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Although the current Accrington Stanley only formed
in 1968 their predecessors were regular visitors to
the city from the time that Chester entered the league
in 1931 until the demise of Stanley in 1962. Indeed
the two teams first met in the Lancashire Combination
Division One, back in the 1911/12 season and played
each other every year until the outbreak of the First
World War.
The final two games between the
sides took place in the 1961/62 season but these results
were later expunged from the records following Stanley’s
resignation in March. The deduction of three points from
Chester’s total meant that they finished bottom
of the league that season below Hartlepools United.
Accrington
Stanley 0 Chester 1
(Jones)
Division Four 26 August 1961
Attendance: 4,106 Accrington
Stanley: Smith, Forrester, Walton, Wilson,
Richardson, Hamilton, Devine, Ferguson, Hudson, Bennett,
Mulvey.
Chester: Hardie, Hughes, Donaldson,
Hennin, Kennedy, Edwards, Morris, Fitzgerald, Davies,
Pritchard, Jones.
 Chester
travelled to Peel Park for their first away game of
the season following a win against Oldham Athletic and
a defeat by Bradford City at Sealand Road. Meanwhile,
Accrington also had three points having beaten Darlington
and lost to Tranmere. For Chester, an injury to Billy
White meant a start for Alan Pritchard while Republic
of Ireland international, Peter Fitzgerald, was switched
to inside right to accommodate the youngster. Stanley
kept the same side that had beaten Darlington. 
The early chances fell to Chester.
Future Welsh international Ron Davies shot inches over
while Pritchard’s attempt to lob goalkeeper Alex
Smith also just cleared the bar. Chester took the lead
after 23 minutes when Fitzgerald fed the ball out to
diminutive winger Mervyn Jones and his shot carried
over Smith just inside the far post. To many people
it looked like a cross but after the game Jones said
he did it deliberately when he saw the keeper advance
off the line in anticipation of a cross.
Stanley responded quickly and Malcolm Edwards cleared
off the line from Paddy Mulvey who also shot over when
he really should have scored. In the second half Chester
were guilty of playing too much “continental football”
and it was reported that their short passing game made
Stanley look foolish. However, Chester’s failure
to press home their advantage almost cost them dearly
and keeper John Hardie came to the rescue in the closing
stages with two saves from George Hudson.
In the event Chester won the game
more comfortably than the 1-0 scoreline suggested. They
made a number of openings but were guilty of some bad
finishing with most of the blame heaped on the shoulders
of poor Davies who was nowhere near his best form. Despite
this it was a happy Chester team that made the journey
back to the city although the players thought they should
really have won by more goals. The previous season it
had been February before they had won their first away
game so it was a welcome relief to pick up points away
from Sealand Road so early on.
Chester 0 Accrington Stanley
0
Division Four 23 December 1961
Attendance: 2,153 Chester:
Hardie, Hughes, Gill, Hennin, Kennedy, Bellett, Fitzgerald,
White, Davies, Edwards, Jones.
Accrington Stanley: Smith, Forrester,
Walton, Smith, Wilson, Hamilton, Devine, Milner, Wareing,
Ferguson, Mulvey.
 By
the time that the two teams met just before Christmas
they had both completely lost their way. Chester were
third from bottom and managerless following an embarrassing
FA Cup defeat to Lancashire Combination side Morecambe
which had resulted in the sacking of Stan Pearson. They
were also 16 games into a record breaking 26 games without
a win.
Things weren’t much better for Stanley, one place
below Chester. They had just parted company with Jimmy
Harrower and playing affairs were in the hands of caretaker
managers Bill Smith and Harry Hubbick. They were also
without a win in eight games, a sequence that eventually
stretched to 16 matches and their resignation from the
league. In the event it was hardly surprising that the
game ended goalless on a bitterly cold night.
The game itself was poor and the
tactics from both sides appeared to be kick and rush.
If anything Accrington were marginally the better side
but both sets of forwards had little idea of how to score.
Although John Hardie had a quiet time in the Chester goal
he almost allowed a Jim Milner shot to slip through his
hands while Jack Wareing shot wide within the first few
minutes.
Both Fitzgerald and Davies had chances for Chester but
Derek Hennin came closest with a shot that brought the
save of the match from Smith. In the closing minutes Ronnie
Hughes cleared off the line from Mike Ferguson but a goalless
draw was an appropriate result.
Three months later both sides
had still failed to register another victory and in the
first week of March Accrington tendered their resignation
to the League leaving Chester bottom of the pile.
Of the players that represented Stanley
in the 1961/62 season two went on to play for Chester.
Centre half Bob Wilson, who played in Accrington’s
final league game against Crewe, joined Chester before
the start of the 1962/63 season having had a successful
trial against Hamborn in April. Bob only played 15 games
for Chester before moving on to Sankey’s of Wellington
where he was also manager. He later returned to his
native Scotland and managed junior side Arbroath Vics.
Meanwhile Brian Bades, who played two games for Stanley,
moved to Sealand Road at the start of the 1963/64 season
via Horwich RMI and Stockport County. He also played
15 games and scored one goal before a transfer to Runcorn
at the end of the season.
•
1962/62
fixtures
Chas
Sumner [Published 25/11/03]
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