Altrincham Football Club News Archive
2 to 8 April, 2005
8 April 2005 cont'd
NATIONWIDE NORTH
Worksop Today says that The Tigers' "proposal for a Company Voluntary Arrangement, which would help wipe out their current debts, has already been accepted by a number of creditors, including Bassetlaw Council. But the final go-ahead will only be given following a positive vote by creditors at a meeting on Friday... Should the proposal be accepted Worksop Town's slate would effectively be wiped clean and the club would start the 2005-2006 season debt-free. But it would mean a probable 10-point deduction from their Conference North points total this season, and ensure a tense finish to the campaign close to the foot of the table."On This is Staffs "Stafford Rangers manager Phil Robinson has leapt to the defence of his own rearguard after a run of costly errors put them out of the Nationwide Conference North play-off race. Up until last week, Rangers had the best defensive record in the division, but then conceded eight in three matches and picked up only two points. "The ironic thing is that in these last three games we scored seven goals, consistently more than we have all season, and if we had maintained our defensive capabilities we would have picked up the points we needed" said the boss. Also, "Rangers made a transfer deadline-day swoop for Port Vale's teenage keeper Joe Anyon on loan until the end of the season" but the manager "has ruled out experimental line-ups just for the sake of it in the remaining five league games". Robinson insisted, "I'm not picking anybody for the squad who has not earned it by right".
IC Cheshire reports that "Vauxhall FC are to star in the first episode of a new BBC television show about British life. A Digital Picture of Britain will be screened on BBC Four between late May and early June, and the series aims to take a candid look at various aspects of life in contemporary Britain through the eyes of some of the UK's most prestigious photographers. In part one, Nikon Press Photographer of the Year Dan Chung comes to Ellesmere Port to take a look at both Vauxhall's football team and their connection with the car plant... Chairman Alan Bartlam said: 'We were told that as part of the programme, the BBC were also visiting Liverpool FC and there may be some sort of comparison with ourselves".
Runcorn boss Steve Soley "has challenged his players to atone for an unacceptable performance in defeat at Redditch on Saturday by picking up vital wins in this week's relegation doubleheader. Runcorn entertain second-from-bottom Ashton United at Prescot this Saturday and then travel for the rescheduled game at Lancaster City on Tuesday". Soley said "Saturday's performance was absolute rubbish and I would like to apologise to the supporters for that, especially those that travelled. They let everyone down... six or seven weren't at the races... They've got to say sorry this Saturday".
As for Runcorn's financial plight, "Chairman Dr Dave Robertson will have to let the football authorities know what is to happen. A consortium of Widnes businessmen with building backgrounds is understood to be in the wings and interested in helping to provide new facilities in Runcorn. But... they need some encouragement from majority shareholder Dr Robertson". As for recent signings of Mike McGinn, Alessandro Percovich and Jason van Blerk, manager Soley stated, "People have criticised the three signings but two of them have come for free. I have been told Moor Green's wage bill is £5,500 and ours is now down to £1,400. I have some great players lined up for next season but we don't know if the club is going to be here". A further problem is that "The Linnets will have to find another venue for their last home game of the season against Lancaster City on Saturday, April 30 as their adoptive Valerie Park home is unavailable... All last-day fixtures have to kick off at the same time and the Linnets are unable to re-schedule the Lancaster game for another day... It is understood the Linnets have asked the Conference if they can play at Southport".
This is Redditch says that "Influential left sided defender Matty Clarke could make return to first team action for nearly two months against league leaders Southport on Saturday".
The NW Evening Mail reports that "Mark Salmon is due back in England on Saturday but the Bluebirds' captain is unlikely to play again this season. Salmon was expected to play a vital role in Barrow’s run-in on his return from a second spell working in Egypt". Manager Lee Turnbull said, "He’s only home for 12 days... it would only be for one game". Barrow have signed striker Dave Mansergh from Dalton United and Dave Swarbrick from Holker Old Boys".
Leeds Today quotes Harrogate boss Neil Aspin, "The way Bradford played at times [against us] you wouldn't believe they were bottom of the league... They pushed us really close". BPA manager Carl Shutt said on This is Bradford "We hustled and bustled and should have got something from it".
In a local newspaper interview, Runcorn chairman Dr Robertson admitted "There is a sizeable group of our support that would like to see some effort made to create a suitable ground in Runcorn for the team to return to its home... The difficulty is that it cannot be done within a year... I guess that the first proposition would be to secure a potential ground share with [Prescot Cables] for next season... The move away from Widnes has reduced our expenditure quite considerably, but it has not yet solved the problems".
In the Tameside Advertiser Droylsden boss Dave Pace said of their next game, against Stalybridge, "I’m too busy looking at our own situation when you’re top of the league you do tend to look no further down than 12th place... [Southport boss] Liam [Watson] knows I’m a fan of his, so when I win the league, I’ll be the first one in Southport’s souvenir shop so I can buy a scarf and cheer them on in the play-offs". Celtic boss John Reed replied, "It’s a massive enough game at the best of times, but even more so when they are trying to win the title and we are fighting for our lives".
Dave Boddy, chairman of Worcester City told This is Worcs, "If we take six points from Stafford and Altrincham, you have to believe it's possible that we will take maximum points after that".
7 April 2005
SHARES TRANSFER
The following is a statement from Altrincham FC:Following the game against Hucknall Town on Tuesday night, Mr Gerald Berman signed over his shares to club chairman Mr Geoffrey Goodwin. The Chairman would like to express his thanks to Gerry, along with the other three major shareholders who have done likewise, showing their confidence in the Board to take the club forward.
Geoff Goodwin (Chairman of Altrincham FC).
As most Alty fans will know, Gerry Berman was for many years the chairman of Altrincham Football Club.
YOUNG ALTY
 |
|
Above left: Kieran Lugsden who is now a regular in the squad. (Photo by Gavin Rathbone). Above right: Centre-back Adam Brindle, who has been on the bench often but yet to make an appearance. (Website photo). Gavin Rathbone's excellent photos are available from the club shop or by e-mail..
Above: Lewis Chalmers leaves Chris Timons behind. (Photo by Gavin Rathbone)
NATIONWIDE NORTH
Though they won on Tuesday, Leigh RMI are now relegated to Nationwide North for next season.Terry Fearns (Southport) was the winner of the Nationwide North player of the month vote for March.
OLD BOYS
On Tuesday, Anthony Hargreaves (Flixton) and Niell Hardy (Chorley) both scored. Peter Band was an unused sub for Vics. Terry Bowker was sent off for Stalybridge in the GLS Cup.LAST GAME
This is Nottingham says that "a second-string Hucknall Town team gave player-boss Dean Barrick plenty to think about with a 1-1 draw at Altrincham".The Hucknall Town site says that "From the kick off Altrincham dominated proceedings, but they found it difficult to break down a Hucknall side playing a changed formation of 3 at the back and two wing backs... Several shots by the home side were either well wide of very high of the target, as they struggled to find their range".
6 April 2005
RESERVES GAME OFF
Alty Reserves suffered yet another postponement today when the game at Abbey Hey against Bamber Bridge was called off due to heavy rain this morning.ALTRINCHAM 1 HUCKNALL TOWN 1
Right: George Melling leaves the pitch after the game.
TEAM: Coburn, Melling, Adams, Maddox, Talbot, Hussin, Potts, Owen, Thornley, Little and Norris. Subs were Chalmers for Maddox, Mitten for Thornley and Lugsden for Hussin.
BPA
Details of the STAR supporters' coach to Bradford PA's Horsfall Stadium for Saturday's game are here. With BPA now relegated this could be our last trip there for a while.STEWARDS' SUCCESS
The stewards at Moss Lane are amongst the best organised in the league and are much appreciated by Altrincham FC. Recently, twenty of them succesfully completed their NVQ level two course in Spectator Control. Many thanks for this are due to chief steward, Darren Gregory, who liaised between the Football Club and the awarding body, Telford College. All the stewards and the Club are also very grateful to the College's Tony Dunkerly and Neil Alexander for their excellent training. The NVQ certificates will be awarded to the stewards at the Staff v Supporters football match on 9 May.LAST SATURDAY
SAM quotes Graham Heathcote after the win at Gainsborough - 'I'm happy, we set out to win a game of football and that is what we did. Colin Potts and Kieran Lugsden came on and turned the game, but all the lads gave a solid display'". As for our league position, Graham added, "It is a fantastic position to be in in April... We've got the results and now we've got to seize the opportunity".NEXT GAME
Alty travel to Bradford on Saturday and Tuesday's defeat at Harrogate means that BPA are now relegated. Before last Saturday's game This is Bradford quoted manager Carl Shutt: "We have been unlucky all season but when we have lost it has usually been by the odd goal" but last Saturday against Alfreton, "We fell apart and there is no excuse for that. If I had had a towel in the dugout with me I would have thrown it in. The players certainly did that and far too soon for my liking... This is the first time I have witnessed a group of players giving in".COMING SOON
The FA confirms that when Alty meet Redditch United on 23 April, striker "Norman David Gustave Sylla" will be suspended; he has a 3-game ban which starts on 11 April.NATIONWIDE NORTH
Alfreton Town "failed to make it three wins in a row when they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Ashton United on Monday... On a ground where the Reds have hardly ever fared well, the attendance was just 187".Kettering Town report that "Rockingham Road is available for a 'Companies' Day' on Saturday April 16th.... The club are making available the Rockingham Road pitch to any two companies for a match fee of £2,000".
Worksop Town "wish to clarify that NO MONEY changed hands in the transfer of Kris Rogers to Northwich Victoria. Kris was a non-contract player".
OLD RIVALS
NL Daily says that our former UniBond opponents "Spennymoor United’s failure to fulfil their fixture at Leek Town on Monday night virtually ensures that they will be expelled from the UniBond League when its committee meet on Sunday... However, apparently Spennymoor’s owner Benny Mottram has so far refused to resign from the league officially. The FA recently informed Spennymoor that unless they paid Hartlepool United monies owing (£1,700) on a player loan deal... their FA membership would be suspended as from April 17, effectively rendering them out of business anyway. It appears that Mottram feels it is a cheaper option to be expelled by the league, and or suspended by the FA, rather than resign after the date for which resignations are accepted without a massive fine... Moors’ valiant band of supporters are already looking into the possibility of re-forming ready for next season, probably in the Wearside League".5 April 2005
OLD BOYS
Former Alty Youth player Stuart Cook struck his first Welsh Premier goal this week for Connah's Quay Nomads. Recently, Stuart Terry, came on as sub for Quay in injury time, bumped into a player and dislocated his shoulder so badly he had to be taken by ambulance to hospital to have it put back. The hospital said it was the worst such injury they had ever seen; his shoulder was on his chest and he may have to have it pinned. He is out for the rest of the season. (Thanks to Ron Cook for this info).LAST GAME
The Gainsborough website says that Trinity "will be glad to see the back of Altrincham after the visitors inflicted their third defeat of the season on Paul Mitchell's side. Altrincham arrived at The Northolme with an eye on the end-of-season play-offs and they displayed the greater will to win, which eventually paid off in the second half".NATIONWIDE NORTH
Redditch United have still to visit Moss Lane this season and NL Daily reports that they have "recruited two players... former Bristol City and Forest Green Rovers forward Matt Aubrey from Midland Alliance side Westfields and young goalkeeper Dave Clarke, who was recently released by Leicester City"> Redditch's normal keeper Richard Anstiss is "sitting on a possible two-match ban following his sending-off against Kettering Town recently".Favourites for promotion to Nationwide North, "Workington, have sealed a new twenty-year lease with landlords Allerdale Council, staving off a dramatic relegation by only a few hours. The Premier Division leaders had warned for months that they had to agree a new long-term deal with the council before April 1st, or face the prospect of dropping five divisions under nationally agreed rules on stadiums. Workington would effectively have gone out of business if they had plummeted down the leagues, and the issue went down to the wire before an agreement was hammered out" reports the News & Star.
Worksop Town say that "striker Dene Cropper is out for the rest of the season having sustained a broken arm in the 2 - 2 draw against Stalybridge Celtic".
4 April 2005
NEXT GAME
Howard Watts's Through the Years data show that, by a curious coincidence, we meet Hucknall Town at Moss Lane this Tuesday, exactly a year to the day since their last league visit here. Last season Hucknall won 3-2 and went on to win the championship; this year they play Alty between the two legs of their FA Trophy semi-final with Bishop's Stortford. Alty have not yet met Hucknall in the league this season but we did go out to them in an FA Cup replay at Watnall Road earlier this season, losing by a last minute goal, after a 3-3 draw at Moss Lane.Monday 4th
FROM SPURS
Not many England international footballers have been bought by Altrincham from Tottenham Hotspur, but Billy Felton was just such a player and his profile, by Terry Rowley, is now in the Alty Legends section.RESERVES
Appearance and goalscoring details for Altrincham Reserves in 2004-05 have been added to the Reserves' section.GATES
The Conference North attendance statistics are here, courtesy of Terry Rowley.COLIN'S LIFE
Sunday's NL Paper had a feature on Colin Little and his life in and outside football. In it Colin revals that is getting married this summer and that, whilst he has no job outside football at the moment, he has "invested in property. I do a house up with the help of a builder friend, sell it, then move on to the next". Talking of his recent suspension he says, "The referee got conned as some lad (i.e Barry Jones of Runcorn) pushed me, put his head against mine then fell to the floor pretending I butted him. I've not even booked all season" apart from that. The best player he has played with is Danny Murphy at Crewe, whilst the loudest manager he has endured is ex-Alty boss John King at Bury Reserves. Colin says of King, "He was brutal to people if they didn't do well". The toughest opponent he has met this season was Droylsden centre-back Gary Burke in the recent away game.FUNDRAISING
The loss, next season, of £20,000 a year revenue for Manchester United's reserves games means that fundraising will be even more important for Altrincham over the coming year. One of the club's biggest regular fundraisers has traditionally been the Saturday Yankee. For details of how it works and an application form, please click hereOLD BOYS?
Darwen have signed two players, called Kwick Ajet and Chris Young, who could be Alty's former players Adewale Ajetunmobi (known as Ajet) and the Chris Young who also played for us under Bernard Taylor's managership.GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 0 ALTRINCHAM 1
Above: Captain, Gary Talbot (left), intercedes in behalf of Mark Maddox (right) but referee Smedley nevertheless booked the Altrincham no.4 yesterday.
OTHER VIEWS
A match sumary on the Gainsborough website says that on Saturday, "Trinity came up against a tough, battling Altrincham side and looked second best for long periods of a dull game with both sides struggling to pass the ball to their own team mates". This is Lincs has a fuller report.3 April 2005
GRAHAM'S VIEW
The Pink has a piece on Alty's loss of revenue now that Sir Alex Ferguson has taken United Reserves away from Moss Lane for 2005-06. Graham Heathcote says, "The pitch at Hyde is superb... so we can hardly blame United for choosing their ground over ours. This clearly has financial implications for us, but we will just have to take stock and plan accordingly".As for the play-offs, Graham said, "It's still by no means impossible for us to sneak into the top five and we won't be giving up. Four of our last six games are at home and, if we're to stand any chance of qualifying for the play-offs, we've got to win the lot and also pick up as much as we can on our visits to Bradford PA... and Hucknall... It's a tall order, but it's not beyond us".
Alty made no transfer-deadline signings and the Alty boss "hasn't signed one player on loan all season". Graham added, "It would have been easy to bring players in on loan but I prefer to look at the bigger picture and go with lads who represent the future of this football club. I've recently given several of them the opportunity to prove that they can handle playing in big games and the way they've responded has given me great cause for optimism". As The Pink adds, "19 year-old midfielder Lewis Chalmers was given a full senior debut in last Monday's win and ... he had Robins' fans drooling". George Melling, Kieran Lugsden, Paul Tilley and Adam Brindle are all also mentioned as youngsters who have been involved in the first team recently.
The Pink adds that Rod Thornley "has been diagnosed as having torn a calf muscle and he could be back playing before the end of the season".
PLAYING BUDGET
In today's NL Paper, Alty chairman Geoff Goodwin discusses the loss of the United Reserves' fixtures. He explains that "Our pitch is new this season and although there have been a lot of problems with it, next year it will be fine when the soil-sinking process is further down the line". United's departure is "a huge disappointment. At £2,600 a week gross we must already have the smallest budget in the Conference North. Some of the teams that come here have £8,000. We'll almost certainly have to take £500 off our playing budget next season and we'll look at other ways to cut down on our expenses, but there isn't much left to cut. I expect we'll be doing a lot more fundraising... We'll find a way to manage, somehow".OLD BOYS
Matt Bailey, who had a succesful loan period at Moss Lane from Stockport last season, recently joined Northwich but is now on trial at Crewe Alexandra.Lee Thompson hit a hat-trick for Skelmersdale United yesterday whilst Richard Acton saved a penalty for Woodley Sports. Both Peter Band and Mark Quayle (Northwich)were unused subs, as was Ian Craney (Accrington) and both Lee Shillito and Mark Drew (Leigh RMI). Used subs yesterday included Jamie Phoenix (Stafford) whilst Jason van Blerk (Runcorn) was also a sub. Leroy Chambers (Frickley), Matt McNeil (Hyde) and Carl Furlong (Colwyn Bay) also played yesterday.
NATIONWIDE NORTH
2 April 2005
ALTRINCHAM RES. 2 BARROW RES. 1
Goals from Joe Daley and Anthony Wealle secured an excellent 2-1 win for a much-weakened Altrincham Reserves today. Report to follow.RESULTS
Right, Chris Adams, who started as usual at left-back today.
MARCUS FUNDRAISER
Alty Director Grahame Rowley reports that Marcus Hallows has "had the staples removed from his knee and will return to hospital on Monday to have his stitches removed. Surgeons have reviewed his x-rays and they are fine".Meanwhile a fundraiser for Marcus has been arranged for Thursday, 28 April at the 'Chef Peking' in Urmston at 7.30pm. This will be a Chinese banquet meal with guest speaker Sam Allardyce, manager of Bolton Wanderers. Marcus was with Bolton Wanderers earlier in his career and his father was also a well-known Wanderers player. Price: £30-00 per ticket. Please see Geoff Goodwin or Grahame Rowley for further details or contact the club office (928-1045).
SATURDAY'S GAME
Alty play at Gainsborough today. This is Lincs reports that "Gainsborough Trinity will be conscious of taking their chances when they face Altrincham at the Northolme in Conference North tomorrow. Trinity played well over Easter against teams higher in the table, but failed to score in the goalless draw at home to Harrogate or the 1-0 defeat at Nuneaton. 'That is the difference between us and teams higher in the league - our inability to put our chances away', said the Blues' boss Paul Mitchell. 'I have been trying to bring someone in before the non-league transfer deadline but it is frustrating. I would like another striker, but I am not sure that it is going to happen'... As well as losing striker Simon Bird to injury with a broken leg, Mitchell has also been without wingers Matty Caudwell (ankle) and Danny Wood (leg). However, he was pleased with Rob O'Brien's performance on the right-wing at Nuneaton on Monday". O'Brien was at Doncaster... Trinity have lost to the Robins twice this season, going down 4-1 at Moss Lane on the opening day and being knocked out of the FA Trophy. After drawing 1-1 at the Northolme, Trinity lost the replay 1-0 to a late goal... Trinity (from): Holmshaw, Purkiss, Burley, Parker, Pell, Staton, O'Brien, Hurst, Ellington, Mallon, Grant, Allison, Huckett, Blythen, Wood, Caudwell".YOUTH UPDATE
In the Youth section are an updated fixture grid, league table and player statistics, courtesy of George Heslop.FOR EARLIER NEWS, CLICK HERE