Accrington Stanley mural revealed
The first image of a giant mural to celebrate East Lancashire’s football club that wouldn’t die has been revealed.
The first image of a giant mural to celebrate an East Lancashire football club that wouldn’t die has been revealed.
The homage to Accrington Stanley will be painted on the wall of The Crown pub in the town’s Whalley Road.
The image is included in the planning application for the mural submitted to Hyndburn Council.
This is the next stage in turning the dream of the local landmark into reality.
An advertising consent application has also been submitted to the local authority.
The Official Accrington Stanley Supporters’ Trust (OASST) has led the project and will be responsible for commissioning the artwork once the necessary permissions are granted.
The mural is to be installed on The Crown Pub next to Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium.
It is expected to take eight weeks to paint.
More than £18,000 was raised from more than 70 backers to finance the project.
The mural is planned to not just be a work of art, but also to depict the club’s rich history and celebrate Accrington’s heritage, creating a sense of place and civic pride.
OASST chairman Peter Leatham said: “We are delighted that we can provide a spectacular piece of artwork that will be a talking point for not just football fans, but residents of Accrington.”
Warren Eastham, commercial director at Accrington Stanley, added: “It has been fantastic to see all the community coming together to support something which will become a huge part of our town.
“We are focusing on the key events and moments in our long history as well as the impact the football club has had on the town and vice versa, and are especially keen to feature some recognition of the industrial heritage of the area.”
Will Gilmartin, landlord of The Crown Pub, said: “We can’t wait to see the project come to fruition. It will create a real sense of civic space and pride, plus it will be a tourist attraction in its own right.”
Accrington Stanley were one of the original 12 founders of the Football League in 1888.
The club dropped out of the Football League on March 6, 1962, collapsing in 1966 but was refounded in 1968.
The club’s returned to the fourth tier of Football League on August 5 2006 and currently play in League Two.