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February, 2007 |
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February, 2007 |
The Football Conference reports that "Rushden & Diamonds' chairman Keith Cousins has spoken of the recent developments at the club following the appointment of Garry Hill. Cousins is adamant that surprising happenings at Nene Park this past week, have been completely necessary to secure the long-term future of the Nationwide Conference club. 'It has been a difficult weekend but, after a lot of hard work, we have come out with the best result for the Club and the long-term future of the Club', Cousins told the club's official website. 'The Club is more important than any individual, me or anybody else and we have to get it right on and off the pitch. The appointment of Garry and Kevin, I think is the right appointment. Their pedigree is well documented and the ambition is to get us in the Football League, which is where this Club and the fans deserve to be'. Graham Westley brought a large number of new players to the club during his short stay... 'We have a good squad and one that is sufficiently stronger squad than we had at the beginning of the season', Cousins added. 'If they prove themselves they will remain. It is for them to prove themselves, it is a 24/7 job'" .
"Rushden & Diamonds' club captain Dave Savage has been restored to the squad by new manager Garry Hill after being placed on the transfer list. Defender Paul Watson is also back in the frame after being excluded from training by former boss Graham Westley. Savage, 33, has been at Nene Park since May 2005 after leaving Bristol Rovers. Watson, 32, has only been with the Diamonds since June 2006 when he signed a two-year contract after joining from Conference rivals Woking. Watson recently had a trial spell at Conference rivals Cambridge United" says the BBC.
The BBC says that "Crawley's joint caretaker player-boss Ben Judge hopes to be back in action next month following groin surgery. Judge, 29, had an operation after being restricted to just three Conference appearances since the start of 2007. The defender should be back for Town's end of season run-in with an expected comeback set for the end of March".
"Stoke goalkeeper Rob Duggan has joined neighbours Stafford on a month's loan. Duggan made his Conference debut in Stafford's win at St Albans on Saturday after signing as emergency cover for the injured Danny Alcock. The 19-year-old will now spend a month at Marston Road with the opportunity to play further first-team football" reports the BBC. NL Daily adds that "Manager Phil Robinson hailed debutant goalkeeper Rob Duggan as Stafford Rangers eased their relegation fears... with a sixth away win of the season on Saturday... Robinson said: 'He came in, talked really well, organised his back four and pulled off one great reflex save'".
Halifax Today reports that "Town boss Chris Wilder has set his side a top 10 target as they prepared to face Northwich Victoria at the Shay [last night]. Wilder set out his targets... with the squad still smarting from their FA Trophy exit. 'It was a big disappointment but showed that we are not reliable enough in certain key areas', he said. 'I think it could have been avoided'. Wilder declined to elaborate, but it was clearly a reference to his inability to bring any more players into the club until the proposed takeover has been completed. He has had some good news regarding loan signings, when he is finally allowed to bring players in. Town have had seven players on short term loan this season and the club originally thought the maximum was eight. That is the figure given in one part of the Conference handbook, but on another page it says that clubs are allowed as many short term loans as they like, which general manager Angie Firth has confirmed is correct'".
Match report in the Reserves' section.
The Burton Mail says that Albion manager "Nigel Clough has exonerated his men of blame after a heavy defeat at the hands of promotion rivals Exeter City. The Brewers went down 3-0 at St James's Park on Saturday but only after conceding two penalties and having teenage defender John Brayford sent off in the second half. The Albion boss insisted he was 'thrilled' with the performance and laid blame for the defeat firmly at the feet of referee Graham Scott. Clough was unhappy with the award of spot kicks... They came after alleged infringements by the red-carded Brayford and midfielder Lee Bell, who picked up his fourth yellow card in five games since joining the Brewers from Crewe. Clough said: 'We thought he gave them everything in the first half, and for him to be criticised by the home crowd puzzled us. When John was sent off and the first penalty awarded against us, we couldn't help but wonder whether the referee was influenced by 3,500 people saying he wasn't very good'. The spot kick conceded by Bell was even more hotly-contested... Clough said: 'I don't think any Exeter players even appealed... Referees are answerable to nobody. I can't remember the last time one lost his job. We were absolutely thrilled with the performance it was just the decisions that changed the game. We were a bit short of players, but we were pleased with the way we played. It has given us an awful lot of optimism for the last two months of the season, and we can't wait for the Altrincham game on Friday, when we hope to have two or three players back from injury'... Clough was happy with the performance of debutant Alex Nicholls, despite the heavy conditions hampering the style of the loan signing from Walsall".
From the Thurrock Gazette we learn that "Grays' manager Justin Edinburgh is faced with some difficult selection issues as he picks his team for Tuesday's vital Conference clash with St Albans at the New Rec. Despite a convincing 4-1 against Conference South Welling that has earned the Blues an FA Trophy semi-final with Stevenage, Edinburgh has added Dean Howell, Leroy Griffiths, Aaron O'Connor, Abdou El-Kholti and Ben Harding to his squad for the St Albans match. They were all cup-tied on Saturday. St Albans will make one definite change as Grays loanee and local fans' favourite Djoumin Sangare cannot play because of the terms of his loan".
The Kidderminster Shuttle reports that "Harriers' boss Mark Yates has broken his silence to publicly apologise for the incident at the end of last week's 2-0 Aggborough defeat against fellow play-off chasers Exeter City. In a statement issued on the club's website today ,Yates, who was charged with misconduct by the FA following an altercation with Exeter's Lee Elam, said "As many people know now, I have been charged by the Football Association following an incident after the Exeter City game. Although I am unable to comment in any detail on the incident that occurred after the final whistle pending the outcome of the FA charge I feel that after a horrible week some kind of public statement and apology is necessary. I would like to publicly apologise to my family, Exeter City and Lee Elam, the directors and officials at Kidderminster Harriers, as well as both sets of supporters for my actions. Kidderminster Harriers is a family club and I am a family man, and my actions were out of keeping with my character. The frustration and pressure of job is no excuse but I am a young manager and have learned a lot from this regrettable incident... I am grateful to both clubs, my players and Lee Elam for their understanding and professionalism in handling this matter and I wish Exeter and Lee all the best for the rest of the season".
The Northwich Guardian says that Vics' skipper Stuart Elliott "limped out of Saturday's FA Trophy victory over Gravesend with knee ligament damage. He faces a six-week spell on the sidelines. Elliott's absence should diffuse any potential ill-feeling on the terrace as he waits to face an FA hearing over a race charge. Andy Smart should take his place... Town's Tyrone Thompson - the other party in the race case - will also miss the match through suspension after he was sent off against Weymouth last week. Felix Bastians' presence in Halifax's ranks adds to the intrigue. The German teenager was the matchwinner for Vics when the two teams met in November, but Steve Burr cut short his spell after being unimpressed with his attitude". Northwich have also extended the loan of Andy Smart for a second month from Macclesfield Town.
This is Weymouth states that "Weymouth player-boss Jason Tindall is hoping to strengthen his squad this week with the acquisition of two new players... They now face two difficult away trips to Grays Athletic and Gravesend & Northfleet. With Ashley Vickers and Conal Platt both suspended and Tony James, Narada Bernard, Nick Crittenden and Raphael Nade all recovering from injuries, the postponement [last Saturday] could have been viewed as a blessing in disguise but Tindall was a little disappointed. He said: 'We had a few injury doubts but they looked like they were going to be okay so we wanted the game to go ahead really so we could try and get a win under our belts'... On the positive side the postponement has given the Terras extra time to recover from the two gruelling away trips they recently experienced to Halifax Town and York City... Tindall said: 'At least it will give us an extra week to prepare. We should have Raphael Nade back and available this week and it will also give some of the other lads like Narada Bernard the chance to get over their injuries. We are also hoping to bring in a couple more lads this week to strengthen us. The two players we have in mind have a little bit more experience and if we can get them I am sure they will do a good job for us... Obviously the suspended lads are disappointed because they want the games to come thick and fast so they can get their bans over and done with".
NL Daily says that "Forest Green Rovers' defender Tony Butler has made his loan deal at Nationwide North Hinckley United a permanent move. Butler joined Rovers at the start of the season from Blackpool and made ten appearances, with his last outing on December 30th at Altrincham. Thirty-three-year-old Butler spent last season at Blackpool, making almost forty appearances at Bloomfield Road. However, he is best remembered for his time at Gillingham and Bristol City where he played over 100 times each in a career which has seen him top over 500 appearances".
Alty Reserves included nine members of their first-team squad in their 2-0 win over Atherton Collieries last Saturday and are expected to include quite a few of these players again tonight.
As well as picking up points away from home, Alty Reserves must beat leaders Farsley Celtic when they visit Moss Lane in March if they are to stand a chance of overhauling them in the Lancashire League table.
The Non-League Paper yesterday had Steve Hawes in its Dream Team; Steve is now captain at Stocksbridge Park Steels. Danny Adams made his home debut for Morecambe on Saturday. The UniBond League's Press Release says that "Chorley have launched an appeal for help in tracing two former players from their side that beat Wimbledon in the 1997 FA Trophy. The players are holding a reunion on Tuesday, 7th March but the club have been unable to get in touch with former Sheffield Wednesday, Oldham Athletic and Altrincham midfielder Len Dickinson or centre half Peter Brown who also played for New Mills and Stalybridge Celtic. Anyone who has any information on the whereabouts of either player is asked to contact John Newman, Secretary of the Chorley Association of Former Players on 07877 244469 or 01257 263406". Len was at a match at Moss Lane about a year ago, I think.
Sunday 25th
FA Trophy 4
Above: Kieran Raynes (no.12 in blue) jumps the highest as Alty attack the Leigh RMI goal.
Alty Youth hosted Leigh RMI today in the quarter final of the Neil Thomason Memorial Trophy, a competition named after Alty's late youth team coach. When Alty went three goals down after 38 minutes, all looked to be over for them. But with the benefit of playing with the wind a strong second half performance, prompted from midfield by Danny Browne, led to Altrincham netting four times by the 73rd minute to clinch a place in the semi-finals. After an own goal by Leigh, the Alty scorers were Tom Bailey, with two, and Kieran Raynes. Report to follow.
On Friday, "Unibond Premier League Marine F.C. announced "the signing today of former Mariner and fans' favourite Eddie Hussin (left) from Conference North Leigh RMI. Midfielder Hussin, 29, joined Leigh RMI at the beginning of the season after playing at Altrincham in the Nationwide Conference since he left Marine in 2004. Hussin joined Marine initially in the 1999/2000 season and helped the Mariners win the Northern Premier League Cup before his departure to Altrincham. Marine Chairman Paul Leary said: 'This is absolutely great news for Marine fans. The signing of Eddie is a real coup for Marine and his arrival couldn’t be better timed. His experience and passion will make a huge difference and I am thrilled that he has rejoined us'. Marine Manager Alvin McDonald said: 'I am really pleased to have had the opportunity, at such a crucial time, to sign Eddie. We have worked hard to sign him and I know that he will provide that extra drive in midfield. His signing will hopefully prove to be influential in the remaining two months of the season as we continue with our push for a play off position'".
If this does prove to be Eddie's departure from Moss Lane for good, after what was a type of loan arrangement at Leigh RMI, it will be appropriate to remember the vital role that the midfielder played as team captain in getting Altrincham into the Conference National during season 2004-05. Playing through injury, Eddie eventually had to have a cruciate ligament operation after the Play-Off Final in summer 2005 and was out of action for the whole of the next season. He recovered to make three substitute appearances in Conference National this season before going to Leigh. In all, he made 51+4 appearances and scored 5 goals, including his famous "Hand of God" effort. All at Altrincham will wish him very well for the future and will thank him for his magnificent contribution to the Football Club's development.
And there was similar confusion for the Reserves, as they discovered that their next opponents, Hyde United, had been given Monday 26th as the date that they would entertain Alty Reserves, whereas Alty had agreed to Wednesday 28th. Reserves' manager Neil Brown has now agreed with Hyde to play the game at Ewen Fields on Monday (26th) at 7.45pm. It is apparently Hyde's last league game of the season!
Right: Andy Scott, who did not complete yesterday's Altrincham Reserves' game yesterday, through injury.
The Football Conference says that "Aldershot Town manager Terry Brown has hinted at a return to first team action for striker Marcus Gayle before the end of the season. The veteran striker was originally sidelined for at least a month at the start of February with a knee injury that required surgery... Brown told the Aldershot official website: "Andy Edwards is progressing well but he will not play again this season. Marcus Gayle has responded well to treatment after the op and [physio?] Sue (Bowen) seems confident that come the end of March there may well be a chance that he could play again this season... [But] I am still not ruling out that there may be another loan signing".
Once again a visit from Oxford United produced a season's highest league gate for a Conference club yesterday as 2,089 supporters flocked to The Lamb, at Tamworth, yesterday, of whom 854 were officially recorded as being from Oxford.
Southport's point today takes them above Altrincham on goal difference but, on the positive side, today's results restore Altrincham's survival to their own hands as four teams' maximum possible points totals for the season are now lower than Altrincham's.
FA Trophy 4
Above: It was a close shave for Alty Reserves' at Moss Lane this afternoon. The team left it late to defeat Atherton Collieries and, left to right, the back four of Keith Wedge, Stephen Rose, Gary Talbot and Andy Scott seemed to have had particularly close encounters with their barbers before the match..
Altrincham Reserves, with nine players who have played for the first team this season, defeated Atherton Collieries 2-0 this afternoon in the Lancashire League Cup at Moss Lane. Chris Senior netted his first goal in an Altrincham shirt after 87 minutes following good work from Justin Bowler. And then, as with the first goal, Richard Acton started the move which led to Astley Mulholland scoring the second in the ninetieth minute. Report and pictures to follow
Right: Val Owen may be 36 years old but he is playing excellently and here he stops Northwich's Danny Mayman making progress in Tuesday's match at the Victoria Stadium. Gavin Rathbone's photo is one of many of the game on Gavin's GR Photography website.
The BBC says that "Exeter City defender Steve Tully has signed a new deal to keep him at St James's Park next season. The ex-Torquay full-back, 27, has started seven games since signing from Weymouth, initially until the end of the current season, in January... Tisdale has also offered a new deal to Jon Challinor but Dean Moxey and Andy Taylor have turned down initial offers".
"Winger Tyrone Berry is counting down the days until he can make his Crawley debut" says The Argus. Berry is the eighth player to join Reds since the start of January and joint caretaker boss John Yems reckons one more new face is needed to complete the squad. He said: 'We are still looking. I think we need one more, which might be either a loan or a free agent. We are speaking to a few people and there are a lot who are interested in coming to us but we want it to be the right person, not just anybody'".
Halifax Today says that "Halifax Town will not appeal against Tyrone Thompson's sending off in Tuesday's 4-1 victory over Weymouth. Manager Chris Wilder reviewed video footage of the injury time incident, which also saw Terras' duo Conal Platt and Ashley Vickers ordered off. But the evidence was inconclusive and the Shay midfielder will serve a three-match ban, beginning at Aggborough tomorrow". Also, "Felix Bastians has handed Town a massive boost ahead of their FA Trophy quarter-final trip to Kidderminster by agreeing to extend his loan from Nottingham Forest by a further month".
The St Albans Observer states that "Colin Lippiatt is awaiting international clearance to sign an attacking player from New Zealand and an answer from a striker. As the St Albans Observer went to press, the City boss described the move to land the unnamed Kiwi - who played with Tom Davis at Fulham and who can play wide right and up front - in time for the weekend as 'touch and go'. The New Zealand player has signed a Conference form with City but the Australian FA currently holds his registration and he needs to be registered with the English FA before that form can be submitted to the league. Meanwhile, a striker from a Conference South side is still weighing up a move to Clarence Park after St Albans made a seven-day approach to his club. 'I've spoken to the player twice this week and he can't make up his mind', explained Lippiatt. 'I really need to know one way or another'".
"Weymouth defender Ashley Vickers has been suspended for five games after losing his appeal against the red card he picked up in Tuesday's 4-1 defeat at Halifax Town" says This is Weymouth. The ex-Dagenham & Redbridge man and his team-mate Conal Platt were both sent off for violent conduct in added-on time, two decisions that Terras' boss Jason Tindall still feels were very harsh. Platt only joined the Terras on a month's loan last week so his ban is a huge blow. Tindall said: 'He will continue to train with us. We will then probably look to try and get him again on loan'".
Alty travel to Weymouth on March 10th. Admission prices there are:
Woking "confirm that Simon Jackson has joined Fisher Athletic on a month's loan".
SAM says that "Alty hero Joe O'Neill (right) believes the club's luck has finally changed after they snatched a last-gasp point from bitter rivals Northwich on Tuesday night. 'It was a great feeling, we needed that to keep up the little run we've got going now and hopefully we can build on that next game and get three points', he told SAM Sport after the game. 'It's just what the lads needed really because it's hard work when you're going places and you think you're doing alright and you're getting undone by the odd goal. I think we've been unlucky the last few weeks because I think we've played good football in some games but haven't got anything from it. But we've just got that feeling now that we're going to get something from games again, that our luck's changed... We're confident we can avoid relegation, it's going to be a tough run in but if we keep playing like we have done over the last few weeks I think we'll get out of it'.
And likewise, "Graham Heathcote believes Altrincham's fighting spirit will help them to keep punching above their weight... He told SAM Sport: 'You've got to take your hat off to the lads, they're digging in, they're battling, they're keeping going and they won another important point on Tuesday. It was a very open game, too open really and I thought we could have played more football against them. We didn't pass it well but we battled, kept ourselves in the game and got a decent point. It's all about scrambling and scrapping and scraping and we've scraped a point that's been hard fought for. We've not won away from home so the next best thing is not to lose. The main positive was our determination to keep going and if you do that you'll get the bounce of the ball. We've hit a post today and we've hit the post a lot in the last few games, some of them will start to go in hopefully. If we keep that attitude throughout the 90 minutes I think we'll pick up a few wins... There were some colossal performances at Northwich, like Peter Band in the second half and the lads have responded well. We just need to get Colin (Little) going now. He hit the post again today and nothing seems to be going for him at the moment. If he gets a goal or two he could take off and I'm sure he'll have a say in our survival between now and the end of the season'".
"Cambridge United have secured the services of ex-Ipswich defender Aidan Collins until the end of the season. Collins has agreed a deal for the remainder of the campaign after joining the U's at the end of last month, initially on non-contract terms. The 20-year-old has since started three games for Jimmy Quinn's side" reports the BBC.
"Walsall striker Alex Nicholls has joined Burton on a month's loan. The 19-year-old has recovered after breaking his leg late last season in a youth cup tie, but has not played for the first team this season. 'Alex is a talented player and we will monitor his progress closely', boss Richard Money told Walsall's website... Nicholls has made 13 league and cup appearances for Walsall" says the BBC.
The creditors may still be waiting for their money but rarely a day goes past without news from Crawley. The Argus which says that "Goalkeeper Ben Hamer today admitted he could stay permanently at Crawley if he is not offered a new deal by Reading. The 19-year-old's contract runs out at the end of the season. He said: 'My agent will talk to Reading in the next week or so to see what their plans are. I think I have done quite well and if things didn't work out then I would like to stay. The lads have been brilliant and I have enjoyed it. The Conference is competitive and is much better than playing reserve football'... Meanwhile, Reds have been told new winger Tyrone Berry cannot play for 30 days because he was signed outside the transfer window. The 19-year-old agreed to join last week after having his contract cancelled by Rushden and Diamonds and was thought to be eligible as a free agent. But only players whose deals ended before January 31 are allowed to play immediately outside the window".
Stevenage's Trophy tie on Saturday "will see a showdown between two of the most feared strikers in their respective divisions, Steve Morison and Salisbury's Matt Tubbs.", reports The Comet. After wins over Stafford Rangers and Grays Athletic at the weekend, manager Mark Stimson said "I would have been happy with three points but to get six is great... There are another two away games to come after Saturday". And "both Grays and Stafford had men red carded, with flying winger Mitchell Cole the Boro man regularly sinned against. 'The only way to stop Mitchell is to kick him and that's why both players were sent off'" said Stimson who continued: "We've added quality to our already strong nucleus of players. Who ever has come into our midfield in recent games has done a good job. It is really obvious that some of the players have been in the Championship or League One this season".
Our last opponents Northwich Victoria announce that "Our opponents in the Unibond Cheshire Senior Cup Final on Tuesday 13th March will be Cammell Laird who defeated Chester City 5-0 in the semi-final .The venue will be at Witton Albion". Chester knocked Alty out earlier in the competition, on penalties.
Meanwhile, assistant manager Dalton Steele remains away from Moss Lane with his work commitments but he should be back for the Oxford game on 17th March.
Above: Gavin Rathbone's photo of Peter Band in action at Northwich. More photos are on the GR Photography website.
The Northwich Guardian reports that "Steve Burr said seeing Alty's late leveller was like being 'kicked in the teeth'. Joe O'Neill rose highest to head home Steve Bushell's corner in the 91st minute, stealing a barely deserved point for the visitors. 'It feels like we've lost in our changing room', he told the Guardian after the final whistle. 'To concede a goal like that is really disappointing, especially as we were better than them in the second half. I wanted us to push for a second', he said. 'I felt Altrincham weren't threatening and we had the upper hand on them. Still, after all that a point is less use to them than it is to us... Mark Roberts did a great job for us', he said. 'But what can I say about Dean? I'm delighted for him - he took his goal superbly'. Continuing the same theme, the Northwich Guardian adds that "Alty ambushed Vics in injury time to steal a point. Joe O'Neill's superb header from Steve Bushell's corner flew under the crossbar to deny their hosts a deserved win. Before that their cause had looked hopeless. Steve Burr's side shaded a scrappy encounter that was short on quality but high on endeavour and, when James Dean leapt highest to scored his second goal in as many matches on 66 minutes, it seemed likely to be the only goal. They should have known Alty never turn down a scrap. Bereft of craft, they resorted to an aerial attack for the entire game[???], rewarded finally when O'Neill powered home the leveller". Despite this "aerial attack", the paper itself records that "The visitors came closest to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half time. Colin Little swivelled and shot in the same movement, but his shot cannoned back off Ben Connett's post. A linesman's flag meant it didn't matter though... Warren Peyton's stinging 30-yard free kick was tipped over the bar by Connett and O'Neill glanced a dangerous header towards goal in the only real chances of note". It continues "Vics relaxed as they assumed control and, while they created little, they had Alty where they wanted them. Graham Heathcote's men quickly ran out of ideas, and Peter Band was lucky not to see red for clattering into Paul Brayson with his forearm. Connett parried O'Neill's speculative drive to give Alty hope, before the same player popped up to complete an old fashioned smash and grab".
SAM has a more balanced match report from Northwich. "Joe O'Neill headed a superb late equaliser for Altrincham to seal a point in their derby duel with Northwich. Just as it looked like Alty were fighting a hopeless cause, Steve Bushell swung in a corner and O'Neill headed high into the net. It was just what the Robins deserved for a gritty performance in which they never gave up despite falling behind to a James Dean goal. Despite the late drama, the game had been a generally cagey encounter in which quality had been in short supply. However, Alty did play some decent football during the first half... Dean then gave Northwich the lead in thge 67th minute, rising to head home a superb right wing cross from Richard Battersby. It was a lead the hosts had barely deserved after doing plenty of huffing and puffing at the start of the second half but creating very little. However, Alty barely troubled the keeper either... And after it seemed like time had run out O'Neill popped up to grab a valuable point".
After a tempestuous match against Weymouth (whom we visit in early March) at Halifax, The FA confirms that "Weymouth FC's Ashley Vickers from 20/02/2007 suspended from all football until the Club have completed 5 first team matches for a sending off in a match played on 20/02/2007. Also Weymouth FC's Conal Platt from 20/02/2007 suspended from all football until the Club have completed 3 first team matches for a sending off in a match played on 20/02/2007". Alty meet The Terras on 10 March so Platt should have completed his ban by then.
Halifax Today reports that "Wilder is considering an appeal against the red card shown to Tyrone Thompson in last night's 4-1 win over Weymouth at the Shay. The midfielder saw red in injury time along with Terras' duo Ashley Vickers, who appeared to be spoiling for a fight from the moment he arrived on the pitch as a substitute on the hour, and Conal Platt. Vickers had earlier had Thompson in a headlock as the two teams lined up before a Weymouth penalty. And they clashed again in the centre circle with the minutes ticking away, prompting a real melee. 'I could understand Vickers being sent off, but I do not know why Tyrone was sent off', said Wilder. 'Vickers also slapped Matt Doughty as he was going off the pitch which I thought was an absolute disgrace. Tyrone said to me that he had not done anything. I think when one side has two sent off referees do look to see who might have been a culprit for the opposition... We will have a look at it and if there is nothing in it there will certainly be an appeal thrown in. The game turned into a bit of a joke in the last five minutes because we were up against a team that went out to mix it and put people in a position they should not have been. I am all for having a fair dust up and a tackle but there were a lot of things going on out there that were a little bit naughty, especially towards the end. Our character was magnificent under a lot of provocation, especially in the second half when they made a substitution and they brought a boy on whose sole intention was to smash every one of my players. There were a lot of things going off - a lot of words said - but they stood up to the battle and thoroughly deserved their victory... I thought Tyrone was unbelievable last night. His energy was amazing. He clamped onto their lad who was sitting in front of the midfield and ran over the top of him'".
From the other side, This is Weymouth says that "Weymouth player-manager Jason Tindall has branded last night's loss at Halifax Town as a disaster. Not only was the defeat the Terras' third in succession but they also suffered several injuries and had Conal Platt and Ashley Vickers sent off in added-on time... Tindall said: 'Stuart Beavon gave us an early lead and for the first 20 minutes we were in total control. James Coutts then had a goal ruled out when the linesman gave Stuart offside despite the fact he had nothing to do with the play. If that had been given it would have probably been a different story".
The Football Association have issued an initial response to the complaint, stating that the referee will be asked to explain his actions and informed the club that they believed he should not have prevented the player from playing and that if the referee believed there was a contravention of an FIFA or FA directive then the referee should have reported it and not taken his own action. The directive, issued this season from the FA; and re-circulated to all clubs in the FA Premiership, Football League and Nationwide Conference on 1st February, relates to the wearing of undergarments. Forest Green Rovers have asked, for the purpose of clarity, that the directive should be re-visited to ensure that there can only be one interpretation possible.
In the case in question, the Rovers player wore black 'tights' under his black shorts and black socks, yet Mr Quinn ruled this was in contravention of the directive. In their complaint to the FA the club pointed out that if that were the case, then a certain well known Premiership player also contravened the directive in the FA Cup this Sunday. Having said that, the club believes that Mr Quinn was at fault with his interpretation of the directive. Also the player in question and other players have worn similar undergarments since the directive was issued and no such action has been taken against this player or any team-mates.
In consulation with the Football Conference, who are due to meet the FA over other matters this week, Forest Green Rovers have requested that a clear statement about this directive needs to be made before the player plays again this week against Morecambe.
A club spokesman stated 'The club would not rule out the possibility of making an appeal to have the match replayed but thought that it is unlikely. The incident was bizarre and sadly shows that certain directives in the current game have nothing to do with the game of football itself. This needs sorting out quickly for the benefit of every member club in the Conference'.
All member clubs in the Conference have been alerted to this incident and many have responded with their personal views on the subject but they all agree that the FA have to ensure that ALL clubs and ALL match official are clear on this directive".
Tamworth "have made a tough but very carefully considered decision to withdraw from the Staffordshire Senior Cup. It follows a protest lodged by Rushall Olympic after their defeat by Tamworth on Tuesday February 13. Rushall claim that the Tamworth team included two players who were ineligible due to the timing of their registrations and while this is strongly disputed, it means that the process for Staffordshire Football Assocation to deal with the issue cannot be completed in time for the Tamworth v Chasetown semi-final to go ahead as scheduled next Tuesday, February 27. With Tamworth already having a congested 'Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Tuesday' fixture list, fitting in another date for a rearranged SSC tie could not be foreseen without impacting on the top priority efforts of concentrating on the league. It was decided this could not be allowed to become a distraction and therefore, reluctantly, withdrawal from the competition was considered to be in the very best interests of Tamworth Football Club in the circumstances. Having studied the rules and sent a detailed response to the Staffs FA, Tamworth are confident that they were not in breach... Rushall had challenged the eligibility of Gary Mills and Michael Briscoe on the grounds that the tie against Tamworth was originally set for Tuesday December 5 and for players to be eligible they had to be registered with the club by noon on December 1. After postponement of the tie initially, it was rearranged for February 20 and then, at Tamworth's request, brought forward a week to the 13th. This was still nearly two months after it should have been played and TFC would have argued this would have had a bearing on registration deadline for players. No communication or correspondence had been received from the Staffs FA on the subject of registration in relation to such a delay in the tie being completed. Russell Moore, Secretary/General Manager".
"Barnet defender Anthony Charles has rejoined former club Aldershot Town on loan until the end of the season. Charles, 25, heads back to the Shots after falling out of the first-team at Barnet, where he has been since signing from Farnborough two years ago. He previously played 45 games for the Shots and helped them win promotion to the Conference in 2003" says the BBC.
Crawley Today confirms that "Crawley Town have signed winger Tyrone Berry until the end of the season. He has come as a free agent after being released by rivals Rushden & Diamonds on Thursday. Berry, 19, is a former Crystal Palace trainee and has a reputation as a pacey wide player. He has recently been on loan at Conference South club Lewes... Caretaker manager Ben Judge said: 'He is a quick, lively winger and gives us more attacking options, as he can play upfront as well'".
But Halifax Today says that "Chris Wilder has been told that he cannot sign any more players until the proposed takeover of Halifax Town has been completed. The Shay chief is hoping to bolster his defence, but admits he is in limbo until any potential deal in finalised. 'I have lined up an experienced centre half but I have been told I cannot do anything until everything is sorted out', he said. 'I don't want to be disrespectful, or put pressure on anyone, but I am the manager and I am in limbo. We have lost players all through the season and I need as many bodies as I can get. I get the impression that the supporters want to know what is going off as much as I do and hopefully there will be a conclusion sooner rather than later'. The Town boss did add to his squad ahead of yesterday's game against Weymouth with Simon Parke returning to the Shay from Bradford Park Avenue on non contract terms. But they have lost Lionel Ainsworth who has returned to Derby County after a month on loan with the Shaymen. 'Simon is well known to people', said Wilder. 'He is an honest boy who can score goals. There was no point bringing a kid in and he will bring power and experience to a young squad'". Park nearly joined Altrincham in the late 1990s when he was with Guiseley. "Meanwhile Halifax's Felix Bastians', "initial month's loan spell ends after Saturday's FA Trophy tie at Kidderminster".
The Comet reports from Stafford where Stevenage "had to come from behind after struggling Stafford took an early lead through on-loan striker David McNiven. In front of the lowest Conference crowd of the season - numbering just 653 - the home side made a bright start... Stafford's misery was completed in injury-time when defender Richie Sutton was dismissed for a second bookable offence".
Above: Gavin Rathbone's photo of Joe O 'Neill as he turns after scoring at Northwich. More photos are on the GR Photography website.
Match report here
I would like to pass on my appreciation to all the staff at ALtrincham FC for making Fletcher Moss RAngers under-11s feel welcome. Also a big thanks to Karen Rowley, Graham Heathcote and, of course, your good self, for arranging for my tem to attend your Club - shame that the Robins could not give York a good tattering. WIsh Grahn all my best for this seasonand seasons to follow. Oh. not forgetting of course one of my pals at Fletcher, Mr Neil Brown [Alty Reserves' manager and groundsman]. Sincerely yours, Danny Duerden. P.S. Tell Graham that if he gives my boys a training session, I'll buy him a McDonalds!"
More Featured Clubs will visit Moss Lane under this scheme as the season progresses.
This is Staffs reported yesterday that "Stafford Rangers manager Phil Robinson will be forced into another reshuffle of his side for Tuesday''s Conference clash with Stevenage at Marston Road.Striker Guy Madjo jets off to the Congo to play for the Cameroon under-23s, while on-loan midfielder Antony Griffith looks unlikely to play for Rangers again after suffering an horrendous mouth injury at the weekend. But Rangers will be bolstered by the return of defender Craig McAughtrie and midfielder Craig Lovatt after one-match bans. Rangers, who slipped perilously close to the relegation zone at the weekend after defeat to Halifax, will be striving to avoid a fourth consecutive home defeat. But Stevenage are one of the in-form teams in the division... and they beat Rangers 6-0 in September when [ex-Alty man] Ged Murphy was red carded".
Halifax Today says that "Football bosses are turning the screws on the council to finish work on the Shay's east stand next year. The Nationwide Conference has set two deadlines. If they are not met, Halifax Town FC could be banned from the league for the 2007/08 season... Conference operations director John Moules pulled no punches ahead of a council leadership meeting today when cabinet members were expected to discuss the ground's redevelopment. Mr Moules said promises had not been kept and by July 31 directors' hospitality and toilet facilities had to be housed in the east stand. 'And by March 2008 we expect the east stand to be fully operational', he said. 'The Conference has been more than patient and Halifax Town has to meet the commitments previously made. Our board of directors have now decided enough is enough. The involvement of Calderdale Council in brokering a development deal is irrelevant. That is not our problem. That is the club's problem', said Mr Moules.
Oxford Utd currently play in the Conference with only three sides of their ground developed. Mr Moules said that was allowed at the discretion of the Conference board, which accepted relegated clubs whatever the condition of their grounds. Nuneaton Borough were kicked out of the Conference in the mid-1980s for not carrying out ground improvements and other clubs have been refused promotion to the Conference. Halifax Town chairman Geoff Ralph remained upbeat and said the Shay Stadium Trust was aware of what needed to be done and was confident cosmetic improvements to the east stand could be completed by July. 'There are no major issues. There is a commitment to complete the east stand by March 2008 from the trust and the local authority'... Trust chief executive Geoff Butler said 'The council has not come up with any commitment whatsoever'".
Yet another signing is reported by Crawley Today which says that "Crawley Town are on the verge of signing winger Tyrone Berry, released by Conference rivals Rushden & Diamonds. The 19-year-old was recently on loan at Conference South club Lewes and was released... on February 16. It is unclear when he will be eligible to play for Crawley as there is a rule that released players switching clubs at the same or a higher lever must wait 30 days before joining another club. Reds are awaiting confirmation if this period starts from the date a player last played for his previous club, which in this case was January 6, or from the day he was released".
Above: Gavin Rathbone's photo of Joe O 'Neill as he turns after scoring at Northwich. More photos are on the GR Photography website.
Match report here
I would like to pass on my appreciation to all the staff at ALtrincham FC for making Fletcher Moss RAngers under-11s feel welcome. Also a big thanks to Karen Rowley, Graham Heathcote and, of course, your good self, for arranging for my tem to attend your Club - shame that the Robins could not give York a good tattering. WIsh Grahn all my best for this seasonand seasons to follow. Oh. not forgetting of course one of my pals at Fletcher, Mr Neil Brown [Alty Reserves' manager and groundsman]. Sincerely yours, Danny Duerden. P.S. Tell Graham that if he gives my boys a training session, I'll buy him a McDonalds!"
More Featured Clubs will visit Moss Lane under this scheme as the season progresses.
This is Staffs reported yesterday that "Stafford Rangers manager Phil Robinson will be forced into another reshuffle of his side for Tuesday''s Conference clash with Stevenage at Marston Road.Striker Guy Madjo jets off to the Congo to play for the Cameroon under-23s, while on-loan midfielder Antony Griffith looks unlikely to play for Rangers again after suffering an horrendous mouth injury at the weekend. But Rangers will be bolstered by the return of defender Craig McAughtrie and midfielder Craig Lovatt after one-match bans. Rangers, who slipped perilously close to the relegation zone at the weekend after defeat to Halifax, will be striving to avoid a fourth consecutive home defeat. But Stevenage are one of the in-form teams in the division... and they beat Rangers 6-0 in September when [ex-Alty man] Ged Murphy was red carded".
Halifax Today says that "Football bosses are turning the screws on the council to finish work on the Shay's east stand next year. The Nationwide Conference has set two deadlines. If they are not met, Halifax Town FC could be banned from the league for the 2007/08 season... Conference operations director John Moules pulled no punches ahead of a council leadership meeting today when cabinet members were expected to discuss the ground's redevelopment. Mr Moules said promises had not been kept and by July 31 directors' hospitality and toilet facilities had to be housed in the east stand. 'And by March 2008 we expect the east stand to be fully operational', he said. 'The Conference has been more than patient and Halifax Town has to meet the commitments previously made. Our board of directors have now decided enough is enough. The involvement of Calderdale Council in brokering a development deal is irrelevant. That is not our problem. That is the club's problem', said Mr Moules.
Oxford Utd currently play in the Conference with only three sides of their ground developed. Mr Moules said that was allowed at the discretion of the Conference board, which accepted relegated clubs whatever the condition of their grounds. Nuneaton Borough were kicked out of the Conference in the mid-1980s for not carrying out ground improvements and other clubs have been refused promotion to the Conference. Halifax Town chairman Geoff Ralph remained upbeat and said the Shay Stadium Trust was aware of what needed to be done and was confident cosmetic improvements to the east stand could be completed by July. 'There are no major issues. There is a commitment to complete the east stand by March 2008 from the trust and the local authority'... Trust chief executive Geoff Butler said 'The council has not come up with any commitment whatsoever'".
Yet another signing is reported by Crawley Today which says that "Crawley Town are on the verge of signing winger Tyrone Berry, released by Conference rivals Rushden & Diamonds. The 19-year-old was recently on loan at Conference South club Lewes and was released... on February 16. It is unclear when he will be eligible to play for Crawley as there is a rule that released players switching clubs at the same or a higher lever must wait 30 days before joining another club. Reds are awaiting confirmation if this period starts from the date a player last played for his previous club, which in this case was January 6, or from the day he was released".
Altrincham may well be unchanged for tonight's game, with Owen and Chalmers likely to be fit after earlier doubts.
The Lancaster & Morecambe Citizen reports that "Sammy McIlroy has moved to ease his defensive crisis with the signature of Danny Adams (right) on loan until the end of the season. The 31-year-old centre-half goes straight into Morecambe's team for Saturday's Conference clash at Forest Green as skipper Jim Bentley and Ged Brannan are suspended, while Chris Blackburn is injured. Adams joins from Huddersfield Town and also played for Macclesfield and Stockport after moving into the professional game from Altrincham. 'Danny played for me at Macclesfield and he adds good experience', says McIlroy". The former Alty left-back did speak to Altrincham boss Graham Heathcote following Huddersfield's decision to release him but, not surprisingly, Danny has preferred to remain full-time. This is the second time this season that Alty have lost out to Morecambe for a full-back; trialist Adam Yates opted for the Lancashire side after seeming set to come to Moss Lane.
Indeed, "Northwich Victoria have signed former Blackpool midfielder Matt Shaw. The 22-year-old joins the Vics as a free agent after ending a short spell with Conference rivals Morecambe earlier this season. Vics boss Steve Burr will be without attacking midfielder Michael Byrne for up to six weeks after 21-year-old underwent surgery on a hernia problem". The Northwich Guardian adds that "Michael Carr will sit out the derby duel with Altrincham. The Vics midfielder was harshly sent off referee Peter Quinn in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers. 'It was a ridiculous decision', said assistant boss Dave Moss... Carr's absence will be a huge blow for Vics, for the midfielder has found his best form in recent weeks. Terry Barwick, new boy Matt Shaw and Stuart Elliott are in line to take his place". On Saturday "Darren Jones' own goal and James Dean's first strike for the club ensured a 2-0 victory against Jim Harvey's men... Moss praised debut boy James Dean after he capped his Conference bow with the second goal".
Right: Stuart Coburn at Crawley; Stu has made some vital saves in recent games.
The Argus says that "Crawley have become victims of their own success. .. Their reputation precedes them following a remarkable run that has taken them from the Conference relegation zone to mid-table. And, from the evidence of Saturday's home draw against fellow relegation battlers Altrincham, they could find it tough going for the rest of the season. Alty arrived at the Broadfield Stadium with one thing aim - to defend. To coin a phrase used by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, they parked the team bus in front of their goal and celebrated as if they had beaten the drop at the end after undeservedly stealing a point... Joint caretaker boss Ben Judge said: 'The crowd will be disappointed with how we played and we are slightly but teams are going to come here with the record we have got over the last few months and be happy to nick a goal in the last ten minutes. They are going to come and sit back, which is a sign that we are going places and we will have to work on how best to break them down'. The fans had every right to feel disappointed after seeing their side control the game and deservedly go ahead on 31 minutes... Judge said: 'We were comfortable in the first half and I thought the only way they were going to score was either with a worldy (world class goal) or something sloppy, which is what happened'... Goalkeeper Hamer said: 'I gave Mag a shout and he said he heard it late and tried to get rid of it'" but put it into his own net. Reds dominated the second half [??] and carved out more chances with the lively Benyon firing over and nodding wide. But in the end they were fortunate to get away with a point following another defensive howler. Dave Woozley took a quick throw back to Hamer, who scuffed his attempted clearance straight at the onrushing Little... Hamer said: 'Wooze gave me the throw but I didn't really want it. It was bobbling so I was going to take a touch but then I saw the guy coming out of the corner of my eye. I panicked a bit, which I shouldn't have done, and swung a leg at it. Luckily I managed to run straight across his line and get a good hand on it to tip it wide. It would have been terrible if that had gone in because we should have won it. In hindsight we could have scored six'".
Meanwhile Crawley Today adds that "Colin Little should have won the match for Altrincham in injury-time when he seized upon a mistake by 'keeper Ben Hamer and had a sight at an open goal, but put his shot narrowly wide".
A week on Friday, Alty travel to the Pirelli Stadium where The Burton Mail reports that "Manager Nigel Clough believes Burton Albion can halt a slump in form and revive their bid to make it to the promotion play-offs... The Brewers have now taken only one point from four games — their worst run since August — and have dropped to eighth place in the table. They will be hoping to arrest the slide when bottom club Tamworth visit the Pirelli Stadium [on Tuesday]. Clough insisted: "With 16 games to go, there’s still everything to play for... In terms of effort, I can’t fault what’s being put in. We could do with some better decisions on the ball and a bit more quality at times'... The form of recent signing Lee Bell also gave Clough cause for optimism.".
From the Cambridge Evening News is news that "Mark Peters has been given the thumbs-up to return to training with Cambridge United despite being struck down by a heart-related illness. The former captain has been provisionally diagnosed as suffering from pericarditis - an inflammation of the sac-like membrane that surrounds the heart - resulting from a viral infection he picked up two weeks ago... but after extensive tests by specialists, Peters has been given the all-clear to go back into training. But it is not known how long the 34-year-old centre-half will take to fully recover from the virus... Meanwhile, Wayne Purser has been challenged to win his place back in the United first team after recovering from an infectedfoot injury... Assistant manager Steve Castle said 'Unfortunately, Wayne came to the club and hasn't set things on fire as we know he can do. He has had this foot problem and that's all sorted out now, but it's just coincided with some really decent performances from Robbie (Simpson) and Chilli (Dan Chillingworth). We've also got Charles (Ademeno), who has looked good when he has come on, so at the moment we've got the luxury of having four strikers champing at the bit'".
This is Exeter confirms that "Kidderminster Harriers' manager Mark Yates could be in hot water following allegations he headbutted Exeter City winger Lee Elam. City had just given their play-off push another welcome boost with a 2-0 win at Aggborough when tempers flared on the pitch. Elam went down clutching his head and was left with bruising around his eye in the unsavoury incident. Yates was then confronted by City players Matt Gill and Paul Buckle before being led away by Harriers assistant manager Neil Howarth. He was then shown a red card by referee Amy Rayner. The Harriers manager looks certain to face an FA probe into the alleged assault after Rayner confirmed to City bosses that she had witnessed the flashpoint.... "I honestly didn't see it," said Exeter manager Paul Tisdale. 'I am not going to put any appeal through, I didn't see it, so how can I? The referee will decide what to do'. The club's sporting director Julian Tagg said: 'Lee is fine, he has got some bruising but that's all'".
Halifax Today says that "Boss Chris Wilder hailed teenage centre backs Neal Trotman and Ryan Cresswell as Town picked up three invaluable points from their trip to Stafford. The duo were part of a Halifax defence under intense second half pressure... Trotman started the game but Cresswell was forced into the action for his debut when Adam Quinn suffered a fifth minute injury...'The only way Stafford could play was to launch balls into our box. And the two young lads at the back put up very well with the physical confrontation posed by McNiven, Madjo and Grayson. The most inexperienced part of the side stood firm, headed things and kicked things... I thought it was a magnificent effort on a pitch that was a massive leveller'" said the Shaymen's manager.
The Kidderminster Shuttle claims that "The Harriers' board will not discuss Saturday's unsavoury scenes with manager Mark Yates until after Tuesday's clash with Conference leaders Dagenham and Redbridge. Yates has been left to concentrate on team affairs... temporarily ending rumours that he could be suspended or sacked. Chairman Barry Norgrove said 'I haven't spoken to him yet... There's conflicting evidence at the moment... We've got to look at the video and wait for the referee's report'". But a Soho Square spokesman today confirmed that the FA's disciplinary department had been made aware of the alleged on-pitch altercation via the referee's report. 'The matter will be passed onto our compliance department to decide what happens',she said".
"Sammy McIlroy is in the middle of an emergency loan defender hunt in time for Saturday's Conference grudge match at Forest Green Rovers" states the Lancaster & Morecambe Gazette. "The Christie Park treatment room currently resembles a scene from Emergency Ward 10 - and to compound that misery skipper Jim Bentley and fellow Scouser Ged Brannan are banned for Saturday's trip to the New Lawn after collecting their fifth bookings of the season. 'It's unbelievable', says McIlroy. 'After all the injury problems I have Bentley out and Brannan out and Blackburn is not fit. I am going to have to do something to get someone in because I have run out of centre halves'. mcIlroy tried to sign Sheffield United defender Ryan Cresswell in time for last weekend - but the player opted for a loan to Halifax Town instead... The Shrimps face their former boss Jim Harvey when they travel to Gloucestershire on Saturday with acrimony and bitter feeling still bubbling under the surface following the Christie Park draw in November".
This is Weymouth says that "Weymouth player-manager Jason Tindall refused to get downhearted after his side's 1-0 defeat at York City... Tindall said: 'We came here with a game plan and it worked for 94-and-a-half minutes. We played 4-5-1 with myself sat in front of the defence and with Stuart Beavon up front. That gave the four midfielders a lot of freedom, we had some good movement and made a few good chances... Hhow we have come away with nothing I do not know. Even some of the York people came up to me afterwards and said that we deserved something from the game'. Weymouth have now not won in their last six".
"Woking Football Club and Steve Ferguson have agreed today that the player will leave the club by mutual consent. Steve has released the following apology to our fans: 'I would like to express my sincere apologies to everyone who is involved at Woking Football Club and to everyone who supports the club. The recent Newspaper article on funding was taken out of context and I was misquoted. I would never dream of running down this football club after three and a half years I’ve had here'".
At Southport "Lee Hoolickin will have an operation at the start of next week on his knee. The op and following rehab should see Lee back in the squad in four weeks which is good news on our run in".
League-leaders Dagenham & Redbridge report that "John Still has further bolstered his [side] with the addition of two more players. Arriving are midfielder Jon Wallis and goalkeeper Nicky Eyre. 21-year old Jon began his career at his hometown Club of Gillingham before moving to Hereford United last summer. The small, but physical player can play in the centre of midfield as well as out wide. Jon joins on a month’s loan. Nicky is a Braintree born 22-year old who began his career as a trainee at Tottenham Hotspur. He played 17 games at Grays Athletic last season and this term has played 19 times for Rushden and Diamonds... Nicky joins the Daggers until the end of the season".
Meanwhile, Northwich Vics' Michael Carr is suspended for tomorrow's match against Altrincham.
A report on the Altrincham Youth team's first home game for 12 weeks is in the Youth section. Right, is Alty midfielder Michael Simcock pictured during a break in Sunday's game against Salford City, which Alty lost 0-2.
A report has also been added to the Youth section of the website, courtesy of manager George Heslop, on the match a week ago, away at Salford City, which was drawn 2-2.
Congratulations go to Alty Youth's left winger Anthony Davies, who received his Cheshire County FA cap this week. Caps are awarded after a player has made ten appearances for the FA side.
Alty Youth's next game is in the Neil Thomason Memorial Cup on Sunday, 25th February at home to Leigh RMI at Wythenshawe Town FC, k.o. 2pm.
This site's match report is here.
And seven years ago on Tuesday this website reported that Alty were going through a winless phase in the UniBond:
20 February 2000 - ALTRINCHAM 1 HUCKNALL TOWN 0: After a delayed kick-off due to Hucknall's late arrival, Altrincham clinched their first win in eight games with a close-range goal two minutes from the end, through Steve Hawes, after good work by Scheuber, Landon and Finney. The first half had been very even and entertaining but Altrincham dominated the second half after Ward and Craney gave way to Landon and Scheuber at the interval. Landon made a surprise return from his loan at Droylsden, whilst Hawes had been thought to be unavailable due to his trial at Doncaster. Alty move up to fourth with this, their first win in eight games and their first clean sheet this year. Terry Bowker was the official Man of the Match.
Also on 20 February 2001: KEV SHINES AGAIN: Kevin Ellison turned out for Leicester Reserves again last night against a very strong Chelsea side. The Foxes won 1-0 thanks to a mis-kick by Ed de Goey. The Leicester website reported that "recent signing Kevin Ellison enjoyed an impressive performance.. Fast forwarding forward to last Saturday, Ellison was a last minute sub for Tranmere Rovers.
And on 20 February 2004: REDS AT MOSS LANE: Manchester United and Liverpool Reserves drew 1-1 before a large crowd to Moss Lane last night. Amongst those playing were United's Solskjaer, Djemba-Djemba, Wes Brown, David Bellion and Kieran Richardson. Liverpool fielded Traore, Biscan, Diao, Danny Murphy, Baros and Diouf. Bellion put United ahead (37) before Murphy levelled from the spot (59).
St Albans City report that "Colin Lippiatt's relentless search for new faces to strengthen the squad at Clarence Park brought some reward on Friday afternoon, moments before the deadline for registering players elapsed, when the City manager completed the signing of 21-year-old left-back Ahmed Nuru Deen... Deen, born in Sierra Leone, joins the Saints from Conference South side Fisher Athletic".
The Football Conference adds that "Kidderminster manager Mark Yates could face serious disciplinary action from the Football Association after appearing to headbutt an Exeter player. According to Harriers Online, Yates walked up to Lee Elam at the conclusion of their match on Saturday and offered to shake his hand, but then appeared to headbutt him instead". Bullsnews says that "For Mark Yates, the 2-0 defeat of his side by Exeter at Aggborough, may pale into insignificance compared with what happened after the game... Yates was said to be furious and took it out on Exeter's Lee Elam. Allegedly he head-butted him to the ground. After the game Exeter released a statement 'regarding an incident after the final whistle at the Kidderminster Harriers v Exeter City match today. At this point in time Exeter City Football Club and the player concerned will leave Kidderminster Harriers and the authorities to deal with the matter in the appropriate fashion'".
Right: Robbie Lawton chases the ball at Crawley, as (left to right) Warren Peyton, Lewis Chalmers and Val Owen wait for the outcome.
Match report here.
The NL Paper quotes Graham Heathcote after the match. He said, "I'm happy we have stopped the rot after four defeats on the trot. Beating relegation is going to be about who can put a run together and, hopefully, we can build for the rest of the season. Our away form has been disappointing so the players deserve the plaudits for their efforts and the way they battled out a good point. We know it is going to be a scrap right until the death and, hopefully, this result will give us the belief that we can do it". Opposition joint-boss Ben Judge said, "They made it difficult for us and we struggled to break them down. We know teams are going to come here now and try to defend because we have been on a good run... I think up to 12 other sides are in danger of going down, so it's going to be tight".
Crawley Town have a brief match report on Saturday's game. It says that "The Reds were held to a 1-1 draw by Altrincham despite dominating the first-half... Magnus Okuonghae turned the ball into his own net from Robert Lawton’s cross [it was actually Joe O'Neill's cross] to send the sides into half-time at 1-1. If the home fans thought normal service would resume after the break – they were to be mistaken. Altrincham’s fortunate goal seemed to spur the visitors on and grew in confidence and made the Reds defence work hard through out the half, but rarely troubled Ben Hamer. After gifting Altrincham a first half leveller, Ben Hamer almost handed the Robins the full points. David Woozley threw a throw-in back to Hamer, but the keeper kicked the ball straight back to Chris Senior [Colin Little]. [Little] scuffed his shot, but Hamer managed just to recover and get a finger tip to the ball to turn it around the post".
Match report here.
Pictured by Gavin Rathbone, right is Rod Thornley's scissor kick which almost came off for Altrincham against York City last Saturday. More of Gavin's photos are on the GR Photography website.
[For the Crawley game], We'll be staying down south overnight. I'm not sure I like the overnight stays but they're just part of the job so you get on with it. I room with Val (Owen) and he's not too bad really, doesn't have any annoying habits. The only thing is that he always gets the double bed in the room and I get the single because he's older than I am and you have to respect your elders.
Rooming with some of the lads can be a bit of a nightmare though. Scotty (Gary Scott) is just strange and quite often walks round with no clothes on so I would try and avoid rooming with him. Talbs (Gary Talbot) gets stuck with him though so he won't try anything funny because Talbs is much bigger than he is. Then there's Warren (Peyton) who just sleeps all the way down on the coach and then all the time we're at the hotel as well. Pottsy (Colin Potts) was a nightmare because you'd wake up in the middle of the night and he'd be ordering room service for 'supper' - at three in the morning. Then he'd have a full breakfast first thing in the morning as well...
We can't afford to do what we did against York and let them score so early on, we didn't have a chance after that. There was a bit of a misunderstanding between me and Lewis (Chalmers) from the kick off and they just went straight downfield and scored... All I need now is a good run of games and I know I can start scoring goals again. It may be doom and gloom at the moment but I'm confident we can stay up".
But joint caretaker boss John Yems ... said 'We give credit to every side because there were teams who underestimated us at the beginning of the season and they came unstuck... Altrincham have to win away some time and they are fighting for their lives so it won't be easy'. Midfielders Steve Evans and Scott Marshall both return from suspension but Lee Blackburn is serving the second of a three-match ban. Joint caretaker boss Ben Judge remains sidelined with a groin injury".
On the Crawley Forum, a representative of the supporters' Devils' Trust writes of a meeting with John Yems, "He recognised that many Trust members and other supporters had issues with the Majeeds and understood why they might choose to not attend home matches and he would not condemn them for taking that stance. We also discussed why the financial situation (specifically the SA debt remaining while the CVA is outstanding) made attracting alternative outside investors difficult and also the serious damage caused by the owners sending thugs to intimidate a fans family and disrupt a Trust meeting.
Whilst being loyal to the Majeeds he recognised that they had made many mistakes and mishandled situations. He agreed that a major cause of the crisis was that football contract negotiations had been mishandled by an individual unqualified for the task and also that the move to a full-time operation had been far too rushed.
All parties felt that those on the football side at the club had done remarkably well under the circumstances. John was full of praise for the team spirit and gave most credit to Woozley & Judge for their part in building it. He is still frustrated by not being able to place players on contracts. But he was proud that the football side now operated within sensible financial limits and believed that the playing budget was one of the best managed in the Conference.
In spite of the ten-point deduction, John still believed that placing the club in Administration was the best way to resolve the unsustainable financial situation. John was completely confident that the CVA would be settled in March and both parties agreed that would be a positive start towards moving forward (albeit 5 months after the deadline agreed by the Majeeds)".
"Kidderminster Harriers have signed striker Gary Hay from Worcestershire neighbours Bromsgrove Rovers. The former AFC Telford United forward has signed for the Conference club on non-contract terms" says the BBC.
"Southend's James Lawson has joined Dagenham & Redbridge on a month's loan. The 20-year-old forward returned from a month-long loan spell at Bournemouth last week, and also had a brief stint at Grimsby earlier this season. Daggers' manager John Still told BBC Essex: 'He can play wide on both sides, or down the middle. We're in a position where if we need to give a player a rest then we have to move someone, but he'll stop us from having to do that'".
"St Albans have signed defender Mark Wright on a month's loan from rivals Grays Athletic, reports BBC Essex. The 20-year-old left-back joined Grays last summer, but has not yet appeared in the Conference for them, although he recently had a loan spell at Crawley. Meanwhile, Grays have signed American-born goalkeeper Ian Joyce on non-contract terms. He will act as cover for Ashley Bayes while Danny Knowles is out injured. Joyce has played university football in the United States."
The Cambridge Evening News reports that "Paul Barry is confident his bid to save Cambridge United will be given the green light. The United director told the News he believed he had enough support to push through changes to the club's constitution at an extraordinary general meeting that would see him, fellow board member Johnny Hon and American businessman Adrian Hanauer pump £600,000 into United over the next two years... US-based Barry, United's major shareholder, has said he believes the club would die without the changes being passed... He said: 'No-one else has approached the club with substantial offers of financial help on the level that would be required to keep the club trading.... I am personally confident that the EGM resolution will pass and the club can look forward to a bright future'".
Also at Cambridge, "Mark Peters was set to undergo further tests on Thursday to solve his mystery illness. Physio Greg Reid said there was no timescale for the recovery of the former United captain, who went down with a viral infection two weeks ago. But despite having complete rest last week, Peters, 34, is still laid up with unspecified problems that stemmed from the initial virus".
This is Exeter reports that "Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale says Bertie Cozic is central to his future plans after the French midfielder signed a one-year contract extension at St James's Park.The 28-year-old would have been out of contract at the end of the season, but has agreed fresh terms that tie him to the Grecians until the end of the 2007/08 campaign... [Also] Tisdale opened talks with converted striker Jon Challinor over a new deal".
"Northwich Vics could be free of their relegation worries by Tuesday night", says IC Cheshire. "All they have to do is find good home form at last and beat Forest Green Rovers on Saturday and Altrincham on Tuesday... But nine Conference defeats at the Victoria Stadium means Northwich cannot even take on lowly Forest Green and Altrincham with any certainty. Coach Dave Moss said: 'In all the clubs I have been involved with I have never known a home record like it.'There is just no explaining it. Our place seems to bring out the best in other teams. 'But we always can't wait to play at home again. There is no fear of it and the next two games are vital to us. Recently results elsewhere have been kind to us and now we have an excellent chance to pull away from the relegation zone'... There are 63 days remaining and Vics have to play 20 league games and at least two, possibly five, cup ties... Plans for the further development of land at the Victoria Stadium took a major step forward this week when Vale Royal Council made a grant of £50,000 available for an artificial pitch. The Vics owner has offered schools free use of the pitch during the daytime".
However, The Northwich Guardian met a less confident version of David Moss. "Dave Moss admits he is pensive about Vics' fixture pile up. They have played just 26 league matches - less than anybody else in the Conference... 'It's worrying us to be honest', Vics' assistant boss told the Guardian... 'People cling to the fact we've got games in hand, but it's vital we make use of them'... And the next fortnight will be fundamental to his side's fight for survival. They face home matches against Forest Green Rovers, Altrincham and Tamworth - all teams in danger of the drop this term. 'Make no mistake, these are massive games for us', said Moss. 'It's no good calculating, saying if we win that one or get a draw in the other one - we've got to win football matches'".
The Vics themselves say that "Manager Steve Burr has added ex-Blackpool & Morcambe midfielder Matt Shaw to his squad before Saturday's game v Forest Green Rovers. On the downside Michael Byrne will be missing for 4-6 weeks after undergoing surgery for a hernia last wednesday. Good news for Chris Williams though, he has been given permission to resume full time training commencing on Monday".
The Football Conference reports the news that "Oxford manager Jim Smith has signed defender Luke Foster from Stalybridge Celtic on a seven-day deal... The 21-year-old started his career at Sheffield Wednesday before going on loan to Nationwide South [?North] outfit Scarborough. The 6'2" centre-half then signed on at League Two side Lincoln City in 2005 before joining York City on loan earlier this season. Lincoln cancelled his contract after his loan spell in the Conference and he went on to play for Nationwide North club Stalybridge Celtic on a non-contract basis. His recent form attracted interest from the U's and Foster was given a trial in which he excelled, playing in a friendly match for the reserves against Luton last week. Foster is seen as ideal cover for the injured Georges Santos and Chris Willmott and goes straight into the squad to face Gravesend & Northfleet".
Stevenage Borough report that "The Nationwide Conference have now confirmed the dates for the end of season play-offs. The 1st leg of the play-off semi-finals will be played on the evening of Friday 4th May, with the 2nd leg three days later on Monday 7th May. One of the first legs will be shown live on Sky Sports and both of the second legs, therefore kick off times of the second legs will be staggered and announced nearer the time. The Final will be played on Sunday 20th May with a 3pm kick off, at a venue to be confirmed. The past two play-off finals have been held at The Britannia Stadium, home of Stoke City, and The Walkers Stadium, home of Leicester City. The Conference South and North finals will be played at the same venues as last year. The South final will therefore be played at Broadhall Way on Sunday 13th May with a noon kick off and the North final at Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium on Monday 15th May with a 7.45pm kick off. Both matches will be shown live on Setanta Sports. The FA Trophy final will be played on Saturday 12th May with the kick off and venue to be confirmed".
Grays Athletic report "that Leroy Griffiths has today signed for Grays Athletic... Leroy has signed on loan until the end of the season".
Meanwhile, unfounded rumours have suggested that Altrincham's Peter Thomson will not play for the club again. Manager Graham Heathcote wishes to make perfectly clear that this is certainly not the case and that Peter remains a member of the squad who will be selected on the same criteria as any other player.
Rocky Robin is seen here with Southport's and Bury's mascots at yesterday's Pancake Race. More on this below...
There is now Alty action on three out of the next four days:
Details of STAR supporters' coaches to Crawley and Northwich (as well as Burton on 2nd March) are here.