FLEETWOOD TOWN (Highbury)

FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2, FLEETWOOD TOWN 3-1 ACCRINGTON STANLEY, ATTENDANCE: 2,446

Today's glossy league
Programme (above) and

the 2006 issue (below)

Happy New Year!

With the foul wet and windy weather battering the country, my original New Year's Day plan got completely washed out. 

As an alternative I decided to visit a club that I had previously visited in 2006. Back in season 2005/06 Fleetwood Town were in the Northern Premier League Division One, today they are part of the elite 92 league clubs, holding their own in League 2.

The current club was officially reborn in 1997 as Fleetwood Wanderers after previous incarnations Fleetwood FC (1908-1976) and Fleetwood Town (1977-1996) folded. The club reverted back to the name Fleetwood Town in 2002.

The current clubs rise has been meteoric to say the least with 5 promotions in 7 seasons, beginning in the North West Counties in 2005, culminating in winning the Conference in 2012.

During this time Highbury, which has been home since 1934, has been redeveloped beyond recognition and, dare I say it, it is for the better.

Main 'Highbury' Stand in 2006

Highbury stand as it now. You can see the old stand behind the new build.

The home terrace in 2006 (above)
and how it looks today (below)

   

From what I can remember, there was nothing on the East side of the ground, as the

photo on the left shows, however these days there is a magnificent new stand (right)

Former Everton
(amongst others)
Striker James
Beattie, now
Manager of
Accrington Stanley

Today's game was a good old fashioned Lancashire Derby as Accrington Stanley (who are they?) visited Highbury. 

It was a comfortable win for Fleetwood against a struggling Accrington side.

Veteran striker Jon Parkin (6) fired the hosts ahead before David Ball (58) made it 2-0.

A Kayode Odejayi (81) header, which was Stanley's first effort on target, gave the visitors a lifeline but Daniel Carr scored six minutes into injury time to secure the three points for The Cod Army.

Pre-match was spent in the rather splendid Strawberry Gardens, with a vast array of ales providing a selection headach, however I didn't meet comedy legend Syd Little, who assists his wife with the catering in said establishment. An enjoyable, if unexpected, day out on the Fylde coast.

The Accrington Stanley fans in the away end