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9 to 12 August 2005 |
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9 to 12 August 2005 |
For Altrincham FC player profiles, see the Squad Page
SAM's Connor Murphy has been talking to some of Alty's new signings. Steve Hawes (right) said, "It's a massive club, I've been at Hull City and Sheffield United but Alty are the biggest non-league team I've been at. I was at Worksop the other year but Alty are massive and I always wanted to come back. If we get off to a good start this year, we'll have a good chance of keeping this team in the Conference". Lutel James added
"It's a good club, it's organised and they seem to have everything in place and are moving in the right direction", whilst Gary Williams said: "It's a good set-up and a good set of lads and seems better than where I was last year, at Leigh". Karl Munroe (left) commented, "When I first came in the lads were all bubbly and lively and it's a nice ground to play at and a good club".
SAM also quotes manager Graham Heathcote: "We have got a tough season ahead. We finished fifth last season so it is not hard to realise that we are going to struggle in a higher league. We've got to pick up points at Moss Lane and be disciplined and organised away from home, our away record last year wasn't good enough".
In extensive coverage of Alty's new season, SAM also pays tribute to Alty's "Marketing supremo Barry Pond has also worked tirelessly behind the scenes at the club, securing three major sponsorship deals which will bring in much-needed funds. Carole Nash have agreed to expand their existing deal and the company name will now appear on the first team's shirts and shorts throughout the season. Well-known Manchester company Stockton's Furniture have also signed a two-year deal for a large section of advertising boards, while Brown, Dunne and Gray Solicitors will sponsor the family stand".
The Stevenage forum has Stevenage Boro boss Graham Westley's column in "The Comet" where he recalls, "My record as Stevenage manager: 21st on arrival in January 2003; 12th by May 2003; eighth by May 2004; fifth and play-off finalists in May 2005... My objective is very clear... This year, I believe that we will achieve our goal and that we will win the title... We have kept the squad together... We have made three very good signings that have improved our squad. The creativity of Williams, the aggression and goals of Berquez and the goalkeeping of Gore are nice pluses... Nurse, Elding, Maamria and Stamp have all hit the net in pre-season, which is good. We are ready now to play. Newly-promoted Altrincham visit on Saturday. They will undoubtedly be pumped up and determined to kick off strongly. It is strange to think that if we had won our final and they had lost theirs, we would be in League Two and they in Conference North! Two leagues apart. But here we are at the same level... Controlled, organised, fast flowing, resilient, ruthless. For 42 games. One at a time. It is now all about winning on Saturday. Our focus is on that in all that we do".
BBC News reports that "Halifax Town have signed former Scarborough midfielder Tyrone Thompson. The 24-year-old has agreed a short-term deal after leaving the Seasiders at the end of last season, when he was an ever-present in the Conference. Halifax have also signed former Leeds United striker Justin Bowler, 19, who has agreed a 12-month contract. Meanwhile, Halifax midfielder Gary Brabin has been given the all-clear to start the season with the FA suspending a six-match ban pending an appeal".
"Manager Rob Newman dusted off his boots to play as a Cambridge United XI won 3-1 at Huntingdon Town on Tuesday. The goals were scored by trialists Matt Nolan... Robert Duffy, the ex-Rushden & Diamonds striker, and David Bridges, who was making his comeback... Other trialists on show last night were Mark Coulson, the former Peterborough trainee... and 33-year-old goalkeeper Scott Howie, who counts Norwich City... among his previous clubs. With long-term trialist keeper Jamie Waite currently training with the Thailand under-23 squad in Manchester, and veteran Paul Crichton not having been in touch with Newman this week, he used Tuesday's match to take a look at Howie, who he described as 'a good, experienced keeper. Paul Crichton hasn't got back to me so it looks as though that may be finished now" reports the Cambridge website. Also, "Matt Nolan... and Robert Duffy have both been offered terms, and Newman awaits their response".
"Veteran defender Greg Heald has joined his third club within two weeks, having quit Burton Albion after less than an hour's football. The 33-year-old former Barnet, Peterborough and Rochdale player has decided to take up the offer of a one-year contract with Ashton United... However, Brewers boss Nigel Clough said "In the end, the security of a one-year contract with Ashton swung it for him", reports the Burton Mail.
Halifax Town have been fined £1,000 for their disciplinary record for the 2004/05 season. The club had a suspended £5,000 fine over them from the season before, however the FA didn't feel that there had been 'an acceptable improvement' and have invoked part of that fine. Lat season the Shaymen had 75 yellow cards given and 6 red cards in league games".
Segregated clubhouses are a downside of our promotion. Gravesend are away at Canvey this week and report that "Island are putting the finishing touches to a new building installed at Park Lane which will allow away fans to enjoy a pre-match drink and relax in comfortable surrounding before and after each game. A selection of rolls/sandwiches, pies and light snacks will also be available. Prices will be no different to the home clubhouse which is generally cheaper than the local pubs".
Forest Green "have registered three more players on non-contract terms... Jonathan Beswetherwick, Jamie Gosling and Luke Clenell joined Rovers last night. Defender Beswetherwick started at Plymouth as a trainee and went on to make 125 appearances for the club before he made a move to Sheffield Wednesday". Macc Town is also one of his ex-clubs. Jamie Gosling is a midfielder whose former clubs include Yeovil Town... Luke Clenell is a product of Rovers' youth team".
Above: Gavin Rathbone's great picture of Australian wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist, and captain, Ricky Ponting, with Alty chairman Geoff Goodwin, admiring the Cheshire Senior Cup at Moss Lane on Tuesday night. Visit the GR Photos website for more of Gavin's images. Below: Gilchrist is seen with Graham Heathcote, Geoff Goodwin, Eddie Hussin and Michael Kasprowicz. Right: This third image by Gavin Rathbone shows Kieran Lugsden going for goal against Bangor..
Manchester Online reports that "Moss Lane became Oz Lane last night (Tuesday) as Australia's cricketers descended on Altrincham Football Club ahead of Thursday's vital Third Test at Old Trafford. The Aussies attended Alty's final pre-season friendly against League of Wales outfit Bangor City as guests of the Nationwide Conference club's chairman, Geoff Goodwin, who also happens to be the driver of the tourists' team bus... Altrincham [matchday] secretary George Heslop said: 'All the Australians appeared to thoroughly enjoy their evening with us and it's a pity they can't come here more often if that's how we perform when they're with us! I tried to break Shane Warne's hand when I was introduced to him, but he wasn't having any of it. But hopefully he and his fellow bowlers will have tired wrists from signing autographs!'"
"Woking have confirmed that Clint Davies has signed a one-year contract... 22 year-old Davies hails from Perth, Western Australia. He was taken on by Birmingham City... and was on the bench for several first-team games. He had spells at Bradford City, Halifax Town and Bristol City and made appearances on loan for... Nuneaton Borough, Tamworth and Woking during the 2002/03 season. Davies will compete with Shwan Jalal for the number one jersey at Kingfield" says hte club website. The Evening Press reports that "York City have decided on the preferred location for a new stadium... The Evening Press believes that the new ground will be situated either in the area behind York Railway Station in the Leeman Road area, known as York Central, or the current site of the Terry's Factory... Managing director Jason McGill said: 'Along with the council, we have looked at five sites and have identified two to focus on and one of them would suit us better as a football club'... Finance director Terry Doyle added that the club are currently losing income by staying at KitKat Crescent because of the maintenance and repair costs incurred at an ageing stadium. Fellow board member Sophie McGill ... added that [a move] is unlikely to happen before 2013... McGill also added that a new stadium is likely to attract a more family-orientated audience with a recent survey revealing that the average age of a City season-ticket holder is 58'".
The Hereford unofficial website says that "United have confirmed that West Ham defender Darren Blewitt has joined the club on a one year loan deal. The 19 year-old is six foot two and will provide cover at the back... He spent the spring of 2005 on loan to Southend but only featured once as a substitute".
At Gravesend "The first phase of work has begun at the Plough End of the stadium. If all goes according to plan... it will mean that a small section of the stand will be open for this Saturday's opening fixture of the season... The work involves an infill of concrete from the pitch boundary wall back to the third row of existing terracing. A flat area will be created and will allow restricted standing for up to 300 spectators... It is planned to build further terracing over the next few weeks that will extend to about halfway back into the stand and this will increase capacity to 800 souls. Our total ground capacity will then be increased to in excess of 5000 souls".
Canvey Island have "signed Jay Conroy on a one-year contract. He is a 19 year-old defender who previously played for Crystal Palace".
The Cambridge United website has a curious report about Alty. It says that "Moss Lane outfit Altrincham were the non-league's fairy tale story last year, as manager Graham Heathcote led his low-budgeted, debt-ridden team to a return to Conference football when even the most die-hard fans were expecting a tough season of fighting relegation in the newly formed Conference North. Altrincham were founder members of the Conference way back in 1979 and stayed in this division for a staggering for 18 years until a bad financial status affected on the field performance and the club were relegated. The Robins bounced back to the Conference for one season only but were embarrassingly outclassed week after week and finished way adrift from safety. [This is not true - we were only relegated on the last day of the 1999-2000 season and, had we won the last game, would have stayed up; we went down with one of the lowest number of defeats ever in the Conference, having drawn 19 games]. Last season was purely a mid-table effort [actually, we were sixth or higher for most of the season] until a fantastic run of wins in the last ten games [we won only 5 of our last 10 league games] saw Alty just pip Harrogate Town to the final play off spot on goal difference [we actually beat them by a point]. Even then, facing hot favourites Kettering Town, nobody gave them a chance until a fine extra time win in the second leg [it was a one-legged match] saw the Robins facing Eastbourne Borough at Stoke's Britannia Stadium, only 90mins away from a return to top level football. A 2-1 win followed and the Robins celebrated in style.
Graham Heathcote has stressed that the club will not make the same mistakes as past boards have and Alty will stay part-time and not splash the cash in a bid to maintain Conference status. Every player has another job and the club only trains three times [twice] a week, but Heathcote will be hoping the club's togetherness, grit and hard work ethic will at least make sure the Robins can compete with most this season. Anything above third bottom will be seen as a massive success for Altrincham".
The BBC says that "Tamworth have been fined £1,000 by the FA for their poor disciplinary record last season. The club has also been given a further suspended fine of £6,000... But they already have one red card to their name. Midfielder Kyle Storer was dismissed, along with Aston Villa's Lee Hendrie, after they clashed in a recent friendly".
"Canvey Island have strengthened their strike force with the signing of former Yeovil Town forward Kezie Ibe. The 22 year-old agreed a 12-month deal... The former Aylesbury player also spent time on loan at Exeter last season, scoring once in four appearances". The BBC also reports that "Eastbourne Borough have signed striker Danny Marney from Crawley Town".
Accrington Stanley "have made their second signing this week, 22 year-old centre half Michael Welch has joined the Reds initially on a non-contract basis. Michael started as a trainee at Barnsley and has spent the last 4 years at Macclesfield, making over 120 appearances. Leam Richardson now looks unlikely to join us, however John Coleman is hoping to bring in a left back on loan from a Coca Cola League One side and to sign an additional striker before the weekend".
Right; Australia's Shane Warne enjoys Alty chairman Geoff Goodwin's hospitality last night at Moss Lane. Almost the entire Australian cricket touring party was in attendance at the Alty v Bangor match, at the invitation of Geoff, who has been driving the tourists from match to match in one of his luxury Go Goodwins coaches.
The BBC says that "Cambridge United midfielder Ashley Nicholls has joined Rushden and Diamonds in a three-month loan deal... He joined Cambridge last summer but has been out of favour".
"Burton Albion have signed defender Greg Heald on non-contract terms. The former Rochdale centre-back, 33, rejected a move to York earlier this summer and played for the Brewers in a friendly last Saturday... Clough is also hoping to add a keeper to his squad and is interested in a loan deal for Mansfield's Jason White".
The BBC adds that "Yeovil defender Scott Guyett has signed for Aldershot on a month's loan after joining them on trial... Guyett joined the Glovers from Chester last summer, but made just 23 league and cup appearances as his season was hit by injuries".
"Tamworth have signed Birmingham City keeper James Dormand on loan. The 19-year-old, who has been given a professional deal by the Blues after coming through the youth system, has joined the Lambs for the season. Dormand will fill the number-one slot at Tamworth with former Crewe and Walsall keeper Mark Gayle providing cover alongside his coaching duties".
NL Daily rpeorts that "Phil Robinson, player-manager of Stafford Rangers, has announced the signing of Vil Powell" from Grays Athletic. Powell also scored against Alty for North Ferriby in the FA Trophy a few seasons back.
"Runcorn FC Halton have confirmed that the ongoing negotiations have reached a conclusion and Matty McGinn has finally signed a contract for Southport".
This is Lancs reports on Stanley; "I'll settle for that next week', quipped Reds boss John Coleman, after seeing his side ram five past Stalybridge Celtic... with new midfielder Anthony Barry setting things in motion with his his 18th-minute strike, star striker Paul Mullin weighing in with two... trialist Andy Mangan capping a fine performance with a goal before veteran Paul Cook rounded the afternoon off'". The Stanley side was Stuart Jones (Danny Alcock 49); Peter Cavanagh (Mike Flynn 46), Robbie Williams (Danny Ventre 64), Michael Welch, Leam Richardson (Chris Butler 65); Steve Jagielka (David Brown 53), Anthony Barry (Ged Brannan 65), Ian Craney (Andy Procter 65), Gary Roberts (Matt O'Neill 56); Andy Mannion (Paul Cook 77), Paul Mullin (Rodney Jack 60)".
Southport's Sam NcNutt has joined Vauxhall Motors, whilst Clitheroe Today reports that Clitheroe have signed three Southport players, "Ian Kearney, tall centre forward Tony Evans and wingman Sean White".
