‘Accrington Stanley, who are they?’ - Boy from famous 80s milk ad jailed for murder after beating man to death

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Kevin Spaine, the man who in the 80s delivered the famous line ‘Accrington Stanley, who are they?’, has been jailed for life for murder.

A man who most Brits will know as the “who are they?” boy from the Accrington Stanley milk advertisements in the 1980s has been sentenced to prison. Kevin Spaine, 43, was found guilty of having beat another man to death in a “drug den”, having repeatedly kicked and punched the man in Anfield, Liverpool last year.

Spaine was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday (February 21) and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 18 years. According to the court, the former child actors’ life had descended into crime and drug use.

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John Harrison KC, speaking on the behalf of the defendant, said that Spaine had once been a promising footballer before his life took a darker turn, telling the court: “This defendant’s life has been ruined and dominated by the abuse of illegal drugs. He has a very long history of criminal offending.

“We know he’s been in this situation for 20 years or more, but he wasn’t always like that. Mr Spaine was a very promising young footballer, and he appeared in a very famous advertisement on the television – an advert for milk involving Accrington Stanley.”

“Shortly afterwards, he sinks into a life of criminality. Twenty years later, he is convicted of murder. It’s not an unfamiliar spiral to the court, but it is a tragic one”, Harrison added.

Spaine appeared in the iconic Accrington Stanley milk ad in the 1980s, in which he plays alongside Coronation Street actor Carl Rice. The boy is seen asking Rice if he has any lemonade, to which Rice replies: “If you want”.

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Rice then pours himself a glass of milk, and Spaine reacts with disgust saying: “Milk? Eurgh.”

Rice explains: “It’s what [the former Liverpool forward] Ian Rush drinks. He said if I don’t drink lots of milk, when I grow up I’m only going to be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.”

Spaine then says the line that would become iconic: “Accrington Stanley, who are they?” to which Rice responds “exactly”.

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