Current manager John Coleman has been the inspiration as the famous name of Accrington Stanley has returned to the Football League after an absence of 44 years.

Appointed in 1999, he has pulled the Accrington from the Northern Premier League to Football League Two inside seven years.

In that time Coleman has led Accrington to three championships and five cup wins, as well as improving the club's league position every season since his arrival.

The success story began in 2000 with the first of those titles. Relegated from the NPL the previous season, Coleman's men rallied to win the Division One title on goal difference.

Three years later Accrington entered the Conference as champions of the NPL, after winning the title in April, racking up 100 points and 97 goals in the process.

Then, in 2006, Accrington returned to the big time as they stormed to the Conference title by 11 points with 28 wins including a 20-match unbeaten run mid-season and 91 points.

The Crown Ground side have since survived their first two seasons in League Two by finishing 20th and 17th.

Stanley's roots lie in Accrington FC, who were formed in 1878 and were one of the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888.

When the club resigned from the League in 1893, another local side, Stanley Villa, changed their name to Accrington Stanley and became the town's team.

They went on to play non-League football from 1900 before becoming a founder member of Football League Division Three North in 1921.

Accrington went on to play in the League's lower divisions, finishing as runners-up in Division Three North in 1955 and 1958.

Accrington were in Division Four when they resigned from the League midway through the 1961-62 season owing to financial difficulties, eventually reforming six years later.