Ahead of the 2025/26 Sky Bet League Two season, we are taking a look at the other 23 teams that make up the division, starting off with Accrington Stanley:
FACT FILE
Team Name: Accrington Stanley Football Club
Nickname: Stanley
Year Founded: 1968
Stadium: Wham Stadium
Capacity: 5,450
2024/25 Finish: 21st in Sky Bet League Two
MANAGER
John Doolan’s playing career saw him mainly in non-league, finishing off with Accrington Stanley. He enjoyed stints as a coach at Hibernian, Roterham United and Wigan Athletic. In 2017, Doolan re-joined Accrington as part of the coaching staff. He was given a chance to take the reins on an interim basis in March 2024 before being given the job full-time later the same month.
Record with Accrington Stanley
P 68 W 18 D 18 L 32 GF 82 GA 112
KEY PLAYER
Ben Woods had a standout 2024/25 campaign, winning the Manager’s Player of the Season award as well as the Supporters’ Trust Player of the Season award. His attacking output helped play a difference in Accrington Stanley staying up.
Last season in numbers:
Appearances – 41
Goals – 9
Assists – 6
Yellow Cards – 12
Red Cards – 0
Minutes Played – 3,161
Ben Wood – Credit: Matt West/Shutterstock
PLAYED FOR BOTH
After spending the first couple of years of his footballing career in Wales, Gary Roberts join Accrington Stanley in 2005 from Welshpool Town. He helped the club to the Conference title in his first season at the club. In January 2007, he left the club to join Championship side Ipswich Town.
Six years later, Roberts joined Paul Cook at Chesterfield. Once again, he would win another league title in his first year, winning League Two. After helping the Spireites to the League One play-offs the following year, he departed North Derbyshire to join Portsmouth. He returned to the club in 2022 as a first-team coach.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
P 17 W 6 D 2 L 9
Last five fixtures:
Accrington Stanley 0-1 Chesterfield – League Two – Saturday, May 3, 2025
Chesterfield 0-3 Accrington Stanley – League Two – Saturday, November 9, 2024
Accrington Stanley 4-0 Chesterfield – League Two – Saturday, January 6, 2018
Chesterfield 1-2 Accrington Stanley – League Two – Saturday, September 16, 2017
Chesterfield 1-4 Accrington Stanley – EFL Trophy – Tuesday, October 4, 2016
The Spireites have only won one of the previous five against Accrington Stanley. This victory came in May when Paul Cook’s side won 1-0 away at the Wham Stadium – marking a first-ever win at Accrington. A solitary Will Grigg goal secured a play-off spot in Chesterfield’s first season back in the Football League.
