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Crown Ground: Accrington Stanley

Livingstone Road, Accrington, Lancashire, England, BB5 5BX
Crown Ground Aerial View

For people of a certain age the words ‘Accrington Stanley’ only ever elicited one response: “Who are they”? This back and forth was featured in a 1980s advert for milk in Britain, with two young Liverpool fans discussing the benefits of drinking milk and the suggestion being that if you don’t drink milk then you’ll only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley. Who are they? Exactly.

Of course Stanley have a rich and storied history that involves more than just being featured in a TV advert. They have played their home games at Crown Ground since 1970, though the stadium has had many names during that time owing to sponsorship. It is currently called Wham Stadium after a sponsorship deal was reached with What More UK Ltd.

Stats

Crown Ground Stats
Year Opened 1968
Capacity 5450
Average Attendance 2560
Record Attendance 5397 (Accrington v Derby (Jan 2019))
Pitch Size 101 x 66 (6666)
Nickname Crown Ground
Former Name Fraser Eagle Stadium, Interlink Express Stadium, Crown Ground
Owner Accrington Stanley Football Club
Sponsor What More UK Ltd
Clubs Hosted Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley Stats
Year Founded 1968
Nickname Stanley, Accy Stanley
Club Mascot Winstanley
Rivals Barrow, Altrincham, Southport
Previous Stadiums Peel Park
Kit Red (Home) / Blue & White Stripes (Away) / Multicoloured (Third)
Training Ground Wilson’s Playing Fields and King George V Playing Fields
Shirt Sponsor Wham
Team Owner Andy Holt
Record Goalscorer George Stewart (136)
Record Appearances Jim Armstrong (260)

Crown Ground Photos

Crown Ground View from the Terraces
Crown Ground View from the Terraces
Crown Ground on Match Day
Crown Ground on Match Day
Crown Ground Club Shop
Crown Ground Club Shop
robert wade [CC BY-SA 2.0]

Crown Ground Seating Plan and Where to Sit

The Jack Barret Memorial Stand is the newest and runs along half the length of the pitch with Whinney Hill Terrace making up the other half. The Clayton End is where the more vocal supporters go, The Eric Whalley Stand is where the away fans go as well as in The Coppice End.

Accrington Stanley Ticket Prices

The pricing system couldn’t be much easier at Crown Ground. You will pay the same price for any seat anywhere in the ground. The only thing that will make a difference is your age. Prices for adults and concessions are as follows:

  • Adults: £22.00
  • Concessions: £15.00

How To Get Accrington Stanley Tickets

Tickets are available on the turnstiles on match day, over the phone, and from the ticket office during the week.

Where to Buy

  • Ticket Compare

Getting To Crown Ground

Train – Accrington Railway Station is twenty minutes from the ground.

Bus – The Hyndburn Circular Bus runs from Accrington centre to the Crown Pub, which is near the stadium.

Car – Leave the M65 at Junction 7 then get onto the A678 before the A680. From the M66 follow the A56 then the A680. Follow the signs to the ground.

By Air – Manchester Airport is just under thirty miles from the ground and has excellent transport options.

Taxi – A taxi from Accrington centre to Wham Stadium will cost about £8 and should take no longer than five minutes.

Parking Near Crown Ground

There is parking at land opposite the ground limited to 300 cars, and additional space on streets nearby.

  • See Available Parking Near Crown Ground

Useful Resources

  • Parking - Just Park

Crown Ground Hotels

As Accrington is sandwiched in-between Burnley and Blackburn, there are a number for hotel options for you:

Best Western Old Mill Hotel & Leisure Club - £50+

Springwood Street, Ramsbottom, Bury, BL0 9DS
Eight miles away from the ground in Bury is this 3-star hotel with an indoor pool and a restaurant. There’s also a fitness centre, a conference space and free Wi-Fi as well as free parking. More details.

Holiday Inn Express Hotel Burnley M65 JCT10 - £60+

55 Pendle Way, Burnley, BB12 0TJ
Slightly closer to Wham Stadium is this Holiday Inn Express motorway hotel. It doesn’t quite have the frills of the Best Western, with no pool or fitness centre. Instead there’s a terrace, a garden and a free breakfast buffet as well as free Wi-Fi and parking. More details.

Mercure Dunkenhalgh Blackburn - £75+

Blackburn Road, Clayton le Moors, Accrington, BB5 5JP
Just a mile from the home of Accrington Stanley is this charming hotel with a restaurant, a bar, a full-service spa including indoor pool and a health club. It also has fourteen meeting rooms, free parking and free Wi-Fi. More details.
See More Hotels Near Crown Ground

Pubs and Bars Near Crown Ground

A town like Accrington was always going to have a couple of choice boozers; here are our top picks:

The Crown Inn

Whalley Road, Accrington, BB5 5DQ - 01254 381002
So close to the ground that it virtually overlooks it, the Crown Inn welcomes both home and away fans as long as you’re in the mood for a laugh! There’s a decent beer garden, a pool table and plenty of TVs for live sport.

The Grey Horse

263 Whalley Road, Accrington, BB5 5AD - 01254 232133
Another pub that’s near to the ground, The Grey Horse will offer you a warm welcome, some decent real ales and a tasty menu. There’s also a large TV screen on offer for any live sports you might want to watch.

The Railway

84-86 Blackburn Rd, Accrington BB5 1LL - 01254 846798
The Railway is right next door to Accrington Railway Station, oddly enough, so it’s the ideal place to go if you’re in the centre of town. They have live music on Fridays, cocktails galore and a delicious menu.

Facilities

The Crown Ground is a simpler sort of stadium, so facilities are more limited. That said, you can still get a pie or a burger if you are peckish – they even sell Pot Noodles if you want to subject yourself to that sort of thing. Being the newest, the Eric Whalley Stand is the most comfortable.

Prices

  • Programme: £3
  • Pie: £2.5
  • Cup of tea: £1.5
  • Beer: £3.5

Hospitality

From Accrington Stanley

Hospitality options include Chairman’s Lounge, the 1968 Lounge, and the Snug Experience. The first two are more exclusive affairs, while The Snug is more accessible and relaxed. All offer food options and complimentary refreshments and things like that. You can expect the best seating via hospitality too.

Private Hire

With space for up to 160 guests, the bar at Crown Ground promises to tick every box on your list. They can provide whatever you need; DJ, cake decorators, catering – they will even dress the room for you if you want them to.

Stadium Tours & Museum

We will let you know if anything changes, but as of right now, there is no tour or museum available for visitors. They do offer them sometimes though, and they are free when they run. In the past this has been between seasons, with a few days on offer.

About Accrington Stanley

Accrington Stanley, who are they? They’re a team from Lancashire that was technically formed in 1968 after the collapse of the former Accrington Stanley in 1966. That side was formed in 1891, but the club as it is now has no association with its former iteration. The new Accrington Stanley revived after a meeting in the library in the town initiated by Stanley Worthington.

Over the years the club has climbed all the way up through the non-league pyramid in order to make it into the Football League. The entire club nearly disappeared into oblivion in 2009, with its financial situation dire indeed. It was rescued by Ilyas Khan, who decided to save Accrington Stanley because his son, Hassan, is a lifelong supporter. He left the club in 2012 but it is in a much better position for the future thanks to him. They call themselves ‘the club that wouldn’t die’.

Crown Ground History

robert wade [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The Crown Ground was built and opened in 1968 and has had a number of different names because of sponsorship over the years. Most notably it has been called Fraser Eagle Stadium and Interlink Express Stadium in recent times. It has also been the smallest stadium in the Football League on various occasions, depending on which teams have been promoted or demoted.

The original name of the stadium, Crown Ground, has got nothing to do with British Crown or monarchy. It is, in fact, named after the rather more inauspicious Crown Pub that stands nearby. The pub itself is now owned by the team, with every penny spent in there going towards Accrington Stanley. Your round, I think.

Future Developments

Accrington Stanley have agreed a new lease of the Crown Ground for fifty years and have announced plans to develop the stadium. The South Stand was improved in 2022, with VIP areas and changing rooms also getting a face lift. There are more phases planned, with the overall aim being to bring the stadium up to date and improve the facilities to a level befitting a club of their current stature.

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