Accrington Stanley's big shirt giveaway hits 10,000 milestone

Accrington Stanley’s ‘Big Shirt Giveaway’ will celebrate a major milestone this year, with more than 10,000 shirts handed out to Year 3 students in Hyndburn since the initiative began.

The ninth annual event takes place on Tuesday 23rd September at the Wham Stadium, where pupils from 41 local primary schools will receive their very own Accrington Stanley shirt.

Alongside the shirt, children will also be given a free goodie bag, have their photo taken in the Eric Whalley Family Stand and meet the first team squad, who will be personally handing out the shirts.

The giveaway is made possible thanks to the support of partners including Scott Dawson Advertising, What More UK, Telana, Accrington Stanley Community Trust, Hyndburn Borough Council, North Lancs Training Group, James Hall, Haworths Financial Services, Lancashire County Council and the Duchy of Lancaster.

New for 2025, the club has also launched a Christmas Card Competition. Children are being challenged to draw a picture showing “What Accrington Stanley means to them.”

Each school will select one winner, with 41 entries submitted to the club. Four final designs will be chosen to become Accrington Stanley’s official Christmas Cards for 2025, which will go on sale in the club shop, while complimentary sets will also be given to the winning schools.

Warren Eastham, Accrington Stanley chief executive, said: “The Big Shirt Giveaway is one of the very best initiatives we’ve ever been involved in. To think that over 10,000 children have proudly worn an Accrington Stanley shirt is incredibly special.

“Even better, we’re now seeing some of those children in their teenage years coming back as regular supporters. That’s the lasting impact of this project. We’d like to thank all our partners and every school involved, without them, this wouldn’t be possible.”

Robert Houseman, Accrington Stanley’s equality, diversity and inclusion officer, said: “The Christmas Card competition is an exciting addition to what is already a wonderful community initiative. It’s another way to engage with schools and give children a chance to showcase their creativity. I can’t wait to see the winning designs brought to life as the club’s official cards.”