AccRinGton StAnLeY

Been home this weekend...back to Accrington. Maybe because I'm in a strange situation at the moment I am evaluating/reflecting on everything? Going back to Accrington feels quite odd these days because it doesn't actually feel like home anymore. It actually feels like another life I used to lead. What I mean by that is, I haven't lived there for 14 years now and when I go back even though my family and old friends are there it just feels so different to the life I lead now in Nottingham. The place just seems so small. Not much has changed, if anything it has got more run down. Which is sad because I have had some great times there. Even though I know that I will never live there again it is always nice to catch up with old friends over a beer or two on a Sunday afternoon. :-D

How does this link to identity? Well, when I left Accrington to go to University I deliberately went far enough away so that it would stop me going home. The first university I went to was Worcester which mean't I had a three hour drive if I wanted to go home. I remember to this day my mother crying as I left to go to Worcester as she said that she knew I would never come back to Accrington to live again..As a leaving gift she bought me an Accrington Stanley hat just so I never forgot where I came from. I wore this at football practise every week during the winter!! In fact I now have it in my office at work as it reminds me of my Grandad who used to take me to the Stanley matches as a child. I occasionally go to see them when I am back home and always follow their results. The Stanley motto is 'the club that wouldn't die', it is a truly amazing story,not just about football. It shows how important football is to people and to there identity. I will never forget where I came from!! I am proud to say that I was born in Accrington. Even though to be honest, it is a bit of a shithole !! :-Dx