Accrington Stanley have been getting excited about Oxford United supporter Timmy Mallett coming to tomorrow’s game.
So do Stanley have any celebrity fans?
Well yes. David Lloyd is a big follower, but can not get to many games because of his Sky Sports cricket commentary commitments.
Lloyd, nicknamed Bumble, told the Daily Mail last year: “Cricket is my business but my No 1 sport has always been football – and Accrington Stanley is in my blood.
“In my formative years, my dad took me to the old ground Peel Park every week.
“It was an absolute tragedy when we dropped out of the Football League, owing about £60,000.
“Finance might not have been there but a strong will to fight on was and my father-in-law-to-be Wilfred Wallwork founded the original Save Our Stanley campaign.”
When Stanley started up again in the Lancashire Combination, 16-year-old Lloyd played for them as a semi-professional at centre forward.
“Wages were picked up after a match but the secretary used to lock himself in his room – we knew the sod was in there but he never made a sound.”
Accrington become the 107th different club Oxford United have visited in the Football League.
The 5,057-capacity Crown Ground, as it is known to Stanley fans, has been developed bit by bit over the years. There is covered seating for 2,000 but the away end is open.
It is now a requirement of entry to the Football League that clubs have a minimum of 5,000 capacity and Stanley have only just got to that mark in the last few weeks with an extension to the away terrace
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