Altrincham Football Club News Archive
3 to 9 September 2004
9 September 2004
RESERVES LOSE
Altrincham Reserves lost 4-0 last night against Southport at Abbey Hey. Amongst those playing for Alty was striker Marcus Hallows (right). Report in Reserves section.GRAHAM SAYS
In SAM, Graham Heathcote said of last week's win over Harrogate, "In the first half we defended well but the strikers and the midfield were not functioning as we wanted. The lads got their act together in the second half and deserve a lot of credit". Looking forward to Saturday's trip to Southport he said, "I consider it one of the toughest games of the season".OLD BOYS
Lee Evans, an ex-Alty reserve striker, scored Curzon Ashton's only goal in the 1-1 draw at Formby, his second of two games for Curzon on loan from Hyde after 12 months out with a cruciate injury. Lee Thompson scored for Skelmersdale as they beat Stocksbridge PS in the FA Cup replay on Tuesday.COMING UP
Cammell Laird, who visit Moss Lane next Tuesday in the Cheshire Senior Cup, continued their fine form with a 4-0 win on Tuesday.N/WIDE NORTH- CELTIC CLEAR OUT
Stalybridge Celtic report that "In an attempt to arrest Celtic's slide to second bottom of the Nationwide North manager Dave Miller has transfer-listed no fewer than seven players... defenders Terry Bowker and Gregg Pearce, midfielders Scott Bonsall, Darren Bowman, Lee Connell and Ian Monk and striker Phil Eastwood. Eastwood, who has netted 53 goals in 109 appearances for the Celts is likely to attract the most interest". Celtic have won only two of their last 16 league fixtures.The Tameside Advertiser quotes Dave Miller before Tuesday's game: "We are going to have to address the situation of us leaking goals under no real pressure... The strikers are another vexing thing for me as in other seasons, Andy (Hayward) and Phil (Eastwood) have been getting 20-25 goals. The fact Chris Denham isn't fit and that it's difficult to get people in has put extra pressure on them".
Worksop Town report that "Brian O'Callaghan has accepted a month's trial with Crewe Alexandra although in the short term he is still available for selection for the Tigers... [Meanwhile] Gary Townsend has been released from hospital following his accidental clash of heads with Alfreton's Ian Robinson. He is likely to be out for three weeks". IC Cheshire quotes O'Callaghan (23) a former Barnsley centre-back: "I've spent the summer in limbo not knowing whether I was going to get a club and it has been a hard time. But I've tried to keep myself fit by playing non-league with Worksop Town in the Nationwide North, which is a tough league".
Days after agreeing to extend his loan Accrington Stanley have recalled Jonathon Smith from his loan spell at Barrow.
8 September 2004
ANOTHER BOSS GOES
Two of last season's UniBond Premier clubs who failed to make Conference North have now parted with their manager this week. After Frickley's Phil Sharpe resigned, now Whitby Town have sacked Harry Dunn. Chairman Graham Manser said: 'This is a very sad day for the club. Harry, after virtually nine years in charge was the most successful manager in our history. Unfortunately, however, the club has become distanced from its supporters and sponsors by the style of play and therefore the committee felt there was no alternative but to seek a new manager'" reports the club website.NATIONWIDE NORTH
On the Lancaster City site, Phil Wilson says "Generally we have had a good start to the season however our small squad has been stretched to the limits with injuries and unavailability... We have lost players through injury who are the physically strong players and players who are good in the air winning headers and defending well at set plays .We have therefore had to field teams small in height and also not physically strong... Against a very big and strong Hinckley side we were over powered and were well beaten... I am trying to sign some new players".Our last opponents, Harrogate Town quote their Managing Director Nigel Pleasants as telling the BBC, "about Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Altrincham... [He] said: 'We played very well in the first half, but didn't put the chances away, and got punished for it later. We have got to learn how to put chances away when we are on top'".
Radcliffe Borough "manager Kevin Glendon has signed Ciaran Kilheeney from local neighbours Droylsden on a month's loan".
This is Worcester says that "manager John Barton was left bemoaning another striker setback as Christian Moore suffered a serious knee injury in last night's reserve fixture... Moore was stretchered off... The former Telford United forward, who has yet to start for City in the Nationwide North, was in agony following an innocuous challenge ... It is a major blow for Barton, with Leon Kelly and Adam Webster the only experienced strikers fit".
7 September 2004
TUESDAY SCORE
DAVID TO MOVE
David Holt (left), who was released by Stockport County and joined Altrincham over the summer after a previous loan spell at Moss Lane, is set to join Woodley Sports. He joins former Robins, Richard Acton and Andy McDonald at Woodley. He made 6(+4) appearances for Alty last season and scored once.
NO FEAR
IC Southport quotes our next opponents' boss Liam Watson as saying after defeating Nuneaton, "We have no one to fear in this league... In particular, our strike partnership of Neil Robinson and Terry Fearns was outstanding". The game ended in controversy when Boro' defender Steve Farmer was allegedly punched by a Southport player but the referee saw nothing.
Pictured right is Ged Kielty, one of eight players who have been in the first-team this season and who are back at Altrincham after having a spell away at another club (or clubs) - in Ged's case the other club was Leigh RMI. The other returnees are Coburn, Adams, Maddox, Shuttleworth, Talbot, Hardy and Little (who was at Alty as a junior).
THIS WEEK
OLD BOYS
Scunthorpe United have decided not to request a further extension to Matt Bailey's loan from Stockport County. Matt was loaned to Altrincham last season. Southport report that former Alty player and reserves' manager Joey Dunn has been appointed as manager of Southport Reserves. By coincidence, Southport Reserves are away to Altrincham Reserves on Wednesday evening at Abbey Hey (7.45pm).NATIONWIDE NORTH
Accrington have agreed to extend the loans of Jonathan Smith and Steven Flitcroft to Barrow.NL Daily says that "Former England National Game international striker Scott Rickards has joined Redditch United from Kidderminster Harriers...on a month's loan".
This is Worcester says that City goalkeeper "Danny McDonnell will be missing for up to a month after tests revealed he has cracked three ribs and punctured a lung [v Hucknall]. But Worcester City manager John Barton has swooped to sign former Walsall reserve Aaron Kerr (19) who made a useful debut in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Runcorn". In that match Worcester apparently made an official complaint to Runcorn FC Halton before the game, concerning the confusing pitch markings. Rugby markings led to the Worcester keeper inadvertently carrying the ball outside the box at one point.
6 September 2004
DISTRICT YOUTH LOSE
The Altrincham & District FA side, comprising players from the Altrincham FC youth team, lost 3-2 at Shawe View on Sunday to a Mid-Cheshire FA side in the annual County FA cup competition, which is played on a league basis. For a match report and more pictures, see the Youth page. Above, Mid-Cheshire score their opener, a header by Swan (orange shirt, no.8).
THANK YOU
The half-time STAR bucket collection raised £64.70 on Saturday; many thanks from the club to all collectors and contributors.OLD BOYS
Danny Adams was substituted for Stockport on Saturday soon after committing a foul. Ian Craney hit the bar but was replaced by Jody Banim for Accrington and Kevin Ellison also struck the bar in his game for Chester City. But Kevin will be upset to be described as a "veteran Merseysider" in The Pink - Kevin is actually only 25 - it must be his haircut! Chris Timons played for his new team Hucknall, as did Adam Farley for Droylsden, for whom Carl Furlong was a used sub. Tony Sullivan turned out for Lancaster City but James Glendenning was an unused sub for Vauxhall Motors for whom their manager and former Alty Director of Football, Owen Brown, was sent off. Leroy Chambers played for Matlock Town. Andy McDonald scored twice for Woodley Sports in the FA Cup.GRAHAM ON OFFSIDES & FIRST-HALVES
In The Pink Graham Heathcote argues against the current offside law. "The new offside law is proving disastrous... The sooner we get back to the old one, the better... All it's doing is putting extra pressure on referees' assistants... Timing used to be art for strikers. Gary Lineker made a handsome living out of it. Now it's an art to be offside but not be seen to be interfering with play. Teams are conceding goals to interpretations and nothing will ever convince me that's a good thing for football". The Vics' boss Steve Burr makes a similar point elsewhere in the paper - for once Alty and Vics are in agreement!
Commenting on Alty's failure to score a goal earlier than the 58th minute in any match this season, Graham added, "The fact we've not been scoring until our opponents have started to tire tells me we're still not quite at the level I want us to be. On the other ahand, we've looked reasonably solid at the back".
Indeed, after Saturday's games, Altrincham have the best defence in Nationwide North, with just 4 goals conceded in 6 games. This is all the more commendable a record as last season's first-choice central defenders, Mark Maddox (4 games) and Gary Talbot (2 games), were suspended at the start of the season. Both Peter Band and Stephen Rose did an excellent job in their absence this season and, indeed, Peter has so far both retained his central-defensive starting position and the team captaincy even though Mark has now completed his suspension. Above, Mark Maddox, Peter Band and Eddie Hussin are seen at last week's Altrincham photo-shoot.
Colin Little is joint fifth leading scorer in the Nationwide North, with 5 goals. But Colin has played one fewer game than the leading scorers, who all have six goals - Colin Hunter (Harrogate), Ryan Zico Black (Lancaster) and Leon Kelly and Adam Webster (both Worcester).
ON THE MOVE
The Pink reports that David Holt, the former Stockport County youngster, is set to leave Moss Lane after failing to break through to the first team.NATIONWIDE NORTH
Worksop Town confirm that "Ryan Davis has gone on loan to Matlock Town for a month while manager Ronnie Glavin has dispensed with the services of Chris Davies"."It was a depleted Celtic that faced Barrow at Bower Fold, with just thirteen senior players available for the game, but it was refreshing to see the youth set up utilised to fill the substitutes bench". Barrow's opener came when "Campbell won the header leaving Bowker on his backside... Bowker was finding the physical Campbell too hot to hold and gave away foul after foul... There was quite a lot of dissent in the crowd at the end which is sad", reports the Stalybridge website.
UNIBOND
The UniBond League reports that "Immediately following the game at Bamber Bridge Phil Sharpe gave the Frickley Athletic Committee a week's notice of his intention to resign as Frickley manager... Gary Hatto will then take temporary charge... Phil ... is aware of what is lacking from the side but is unable to bring in the required players on the budget available so feels it is time for someone else to take over".5 September 2004
NEXT TRIP
Details of the STAR supporters' coach to Southport next Saturday are here. Howard Watts's Through the Years records for 11 September are here.Instead of playing in the league on Sunday (5th) against Lancaster, Alty Youth will make up the bulk if not all of the Altrincham & District FA side to play Mid-Cheshire FA at Shawe View (Trafford FC)- k.o. at 2pm.
OLD BOYS
Both Anthony Hargreaves and Jamie Almond scored twice for Flixton in a 5-2 win against Parkgate in the FA Cup yesterday. Also in the Cup, Chris Downey netted for Mossley and Glyn Barker, a pre-season Alty trialist, scored for Clitheroe.N/WIDE NORTH NEWS
The Conference has a Conference North player of the month vote in progress for which the nominees are Colin Hunter (Harrogate), Darren Lynch (Kettering), Ryan Black (Lancaster), Darren Middleton (Moor Green) and Adam Webster (Worcester).Stalybridge Celtic have "announced the signing of Accrington Stanley striker Damien Hindle". Other moves include Ryan Davis from Worksop to Matlock on loan.
ALTRINCHAM 3 HARROGATE TOWN 0
Above: Niell Hardy emerges from the net after the first goal, credited to Colin Little. Little is seen taking the applause, to the right of goal, whilst Colin Potts is in the centre of the picture and the ball is in the bottom corner of the net.
The Harrogate website says that "It was another case of the away day blues for Harrogate Town [at Altrincham], three second half goals in the space of 13 minutes giving Altrincham their first win ever win against the Wetherby Roaders".
Below, left: Colin Little, far right on haunches, has just scored with an overhead kick - as good a goal as Moss Lane has seen for many a year. The ball is seen just hitting the back of the net. Colin is seen below, right, with his Man of The Match award.
SATURDAY SCORES |
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4 September 2004
STAR4ALTY
"STAR, the Altrincham FC Supporters’ Trust, is launching its "Star4Alty" football coaching scheme for kids in conjunction with Trafford Borough Council’s Sports Development Department and Football Focus on Saturday 18th September in Stamford Park on Moss Lane, Altrincham. The STAR4ALTY scheme will be open to all boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 14". For more information, see the STAR website shortly.N/NORTH NEWS
The MEN reports that Stalybridge Celtic are trying to lessen their injury crisis by trying to get ex-Bury star Lenny Johnrose to come out of retirement for them. Celtic currently have "only a dozen fit players".Worksop Today "Former Tiger Chris Bettney has warned Worksop ahead of Saturday's derby with Alfreton: 'We'll make it tough. Every game has been a tough contest... We count ourselves as serious title contenders'. Worksop "striker Simeon Bambrook is expected to be out for at least another two weeks while Linden Whitehead will again be missing with a calf injury. Dene Cropper (knee), Blake Norton (ankle), Chris Cleary (foot) and Miles Thorpe (hamstring) face fitness tests... Meanwhile, midfielder Chris Davies has this week been released by the club."
Also suffering injuries are Stafford Rangers according to This is Staffs. They "have been hit by a triple injury blow ahead of the visit to Bradford PA... With full-back Dennis Pearce already sidelined with a calf injury, his replacement Nathan Talbott and fellow defender Craig McAughtrie are both struggling to be fit... Player-boss Phil Robinson is also still unable to call on former York centre-back Chris Smith, who has yet to feature in any competitive match for Rangers because of a knee injury".
IC Southport meet Nuneaton today, whose manager "Roger Ashby was the catalyst for Rushden and Diamonds' rise before being replaced by Brian Talbot. Team news for tomorrow revolves around left winger Kevin Leadbetter who... will be desperate to play as he sits out the next two matches following his Ashton straight red card dismissal. In mid-field Kevin Lynch made his full debut in the absence of Dominic Morley". Former Runcorn man Leadbetter therefore, presumably, misses the clash with Alty next Saturday.
Meanwhile Ashby told IC Coventry "This is a game we want to win badly. Our performance in our previous home games have been a bit hit and miss, so the lads want to show the fans they are not in a false position. It would be great to get a 1,000-plus through the turnstiles. I want to make Manor Park a fortress". Boro "winger Stuart Wilson is back in contention following an elbow in the face against Barrow that left the former Leicester City man with a badly bruised and swollen nose".
Vauxhall's Anthony Wright [who] was shot four times by a masked gunman on July 27 "is now targeting an October comeback for the Motormen" reports IC Cheshire.
Lancaster Today reports that "City play their fourth consecutive home game at Giant Axe... against Hinckley United". Manager Phil Wilson said, "They are unbeaten and are a big, strong and powerful side. Hopefully we will have the personnel who can match that". For City, "Jamie Murphy and Gary Bauress are both expected to be missing and Neil Uberschar is definitely out with his broken collarbone. There were also doubts this week over the fitness of Peter Thomson". Meanwhile "Ryan-Zico Black is the Nationwide North's top scorer with six goals while Thomson has three strikes". Wilson concluded, "Defensively we have not been as strong as we were last season and we have got to look at that".
Hucknall Today reports how Town lost to Worksop on this week and "The outcome could be construed as a measure of how far Hucknall have regressed since landing the Unibond League championship last season. For they breezed past Worksop 3-0 on the same Sandy Lane ground when clinching the title last April. Chillingly, that was the last competitive match The Yellows won. Tuesday night was the tenth without success".
"Droylsden chief Dave Pace has laid down the gauntlet to his strikers to start scoring goals. The Bloods supremo has used five strikers so far this season... 28-goal leading scorer Danny Byrne has been dropped as Pace seeks to find the ideal remedy... Pace said: 'It’s a massive worry considering Danny got 28 last year and couldn’t hit a corner flag this year. Maybe dropping him will be the kick up the backside he will need'", he told the Tameside Advertiser.
This is Nottingham reports that "Midfielder Roy Hunter makes his first re-appearance for Hucknall Town at Ashton United tomorrow since returning from Northwich Victoria... The Danny Holland transfer fee will no longer go to a tribunal after Hucknall agreed a fee with Matlock for the striker's services. The two clubs have agreed an undisclosed four-figure fee, with add-ons".
OLD BOYS
Michael Reynolds, briefly at Alty last season is still in Eastwood Town's first eleven. Scunthorpe have asked to extend their loan of Matt Bailey from Stockport County.CHESHIRE NEWS
"Northwich Victoria have agreed an extension to their groundshare at Witton Albion, pending Conference approval... The club is putting the final touches to the restructuring of the board of directors, and an announcement is expected within a week. This, it is intended, will produce the finance to complete the stadium. In the meantime, a new agreement with Witton Albion runs through to the end of the season" states Confguide.3 September 2004
TEAM PHOTO
The Altrincham first-team photo-shoot took place last night at Moss Lane; it was later in the season than usual because of the late delivery of the new 'home' kit for 2004/05 - indeed, it only arrived yesterday. The new kit is seen above on its first outing. Pictured above, left to right, are:
OLD BOYS
Former Alty favourite Paul Ellender played in the same side this week as England legend Paul Gascoigne when their Boston United side defeated Chester City, who included another ex-Robin, Kevin Ellison. Ellender gave away a penalty for handball and Ellison was booked (again!). Hyde's former Alty defender Steven Clegg has glandular fever and will be out for some time. David Wills, the blond winger briefly at Alty, is now at Congleton Town.GRAHAM'S VIEWS
SAM has a report on Alty's draw with Bradford last Saturday. "They hit the frame twice in a solid contest, which lacked entertainment value and was spoiled on more than one occasion by the visiting team's time-wasting tactics... Speaking after the game, a clearly frustrated Graham Heathcote said, 'If that's what football's all about these days, you can keep it for me. Fair play to them - they came here to frustrate us and they managed to do it. There was absolutely no flow to the first half. Every goal kick they took must have taken half a minute. Maybe it is a sign of the times - teams using frustration tactics four
games into the season. Against teams like that we need to get a goal and start making them panic".
After the Hinckley game, Graham added, "For the amount of possession we had we should have come out with more than one point. I haven't seen a team yet that has worried me. I am quite confident we will be in with a chance every game we play". The Hinckley site has some photos of last Monday's game.
SAM adds that "Gary Scott (seen, right, at last night's photo-shoot) is expected to play this weekend, having been left out of the team on Monday following a knock on the knee".
CSC
Alty now meet Cammell Laird in the Cheshire Senior Cup on 14 September. They beat Winsford last week, "the Blues going down 3-1 to an impressive looking Cammell Laird team. The boys from Birkenhead,joined our league this season,and certainly look as though they mean business and we will be hard pressed to stay with them if we are to have any chance of promotion. Sadly another poor attendance (64) the majority of which appeared to be Laird supporters" reports the Winsford forum.
ALTY LOSE OUT
George Clegg, the ex-Bury and Manchester United player, who played for Alty Reserves last week, has signed for Northwich Victoria.N/WIDE NORTH
The Harrogate forum has a debate on the Yorkshire club's prices led by visiting Hinckley fans, who paid £10 to get in and had to pay £2 for a programme and £2.40 for a pint of lager. It also reports that Town play "a taped recording of a large enthusiastic crowd bellowed out through the speakers" as the teams come onto the pitch.
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