington agree compensation deal for Josh Windass and Matt Crooks|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-accrington-agree-cash-deal-8238179|access-date=2021-09-07|website=Daily Record|language=en}}</ref>

During the 2016–17 pre-season, Stanley improved facilities at the Crown Ground, replacing vendors with its own in-house service, and Stanley's chairman, Marsden, stepped down after a decade in the role.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wealdstone's Football League ambition|url=https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/sport/14912288.wealdstone-and-former-accrington-stanley-chairman-peter-marsden-reveals-clubs-football-league-ambitions/|access-date=2021-09-07|website=Harrow Times|date=17 November 2016 |language=en}}</ref> Marsden was replaced by Holt in the position. In the following [[2016–17 Accrington Stanley F.C. season|2016–17]] season, Stanley finished mid-table in 13th position, having struggled to replicate its promotion push from the season before. The club had, however, enjoyed a run to the fourth round of the [[FA Cup]], with a 1–0 defeat away to [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] ending their cup campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38701563 |title=Middlesbrough 1–0 Accrington Stanley |publisher=BBC Sport |date=28 January 2017 |access-date=16 July 2023}}</ref>

At the end of the [[2017–18 Accrington Stanley F.C. season|2017–18]] season, Stanley won the [[EFL League Two|League Two]] championship, with their 2–0 win over [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]] on 17 April 2018 sealing promotion.<ref name="FCHD">{{cite web|url=https://fchd.info/ACCRINGS.HTM |title=Accrington Stanley |publisher=Football Club History Database |access-date=16 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43707350 |title=Accrington Stanley 2–0 Yeovil Town |publisher=BBC Sport |date=17 April 2018 |access-date=16 July 2023}}</ref> In their [[2018–19 Accrington Stanley F.C. season|first season]] in [[EFL League One|League One]], the club finished in 14th place.<ref name="FCHD"/>

Stanley were relegated to League Two in [[2022–23 Accrington Stanley F.C. season|2022–23]] after finishing second from bottom in League One.<ref name="FCHD"/> In March 2024, John Coleman was sacked as manager after nine and a half years in the role.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68460389 |title=Accrington Stanley: John Coleman and Jimmy Bell sacked by League Two club |website=BBC Sport |date=3 March 2024 |access-date=3 March 2024}}</ref> [[John Doolan (footballer, born 1968)|John Doolan]] then took over, finishing the [[2023–24 Accrington Stanley F.C. season|2023–24 season]] in 17th place<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68637176 |title=John Doolan: Accrington Stanley interim boss appointed manager on three-year deal |website=BBC Sport |date=22 March 2024 |access-date=4 June 2024}}</ref><ref name="FCHD"/> and the [[2024–25 Accrington Stanley F.C. season|following season]] in 21st place. In May 2025, Holt stepped down as chairman, and the club announced it was closing its academy, blaming "significant financial challenges",<ref>{{cite news |title=Stanley close academy over 'financial challenges' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cp919mnm54do |access-date=7 May 2025 |work=BBC Sport |date=7 May 2025}}</ref> despite an offer from the local council to fund the academy for 12 months.<ref>{{cite news |title=Council offers Accrington academy lifeline |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cq54lg2pl6vo |access-date=14 May 2025 |work=BBC Sport |date=13 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Accrington to close academy despite council offer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cgegg14xn44o |access-date=21 May 2025 |work=BBC Sport |date=20 May 2025}}</ref>