As Accrington Stanley prepare for their FA Cup third-round clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday afternoon, memories of the iconic 1989 milk advert have resurfaced.
The advert, which famously coined the line ‘Accrington Stanley… who are they?’ has become synonymous with the League Two club. However, behind the lighthearted commercial lies a more sinister story.
Commissioned by the Milk Marketing Board to promote the health benefits of milk, the advert became a pop-culture sensation. It featured two young boys, one of whom, played by Carl Rice, dons a Liverpool shirt and explains that Ian Rush told him drinking milk was the key to becoming a great footballer.
When his friend, played by Kevin Spaine, scoffs at the idea, Rice famously retorts that without milk, he’d only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.
Spaine delivers the punchline: ‘Accrington Stanley… who are they?’ Rice’s unforgettable reply, ‘Exactly!’, cemented the advert in cultural memory.
While the ad humorously lampooned Accrington’s obscurity at the time, the club embraced the newfound attention.
As Accrington Stanley prepare for their FA Cup third-round clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday afternoon, memories of the iconic 1989 milk advert have resurfaced (above)
Accrington Stanley pictured after the penalty shootout win against Swindon Town
In February 2023, Kevin Spaine (pictured right) was sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of Learoy Venner in Liverpool
Though Tottenham Hotspur were initially meant to be the butt of the joke, their objection paved the way for Accrington’s inclusion. The club earned £10,000 from the advert, which helped solidify their identity in footballing lore.
For Rice, the advert was the start of a flourishing career in television, film, and theatre. Still just a child, he starred in Children’s Ward and Brookside before going on to roles in Coronation Street, Shameless, and even Disney’s Cruella. Rice co-founded Milk Pictures, a production company named in homage to the advert that launched his career.
When discussing how he got the initial role in a 2013 interview with the Liverpool Echo, Rice said: ‘The people making the advert went around the region and about eight of us ended up going to London. I’d not been there before and thought, “This is mad”.
‘We were taken to Shepperton Studios and it was great – like a load of kids on their holidays. I’m a staunch Liverpudlian but, because I’m an idiot, when they said I could have the Liverpool shirt they gave me to wear I said, “It’s OK, I’ve already got one” – I could have had two. Now I take every freebie that comes my way.’
Rice – who said he was paid £90 (the equivalent of around £240 today) for the ad -has maintained a close relationship with Accrington Stanley, attending matches as a guest of honour and celebrating milestones like their promotion to the Football League in 2006.
Recently, Rice featured in a heartwarming video for Mitre, where he revisited the club and reflected on the advert’s enduring legacy.
According to The Telegraph, Saturday’s fixture will see Rice join Ian Rush, Liverpool’s record goal-scorer, at Anfield.
It will mark their first public meeting and further highlights the extraordinary cultural impact of the 1989 commercial.
While Rice’s career soared, his co-star, Spaine, followed a much darker path. Once a promising young footballer, Spaine’s life was derailed by addiction and crime. In February 2023, Spaine was sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of Learoy Venner in Liverpool.
His defense team revealed his role in the advert during his trial, underscoring the tragedy of a life that spiraled from early promise to a harrowing end.
John Harrison KC, Spaine’s barrister, described him as ‘a very promising young footballer’ who fell into a life dominated by drugs and criminality.
As Liverpool and Accrington Stanley meet for only the second time – the first since 1956 – the advert’s impact feels more relevant than ever. Accrington fans, far from resenting the joke, have turned it into a badge of pride.
Saturday’s clash is a rare opportunity for Accrington to shine on one of football’s biggest stages.
Yet, the odds are steep for the League Two side – who have lost all three of their FA Cup games against Premier League opponents – with each of those defeats coming in the fourth round of the competition.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have only been knocked out of the FA Cup at the third round stage once in the last 13 campaigns, losing 2-1 away at Wolves in the 2018-2019 season.
When asked how much he knew about Accrington during his pre-match press conference, Arne Slot immediately mentioned the milk advert. He said: ‘Not that much because I am only here for half-a-year but I do know about the milk advert. Probably everyone knows this!’
‘After the draw there was a video about an (Accrington) player who was so happy he was going to play at Anfield, so these kind of things I know,’ added Slot. ‘I know people from this area also play for the club. And of course I know a lot about the team and today I will know even more about because we are going to dive into it even more.
‘I think every team that plays against us it is a special occasion, but especially for a lower league team. They will be all up for it, they have looked forward to this game for many weeks, probably nine out of 10 players are fit, no-one is suspended and the challenge is always to bring the best out of ourselves.
‘Everybody could understand if you go to a Champions League final everyone is completely hyped up and ready and tomorrow, that will feel like it is the Champions League final so we have to be aware of that.
‘Nine out of 10 times the first 25 minutes, half-hour is the most difficult part of the game as they will be very intense and it is up to us to be ready for them wanting to play the best game of their lives and we have to as well.’
Saturday’s tie is a celebration of Accrington Stanley’s remarkable journey, a chance to rewrite the joke that defined them. For Rice and Rush, it will also be a poignant moment to reflect on the legacy of an advert that brought them together.
