CURRENT SEASON'S ARCHIVE page |
15 to 21 January, 2004
|
15 to 21 January, 2004 |
Mark Eckersall, coordinator of the STAR supporters' coach travel scheme, writes:
STAR advise that the coach to Weymouth is now fully booked, which is extremely pleasing, 11 days before the game. Whilst no seats are currently available, supporters are still asked to call the club (928-1045) if they wish to travel. Please leave your details with the club and you will be contacted in the event of any cancellations. Supporters who have already booked but find they are unable to attend MUST contact the club as soon as possible as they may otherwise be stopping other people from travelling.
Due to the costs involved in a trip of this distance it is not viable to arrange a second coach which would not be filled, although STAR are confident that, mostly due to the high number of supporters travelling down for the weekend, there will not be too many people who cannot get there. Supporters who have spare seats in cars etc should contact Mark Eckersall, STAR's Travel Secretary, via the club. Should it be needed, Mark will be happy to put people in contact with one and other to ensure our support at Weymouth is as large as possible. STAR would like to thank all fans who have supported the coaches on this trip and others throughout the season.
See the Away Travel page for details of the coach to Weymouth.
As previously advised, Andrew Shaw [director] and Graham Heathcote [secretary/manager] today met with a representative from the Inland Revenue. A very constructive meeting took place with regard to the club's outstanding Income Tax bill and it was agreed that a further meeting would take place in April/May.
The Board would like to stress that all current Income Tax and VAT payments have been made on time over the last 18 months and they are making every effort to erode the inherited debts, as and when possible.
The Board, Altrincham Football Club.
Footnote: Weymouth beat Bath City last night 2-0 and Laws scored.
The Burscough site reports on their upcoming fixture with Skelmersdale United, who will play "new goal scoring sensation Lee Thompson (right), who has scored in each of the last 4
games". Lee is the former Altrincham Youth Team player who also appeared
in 1(+5) games for Altrincham's first-team in 2001-02. His former youth
team-mate, Mario Daniel, was a sub for Leigh RMI on Saturday.
Another old boy is now at Radcliffe Borough; "Arriving on loan from Stalybridge Celtic is 22-year-old central defender Terry Bowker, the former Bolton Wanderers, Altrincham and Bamber Bridge captain is initially coming on a month's loan with manager Glendon explaining, 'The month's loan gives Terry an opportunity to play first team football after losing his place recently after being a regular for Stalybridge since the beginning of the season'". And, "Glendon has also signed 23-year-old former Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers striker Paul Wheatcroft. The former England schoolboy international joins the club from Leigh R.M.I".
"Troubled Gainsborough Trinity manager Paul Mitchell admits he is seriously concerned over his squad's size and strength following Saturday's defeat at Barrow. The issue was brought to the fore by Mitchell... as once again he confirmed his side cannot compete with the UniBond Premier Division elite". Mitchell told This is Lincs "If you look at what Barrow had on their bench, compared to what we had on ours, there is no comparison... If my starting 11 is hampered by injury or suspension, or it is not firing on all cylinders, I have nothing in reserve to make a decent change and keep the momentum".
Wes Wilkinson (20), who played for Altrincham Youth in 2000-01 and 2001-02, has "signed for Stafford Rangers [of the Dr Martens Premier Division] for a four-figure fee plus staggered payments on appearances and a 40% sell-on clause", according to the NW Counties League website. Wes was Nantwich Town's leading scorer last season in the NW Counties League and has again been scoring for the Dabbers this season. He is pictured (above) in the double-winning 2001-02 Alty Youth side. Wes is fifth from the right on the back row; third from right on the front row is Vernum Rowland who played for Alty's first team before he, too, went to Nantwich Town. Picture courtesy of Danny Claffey.
James Robinson, loaned to Alty last season by Crewe, scored his first senior goal on Saturday in Alex's 4-6 defeat at Ipswich.
Also, don't forget the Robins' Club Shop sale, where you can get your kit for the Weymouth trip: details here.
Without their suspended player-manager, Steve Claridge, Weymouth beat Hednesford 2-0 yesterday in front of nearly 1,500 fans at the Wessex Stadium. Robbie Pethick, on loan from Brighton, scored on his debut for the Terras. Another home debutant was Stewart Yetton (ex-Plymouth Argyle). In the NL Paper Yeovil boss Gary Johnson says of Weymouth, that they are "looking for a Conference place. Who's to say they can't do that and win the Trophy as well"?
Frickley Athletic "have issued a statement categorically denying reports in some of today's local press which indicate that unless Lee Morris is sold before the end of the month the club will have its assets seized by the Inland Revenue. A report in this week's South Yorkshire Times states that the club needs to sell Morris before the end of January in order to pay off a £12,500 tax bill. This is totally inaccurate. The club's outstanding tax debt stands lower than the £12,500 which is quoted and the club definitely do not need to sell Lee Morris in order to pay this off".
"Tony Lee... follows up last week's signing of TNS striker Justin Perry with midfielder Simon Colligan from Wolviston and central defender Michael Gough from Jarrow Roofing. Also signed, on a month's loan from Scarborough, is yet another goalkeeper, Gareth Downey", reports the Spennymoor website
Worksop Town "have been approached by the FA to host the England U17 side in an International Tournament due to be held in March".
This is Lincs report that today "Rob O'Brien plays his last game for [Gainsborough] after spending a month on-loan from Doncaster Rovers.
Hucknall Today says that "plans to bring in veteran defender Terry Angus have been shelved by Hucknall Town manager Steve Burr. Angus (38)... was due to move from Burr's previous club, Nuneaton Borough. But now the Town chief has decided that other departments, most notably midfield, need strengthening first. And he has been holding talks this week with Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock and Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough about bringing someone in". But "on-loan striker Paul Moore... again had the manager fuming last weekend [after he cried off their last game with tonsillitis]... 'I have not been happy with Paul since he decided to go back to Telford of his own accord just before Christmas', blasted Burr. 'He came back but has really annoyed me and the sooner his loan spell ends, the better. He has totally let the club down and the players down... But sometimes players seem to think football owes them a living and they get a rude awakening when the penny finally drops'".
The MEN confirms that the Conference will not accept Droylsden were they to win the UniBond League.
"Kevin Leadbetter signed a two and a half year contract" with Southport on Thursday according to their website. And "Negotiations continue with right winger Colin Potts who is available from Northwich Victoria. Potts only signed for the Vics two months ago from Stalybridge for £5,000 but does not feature in Shaun Teale's plans. The Bower Fold club are also eager to re-sign the ex-Rochdale, Chorley , Lancaster and Morecambe 25 year old winger".
Moves:
Vauxhall Motors have signed former Alty left-back Steve Porter (right) from Droylsden.
Earlier this week Runcorn FC Halton chairman Dr David Robertson, told This is Runcorn, "Losing in the FA Trophy [at Altrincham] has no significance with regard to the position of Kevin [Leadbetter] at the club", but today Runcorn announced "Kevin Leadbetter has been transferred to Southport for an undisclosed fee. Issues surrounding the registrations of former Runcorn FC Halton manager Liam Watson and his assistant Neil Whalley, (ex-Alty), have also been resolved and they too have been transferred to Southport". This means that Watson and Whalley can now play for Southport, where they took over as manager and assistant after leaving Runcorn.
Macclesfield are "to appeal against Danny Adams's red card at Boston", says the Manchester Evening News after Silkmen manager John Askey changed his mind about a tackle he orignally called "rash and silly". The article also states that Adams (left) is "said to be unhappy at the Board's renewed offer" of a new contract. Adams's former team-mate at Alty, Kevin Ellison is also in the MEN: "Kevin Ellison is a [Stockport] player who looked to be heading out on loan but Sammy McIlroy insists he remains bery much part of his plans".
Former Alty man and Nantwich boss Nigel Gleghorn is preparing for the Vase which he told IC Cheshire "could be our best chance of winning something this season". The article adds "Nantwich will be without 21-goal leading scorer Wes Wilkinson [ex-Alty youth] who is serving a one-match suspension, while Vernum Rowland [ex-Alty youth and first-teams] could miss the rest of the season after breaking an ankle".
There is plenty of national press coverage this week of Mark Quayle, scorer of the Scarborough goal which earned an FA Cup tie against Chelsea. Quayle played four games for Alty in 2000/01.
Whitby Town "have signed up two Hartlepool United youth team players in time for Saturday's UniBond game with Runcorn. Andrew Appleby and Darren Craddock, a striker and central defender, have joined on work experience placement".
IC Sefton reports that "After the most successful year playing-wise in their 57-year history, Burscough Football Club lost £1,294. This, despite making around £80,000 in prize-money and TV receipts from the FA Trophy competition which they won by beating Tamworth at Villa Park. The deficit was mainly due to a massive increase in players' wages and salaries at Victoria Park, £99,866 [compared] with £39,947 the season before. And because of large-scale administration costs in staging the final, the rewards from Villa Park itself were paltry, £19,625 from a gate totalling £158,037. The Villa cash returns were described by shareholder David Hardisty as "very unfair, totally wrong, almost corrupt," at the third annual shareholders' meeting". Director of Football Rod Cottam said: "We had a lot of highly-paid contract players last year but we have moved them on one way or another. It is a miracle we don't have an overdraft in my opinion".
This is Worksop says that "striker Chris Beardsley is the latest loanee who will attempt to solve Tigers' goalscoring problems. The Mansfield Town youngster, 20, signed for Worksop this week on a month-long deal". Beardsley "turned down a move to Conference side Northwich Victoria in favour of Worksop". Manager Steve Ludlam said that in their Trophy win over Guiseley "I thought Macca (Dave McCarthy) was outstanding". McCarthy regained his first-team place after a spell on loan at Altrincham this season.
Hucknall Today reports that "Terry Angus, who made more than 300 Football League appearances for Fulham and Northampton Town, is 38 next Wednesday. And by then, Town manager Steve Burr hopes to have his name signed on the dotted line for the rest of the Unibond League, Premier Division campaign. Angus is currently with Nuneaton Borough... 'I would like to bring Terry to the club and he wants to sign'", said Burr.
Lancaster Today says that City manager Phil Wilson "was non-committal about Chris Lane's chances of joining City, despite confirming that the defender released by Morecambe has been training with Lancaster. 'Chris has been down training with us but really we're just helping him out with his fitness. At the moment he wants to go to another Conference club, we are just doing him a favour letting him work with us. If he doesn't get fixed up with a Conference side that's something different, but we'll have to wait and see what happens'".
Alty Manager and Club Secretary, Graham Heathcote, has announced that:
"With immediate effect there will be a sale of stock from the Club Shop and now is a good time, with the Weymouth match uppermost in all our minds, for people to buy items to wear on the trip to the South Coast. The items for sale are as follows:
Not all sizes are available and it's first come first served as no more stock of these items will be ordered".
As we do not have a home game now until February, you will from today be able to buy your goods at the ground on any weekday except Monday and Wednesday (pm). Alternatively, you can phone the club office (0161-928-1045) and order goods that way and arrange to pick them up at a convenient date.
Right: Ian Craney and Peter Band 'model' the centenary kit; now available at reduced prices!
See the Robins' Shop page for details of all the club's merchandise.
TNS of the League of Wales report that they have "made a move to bolster their squad by targeting young midfielder Barry Hogan from Runcorn FC Halton. Boss Ken McKenna, a former Runcorn [and Alty] player himself, has served seven days' notice of approach on the 19-year-old", who is a former Manchester City trainee.
Ceefax reports that Stuart Nelson, Hucknall's goalkeeper, has gone on trial to Brentford.
Copyright: ©
Compiled by John Laidlar