During the 2011–12 season, Accrington Stanley F.C. competed in League Two. This was their 6th season in the Football League and 14th was their second highest position.

It was a year of transition for Stanley with long serving manager John Coleman and his assistant Jimmy Bell leaving the club to join League One side Rochdale. Former player Paul Cook was appointed the new manager with his assistant being Leam Richardson, who was caretaker manager in the intervening spell.

The end of the season saw chairman Ilyas Khan step down. He said he had been racially abused since taking over the club in March 2011.

Stanley also made the news in October 2011, when on-loan defender Tom Bender was knocked out in a collision with team mate Ian Dunbavin and Tranmere Rovers striker Lucas Akins in a Football League Trophy tie. Consequently, the game was abandoned with Tranmere leading 2–1. Bender was treated for 30 minutes on the pitch before being taken to hospital where he regained consciousness and made a full recovery.

League table

Squad statistics Appearances and goals

Top scorers PlacePositionNationNumberNameLeague TwoFA CupLeague CupFL TrophyTotal1FW23Padraig Amond700182FW7Craig Lindfield400153DF17Kevin Long40004=DF12Peter Murphy400045FW21Jayden Stockley30003=FW21Michael Smith30003=FW19Micah Evans30003=MF30Will Hatfield30003=MF16Bobby Grant30003=MF27Bryan Hughes30003=MF6Andrew Procter20013=MF11Luke Joyce2100313FW21Wes Fletcher20002=DF4Sean Hessey20002=MF17Jamie Devitt20002=MF14Kevin McIntyre2000217DF3Dean Winnard10001=MF10Ian Craney10001=DF2Danny Coid10001=MF8Charlie Barnett10001TOTALS5310357

Disciplinary record NumberNationPositionNameLeague TwoFA CupLeague CupFL TrophyTotal5 DF Aristote Nsiala 11 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 114 MF Kevin McIntyre 6 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 112 DF Peter Murphy 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 14 DF Sean Hessey 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 16 MF Andrew Procter 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 111 MF Luke Joyce 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 17 FW Craig Lindfield 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 03 DF Dean Winnard 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 02 DF Danny Coid 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 017 MF Jamie Devitt 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 08 MF Charlie Barnett 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 129 DF Michael Liddle 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 130 DF Will Hatfield 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 016 MF Bobby Grant 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 017 DF Kevin Long 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 121 FW Wes Fletcher 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 019 FW James Spray 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 023 FW Padraig Amond 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 027 MF Bryan Hughes 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 010 MF Ian Craney 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 025 GK Ian Dunbavin 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 09 FW Kurtis Guthrie 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0TOTALS698111010729

Results Pre-season friendlies

League Two

FA Cup

League Cup

Football League Trophy

Transfers Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.30 June 2011DF Danny Coid BlackpoolFree16 July 2011MF Kevin McIntyre Shrewsbury TownFree19 July 2011FW Kurtis Guthrie TrinityFree28 July 2011GK Sean Murdoch Hamilton AcademicalFree27 October 2011MF Bryan Hughes ÍBVFree18 January 2012MF Liam Willis Wigan AthleticFree10 February 2012FW Will Hatfield FC Halifax TownFreePlayers transferred outDatePos.NameToFeeRef.24 June 2011DF Jonathan Bateson Macclesfield TownFree28 June 2011DF Joe Jacobson Shrewsbury TownFree28 June 2011MF Jimmy Ryan Scunthorpe UnitedTribunal6 July 2011GK Alex Cisak Oldham AthleticFree4 August 2011FW Terry Gornell Shrewsbury TownUndisclosed19 January 2012FW Nat Taylor ClitheroeFree23 January 2012MF Andrew Procter Preston North EndUndisclosed14 March 2012GK Sean MurdochUnattachedPlayers loaned inDate fromPos.NameFromDate toRef.28 July 2011DF Kern Miller BarnsleyJanuary 20125 August 2011DF Kevin Long Burnley5 January 201215 August 2011FW Wes Fletcher Burnley25 October 201119 August 2011FW Louis Moult Stoke City19 September 201126 August 2011FW Pádraig Amond Paços de FerreiraEnd of season30 August 2011DF Thomas Bender Colchester United24 February 20123 October 2011FW James Spray Wolverhampton Wanderers31 October 201114 October 2011FW Will Hatfield Leeds United31 December 201114 October 2011FW Luke Dobie Middlesbrough3 January 201231 October 2011FW Micah Evans Blackburn RoversEnd of season4 November 2011FW Jayden Stockley Bournemouth9 January 20125 January 2012DF Aristote Nsiala EvertonEnd of season18 January 2012FW Michael Smith Charlton Athletic12 March 201217 February 2012MF Jamie Devitt Hull CityEnd of season24 February 2012GK Lee Nicholls Wigan AthleticEnd of season24 February 2012MF Michael Liddle SunderlandEnd of season15 March 2012MF Bobby Grant Scunthorpe United18 April 201216 March 2012DF Rob Kiernan Wigan AthleticEnd of seasonPlayers loaned outDate fromPos.NameToDate toRef.24 November 2011FW Kurtis Guthrie Southport5 January 201220 January 2012MF Andrew Procter Preston North End23 January 2012

References