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 coined the famous phrase 'Accrington Stanley… who are they?' has become synonymous with the League Two club. However, behind the cheerful commercial lies a more sinister story.
Commissioned by the Milk Marketing Board to promote the health benefits of milk, the advertisement became a pop culture sensation. It featured two young boys, one of whom, played by Carl Rice, puts on a Liverpool shirt and explains that Ian Rush told him that drinking milk was the key to becoming a great footballer.
When his friend, played by Kevin Spaine, scoffs at the idea, Rice responds that without milk, he would only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.
Spaine delivers the punchline: 'Accrington Stanley… who are they?' Rice's unforgettable response, “Exactly!”, cemented the announcement in cultural memory.
While the advert humorously satirised the obscurity of Accrington at the time, the club welcomed the new 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.
Although Tottenham Hotspur were initially supposed to be the butt of the joke, their objection paved the way for Accrington's inclusion. The club made £10,000 from the advert, helping to solidify their identity in football lore.
For Rice, the announcement was the beginning of a blossoming career in television, film and theater. Still a child, he starred in Children's Ward and Brookside before moving on to roles in Coronation Street, Shameless and even Disney's Cruella. Rice co-founded Milk Pictures, a production company named in tribute to the advertisement that launched her career.
Discussing how he landed the initial role in a 2013 interview with the Liverpool Echo, Rice said: “The people who made the advert went around the region and about eight of us ended up going to London. I hadn't been there before and I thought: ” “This is crazy.”
“They took us to Shepperton Studios and it was fantastic, like a lot of kids on holiday. I'm a die-hard Liverpool fan but, being an idiot, when they told me I could keep the Liverpool shirt they gave me to wear I said: “Okay, I've got one now.” I could have had two. Now I accept all the gifts that come my way.'
Rice, who said he was paid £90 (the equivalent of around £240 today) for the advert, has maintained a close relationship with Accrington Stanley, attending matches as a guest of honor and celebrating milestones such as their promotion to the Football League in 2006 .
Rice recently appeared in a moving video for Mitre, where he revisited the club and reflected on the advert's lasting legacy.
According to The Telegraph, Rice will join Ian Rush, Liverpool's record goalscorer, at Anfield in Saturday's match.
It will mark its first public meeting and will further highlight the extraordinary cultural impact of the 1989 commercial.
As Rice's career skyrocketed, her 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 announcement during the trial, underscoring the tragedy of a life that went from early promise to a heartbreaking end.
John Harrison KC, a lawyer from Spain, described him as “a very promising young footballer” who fell into a life dominated by drugs and crime.
As Liverpool and Accrington Stanley meet for the second time (the first since 1956), the impact of the announcement seems more relevant than ever. Accrington fans, far from resenting the joke, have turned it into a badge of pride.
Saturday's clash is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Accrington to shine on one of football's biggest stages.
However, the odds are long for the League Two side, who have lost all three of their FA Cup matches 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 in the third round once in the last 13 campaigns, losing 2-1 to Wolves in the 2018-2019 season.
When asked during the pre-match press conference how much he knew about Accrington, Arne Slot immediately mentioned the milk advert. He said, “Not much because I'm only here half a year, but I know about the milk ad.” Everyone probably knows it!'
“After the draw there was a video about a player (from Accrington) who was very happy to be able to play at Anfield, so I know that sort of thing,” Slot added. 'I know that people from this area also play in the club. And of course I know a lot about the team and today I will know even more because we are going to go even deeper into it.
“I think every team that plays against us is a special occasion, but especially for a lower league team. Everyone will be prepared, they have been waiting for this game for many weeks, probably nine out of 10 players are fit, no one is suspended and the challenge It is always bringing out the best in ourselves.
“Everyone could understand that if you go to a Champions League final, everyone is completely excited and ready and tomorrow it will feel like it's the Champions League final, so we have to be aware of that.”
“Nine times out of 10 the first 25 minutes, the half hour is the most difficult part of the game as it will be very intense and it is up to us to be prepared so that they want to play the best game of their lives and we have to do it too. '
Saturday's tie is a celebration of Accrington Stanley's extraordinary 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 ad that brought them together.