CURRENT SEASON'S ARCHIVE page |
16 to 22 November, 2003
|
16 to 22 November, 2003 |
Also, further to an item below, it has been announced that Altrincham have signed 25 year old Stuart Wright from Vauxhall Motors. Stuart, a pacy left-footed midfielder/striker, is expected, with Marcus Hallows, to have some involvement in the game today against Bradford.
Stalybridge Celtic report that winger "Colin Potts has been placed on the transfer list at his own request. His name has been circulated to Conference clubs as he has expressed a desire to play in that League. Celtic will only sell if the right offer comes along though. Club Secretary Martin Torr said 'he won't be given away'. Northwich are the first club to express an interest".
The UniBond League reports that Barrow have now signed Morecambe striker Wayne Curtis on a three month loan deal. He scored 18 Conference goals last season. Meanwhile, Grant Holt, who moved from Barrow to Sheffield Wednesday last March for £7,500 "is about to trigger another £5,000 for the club. He has already made nineteen appearances and requires just one more to activate the first of a possible three further payments of £5,000 based on every twenty appearances".
NL Daily reports that Whitby have lost Northern Ireland U-21 international striker Gary Browne, formerly at Manchester City, to York City. Whitby's Aron Wilford also went to the Bootham Crescent earlier this season.
Other UniBond transfers:
In 1970, after finishing bottom of Division 4, BPA were outvoted by Cambridge United in the re-election process and so joined the Northern Premier League for 1970-71, where they met Altrincham on a regular basis until the formation of the Alliance in 1979.
In April, 1973 the Park Avenue ground was sold and the club moved to join Bradford City at Valley Parade for the 1973-74 season. In May 1974 the club went into liquidation with debts of £57,652 but a group of supporters then revived the club name in the Bradford Amateur Sunday
League Division 4. They won promotion in both 1975 and 1976 and, in 1985, entered the Bradford Sunday Alliance League. Since then they have competed in the following:
Altrincham have yet to win a league game at the Horsfall Stadium, though we won there 1-0 in the Trophy on a murky November day last season- Graham Heathcote is seen, above right, peering through the gloom during that game. In the UniBond League our league record against BPA is:
In BPA's 1-6 loss on Wednesday night to Bishop Auckland in the ULCC, Simon Collins, Andy Hayward, Wayne Benn, Carl Serrant, Craig Smith, Ryan Crossley and Gavin Smith were not playing but the eleven all had first team experience. This is Bradford reports on the game - "'The least said about a performance like that the better', said [BPA manager Trevor] Storton, clearly frustrated that the senior players in his side had not pulled the club through in its hour of need. 'We had too many players off, and I don't just mean the ones missing. Andy Quinn, Nicky Wood and Andy Wright were all in the starting line-up but they are not ready. They missed Saturday's game because of the flu and this thing takes a fortnight to get over'... It was the first time the squad had been together since the 2-0 loss at Marine, training sessions have been cancelled". 
Altrincham go into the game unbeaten in their last 7 league and cup games (5 wins, 2 draws) and with keeper Stuart Coburn (right) yet to finish on the losing side. He has conceded just one goal in 11 hours action since he rejoined Altrincham from Leigh RMI, though he did also let in one spot-kick, but saved two others, in Tuesday's penalty shoot-out at Workington. Captain Mark Maddox is set to return after missing Tuesday's match.
IC Newcastle states that "Blyth Spartans boss Paul Baker, out of hospital after a back operation, has been told that it could be two months before he completes a full recovery. Baker has had surgery to cure a slipped disc".
"In a quirk of fate, Skelmersdale United and Burscough have been drawn against each other in cup competition in the season when they are sharing the same ground [at Burscough]. It has happened in the first round of the Liverpool Senior Cup", reports IC Liverpool. The clubs are now debating whether Skem can have the home dressing room! The winners meet Liverpool in the next round.
Harrogate Town have arranged a friendly with Huddersfield Town on 25 November.
Droylsden's Aeon Lattie received £3,000 from Droylsden's League Cup victory over Chorley as part of his testimonial reward.
Radio Cumbria reports that "Barrow have made an official approach for Morecambe's transfer-listed striker Wayne Curtis. The 23 year-old Barrovian, who began his career with Holker Old Boys, scored 18 times for The Shrimps last season... Meanwhile, [manager Lee] Turnbull says he may follow up his interest in some of the 9 Carlisle United players placed on the transfer list earlier this week."
Gainsborough Trinity report that, after defeat by Droylsden, boss Paul Mitchell said "From my point of view it highlighted perfectly that our squad is just not strong enough... Everyone keeps telling me, we have a great side, but it is not about having a great side - it's about having a great squad... I feel the strength of the squad will stop us from finishing higher up than we could".
Transfers
It is not very often that 17 year-old twins make their debut in the same game but it happened on Tuesday night at Workington where Alty's Kelvin and Kieran Lugsden both came on as substitutes in the UniBond League Challenge Cup tie. The twins, of whom Kieran is the elder by ten minutes (d.o.b. 4/4/86), joined Alty late last season from New Mills, following the winding-up of that club's youth team. Earlier in the season, the twins had played against Altrincham and had both scored in a pulsating 5-4 win for the Derbyshire side. Both twins continue to play for New Mills's first team in the Air Miles Manchester League as well as being regular starters this season for George Heslop and Neil Thomason's Altrincham FC Youth side.
Kieran is a speedy striker, with a prolific scoring record, whilst Kelvin currently plays at centre-back for Altrincham Youth but is also comfortable in midfield or at full-back. They have now joined Paul Glynn, Steve Lunt and Ashley Timms as members of last or this year's youth squad to have played in the Altrincham first-team in 2003-04.
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This is Bradford reports that after defeat at Marine, BPA are in the "bottom four of the UniBond Premier Division [but] they still have up to three games in hand on many of their rivals and are just seven points off a place in the top half. But it was their 7th defeat in 17 starts and it left manager Trevor Storton dejected. 'It was a bad defeat - not an unfortunate one, a shocking performance against a team that are struggling', said Storton... Avenue were not at full strength with Andy Hayward returning from a rib injury but only making the bench. Simon Collins was missing with a viral infection, joining Nicky Wood and Andy Wright, who were both suffering from flu, on the sidelines. Steve Oleksewycz pulled out of the squad at the last minute due to personal reasons but new signing [on loan from Worksop] Gavin Smith made his debut".
Click on the Through the Years link above for Howard Watts's updated data on Alty games played on 22 November in the past.
SAM says that the "Robins are now at the business end of a six game unbeaten streak of league and cup matches in which they have conceded only one goal... The run has seen them keep pace with the increasingly congested group of teams gunning for the crucial top 13 position which will bring a place in next season's restructured Football Conference. Also, Robins have a home tie against Southport in the second round of the FA Trophy to look forward to - only a fool would maintain things aren't rosy in the Moss Lane garden... First and foremost, Heathcote and his lieutenant Dalton Steele have made Alty very difficult to beat, the finishing touch to a well-drilled defence being the re-signing of the totemic Stuart Coburn. The sight of Alty going 1-0 down game after game has been happily scarce recently".
Alan Johnson's website has pictures from Tuesday at Workington and of the recent STAR annual draw prize awards. The Alty Board presented Dale Brotherton the Chairman of Workington with an Altrincham centenary plate.
Alfreton Town report that "a new Supporters' Association is to be formed... Club chairman Wayne Bradley explained: 'We welcome this idea on board as the club takes pride in supporting its supporters. It is clear that the interest from fans wanting to give support to the team away from home is escalating beyond the position of recent seasons which has led to the club providing extra transport recently'. The club’s average home gate has risen massively from 277 to 559 per home league game in around 19 months."
Tuesday's MEN confirms that Ashton United and NW Counties' neighbours Curzon Ashton are to share a new ground with a 4,500 capacity. Ashton are also looking for a new chairman as acting chairman David Wright is unwell. Further details will emerge at the Ashton AGM on 26 November.
Harrogate Town lost to our own bogey side Guiseley last night in the UniBond Cup even though "There were only 2 changes to Town's starting line up compared to the team that drew 0-0 at Altrincham on Saturday. Neil Aspin and James McDaid were rested, making room for Phillip Beal and Robbie Whellans... After the players had left the pitch, Scott Bonsall, Marc Smith and Guiseley's Richard Chattoe were given red cards... Smith's red card is his second of the season". Harrogate's Michael Ord "has received a 109 days suspension, following his red card whilst playing on loan for Harrogate Railway against Pickering Town...He is banned until February".
Marine "have announced the launch of a family ticket scheme in partnership with local, mainly, primary schools. The tickets will admit families at discounted rates for the home league game against promotion chasing Harrogate Town... To date twelve schools have been invited to sell up to 20 family tickets at a discounted cost of £10 (family of five) or £7 (family of three). For each ticket sold Marine will make a donation towards school funds of £4 or £3 depending on which family tickets are sold... Marine have donated a prize to each school towards their Christmas fundraisers and are considering installing a schools' notice board in the Clubrooms".
FAC1R
UPL
ULCC2
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Paddy Mulvey: a crowd pleasing winger with a deadly shot. A very consistent player who helps his defence as well as the forwards. Formerly with Blackburn Rovers and previously experienced [in the] Cheshire League with Sankeys of Wellington. A nightmare for any full-back to play against.
Condolences to Paddy's family go from all at Moss Lane.
The Vauxhall Motors report that ex-Alty coach "Owen Brown, the recently-appointed manager, has started to shake-up his squad by releasing previous boss Alvin McDonald's last signing for the club John Norman, and his own first signing Brian McIlroy. Brown has brought in experienced duo Hugh McAuley and [ex-Alty] Paul Robertson to add to on-loan Macclesfield Town goalkeeper Matt Higgins. Ex-Liverpool winger Brian McIlroy, 21, managed just one appearance as a substitute against Runcorn FC Halton before being released. Brown knew McIlroy from the Liverpool under-19 squad he coached". McIlroy also made a couple of pre-season appearances for Altrincham in August 2002.
Harrogate Town states that "The [Harrogate] Man of the Match vote for the Altrincham game was won by Liam Sutcliffe, who just pipped James Riordan to the post... following a game that was more entertaining than the 0-0 score suggests".
Droylsden may be top of the League but they are bottom of the Fair Play Table.
Match report here.
Above: Stephen Rose heads clear.
Michael Garrity (right) who played for Alty briefly in September-October 2000, has now joined Runcorn FC Halton from Salford City.
Worksop are having a clear-out, it seems:
This is Bristol explains that Chester City's Steve Brodie's loan move to Droylsden arose because his "return to Forest Green Rovers has fallen through... Rovers' boss Colin Addison confirms they were all set to make an offer, but Chester pulled out of the deal and Brodie is instead to spend a month on loan at UniBond League Premier Division high-flyers, Droylsden - although he has not given up hope on returning to The Lawn. 'The clubs weren't able to sort anything out,' Brodie said. 'So I'm going to Droylsden just so that I can get playing again'".
This is Lancs reports that Chorley may be signing another Southport player, after Lee Clitheroe, namely defender Paul Haddow.
Copyright: ©
Compiled by John Laidlar