Altrincham Football Club News Archive
18 to 22 November, 2004
22 November 2004
ALTY DROP A PLACE
Monday 22nd:
UPDATES
FORUM CHANGE
The Altrincham Fans' Forum is becoming a site for which contributors must register, although the contents will still be viewable by all. Forum administrator Gary Warrington is introducing this change to stop anonymous postings. To register, please click here.ALFRETON VIEW
The Alfreton website has a match report on Saturday's which says that their "last gasp winner ensured that justice was done at Moss Lane on Saturday, despite Alfreton Town having to fight a rearguard action for long spells of the match". When referee Knee awarded Alty their equaliser "as far as Altrincham were concerned, he might as well have donned a red coat, grown a long white beard and carried a sackful of toys on his back" says the report. However, it admits that "Although that goal served the interests of justice, Altrincham might well have felt aggrieved to lose a match, most of which they had dominated". Alfreton boss David Lloyd said, "Even their manager said straightaway that it wasn't a goal.For this site's report, see below.
MOVES
Players on the move include former Alty Youth keeper Jordan Broxson, who has joined Atherton LR. Meanwhile, Rod Thornley's brother, Ben, has joined Bacup Borough.NATIONWIDE NORTH
IC Coventry has more on Nuneaton Borough's ground move. "Nuneaton Rugby Club believe they have secured the future of the club for another 125 years through their ground-share agreement with Nuneaton Borough. From next season the two clubs will play on the current Liberty Way first-team [rugby] pitch which Borough have bought freehold from Nuns [the rugby club] and will be relaid next summer... Boro boss Roger Ashby, meanwhile, hailed the deal as 'a major boost for us - the best thing that's happened to the club for many years. The only way forward was to get a new ground. The financial situation at the club has been dire over this last period, but this will give us the chance to develop a really super stadium where we can generate the sort of income you need to run a club at Conference level, and hopefully above".GROUNDSMEN'S AWARDS
The NW Counties League says that"The FA's Groundsmen of the Year is now in its fourth year. The Award was set up to recognise the contribution of these unsung heroes of the grass roots game and encourage the development of groundmanship. This year the categories have been revised in line with the league re-structuring and an extra category included. The categories [include] 'Clubs at Step 1 and 2 (Conference and Conference North & South)'... For Clubs at Step 1-4, please contact your League Secretary for details of how to enter. The top three groundsman in these categories will then go forward to National Judging. The Judges are not only looking at the quality of the pitch, but also take in to consideration the Groundsman knowledge, the resources available to him, how often the pitch is used and whether he is full or part time... The National winners, along with a trophy, receive travel vouchers for a overseas weekend break".21 November 2004
RESERVES AND YOUTH TEAM
Updated Lancashire League and NWYA Premier Division tables are in the Reserves' and Youth Team sections of this site, respectively.ALTRINCHAM 1 ALFRETON TOWN 2
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Left: Chris Adams seems to be thinking what might have been after the game. Right: Eddie Hussin leaves with the Man of the Match champagne after another hardworking performance.
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The Alfreton website says that yesterday "The Reds' defence withstood a serious examination by an Alty side with a good record at home".
OLD BOYS
Defender Adam Farley has been released by Droylsden. Lee Thompson scored for Skem in the Vase, whilst another former Alty Youth player, Lee Shillito started for Leigh RMI in the Conference; another ex-Alty lad, Graham Tench was on Leigh's bench. Ian Craney had a goal disallowed for Accrington. Dale Newbrook again kept goal for Woodley Sports. Jez Illingworth scored for Guiseley- an overhead kick described as "a stunner" in the NLP. Visible on the Bolton bench on Match of the Day yesterday was Mark Sertori, now fitness coach for the Wanderers.In the League, Kevin Ellison scored a long-range freekick for Chester City and Danny Adams played for Stockport County, for whose reserves Matt Bailey scored last Tuesday.
The Pink has a letter recalling the incident when Freddie Pye, the former Alty manager, had a bucket of water poured over him during a match by a Hyde United player.
DREAMING OF MAD DOG AND CRANEY
In the NLP's "Dream Team" weekly feature Southport's Kevin Lynch names a team comprising the best players he has played with or against. At centre-half is Alty's Mark "Mad Dog" Maddox (right) who Lynch describes as a "tough no-nonsense sort of player. The type you want who gives everyone a lift when the chips are down". In his team, Lynch would be playing Mark "on the right of the back three and making him my captain because he leads from the front and is a quality player". Also in Lynch's side is Ian Craney as "My link up between midfield and the forwards. [He has] the ability to take people on and has great balance on the ball. Every time I play against him, he seems to pop up and score... He has the potential to play at a higher level".
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
TRANSFERS
The UniBond League confirms that "Radcliffe Borough manager Kevin Glendon has at last signed 20 year old Cieran Kilheeney landing his man with the offer of a two year contract... Glendon had hoped to sign him in time for last week's fixture at Workington but the deal was held up". Other moves:COMING SOON
The NLP has a piece on Moor Green, whom we meet in a fortnight, as they have two players, Lee Collins and Richard Follett, who are training to be physios. Details of the STAR supporters' coach to this game (near Solihull) are here, along with a map link.CLASH
England have arranged to play Northern Ireland at Old Trafford in a World Cup qualifier at 3pm on Easter Saturday (26 March). This clashes with Alty's long trip up to Barrow, scheduled for that date.20 November 2004
RESULTS
PRE-MATCH NEWS
The Conference site reports that "Alfreton Town manager David Lloyd has injury worries ahead of Saturday's top five Nationwide North clash at Altrincham. Mick Godber returns from a one game suspension which kept him out of the midweek Conference Cup game but there are doubts over John Knapper who missed the same game with a virus, Mark Sale (swollen ankle) and Ben Chapman who has a hand injury (but not a broken wrist as first feared). Reds from: Lee Butler, Carl Bradshaw, Ian Robinson, Ben Chapman, Mark Blount, Grant Brown, Mitch Ward, John Knapper, Matt Fisher, Emeka Nwadike, Chris Bettney, Chris Dolby, Peter Duffield, Mick Godber, Mick Goddard, Mark Sale, David Holmes, Stephen Woolley".This is Derbyshire reports that "Manager David Lloyd has demanded full concentration from his Alfreton Town players as they prepare to put their FA Cup hopes on the back burner and resume league action... 'The players won't have any trouble re-focusing, or at least they'd better not', he said... 'We're not going to win the FA Cup. The league is our bread and butter. Altrincham are up there fighting and it's another big game for us'. Lloyd reckons Altrincham will have no trouble motivating themselves for tomorrow's clash. 'They were beaten in the week and I'm sure they'll be determined to turn us over', he said. 'When we played them last season, it wasn't the friendliest of games, so I'm sure they'll be looking to get one over on us this time around'". Alfreton won the game last season 1-0 after a very harsh decision by referee Roberts to award Alfreton a penalty for handball against Peter Band. Towards the end of the match Mark Maddox was sent off for a kick at Sale before Alfreton's Bettney followed him for an early bath after raising his arms against Aspinall. Mark has yet to complete ninety minutes against The Reds as he was also sent off in the away game at Alfreton last season - a game in which he also fractured his heel.
Altrincham are top of the Conference's home form table but 18th in the away form table. Alfreton are second in the away form table.
NATIONWIDE NORTH
"Lee Turnbull, manager of Barrow, has chosen not to recall on-loan striker Gavin Knight [who] has spent the last month at Brigg Town... Bridlington Town and Ossett Town are the two clubs believed to be interested in taking him on loan... But any deal will only be short-term with Turnbull insisting Knight remains part of his plans. He added:'He just needs to play some games and he needs to regain his confidence', he told The NW Evening Mail.Nuneaton Borough have agreed to join Nuneaton Rugby Club and play at the new Liberty Way stadium from 2005/06. A club spokesman said, "The football club is excited that we have been able to secure the purchase of the site and will continue to play football for many years to come. The plans are for the two Clubs to use the existing facilities in the 2005/6 season... The Football Club will use the Clubhouse and facilities of the Rugby Club for this first year... The Stadium will have an initial capacity of 4000 which will be able to be adapted the ability to extend to 6000".
Worksop Today says that the "Tigers want to buy their Sandy Lane ground from Bassetlaw Council... The ambitious plans have been hatched by club chairman Howard Raymond... The Tigers currently lease the ground site from the council... But Mr Raymond has made enquiries to assess their interest in selling the land to him, which he says has a covenant on it protecting it for sporting use. 'I have offered to buy the ground and include the existing debt on the lease in that price'" he said. "A spokesman for the council confirmed Mr Raymond's approach and said: 'An initial offer has been made but things are still at a very early stage'".
IC Solihull reports that Moor Green "coach Kim Casey is billing Saturday's match against fellow strugglers Barrow as a dogfight.... 'I've never had a situation like this - it's difficult actually fielding a side... If you can go through the tough times together you'll come out a better team at the end of it, and all we need is our luck to change a bit'. Moors [who host Alty in a fortnight] have signed striker David Bridgewater from Aberystwyth Town".
Kettering boss Kevin Wilson told Kettering Today " "We want to return to winning ways as soon as we possibly can... The players have got themselves into a position in the league that I didn't expect them to be in by this stage... I personally think that to get into the play-offs would be a good season for us". Also, "Neil Lazarus, has left Rockingham Road due to a lack of first-team opportunities".
Harrogate Today says that Town "boss John Reed has promised 'new blood to shake things up'... following their disappointing goalless draw with Worksop Town last week... 'The directive from the chairman was to get in the play-offs so we need to stay in the top four or five', he said... He revealed that a midfielder and a striker are top of his shopping list. 'My style is to attack and I won't change my style', he added... 'Getting the wingers into the match is a big chunk of our game'".
19 November 2004
NATIONWIDE NORTH - 1
"Hinckley United's FA Cup goal heroes are appearing on Sky Sports' Soccer AM on Saturday morning. Neil Cartwright and Richard Lavery... are due to appear at around 9.30am in a 10-minute section... called Strangers on the Sofa. Once filming is over on the live show, the trio will make the three-and-a-half hour trip to Manchester for the Knitters' game at Stalybridge in Manchester. 'It's hardly the best preparation for a game, is it?' manager Dean Thomas said. 'But I couldn't deny the lads a chance to appear on a show like Soccer AM'". But the boss aded, "We've got to try and get our minds on what this season is all about. We're not going to win the FA Cup, but we have a chance of achieving something in the league", reports This is LeicestershireSATURDAY
Old host league leaders Alfreton Town on Saturday. In today's NL Paper, Alty's assistant manager Dalton Steele says,"Our home form has been fantastic and we've been playing well away, too, but not always been getting the results. We've had Alfreton watched and they've invested heavily again this year... Last year they had a big squad and they've improved it".LAST GAME
The Ellesmere Port Pioneer has a match report on the Vauxhall v Alty game which says "The visitors were cheered on by a large and vocal travelling support who were praised by [Motors' boss, Owen] Brown, stating he would like to see a similar kind of following at his own side's games... Altrincham had the better of the chances after the break but they found home custodian Dittmer in confident form". The gate was 330, Vauxhall's highest league gate of the season.NEXT AWAY GAMES
STAR supporters' coaches will run to both Gainsborough (Nov. 27th) for the FA Trophy match and to Moor Green for the Nationwide North game (Dec. 4th). Details are here. Directions to the Moorlands ground from the club website are:From M42 Junction 4 take the exit signposted Birmingham and follow the A34 Stratford Road for approximately 4 miles. At a large traffic-lighted roundabout (Robin Hood Public House) take the 2nd exit into Robin Hood Lane (dual carriageway). After approximately half a mile take 3rd exit from small roundabout into Highfield Road. Then take 2nd left, after approximately a quarter of a mile, into Sherwood Road. The Moorlands is 200 yards on right hand side. There is a map of Moor Green and of Gainsborough on this site's links/maps page, as well as links to their club websites.
NATIONWIDE NORTH -2
Stalybridge Celtic have signed central defender Lee Connor from Farsley Celtic; he was previously at Ashton United. Accrington's Lutel James has gone on a three-month loan to Droylsden. Midfielder Kingsley Jones has left Bradford PA for Wakefield-Emley and Nathan Lamey has left Hinckley United to re-join Halesowen Town.In last Saturday's FA Cup draw with Macclesfield, Alfreton Town "also earned plenty of plaudits from all the relevant local authorities for successfully staging such a prestigious game... Club chairman Wayne Bradley was a happy man: 'It is a big feather in our cap. For it means we have passed the test of housing well over 2000 through the gate successfully, we have proved our potential to progress... The fixture could have housed more than 3000 people, and I am now looking for a third of that to become the norm at a higher level should we attain it.
IC Cheshire reports that "Impressive debut performances by Karl Brown and Danny Byrne have given Runcorn a new sense of optimism... But long-term injuries worries are unlikely to improve until the Christmas and New Year programme and [ex-Alty man] Mike Garrity's cracked ribs are likely to rule him out [this week]. Manager Alvin McDonald said: 'There is no doubt that the injuries are playing havoc with squad selection but I had people coming up to me after the Kettering game to say it was the best Runcorn have ever played at the Halton Stadium". But on the same site, The Runcorn Weekly News reports that the club's "small band of loyal supporters have been told they will have to pay more to watch their team because not enough fans are turning up to home games at the Halton Stadium. The club says the move has been forced on them by small crowds and the fact that their rent has increased by 50% in the last two seasons... A spokesman for the club told the Weekly News: 'This still leaves us with the lowest admission prices in the Conference North. We hoped that by keeping the prices the same this season we would attract more supporters. Unfortunately, this has not happened'".
"Worcester City manager John Barton is looking forward to the future after extending his contract for another 12 months. Barton's new deal will keep him tied down at St George's Lane until May 2006". Barton said, "I'm more than pleased to stay. I believe we have made good progress over the last few years and, as I've said before, this is as good a squad as I have worked with", reports This is WCFC.
LOCAL NEWS
Phil Starbuck, who quit as manager of Leigh RMI on Tuesday, explained the major reason behind his departure "was because the board slashed his wage bill to just £1,000 a week... When officials decided to slash the wage bill from £3,000 to £1,000, Starbuck, and his assistant Gary Kelly, decided that was the final straw. Starbuck said: 'The club literally has no infrastructure. There is no commercial manager, no academy, no link to colleges, and very few business people. They don't get any bar takings; they don't get anything. There is nothing coming in, so it is no wonder the club is in dire straits... The players who are non-contract will have their wages more than halved, and it seems to me that the club is obviously going to go down. On that kind of budget they will be lucky to stay at the North West Counties level'" reports This is Bolton.IC Cheshire reports that "Witton Albion shareholders approved accounts which showed the UniBond League Premier Division club were still reducing a debt that stood at £300,000 when the Wincham Park outfit was in administration five years ago. At the end of June they owed £105,000 after making a profit last season of £19,000, which is equal to the profit they have made from renting the ground to Northwich Victoria. With Vics leaving soon, Witton have started talks with two Coca-Cola League clubs seeking a home for their reserve sides".
18 November 2004
SATURDAY'S OPPONENTS
Alfreton Town, whom we meet on Saturday "exited the Carthium Cup at the first round after a 1-0 home defeat against Worksop Town on Tuesday... The Reds are next in action this Saturday when they travel to face Altrincham for the first time this season in Nationwide North. A tough clash is in prospect as fifth-placed Alty will be smarting from a 2-0 defeat at Vauxhall Motors on Tuesday evening" says their website.This is Derbyshire reports that in the above cup game Alfreton's trialist James Ghaichem [ex-Mansfield] was given "a chance to show what he could do". The Alfreton line-up was Butler, Robinson, Blount, Chapman (Brown, 45), Holmes, Ward, Ghaichem (Bettney, 40), Fisher, Goddard, Nwadike, Woolley. Other subs: Duffield, Pierce, Bradshaw. It was elsewhere reported that Ben Chapman might have broken his wrist in this game.
TROPHY OPPONENTS
Our Trophy opponents Gainsborough Trinity "progressed to the final of the Lincolnshire Senior Shield for the second season running since it’s inception, but the defeat of hosts Lincoln United came at a price as they finished the game with ten men following the controversial dismissal of substitute Luke Staton".This is Lincs says that "Gainsborough Trinity boss Paul Mitchell claimed last night's Senior Shield match against Lincoln United at Ashby Avenue was an embarrassment to non-league football... Mitchell branded the match "atrocious" and accused referee Martyn Short of missing too many fouls... 'It was a battle, a complete battle. We arrived with lots of injuries and we're leaving with more'" said the manager. "Chris Hurst, Lee Ellington, Luke Staton and Adam Burley were all injured coming into the game, while Wes Parker, Jamie Sherlock, Matty Caudwell and Ben Purkiss picked up knocks last night [and]... Luke Staton, who came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute, was sent off in the 78th". Trinity's side was Holmshaw, Purkiss, Parker, Allison, Pell, Sherlock (Staton 72), Wood (Ford 63), Bird, Grant, Smith, Caudwell.
STAR SHARES
STAR reports "that Mark [former acting chairman of Altrincham and now a director at Witton Albion] & Andrea Harris have recently donated 750 shares to the Supporters' Trust". Mark said "I have supported Altrincham for 30 years and feel very passionately about the Club... Mark & Andrea's donation increases the total held by the Trust to 3,859, or 3.4% of the total ordinary voting shares in the Club & STAR is currently active in seeking further donations in pursuit of its overall objective of achieving a 10% stake in the Club".CUP CHANGE
Confguide reports that "The Conference's challenge cup has changed name following the collapse of sponsors, the Carthium Group. The new unsponsored name is the National Conference Cup. In the annals of football Altrincham will go down as the first team ever eliminated from the Carthium Cup after losing 6-2 at Ashton United.LOCAL NEWS
"Leigh RMI manager Phil Starbuck resigned last night (Tuesday)... Assistant Gary Kelly has left too. The BBC reports that the changes are the result of a massive cut in playing budget at the club - to one third of its previous level" says Confguide.NATIONWIDE NORTH
Stalybridge Celtic report that "Coronation Street will be filming at Bower Fold this coming Sunday". Vounteers have been told that "The role you will be playing is that of the crowd sat in the main stand".Barrow's "directors have put a limited number of the decade-long tickets on sale priced at £1,175 in a bid to boost much-needed income... A current season ticket to the ground costs adults £160. The 10-year season ticket would average just over £117 per season... Last month the club’s directors revealed AFC were more than £137,000 in debt, and earlier in the season cuts were made to the playing budget. But the board hope that in selling about 10 of the season tickets before the end of December it will give them a much-needed cash injection" says NW Evening Mail.
Kettering Today says that Town boss Kevin Wilson "revealed 21-year-old striker Jonny Rowan has signed non-contract forms at Rockingham Road". Wilson added, "Jonny was at Grimsby and had a couple of substitute appearances for the first team. He was offered new terms but turned them down and now we will have a look at him". "A youthful Poppies side lost by a single goal at Raunds Town, last night, in the Northants Senior Hillier Cup. Kettering dominated the whole of the game, only for Raunds to hit the winner in the 85th minute from their only strike on goal".
IC Coventry says that "Nuneaton Borough boss Roger Ashby was left bitterly disappointed when Stafford Rangers pulled out of [a reserve game]. Ashby had planned to use the fixture to test the fitness of strikers Kevin Wilkin and Gez Murphy and try out a couple of potential signings... Ashby wouldn't confirm any names for the two players he had planned to try out tonight".
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