The club came to national prominence in 1989 due to the Milk Marketing Board's popular television advert that featured the slogan Accrington Stanley, who are they?

The town's original club, named simply Accrington, were founder members of the Football League in 1888, though folded just six years later.

The early 21st century saw the club win three promotions over the course of seven seasons under the stewardship of John Coleman to gain a place in the Football League.

The original team had been formed in 1891 and played in the Football League from 1921 to March 1962, but had spent its final four seasons in the Lancashire Combination.

In May 2003, the club was promoted for the first time in history to the Football Conference, following its win of the Northern Premier League.

The highlight of that first season in the 5th tier was a run to the FA Cup 3rd round, losing in a replay at League One side Colchester United.

Stanley's stay in the Conference didn't last long, with the club returning to the Football League at the end of the 2005–06 season.

The likes of Paul Mullin, Rob Elliot and Gary Roberts led the club back to the league after 46 years away.

The game resulted in a 1–0 win, leaving the club a 2nd-round away tie against then Premier League team Watford, eventually losing 6–5 on penalties after a 0–0 draw and extra-time.

The club also took part in the Football League Trophy for the first time as a league club (after playing in the two previous seasons as one of 12 Conference sides, beating Bradford City away in September 2004) and, after defeating Carlisle United and Blackpool in the early rounds, were knocked out by Doncaster Rovers in the Area Quarter-finals.

The 2007–08 season produced more of the same, with the club involved in another relegation battle with strugglers Chester City, Wrexham and Mansfield Town.

The emergence of the Michael Symes and Bobby Grant partnership was a key aspect and, following their achievements throughout the season, both moved on to bigger clubs.

A run of 1 loss in 19 games, from February till May, saw the club finish in a best-ever 5th position, eventually losing to League Two newcomers Stevenage in the play-off semi-finals.

The season saw the emergence of Jimmy Ryan as a star in the making, along with a number of others, including goalkeeper Alex Cisak and midfielder Sean McConville.

However, following the sale of club captain Andrew Procter to Preston North End in the January 2012 transfer window, the third-longest serving management team of John Coleman and Jimmy Bell departed for Rochdale.

On 28 October 2015, the board of Accrington Stanley voted to approve local businessman Andy Holt's takeover of the club.

[6] 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.

It was during this game that Holt got an insight into the dire state of Stanley, having discovered that the club's bar was unable to serve spectators as a result of its failure to pay its suppliers.

[9] During the 2016–17 pre-season, Stanley made several improvements to the facilities on offer at the Crown Ground, including the replacement of vendors with its own in-house service.

However, Holt's stewardship of the club lead to changes at the Crown Ground, with initial changes including improved match day facilities before the construction of a new Whinney Hill Stand, which was built and completed in late-2018.

[18] The following season, Stanley invested around £300,000 in a new playing field, a move which saw new drainage and a levelled pitch installed to overcome the club's issue with recurring flooding towards the Coppice End.

[20] According to a survey conducted in August 2019, Stanley supporters consider traditional Lancashire clubs Rochdale, Morecambe and Bury to be their biggest rivals, with near neighbours Blackburn Rovers and Burnley following.

[22][23] The advertisement featured two boys in Liverpool replica shirts played by young actors Carl Rice and Kevin Spaine.