Everyone at Accrington Stanley wants to wish a belated happy 100th birthday to Noel Bracewell who has a long history with the Reds.
Noel was born on April 1st 1920, christened Henry Noel Bracewell, and lived a stone’s throw away from Peel Park.
Noel has a host of memories of ASFC as a youngster.
His grandson Paul Buck says: “His dad used worked on the turnstiles in the 1920s and 30s and his mum used to wash all the Accrington players' strip every week.
“His dad used to often battle with it blowing in the breeze on the washing line in the narrow back yard as he battled his way to the outside toilet at the bottom of the yard!
“Noel was brought up in Spencer Street, a terraced row, and although the house only had two bedrooms nobody was ever turned away, they even took a refugee in in the war and turned the ' front parlour' into a bedroom!
“My grandad himself used to sell programmes and used to carry the half-time draw board around his neck at half-time.
“He tells a very funny story of when he used to get pushed into the back of the goal by the crowd as he walked past so he bought himself a water pistol and started firing back!
“Despite moving away, my grandad has always maintained loyalty to Accrington and he still argues that Accrington Stanley are a proper football club and always looks for their result first.”
Noel moved to Penwortham in 1950 but still retained his love for Accrington Stanley.
He received a telegram from the Queen on his birthday and a personal message from Daniel O’Donnell!