Altrincham Football Club News Archive
5 to 8 February 2005


8 February 2005

NN FIXTURES

Tuesday
  • Stalybridge C. 2 Moor Green 2
  • Harrogate T. v Bradford PA OFF
  • Hinckley U. 1 Vauxhall M. 4
  • Lancaster C. 0 Alfreton T. 1
  • League table

    FINAL CHANGED

    The Cheshire Senior Cup Final, set for Tuesday 15 March, has been moved to Wednesday 16 March following a request from our opponents Crewe Alexandra. Crewe have an away game at West Ham on the Tuesday and, presumably, wish to involve some of their first-team bench in the CSC Final. The venue remains Witton Albion's ground.

    ALTY WRITTEN OFF!

    Today's Daily Telegraph says "Grays Athletic... will not be unduly pessimistic about their chances at Altrincham, who have struggled since their FA Trophy triumph in 1986". Well, that is us written off, then!

    Yesterday, Grays "signed 20 year old ex-QPR midfielder Wes Daly on non-contract terms. Wes had a spell with Grays last season where he was a popular choice in midfield. He returned to QPR in the summer but didn't manage to break into the first team", says their website. Also, "Highly rated 17-year-old midfielder Gary Hooper has shown his committment to Grays Athletic by signing a contract until the end of the 2006/07 season... He was previously on the books at Tottenham Hotspur... He scored his first senior goal against Welling United on October 9th and has been a first-team regular for the majority of this season". Hooper plays on the right but Grays have another teenage star on their left flank, 18 year-old Mitchell Cole, a former West Ham youngster who is Conference South Player of the Month for January.

    Grays are a full-time club, who acquired five of Hornchurch's experienced players (Steve West, Lee Matthews, Jamie Stuart, Ashley Bayes and John Martin) when their Essex neighbours hit financial trouble last November. Their leading scorer is ex-QPR and Farnborough striker Leroy Griffiths, with 22 in all competitions, followed by Vill Powell (14), Steve West (11) and Gary Hooper (10).

    Grays will be running a supporters' coach to Altrincham for the match, according to their website. Their FAT 4th round home win over Havant attracted 570 spectators.

    NEXT GAME

    Both Altrincham and Runcorn will have a player suspended on Saturday. Colin Potts is banned for Alty whilst Runcorn's Ged Nolan will also be suspended. But Mark Maddox will be back after his suspension and should make his 301st appearance for the club. Alty's Steve Aspinall will have to sit out the game at Kettering, a week on Saturday, as he will be suspended for one game. Pictured, right, is Mark Maddox receiving his award for 300 Alty appearances from director, Grahame Rowley. (Picture courtesy of Gavin Rathbone).

    SPONSORS

    The sponsors of advertsing hoardings, events, matches and matchballs at Moss Lane provide vital funds to the club and Altrincham FC would like to thank them all, both companies and individuals. A list of the matchday sponsors this season is here whilst a list of the club's corporate sponsors throughout the season is here and has been drawn up with the help of Barry Pond, a Life Vice-President of the club who for many years has played a major role in organising sponsorship and hosting sponsors on matchdays at Moss Lane.

    LAST GAME

    In Monday's MEN, Graham Heathcote says of The Trophy win over Barrow, "For the lads to come through a tie under those circumstances speaks volumes" after Alty fielded what the paper describes as a "makeshift side", hit by injuries and the suspensions of Mark Maddox and Jozzer Mitten. But the NW Evening Mail says that Barrow "manager Lee Turnbull said he felt devastated after watching his side crash out of the FA Trophy in dramatic style at Altrincham...'I'm devastated', said Turnbull. 'I thought we'd done more than enough to get them back to Holker Street for a replay. We've hit the bar, scored a goal that was disallowed which Neil Tarrant says he was not offside for... It's always a bitter pill to swallow when it's the last kick of the game'".

    OLD BOYS

    "Danny McGoona is back in charge of Conwy United, following the resignation of manager Alan Cooper. The Morfa outfit were top of the Welsh Alliance when Cooper took over, but last Saturday's... was the team's fifth successive defeat. McGoona, a midfielder/striker with Welsh Premier experience at Connah's Quay Nomads, Bangor City, Conwy and Caernarfon Town as well as stints in the English Pyramid with Altrincham and Colwyn Bay, has agreed to step into the breach having run the team with Mally Tidswell after the tragic death of Nigel Roberts in September" reports Welsh Premier.

    Today's Bredbury Hatters' Independent Supporters' Club event that Danny Adams of Stockport County was due to attend has been cancelled. Dave Cummins, the Trafford goalkeeper who was in nets for Alty against Hucknall Town in the FA Cup this season has broken his wrist; we wish him a speedy recovery.

    NATIONWIDE NORTH

    Yesterday This is WCFC said that new "Worcester City player-manager Andy Preece is confident of notching his first Nationwide North win tonight against Gainsborough Trinity". Preece's side lost 3-1 to Southport on Saturday "while matters worsened when goalkeeper Danny McDonnell was sent off". Preece admitted "I think I would have preferred not to have the game [on Monday]. We haven't played Gainsborough yet this season and we know little about them". Preece said, "We have got to defend better as a team, it is not just the defence or the goalkeeper. If you do that and keep clean sheets, we'll get results. That will probably be the first thing I'll be looking to do as a team, to defend better and restrict opportunities... By the end of this week, I'll have seen most of the players and I'll have a good idea about them... By the beginning of next month, I would hope to see a massive improvement".

    Hinckley United's new Marston's Stadium will "stage an Under-17 international game between Serbia & Montenegro and the Republic of Ireland... on Easter Monday... The match is part of the UEFA U-17 European Championships".

    NL Daily reports that "Redditch United have recruited Northern Ireland Youth international John Harkness from Walsall... manager Rod Brown is still looking to recruit, especially as his side have the play-offs in their sight. Brown believed he'd done a deal to bring Kidderminster Harriers' left-sided Steve Burton to the Valley Stadium, but the deal hit a sudden snag and the club won't be pursuing it any longer".


    7 February 2005

    NN RESULTS

  • Droylsden 4 Ashton U. 0
  • Worcester C. 1 Gainsborough T. 2
  • Table

    ALTRINCHAM 1 BARROW 0

    Right: Gary Talbot leaves the pitch with his champagne award on Saturday.

    Match report here.

  • Alty's FAT Record
  • Alty Line-Up
  • Alty Statistics

    TROPHY DRAW

    In the FAT 5th Round draw today, Altrincham have emerged with a home tie against Grays Athletic, from Essex, the runaway leaders of the Nationwide South. Grays have lost just once away from home in the league this season but Alty have lost just once at home. Although the sides have not met previously, we have played against at least one of their players before- Vill Powell - who was in the North Ferriby side which beat us in the Trophy three years ago and scored their first goal.

    Grays Athletic's progress to the 5th round comes from wins at home to Havant (5-0) in round 4, away at Sutton (2-0) in round 3 and a 4-1 home victory over Windsor & Eton in round two. Their manager is Mark Stimson (36), who played more than 200 league games for clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Southend and Leyton Orient. He was Nationwide South manager of the month for January.

    Full draw: FAT5, 26 February.

  • Gravesend & Northfleet v Slough T.
  • Burton A. v Morecambe
  • Cambridge C. or Crawley T. v Hucknall T.
  • Eastwood T. v Hereford U.
  • Woking v Carlisle U.
  • Altrincham v Grays Athletic
  • Stamford or Walton & Hersham v Exeter C.
  • Canvey Island v Bishop’s Stortford

    Gavin Rathbone has captured (above) Kieran Lugsden and Marcus Hallows (with scorer Colin Little behind a defender) as they celebrate Alty's late winner on Saturday and (below) Gavin shows Richard Norris making his debut. For more on the match, see lower down the page.

    Today's Trophy Round 5 draw had 18 teams in the hat, as there were two unresolved games on Saturday. There are 9 clubs from the Conference National (Carlisle, Morecambe, Burton, Hereford, Woking, Gravesend, Canvey Island, Exeter and [Crawley]). Square brackets denote teams who need to win replays in Round 4. Alty and Hucknall Town are the only Nationwide North teams and there are also up to three reps from Nationwide South, Grays, Bishop's Stortford and [Cambridge City]. From other leagues are Slough Town (Ryman Prem), Eastwood Town (UniBond Prem) and the winners of the Walton (Ryman 1) v Stamford (Southern Prem) replay. Only two clubs (Carlisle and Morecambe) are further north in the country than Alty.

    UPDATES

  • A match report, courtesy of Neil Brown, on the Reserves' game at Vauxhall is in the Reserves section
  • Updated youth team fixtures, cup draws and league table are in the Youth section.
  • Courtesy of Terry Rowley, profiles of Freddie Pye (part two) and Alf Steward have been added to the Alty Legends.
  • Howard Watts's Through the Years feature has been updated for next Saturday's date.

    FIRST TEAM FIXTURES

    Right: Gavin Rathbone's picture of Rocky Robin with his rivals in Sunday's pancake race at The Printworks. The winner of the event, sponsored by Nando, was Nando Chicken.

    Alty's progress in the Trophy means that the league match at home to Worcester City on 26 February is postponed as it clashes with Round 5 of the Trophy.

    FUNDRAISING EVENTS

    Please do support the following fundraising events:
  • Saturday, 26 February, THE ALMOST FAMOUS FIVE. Five first-teamers will form a panel to answer any questions that you may have for them. A meal will also be provided. Tickets £18 from the club (928-1045). The date is subject to change depending on the Trophy draw as Round Five is on that date.
  • Sunday, 13 March, EASTER FAYRE. In the Sponsors' Lounge. Stalls include chocolate tombola, bric-a-brac, name the rabbit and a guess the cake-weight competition. Cakes and refreshments will be on sale too. Donations of chocolates or Easter eggs would be much appreciated.

    Also on the fundraising front, the STAR half-time bucket collection raised a welcome £95.66 on Saturday.

    GOODWIN STAND

    For the rest of this season and for next season the Sponsors' Lounge and stand at Moss Lane are to be sponsored by Geoff Goodwin and family. The stand will be known as the Goodwin Family Stand. The club would like to thank Geoff and his family for their generous gesture.

    NATIONWIDE NORTH

    Alfreton Town report that their "injury-hit season reached new lows on Saturday with both Mitch Ward and Ben Chapman likely to be out for lengthy spells after exiting Saturday's 3-0 home defeat against Woking in the FA Trophy... Ben Chapman has torn stomach muscles while Mitch Ward has damaged ankle ligaments - the same injury as Ian Robinson who was joined watching the game by Carl Bradshaw, John Knapper and Mark Hume while Paul Teather also missed out with a facial injury suffered at Droylsden".

    The NLP reports that Droylsden will sign Burton Albion's former Morecambe forward Robbie Talbot today (Monday).

    OLD BOYS

    The NW Counties player of the month is Stuart Scheuber, the former Alty midfielder now at Stone Dominoes for his "dynamic performances...[and] his non-stop action... Despite living in Chester, his commitment to the club is first class, both in training and playing. He also chips in with the odd goal". Just after reportedly joining Warrington Town, goalkeeper Ryan McMahon is now listed as moving from Congleton Town to Skelmersdale United.
    6 February 2005

    ROCKY RUNS

    At The Printworks in Manchester today 3pm is the Football Mascots' Race in which Alty's Rocky Robin will participate. All support welcomed!

    YOUTH GAME OFF

    Today's Youth match has been postponed at the request of opponents Euxton Villa.

    MARK HONOURED

    Before yesterday's Alty game, suspended centre-back Mark Maddox received a well deserved award to mark his 300th appearance for the club at Vauxhall last Tuesday. Below is what he received, (image by Gavin Rathbone, supplied courtesy of Bill Coop):

    It is hoped to auction a signed copy of the presentation in the near future. For the statistics of "Mad Dog's" career and for the article on him in yesterday's Robins Review, both kindly supplied by Terry Rowley, please click here.

    OLD BOYS

    Peter Wright hit a hat-trick for Bamber Bridge yesterday at Spennymoor and Chris Downey netted for Mossley. Former Alty keeper Ryan McMahon has moved from Prescot Cables to Warrington Town. Leigh gained their first point in many weeks yesterday and had ex-Alty youths Mark Drew and Lee Shillito in their team whilst another ex-Robins' youngster, substitute Ian Taylor, headed their goal. Danny Adams played for Stockport. Jim Vince (junior) has now become reserves' manager at Witton Albion. Leroy Chambers was involved in an accidental clash with the Matlock keeper whoch saw the no.1 break his nose. Carl Furlong won a penalty for Colwyn Bay. Ian Craney was only a used sub for Accrington. In the NLP the Hucknall boss says "Chris Timons was awesome" yesterday as they beat the Vics for whom Mark Quayle played but Peter Band was cup-tied. Former youth team captain Steve Howe was sent off for Maine Road. Also in the NW Counties, Simon Woodford (Trafford) and Anthony Hargreaves (Flixton) played yesterday.

    NATIONWIDE NORTH

    NL Daily reports that "Burscough’s central defender and captain Steve McNulty has signed for Vauxhall Motors. The Victoria Park club will receive a fee of £3,500 for the 21-year-old former Liverpool player plus a 20% share of any future sell-on fee. Burscough’s press officer Stan Strickland said: 'We offered Steve attractive terms earlier in the season to sign a new contract as his present one finishes in May but he was keen to play at a higher level and wanted to keep his options open and see who might come in for him once he became a free agent. If this had happened we would have been at the mercy of a tribunal deciding what compensation we were entitled to so it made sense to accept this offer with only about 11 weeks of the season remaining'".

    Bradford Park Avenue’s leading scorer Dan Sheriffe was expected to be in the side for the GLS Cup tie last Wednesday but just hours before the squad were due to meet, the winger was handed a custodial sentence at Leeds Crown Court. Sheriffe has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after being convicted of the manslaughter of a teenager outside a nightclub. Leeds Crown Court heard Sheriffe felled 17-year-old student Jose Augusto with a punch to his face as he chatted to girls outside a nightclub... He never came round and died in hospital four days later from brain damage... Sheriffe denied the manslaughter of the student last August who was from Angola". Also, BPA defender Ryan Crossley "'has been stripped of the vice-captaincy' said Bradford manager Carl Shutt, who has accused the player of letting down the club... It was his decision to turn out for the Fire Service while under contract at Avenue, that has so irked his manager". The club website adds that "Avenue have signed 20 year old Danny Ekoku on work experience from Bradford City".

    Moves:

  • Simon Brown (Hucknall T. to Stocksbridge PS on loan)
  • Brian Quailey (Stevenage B. to Nuneaton B. on loan)

    The Harrogate Town's deputy chairman, Andrew Thirkill is quoted on Harrogate Today: "We've released around £50,000 of funding for the [ground] improvements; that's just for the raw materials... The money I've put into the club is getting up to a six-figure sum; I'm supporting Harrogate Town in the most direct way possible. But will the council support us?... The improvements will get us into the Conference. At that point we will need relocation. Wetherby Road isn't good enough to get us into the football league... I believe if we had a situation where people could park their cars near the ground we would have 1,000 fans almost immediately, it's restricting the crowds we're getting."


    5 February 2005

    RESERVES GO DOWN

    The Reserves lost their unbeaten run with a 3-0 defeat at Vauxhall today but they were very much weakened by injury, unavailability and call-ups to the first team squad. Report to follow.

    RESULTS

    FAT4

  • Gravesend & N. 2 Histon 1
  • Bishop Stortford 3 Leyton 0
  • Grays 5 Havant & W. 0
  • Alfreton T. 0 Woking 3
  • Northwich 0 Hucknall T. 1
  • ALTRINCHAM 1 Barrow 0
  • Aylesbury 0 Canvey I. 1
  • Stamford 0 Walton 0
  • Carlisle v Barnet SUNDAY
  • Cambridge C. 3 Crawley 3
  • Lancaster C. 1 Morecambe 2
  • Eastwood 1 Hayes 0
  • Slough v Thurrock SUNDAY
  • Hereford U. 3 Hyde U. 0
  • Tamworth 0 Exeter C 3
  • Burton A. 2 Hednesford T. 0

    N. North

  • Ashton U. 2 Stalybridge C. 3
  • Bradford PA 1 Moor Green 1
  • Gainsborough T. 2 Redditch U. 1
  • Nuneaton B. 2 Harrogate T. 0
  • Runcorn FC Halton 0 Worksop T. 1
  • Worcester C. 1 Southport 3
  • League Table

    NEW DATE

    The home league game against Hucknall Town, displaced by the Cheshire Senior Cup Final on 15 March, is now reported to have been re-arranged for Tuesday 5 April at 7.45pm.

    TODAY'S GAME

    The NW Evening Mail confirms that Barrow "manager Lee Turnbull has swooped back into the transfer market ahead of his side’s huge FA Trophy game at Altrincham tomorrow. The Bluebirds' boss has signed 19-year-old midfielder Danny Forde from Oldham Athletic... He will be thrown straight into the squad for the fourth round tie at Moss Lane. Turnbull said: 'I think he’s a good prospect, he’s come highly recommended. He’s not managed to break into the first team at Oldham, but he’s a young lad at 19 and I’m prepared to take a bit of a gamble with him. He’s a very competitive midfield player, and a lad who can also put his foot on the ball'... He also had a spell at Unibond First Division side Mossley earlier this season. The signing of Forde comes just a week after Turnbull brought former Grimsby Town defender Kirk Wheeler to Barrow. And the new signings look unlikely to stop there with the AFC boss still scouring the market for players, including a new centre-half. But Turnbull admits that to bring in new players he will have to let others go. He said: 'The finances dictate, we are working on a tight budget. We’ve got a bit of money with Mark Salmon being away for a month but that’s not a lot. So I would envisage that if anymore players come in some will have to go'".

    NATIONWIDE NORTH

    IC Cheshire says that "The threat of a players' strike at Runcorn has been averted. The Linnets squad had threatened to boycott tomorrow's game against Worksop Town... if wages owed to them were not paid. But new boss Steve Soley said: 'We have come up with a solution that everyone is happy with'... Some of the Runcorn players have not been paid for more than six weeks as the club struggle to cope with a financial crisis which has led to a desperate appeal for £120,000 to ensure survival until the end of the season. 'The chairman has been brilliant for the club, and I am certainly not going to criticise him', insisted Soley. 'He has basically funded it on his own'". But NL Daily reports that "Striker Lee Mulvaney has left Southport and has agreed a short-term contract with league rivals Runcorn FC Halton until the end of the season". Recently, Runcorn were reported as having bid £3,000 for Mulvaney. "The only member of ‘Port’s current first-team squad to progress through the ranks... Until the Linnets’ move, Kendal Town were the only club to have declared a definite interest in the striker".

    Southport confirm that "physio Bret Harris has today left SFC to take up appointment as assistant manager at Leigh RMI".

    "John Reed, manager of Stalybridge Celtic, says individual mistakes are the reason for the Blues dropping points in his opening few matches... Consequently, Lincoln Adams has been transfer-listed... He said: 'Another crazy mistake cost us dearly against Nuneaton and we can’t keep making the mistakes we are doing. Every goal against us since I’ve been here has been a mistake which could have been another seven points onto our total, and they are going to be crucial at the end of the season'" reports the Tameside Advertiser. The club website confirms the "signing of versatile defender Paul Shepherd. Shepherd becomes the second player to follow new boss John Reed and coach Mark Atkins across the Pennines from Harrogate Town. Reed sees Shepherd as the final piece in the jigsaw for the Celts' drive to secure their Nationwide North place for next season... He is seen as a direct replacement for the transfer-listed Lincoln Adams".

    Lancaster Today quotes City boss Phil Wilson on Jamie Hughes whom he "brought in ahead of the match with Altrincham last weekend. 'With the injury to Tony Sullivan, I brought him in to cover that position and hopefully he will score goals for us like he did last season'", said Wilson who added, "Last Tuesday's game might have taken a bit out of some of the players but we did not play the way we can do. Our second half performance was very poor. I was not very pleased and I told the lads that". Also, City's "Peter Thomson was revealed as an end-of-season target for Leigh RMI last week. But since announcing his interest, manager Geoff Lutley has resigned".


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