Not much to write home about then...

Another found drawing from a very old 60s sketchbook of mine. This is the then home ground of Accrington Stanley. The only really good thing about this football club at the time was that the pies at half time were delicious. At the time we lived in Accrington, my father being the local Police Inspector or Chief Inspector, I forget which, but he was in charge of this sub division. My brother and I did visit the club on a couple of occasions but at the time the club was doomed. They were broke and eventually at the end of that season were thrown out of the football league.

We only lived in Accrington for a short while, but my abiding memory of it, apart from the pies at half time, was the almost incessant rain. I'd have drawn this 'on site' and as you might be able to see there's what appears to be a telegraph pole just to the left of the Car Park sign. This was the 'floodlight' pole. Their floodlights appeared to be a single powerful bulb on top of a number of poles, lighting the sky, but not the pitch.

Security for the match days was down to the club speaking to my father and requesting police presence inside the ground. They had to pay for the ones inside, but not outside. The manager rang my father one Friday to ask for his allocation. "How many do you think you need" my father asked "Just the one please" he replied. "How many spectators are you expecting then?" asked my father incredulously " about three thousand" he responded " but we can't afford any more than one". My father responded again and said he'd send three, but they only need pay for one. You could call it civic duty. I hope they at least got a pie each at half time.

We left Accrington and moved to Bolton. Bolton Wanderers were our new club. They were relegated in the first season we were there. My brother and I thought perhaps we put the curse on all who we supported.

Accrington Stanley are now apparently doing well and are back in the football league. Bolton Wanderers are not doing at all well...

I wonder if the pies are still as good as they were.I bet it still rains a lot.