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Story of a Season – 2005-06 – Accrington Stanley found the bottle to finally fulfil their EFL dream

The NLP’S story of a season: Turning back the clock to 2005-06

by
Chris Dunlavy
31 May 2026

Accrington Stanley players celebrate winning promotion to the Football League

Accrington Stanley – who are they? Well, by the end of the 2005-06 season, they were Conference champions.

Back in the 1980s, the Lancashire minnows had become the butt of a joke in a now infamous milk advert.
“It’s what Ian Rush drinks,” one kid tells another. “And he said if I don’t drink lots of milk, when I grow up I’ll only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.
“Accrington Stanley?” his friend replies. “Who are they?”

BOTTLE: The famous advert from the 80s
Respectability
“Exactly!” says the first lad – and with that single word, Accy became an enduring byword for hopeless obs...

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