|
March, 2008 |
|
March, 2008 |
"Following the incident that occurred at the end of the game on Saturday the Club have sent a letter to Torquay United Football Club to apologise for their part in the matter. The game was equally important for both clubs and emotions were running high. The Club do not condone this type of incident and hope that it does not sour the good relations that we have generated between the clubs this season. The Board of Altrincham Football Club are undertaking investigations into the causes and appropriate action will be taken once concluded".
Whilst some of the exchanges at the end of Saturday's game were over-heated, it was good to see that as the incident ended, Ryan Shotton and a Torquay player (neither of whom was involved in the matter) were setting a much better example as they shook hands amicably on the pitch (seen in background, above).
Tuesday 1st April
Wednesday 2nd April
Thursday 3rd April
Saturday 5th April
Above: Alty leave the field at half-time against Torquay last Saturday. L to R: Darren Tinson, Stuart Coburn, Greg Tansey, Ryan Shotton, Greg Young, Paul Turnbull, Ryan Lynch, Val Owen, Warren Peyton, with Graham Barrow and physio Sean Riley in the foreground, backs to camera.
Torquay United report that manager "Paul Buckle has recalled Tony Bedeau from his loan spell at fellow Blue Square Premier side Weymouth. Tony, who scored for Weymouth yesterday, has joined up with the United squad in the north west in preparation for the Droylsden game on Tuesday".
Torquay United report that "Torquay were held to a draw by Altrincham in a match that, considering the conditions, had some decent chances with the Gulls forcing nearly twenty corners [15 according to the NL Paper] but were pegged back after taking the lead through Kevin Hill. Terrible weather conditions met the United team and supporters at Altrincham, strong winds and rain were going to test players and supporters alike in an afternoon fit for ducks... wearing waterproof clothing!... Altrincham had much the better of the first half, with the wind behind them, and forced United on to the back foot. Lone striker Colin Little came close twice in the first five minutes... United were struggling to get a foothold in the game which was mainly due to the weather conditions rather than the opposition! ... The second half began with no improvement in the weather but United were straight on the front foot. Kevin Hill was quick to chip the ball over the 'keeper and the presence of Tinson was not enough to stop the ball going in... On 65 minutes, United couldn't clear their lines and substitute O'Neill crossed from the right and Little controlled the ball before slotting home from 12 yards giving Rayner no chance. United produced a strong response with a brace of shots from Hill and Hargreaves as the conditions on the pitch became almost unplayable in places with a lot of surface water... The final stages were almost end to end football as United threw on Elliott Benyon in an attempt to secure a win... The final whistle brought a confrontation on the pitch involving most of the coaching and playing staff of both teams that was eventually calmed down by the officials... Gulls' boss Paul Buckle gave his thoughts after the 1-1 draw... 'We had enough chances and corners to win the match. I couldn't see where a goal was coming from for Altrincham. Credit to Altrincham though, they got their equalizer but I was pleased with the performance, we had a right go'".
The Crewe Chronicle adds that "Nantwich Town stand on the verge of recording a Cheshire Senior Cup hat-trick. Having entered the competition 110 times, they could register a third victory on Tuesday night. Here, former club president Michael Chatwin ooks back on the Dabbers’ record in the competition. Nantwich Town have a long and proud record in the Cheshire Senior Cup, having first entered the competition in the club’s inaugural season of 1884-85. In all, they have entered the competition 110 times but despite all those attempts, the Dabbers have won the competition just twice – in 1933 and 1976... Though Town have been losing finalists a further five times, the club has made it through to the semi-finals on a further 10 occasions... There is a good omen for Tuesday night. This is our 10th match against Altrincham since the war and Nantwich have won just once – on the way to winning the Cheshire Senior Cup in 1976!".
"Dabbers' boss Steve Davis [said of the CSC Final]...'We’re looking forward to it. It is certainly the biggest occasion for the club since the Vase final, and we could take 400-500 supporters there. “It has generated a lot of interest and there is a buzz amongst the fans. It is a break from the league and a nice, one-off day out for everybody. It is an opportunity to win a trophy we haven’t had our hands on for 30-odd years and we will be fully focussed on doing so'.. Altrincham are fighting to beat the drop from the Conference and could rest some players for the final. But as they ply their trade several standards above the Dabbers, they will provide a stern test... Despite being underdogs, Davis thinks they can win it. He added: 'We have done really well to get to the final against opposition from higher leagues... I will see who’s fit and available and pick the best team I can. I know Altrincham have watched us twice so they are obviously taking it seriously. We’ve watched them once and will do so again, so it should be a tight game'".
Winger Carlos Logan has joined Flixton after a brief flirtation with Drogheda United. Both James Dean and Steve Torpey (twice) scored for Stalybridge Celtic as they beat Solihull Moors 4-0 and Jamie Baguley scored for FC United. Former reserve Cabbar Bagdagi scored for Chroley and ex-Alty captain Mark Maddox played for Vauxhall Motors. Former Alty keeper Andy Moore has moved from Trafford to Ashton United.
Above: Alty played 4-1-4-1 in the first half, with Val Owen sitting between the back-line and midfield, as shown in the picture. Behind Val are, from left-back to right-back, Lynch, Young, Tinson and Shotton, whilst in the midfield we see Peyton, Turnbull, Tansey and Lawton.
Alty fielded both their new loan signings (Turnbull and Tansey) and they were joined in midfield by Val Owen, making his first start since November. The Robins emerged with a deserved point against promotion-chasing Torquay thanks to Colin Little's 19th BSP goal of the season. Altrincham more than matched United in the first half but after the break the Gulls upped their game, despite rain which was, at times, torrential. They took the lead in the 56th minute when Hill's lob over Coburn from the left was turned against his own bar and into the net by the retreating Alty captain Darren Tinson. But Alty then brought on Joe O'Neill to assist lone-striker Little and within five minutes of the substitution the equalizer came. Little netted from 10 yards after debutant Turnbull's effort had been blocked. In the closing stages Alty might have snatched the points but the action continued after the final whistle. With the players leaving the pitch, the two "benches" becames involved in a protracted brawl in front of the Carole Nash Main Stand before order was finally restored.
Saturday, March 29th
Our opponents, Torquay United. report that "Paul Buckle and his squad head for the North West for their next two games, the second match is against Droylsden next Tuesday but they will first take on Altrincham on Saturday... Jody Banim will miss both games due to suspension but otherwise it is just Steve Woods who is on the treatment table and Tony Bedeau who is on loan at Weymouth who are missing from the squad... Altrincham are in a precarious position, no team has played more games than the forty they have chalked up so far in the Blue Square Premier and although they are clear of the relegation places at the moment, all the teams above and below them have games in hand - United are running four games behind Alty. With only six games left the match on Saturday is most definitely a cup final for the home team, they dare not pick up something from the game; their run in is tough and they finish the season with a home game against Weymouth. Recently their home form has been positive too, just one defeat in the last eight matches at Moss Lane is better than many teams above". [Alty's last 8 home games are W3 D4 L1].
"Veteran striker Colin Little (right) has been the major reason they are still in with a good chance of surviving; 19 goals for the season and 7 in the last six games have been priceless... He has topped the Alty scoring charts for the last three years and has already scored more goals this season than the next four players added together, he has scored 13 goals since the start of the year and all of their last five! The downside for Altrincham has been defensively, 42 goals have been conceded at home in 21 games and 73 in all. United from - Rayner; Mansell, Todd, Ellis, Nicholson, Stevens, Adams, Hargreaves, Zebroski, Sills, Phillips, Rice (gk), Robertson, Hockley, Mullings, Hill, Hinshelwood, Dsane, Benyon".
This is South Devon reports that "First team coach Shaun North insists that Torquay United are 'ready to go' as the Gulls brace themselves for the 10-match run-in... United now face two away matches in the North West, beginning with tomorrow's clash at struggling Altrincham (3pm).With an appearance at Wembley in the FA Trophy Final already in the bag, United are fully focused on securing a place in the play-offs, at least... North said: 'The players have had a couple of days off. We've just had a busy schedule over the Easter period and now have an even more hectic period coming up over the next few weeks... All the players are fine, they're all ready for this upcoming period. It's only Steve Woods who is out for now - that's our only problem... To be honest, Altrincham defended very well against us at Plainmoor and were dangerous on the counter-attack. We'll be aware of that threat on Saturday. We had lots of the ball in the home match but just couldn't score the goals, then got caught on the counter-attack, and lost two points in the end'.... United will also be without on-loan forward Jody Banim tomorrow... Goalkeeper Simon Rayner is set to start his third match on the trot having been recalled from a loan spell at Boston last week. The Canadian stopper has kept two clean sheets in his first two matches back at Plainmoor... There was no last-minute transfer activity at Plainmoor during yesterday's final loan transfer deadline day".
The BBC reports on a former owner of York City. "Mansfield are currently second from bottom in the Football League A man bidding to buy Mansfield Town is planning to rename the club Harchester United after the former Sky series The Dream Team, the BBC has learnt. John Batchelor, former owner of York City, submitted a bid to majority shareholder Keith Haslam on Wednesday. Producers of the Sky series confirmed Mr Batchelor had made an approach to use the name. It is understood the racing car enthusiast also plans to use actors from the television series at the club. Mr Batchelor said: 'Football supporters in general have to understand that if they want professional football in their town, they have to accept it has to be done on a commercial basis. Harchester is more promotable than Mansfield. That's not any form of insult to Mansfield at all because it's a club with a long tradition but it's just a fact of life. One club has been on the television for 10 years and the other one hasn't'". [But hasn't one team has won a few competitive football matches and the other hasn't?] "The businessman changed York City's name to York City Soccer Club when he was at Bootham Crescent to attract American interest".
"Northwich Victoria boss Dino Maamria beat the transfer deadline to land Accrington Stanley duo Mark Roberts and David Brown on loan" says the BBC. "Both have agreed month-long deals to help the Vics' relegation fight. Defender Roberts, 24, returns to the Marston Arena where he ended last season after signing from Crewe. Former Hull striker Brown, 29, has spent three years at Accrington and also has Conference experience from spells at Hereford and Telford".
"Kidderminster Harriers have clinched the services of Plymouth Argyle's Jake Moult on a loan basis until the end of the season" according to Blue Square Football. "The 19-year-old is yet to make his debut for the Championship outfit... As the Harriers are in comfortable position in the middle of the table, boss Mark Yates will welcome the young midfielder to the squad when the side travel to Cambridge United on Saturday".
"League sponsors Blue Square have paid out customers who have backed Aldershot to be Champions of the Blue Square Premier. The Shots are 15 points clear with 8 games remaining after sweeping all before them this season. Gary Waddock's side recorded only their third drawn game of the season despite being down to ten-men away at Droylsden and that was the cue for Blue Square to already declare them winners. Spokesman Alan Alger said: 'We've had to wave the white flag and give Aldershot backers their well deserved winnings. We've been thoroughly impressed with them all season and think now is the right time to act, especially as they didn't lose even with ten-men. This also acts as a challenge to the chasing clubs to make us payout twice, which will end up costing us anywhere up to £100,000', Blue Square have also paid customers their winnings for any bets on runaway Blue Square North leaders Kettering Town".
NL Daily says that "Guiseley... have an excellent addition to their squad for the trip to Fleetwood Town after signing Lee Crooks. The former Bradford City midfielder was linked with Guiseley`s neighbours Farsley Celtic earlier in the month but has decided to join the Nethermoor men instead" claims the Telegraph & Argus.
No comment is necessary on news that Stevenage Borough have "completed yesterday the emergency loan signing of Anthony Mason. The 19 year old highly regarded striker has been with Plymouth Argyle".
Stafford Rangers "have signed midfielder Jonathan Loukes just before Thursday's 5pm deadline. The 19-year-old Sheffield born player, previously with Barnsley, Weymouth and Selby Town, has been allocated the 'number 43' shirt. Departure front: Tom Ingram has joined Southern League Brackley Town while Liam Hughes has returned to Wolves at the end of his spell on loan".
Salisbury City report that "On-loan defender Ed Asafu-Adjaye has been recalled by Luton Town. The young centre-half, who made an immediate impression at the club since arriving at the Ray Mac in January, was in the City line-up for last night's 1-0 win against Stevenage Borough - his 14th appearance for the Blue Square Premier outfit... Meanwhile, City's Ollie Barnes is heading to Team Bath on-loan for the rest of the season".
Crawley Town "announces the departures of Dominic Shimmin and Kevin James from the club. Both players have agreed their releases from the club and leave the Broadfield Stadium with immediate affect. Shimmin endured a frustrating period since joining the club from Queens Park Rangers at the start of February. Injuries restricted the defender to just two starts for the club. James joined the club during the January transfer window from league rivals Woking...making in total 13 appearances for the club, scoring twice".
In Crawley's 0-4 home defeat "Kidderminster Harriers took full advantage of a shambolic first-half performance... Played out in front of the lowest ever crowd for a Conference match at the Broadfield, the Reds crashed to their heaviest defeat in the same competition at home; certainly a night of forgetting firsts! Only 595 turned out to watch an embarrassing first-half display... The defence was non-existing and at the other end the finishing was woeful... Tired & lethargic, Steve Evans’s young troops looked like a side with the world on their shoulders at times. With his threat [thread?] bare squad the luxury of resting some of his players is not one afforded to Evans".
"Crawley Town have vowed to take action against any fans guilty of racism. Kevin James has left the club amid claims he was subjected to racial abuse by Crawley fans against Aldershot. 'Crawley are sad to report during a match with Aldershot, a member of our own playing staff was subjected to racial abuse', said a club statement. 'Anyone found racially abusing fans, players or others will be reported to the police and banned not only from our ground, but all stadiums in England... Manager Steve Evans told BBC Southern Counties Radio: 'Kevin felt it would be better for him if he went somewhere else. He's been pretty upset. Supporters will give players stick but there is no place in society for one or two comments allegedly aimed at Kevin'".
"Crawley manager Steve Evans locked his players in the changing room for over an hour following a humiliating defeat against Kidderminster. Evans gave his side the hairdryer treatment after witnessing a first-half horror show at Broadfield Stadium. Reds conceded four goals inside the first 45 minutes to suffer their third defeat in a week. The performance will go down as the worst of the season so far and the boos which [rang] around the ground at the final whistle illustrated what the disgruntled fans felt of it. Reds did not have the ideal preparation for the game following the shock departure before kick-off of midfielder Kevin James... Evans softened the blow of James' exit by bringing in winger Ryan Hall from Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season... The 20-year-old was not signed in time to be included last night, though, forcing Evans to name every player he had on his books to make up the 16-man squad, including his assistant Paul Raynor" according to the Argus.
And in the Argus Horsham FC claim that talks on a proposed ground-share at Broadfield Stadium "have ceased following unviable financial demands sought by Crawley Town not previously brought to our attention".
The Aldershot News & Mail states that "It was pretty grim up north for Aldershot fans on Thursday evening at Droylsden but at least Gary Waddock's side took something from the game, in a lively 2-2 draw... On the night, Droylsden dominated the first half... Scott Davies was then handed a straight red card for the third time this season, for another dangerous tackle, and is now likely to miss five games for his indescretion. If that's the case, he will finish the season having missed at least 12 matches through suspension... Perhaps the best news of the night for Aldershot was the unexpected return to the squad of leading-scorer John Grant, who came on for the last 25 minutes". "Rewind a year and one would have had long odds on Terry Baker ever returning to the Cambridge United boardroom" claims the Cambridge Evening News. "Baker quit as chairman and left the board in 2006 after just four months at the helm, following the fall-out of the Abbey Aid concert debacle that lost the club almost £100,000. And, at last year's annual meeting, he called on Paul Barry to stand down as a director after the major shareholder put forward his plans to change the club's constitution. Barry's proposals, which included the lifting of the 20 per cent limit on individual shareholdings, were given the green light at an extraordinary general meeting a year ago and the rest is history - just as it seemed Baker would be. So when Baker rejoined the board on Wednesday, it came as a big surprise to many. But the semi-retired businessman, who is founder and former chairman of the Over-based home electronics wholesaler BEAM Group, said he had made up with Barry and was relishing working with him and the rest of the directors. Baker's remit will see him take charge of all matters related to the Abbey and its management, maintenance and operation. He said his priorities included trying to find permanent training facilities - one of Jimmy Quinn's bugbears ever since his arrival - and slashing the cost of policing and stewarding on matchdays.
'When you go to other clubs at this level or League Two, we're paying well over the odds', said Baker. 'I think it's historic. You can take it right back to when we had this hooligan element, but I don't think there's any evidence of that any more. When we go away, we're the best supported team and the fans behave themselves beautifully, so we've got to try to tighten things up... There's a potential income stream for the club if we can make use of the facilities during the rest of the week... Clubs which move to new stadia have improved their level of support', he said. 'We've got another factor with our home games, because since Newmarket Road was turned into a shopping centre, all the traffic is compressed into one lane and on matchdays it can be quite torturous getting out of the ground. In the long term, there isn't the infrastructure in terms of transport to make it viable here, so we need to find a brand new ground accessible to the main traffic routes'". ,P> "Histon have turned down two advances from fellow Blue Square Premier clubs for striker Danny Wright this week. The Stutes' frontman has banged in 15 goals in all competitions this term and already attracted interest from Conference sides in the January transfer window. But Histon manager Steve Fallon says 'We've had two clubs in for Danny Wright this week, but we want him to stay here. It was a bit disrespectful from the clubs who came in, [I] think they could offer him more. There is no benefit from a move for the club or him. He is developing and the fact we've had a few clubs come in for him shows he's set the Conference alight'" he told the Cambridge Evening News.
"Liam Daish has spoken of his delight that Ebbsfleet United's star midfielder Stacy Long has agreed terms on a new long-term contract at Stonebridge Road" reports the Gravesend Reporter. "Long, who currently leads the Club's scoring charts with an impressive 11 strikes so far this term, will now remain at the Fleet until the end of the 2008/2009 season. He joins striker John Akinde and England 'C' goalkeeper Lance Cronin in the list of players who have recently committed their futures beyond this campaign... The MyFC web team have revealed that the level of interest in the team selector - the database that allows members to pick what team they want for the following match - has been very low with only 1.5% of members using the facility. As a result, they are considering revising the initiative before potentially re-launching it next season".
This is Exeter reports that "Chris Wilder admits he faces a massive task to lift his disillusioned players after Halifax Town were plunged into a relegation battle following a 10-point deduction. For the second time in the last six years, the crisis-torn Shaymen have been placed into administration in the wake of mounting financial problems. So just as they were eyeing up a comfortable mid-table finish, and the luxury of playing the remainder of the season without any pressure, the Yorkshire club face a scrap for survival. The bombshell news clearly took its toll on the players last weekend when they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at rock-bottom Droylsden... 'Two weeks ago we sat in mid-table and now we have been dealt this blow', he told Echo Sport. 'There is nothing we have done to deserve this but to all intents and purposes this is the only route the club could take to ensure it can move forward. The unfortunate part of it all is that we have gone from maybe finishing the season with a target of a top half finish to one where we face a battle to stay in this league. It has undoubtedly rocked the players because we have gone from being second or third in the form table to losing three games on the bounce'... [against Exeter] 'We will obviously be classed as underdogs going into Saturday's game... It is possibly a game we can relax in. It is a decent environment, a good atmosphere and one of those games you look forward to in our league. There is always a decent crowd, a good playing surface and we are going to a proper football club... You look at the teams we have played this season and Exeter were excellent at our place', he said. "I think Aldershot have won it and there are five teams fighting for the four play-off places'".
From Farsley Today we read that "Farsley Celtic's hopes of boosting their ranks suffered an 11th-hour hitch when a loan move for Huddersfield Town midfielder Matty Young fell through.The 22-year-old, who has made nine appearances for the Terriers this season, five from the bench, was expected to sign until the end of the season. Farsley boss John Deacey said: 'It fell through at the last minute. I spent the whole afternoon messing around and I am totally peeved off with it to be honest'".
"Steve Bull is expecting to add a midfielder to his Stafford Rangers squad for tomorrow's game against Aldershot. Bull was today in contract talks with the player, who has recently returned from the United States. 'He came along to the trial game we had recently and was head and shoulders above the rest', said Bull. 'This is a signing for next season, although he will be eligible to play (against Aldershot) and the rest of the season. I have spoken to him and sorted out terms, but you're never sure until they actually sign on the dotted line'. Striker Liam Hughes, meanwhile, has returned to Wolves at the end of an unsuccessful month's loan with the Marston Road club".
"Weymouth boss John Hollins reckons victory for his side at Farsley Celtic on Saturday could be 'psychologically decisive' in the race for Blue Square Premier survival" says The Dorset Echo. "The Terras... have lost just once in their last six games. That run of form has moved them into 18th spot, three points above the Little Celts who sit fourth bottom. Hollins said: 'The whole squad is bubbling and buzzing, and all of a sudden it is like a big cloud has been lifted but we cannot think that is it. We have got to do it all over again and not just tomorrow but for the rest of the season... There is no point in thinking if we win two more then hopefully that should be enough. We drew 0-0 with Farsley a couple of weeks ago and I am expecting another tough encounter tomorrow but there is no doubt that if we do manage to beat them, psychologically it could prove decisive. At this stage I think we need five more wins to make sure of staying up and that is not going to be easy. Farsley have suffered two defeats on the spin and someone is going to pay for that but it is not going to be us'... Cambridge United midfielder Mark Convery has signed a loan deal until the end of the season and will be in the Terras' squad for tomorrow. Hollins said: "with Paolo struggling with a groin and Marcus with an Achilles it gives us the cover that we need. Both Paolo and Marcus's injuries are horrible. They are the types you can rest and rest but then when you return, they can easily flare up again... [also out are] Trevor Challis, who has a calf strain, and Jake Hyde, who has twisted an ankle... It has been confirmed that Chris Blackburn, Matt Bailey and Tony Bedeau have extended their stays at the Wessex Stadium until the end of the campaign, although Bedeau is on a 24-hour call back. Keeper David Roberts is also expected to stay with the Terras despite being recently linked with a move to Southport".
"York City Colin Walker believes he could still deliver success next season if he has to operate with an 18-man squad. The Minstermen's board have indicated cost-cutting measures are likely at KitKat Crescent for the 2008/2009 campaign" claims This is York."Reducing Walker's playing staff appears an inevitable consequence after six-figure losses over the last financial year... He said: 'There will be more players staying than going, but I'm actually in favour of reduced numbers because I'd rather work with quality than quantity. You can also work more on team work and individual work. I inherited 27 players, which was far too many. The squad's down to 21 now and that means, with injuries, it gives the opportunity for the likes of our youth-team players Andy McWilliams, Liam Shepherd and Adam Boyes to get on the bench and in the team. Eighteen quality senior players is also a number you could work with. If that's the case next season then we can have a little go irrespective of how much money we have to spend'. Walker added that he was already targeting signings to strengthen his squad in the summer.... Walker said: 'Hopefully we can keep the majority of this season's squad and add some. If part-time players, who choose to be part-time, are still good enough to be with us then we have no problems with that... At the moment, I want to win nine out of nine games and see where that takes us. If the time is right then some of the younger lads might get a game'".
Right: Paul Roberts of GR Photography captures Chris Senior and Joe O'Neill challenging the Stafford keeper Danny Alcock, with Colin Little in the background.
The Sale & Altrincham Messengerquotes Graham Heathcote - 'In our dressing room we have far from given up hope that we can stay in this division. You only have to look at the game against Aldershot to see that. The next six games are about grinding out the results we need. I have looked at where we can pick up points in our remaining fixtures and, as it stands, we are coming up a bit short so, somewhere along the line, we'll have to pick up a shock result. But that type of result always does happen. All the other teams involved in the battle have more resources available to them and are able to prepare better for games. We can't generate the funds to match that. The only way we'd be able to properly compete is if someone invested heavily in the club. Both myself and [chairman] Geoff [Goodwin] have come in for criticism but often people don't fully understand the difficulties we face in running this club'". But next week Alty also have the Cheshire Senior Cup Final to contest, against Nantwich Town. Graham said "It's a chance to go and enjoy a cup final and it would be good to put a trophy in the cabinet. We need our strong away support to show up and get behind the team".
For the Supporters' team, please contact Mark Eckersall by e-mail. Mark has stated that preference will given to people who are regular supporters if we have large numbers. It’s a supporter’s game and peoples loyalty should be rewarded".
And "Torquay United manager Paul Buckle has more to celebrate than a maximum six points over Easter - he's just passed the second highest coaching qualification in international football. Buckle, 37, used his own Gulls' squad to put on a coaching session and pass the final practical exam of his UEFA 'A' Licence at Plainmoor yesterday. 'I'm absolutely delighted', said Buckle afterwards. 'It started last summer when I went to Northern Ireland for a week to do two practical tests. I passed those, and then did a theory exam during the season. Yesterday was the last practical exam'... Only the UEFA 'Pro' Licence is rated higher than the 'A' qualification"
From the Tameside Advertiser we learn that "Dave Pace remains hopeful that his Droylsden squad can defy the odds and escape relegation from Blue Square Premier. Despite beating Halifax Town 2-0 at the Butcher’s Arms on Monday, the Bloods lie 17 points from safety and with an inferior goal difference to their rivals. Nevertheless, Pace believes his side’s improved performances of late can act as a springboard for the Bloods ahead of a hectic final five weeks which sees them playing 11 games. He said: 'There’s still 33 points to play for which is a hell of a lot. We’ve gone on 10-game unbeaten runs before, so who’s to say we can’t do it again because if we do, we’re out of trouble. The backlog of games has come about because our game against Torquay was postponed with them being in the Trophy, as was the case with Aldershot, while Exeter got called off which was the first time in 20 years according to someone down there. That’s the way it’s going at the moment but it’s something you have to take on the chin...There’s a massive difference in the wage structure [compared with full-time clubs] which is something I’m working as hard as I can to balance by bringing in loan players. You can see the difference but I’m just hoping it’s not too late'".
The Gravesend Reporter claims that "Fleet fans have the chance of entering the record books with the highest ever attendance at a FA Trophy final at Wembley. Ebbsfleet United have been given an initial allocation of 15,214 tickets for the final on May 10 against Torquay United, but Fleet bosses expect the final ticket sales could be double that number. In the club's first ever trip to Wembley, the team will use the England dressing room... Chairman Brian Kilcullen said the FA will allocate more tickets for the game due to high demand, and hopes the number of Torquay and Ebbsfleet fans will top last years record breaking figure of 53,262 for Stevenage Borough against Kidderminster Harriers... Will Brooks, the creator of MyFootballClub, added: 'I hope as many as 5000 tickets can be sold to MyFC members. It is a phenomenal achievement and fully deserved, and while I can't take anything away from the players and the manager, I hope that MyFC has played their part. I have been supporting Fulham since 1976, and have never been to Wembley with them, and it's amazing to think that just six weeks after the takeover, Ebbsfleet got to Wembley'".
"Changes to the playing staff at Grays continued today with news that, after a personal request, Jack Obersteller has been allowed to return to Wycombe Wanderers", confirms the Grays Athletic confirm that they have "signed Fisher Athletic striker, Jeff Goulding, on loan until the end of the season with an option to sign a full contract, Jeff is a current England C squad member who has recently been linked with several League 1 clubs... Also joining The Blues on Work Experience is 19 year old 6ft 3in Centre-Half Mark Haines from Northampton Town".
Farsley Today says that "Farsley Celtic have signed 22-year-old midfielder Matthew Young on loan from Huddersfield Town until the end of the season".
The Kidderminster Shuttle says that "Cheltenham defender Michael Wylde has signed on-loan at Kidderminster Harriers until the end of the season. The 21-year-old will be available for Harriers' trip to Cambridge United on Saturday after missing the deadline for tonight's league clash at Crawley. The 6ft 2in Birmingham born defender, who can also play at left-back, will take the pressure off Harriers' only recognised centrebacks Mark Creighton and Gavin Hurren. He rose through Cheltenham's youth and reserve ranks but has yet to play for the first team after being hit by a spate of injuries, including a broken jaw and a hamstring problem".
York City have "signed former Burton Albion midfielder Chris Hall on loan until the end of the season" states This is York. "The 26-year-old signed from Gainsborough Trinity ahead of the 5pm loan deadline. The left-sided midfielder-cum-forward had three seasons at Burton, making 63 appearances". Meanwhile "City's hopes of moving to their 'preferred site' for a new stadium have ground to a halt....City managing director Jason McGill was careful not to disclose the identity of City's 'preferred site' but it is believed land at the nearby Nestlé factory has been considered the most desirable new home for more than a year... He said: 'We have one preferred site but that has almost ground to a halt, which is frustrating and annoying. We were hoping to make an announcement at Christmas but I fear the club has been used as a political football and used as a lever to achieve other things... It's difficult to negotiate with a hung council'... City have, though, grown more amenable to the prospect of groundsharing with their rugby league neighbours at a new stadium with McGill saying: 'We've seen it work in other places and we may now have to look down that route as well. If we do, the council are also more likely to get involved'. With the cost of staying at their current Bootham Crescent home amounting to almost £200,000 in Football Foundation loan repayments and ongoing maintenance, McGill also warned expectations of the club's potential may have to be lower in forthcoming seasons with the need to preserve its existence paramount. He said: 'We might have to limp along for the next four or five years until we get a new stadium. That might mean being a mid-table Conference team because we have to look at the whole structure of the club'.
Stevenage Borough "added the first of two or three expected new signings when 22-year-old Scott Mitchell was signed from Peterborough United on loan. Scott has appeared for Livingstone in the Scottish League Division One this season and joined Peterborough in January. He is equally comfortable at right back and in central midfield. Borough's search for a striker continues and, with Ollie Allen suffering a recurrence of a knee injury in the reserve team match and Calum Willock still not available, the desire to sign a forward before the deadline ends is even stronger. Borough have had moves for three Conference forwards rejected this week, but are still hopeful of completing a signing before the deadline".
Meanwhile, Rotherham United midfielder Liam King is set to return to the Millers on April 2nd as his loan period reaches its end then. He is likely to be fit for selection on Saturday after being injured last Monday and he is also eligible for the CSC Final next Tuesday.
I would like to thank everyone for their kind words and I'd like to thank Darren [Gregory] and Steve [Murray] for coming round to see me and my mum and sharing some funny stories and memories of Gary. He was a colourful character with a colourful vocabulary. It makes me really happy to know he had real friends at the club as footy was his life. I hadn't seen him for three years as I now live in New Zealand so coming back under these circumstances is really hard for me. He will be missed by a lot of people especially my mum, sister and I. All we can do in this time of sorrow and shock is to remember the good things and smile. GOOD BYE BRO .......Martin"
According to The BBC "Lewis Chalmers (right) is positive Aldershot will not falter as they close in on the Blue Square Premier crown.
Aldershot lead the table by 14 points and will be five wins from the title if they can beat Droyslden on Thursday. Chalmers told BBC Southern Counties Radio: 'It is up to our rivals to catch us. But if we keep winning they cannot catch us, so just bring on Droylsden. They know they are going back down. They'll be playing for pride and trying to take three points off the leaders'. Midfielder Chalmers, who was manager Gary Waddock's first signing in the summer, scored one of his three goals when the sides met earlier in the season and is looking forward to a return to his native north-west. 'I'm looking forward to seeing some of the family and I think there will at least fifty of my mates in the Aldershot end cheering us on' he added.
The Northwich Guardian says that "Witton Albion have signed Rod Thornley's brother. Former Manchester United winger Ben signed before Easter Monday's home reverse against Fleetwood Town... 'I just wanted a bit of extra cover for the remaining games', said Albion boss Jim Vince. 'Ben will need to do a bit of work to get fully match fit but he's there if we need to call on him'. Thornley, 32, was most recently at Salford City. Before that he spent a season with Bacup Borough in the same division. He began his career at Manchester United in the early 1990s, making nine league appearances before going on to play more than 100 matches for Huddersfield Town. His younger brother Rod has been a revelation since switching to Wincham Park from Blue Square Premier club Altrincham".
Right: Who was the mystery player warming up at Moss Lane before the Stafford game? The No.23 on the far side of his tracksuit-bottoms was a bit of a giveaway.
Not for the first time Crawley Town dominates the BSP news, with the first three stories below...
1. Taken for a ride?
This is Crawley reports how a "furious coach driver claims to have been 'cheated' out of thousands of pounds by Crawley Town Football Club. Darren Meekings, the owner of D & K Coaches, says he is owed a whopping £13,000 by the club for the transport service with which he has provided them this season. The father-of-three set up his coach hire company last year but now says that Crawley owe it so much money that it has almost ruined his business. His claims come a week after it was revealed that the club face being wound up if they do not pay tax debts to HM Revenue and Customs.
Despite the sum of money that Meekings believes he is due, he claimed that Crawley Town had cut its ties with his company after a disagreement ahead of a midweek game at Altrincham. The players had to drive up to the evening match because the club did not pay a part of the debt upfront, Meekings claims. In the Altrincham match report on Crawley's website the club cited 'late travel problems' as the reason. But an incensed Meekings has decided to speak out so fans know his version of the story.
'They have not paid me and I was very close to losing the business over it', he said. 'There was no problem with the coach. I asked them for a minimum of £3,000 of the £13,000 they owe me and they came up with £1,200. I feel cheated. I knew what they were playing at. But we couldn't even afford to go shopping the other day and the owners of Crawley are driving round in £100,000 cars'. Meekings set up his Seaford-based business last year after previously working as a driver for Hallmark Coaches in Charlwood. He is a regular driver for local sports teams, having driven Lewes, Eastbourne Borough and Grays football clubs and the Sussex County Cricket team, as well as taking Horsham to their FA Cup replay at Swansea this season.
Meekings, who has three "football-mad" young sons, was booked to take the Crawley squad up to Cheshire to face Altrincham two weeks ago, part of an £18,000 season-long contract to cater for the Reds' travel to away league matches. According to the coach driver, that price included a £9,000 discount and D & K arranged with the club for the money to be paid in £2,000 instalments over nine months. But Meekings claims he has not received payments for the last five months making him £13,000 out of pocket, and matters came to a head on March 11 when he went to collect the Crawley team from the Broadfield Stadium for the long trip north.
He says he forewarned the club via e-mail several times that he expected £3,000 of the debt to be paid to him before he drove the team to Altrincham. But when he arrived at the ground he says he was handed just £1,200 in cash and told that the club had no other money to give him at the time. 'I don't want to be doing this but at some point you have to draw the line', said Meekings. 'I e-mailed them on Friday and said I wanted the money. I thought: 'I'm being given the runaround here. I sent another e-mail on Monday and said unless a payment of £3,000 is received before the match I wouldn't be able to take them. They knew the score but obviously thought I would be a soft touch. They were due to depart at 1pm so I got there at 11.30am and they gave me £1,200 in cash. I asked where the rest of it was and they said: "We can't get it, we have not got any more money". The thing is I've got a young family and I'm really struggling now. But like everyone else I have been cheated by Crawley Town'.
Meekings added he felt 'gutted' at leaving the players stranded and even offered them a lift to the railway station, but said he had finally had enough of not being paid. 'I felt upset and uptight that I had let them down but up until now I have had a good relationship with [the club]. But it's not my problem', he said. Crawley Town were given a chance to respond to the figures quoted by Mr Meekings. A spokesman for the Reds said the club would not comment, adding: 'We do not discuss our business affairs through the media'".
2. "Everyone wants to blame Crawley".
"Horsham's proposed ground share with Crawley Town at the Broadfield Stadium is off - and the Reds are to blame. That is the opinion of Crawley Borough Council, who own the ground" according to The Argus. "Horsham have to quit Queen Street at the end of the season after selling the ground to developers. But hopes of moving into Broadfield Stadium from next season while a new stadium is built at Holbrook have been scuppered. A council spokesperson said: 'The ground share isn't happening. We are frustrated with Crawley Town Football Club's approach to the ground share negotiations between Crawley Borough Council, Horsham Football Club and the Ryman League. We were making good progress towards signing an agreement last week before Crawley Town FC made unreasonable demands of Horsham FC. Crawley Council has done its best to broker an agreement since negotiations began last year. A sharing arrangement would have benefited all parties'. However Steve Evans, manager of Blue Square premier side Crawley, hit back. He said: 'Everyone wants to blame Crawley Town Football Club for everything. Now our own council wants to blame us for something. I would have thought their senior interest would be Crawley Town. What have they to do with Horsham? It's a strange statement. It is my own view and not shared by anyone else at my club as far as I know but Horsham have come unstuck. When I look at how close Horsham have let this run to the deadline with the Ryman League it beggars belief. As manager, I wouldn't want to share with the pitch as poor as it is. Crawley Borough Council should have worked harder on it. We need to have a good surface. I'm sure Dean Wilkins (the Brighton & Hove Albion manager) wouldn't like his pitch not being the best. I've not been involved in any discussions (concerning the ground share) but the Conference have a TV deal with Setanta that doesn't allow for back-to-back games. More importantly, what happens if Setanta want to switch a Saturday game to a Tuesday when Horsham are playing? We cannot run the risk that the Conference cuts us out of the TV deal. But I wish Horsham well. I've got a lot of time for the people there'". Crawley Council own the Broadfield Stadium.
3. 'I've been victimised'
The Argus also has the following; "'I've been victimised', says Crawley boss. Crawley boss Steve Evans believes he is being victimised by referees and has accused the FA of not condemning abuse of his family. Evans was sent to the stand for the sixth time this season during Monday's 1-0 home defeat against Aldershot after exchanging insults with opposition assistant boss Martin Kuhl. It came less than 48 hours after he was dismissed from the dug-out in Saturday's 1-0 reverse at Burton Albion. Evans claims his latest dismissal came after his wife and children were abused by Kuhl, who was also sent to the stand... Kuhl was reported to the FA earlier in the season for punching Crawley assistant Paul Raynor. Evans reckons his reputation as a hot-head on the touchline has made him a target for officials and opposition coaches. He said: 'It is victimisation and it seems people have got it in for me. I have been subject to the vilest comments and nothing is being done about it. I'm the one who has been sent to the stand and got into trouble. There is no doubt there are rules for other people and rules for us. The referees are waiting to pounce and send me into the stand. People wind you up and call you rubbish all the time, I don't mind that because it is part of the game. They can even get personal, it doesn't bother me. But when they say things about my wife and kids, that is unacceptable. My family have twice had to leave the ground this season because of personal abuse aimed at them. Am I as a man meant to just stand there and accept that? I have never endured such vile comments as I have this season and something has to be done. At Burton there were supporters smashing my family and I was told by the fourth official that it was part of the game and I should accept it. When the fourth official refused to intervene and I had put up with it for 70 minutes, I couldn't stand any more and that is when I reacted and I went off. Nothing is being done about those people and I would say that people at Soho Square are condoning people abusing my wife and kids. They are condoning the actions of others who say derogatory comments to my family. People have found a weakness in Steve Evans. They have seen that I have stood up to most things but I can't accept this. Opposition benches have seen what's happened and they talk about it and exploit it. They have seen a chink in my armour and I have to try and bolt it shut'".
And there is trouble at another southern BSP club... The Aldershot News & Mail reports that "Scuffles involving football fans which followed Woking's Easter Monday game have been blamed on supporters of their local rivals Aldershot. Four police cars and the helicopter were called to The Sovereigns pub, in Guildford Road, Woking, just after 5pm... It was Aldershot fans travelling back from their early kick-off at Crawley Town who were accused of causing the trouble... Woking supporters believe that the Aldershot fans, who were said to be in their late teens, had been to watch the game in Crawley before stopping off on their way home... Shots chairman John McGinty had travelled to Woking's Kingfield Stadium after his side's match on Monday... 'We can’t be responsible for what people do in their private time', he said. 'We can’t be held responsible for people going into pubs. We live in a free country and people are allowed to walk around. Whatever happens in the street can’t be blamed on Woking or Aldershot. We condemn every bit of it'".
"Farsley Celtic hopes to secure its future with the £1.36 million it would receive from [a] developer" claims Farsley Today. The club wants permission for Bellway Homes to build on a former cricket pitch so it can use the proceeds to redevelop the clubhouse, main stand, sports hall, outer pitches and car park area. Last month Leeds West Plans Panel said it did not like the scheme and was prepared to refuse it... At its latest meeting the panel confirmed the refusal, despite receiving a 428-signature petition supporting the plan. But planning officer Martin Sellens said he was quite prepared to have further talks with the club to try to find an acceptable scheme... Coun Campbell said: 'The panel members are clear that they cannot accept this current proposal, but they are not averse to looking at other options'... But Couns David Morton (Lib Dem, Headingley) and Mick Coulson (Lab, Pudsey) said they doubted a solution could be found. The club says it wants to develop what is simply unused land and has the support of Sport England".
"Darren Patterson is looking for his Oxford United team to carry on their winning streak - and not stop at three!" according to the Oxford Mail... "The first challenge comes against Northwich Victoria this Saturday, and then, if they manage that, at another side battling to beat the drop, Weymouth... In the last three games, the U's have convincingly outplayed their opponents... Patterson said: 'Since we've got the new players in, I think the performance level has been consistent. It was just five minutes against Burton when we gave two soft goals away. But that happens'... Only twice before in the past decade have United reeled off four successive league victories - in August and February last season. Five straight league wins hasn't been achieved since the club's last promotion season, in 1995-6. However, Northwich, fighting for their lives to avoid the drop, have already beaten the U's this season, 1-0 in Cheshire, and they hammered Altrincham 4-0 last Saturday [oh no they didn't, it was Farsley]. Midfielder Phil Trainer said: 'Northwich will be another tricky game. They'll come here and will get 11 men behind the ball. It's a case of breaking them down, getting that first goal and taking it from there'".
According to This is York "York City boss Colin Walker apologised to the club's supporters after a Setanta Sports shocker last night. The Minstermen drew 1-1 with relegation-threatened Northwich at KitKat Crescent, but Walker felt his side were fortunate to get a point from the televised encounter. .. The City chief made the... team aware of his thoughts after locking the dressing room door to hold a 45-minute inquest following the final whistle. On his re-emergence, Walker said: 'I can only apologise to our supporters and promise I will do something about it so it will not happen again. The players have let themselves down, the staff down, the football club down and certainly the fans down. I asked for our supporters to keep coming to games, but that was absolutely dreadful. People must have been switching Setanta off because we were shocking. The players have got to accept criticism even if some don't do that very well. I'm man enough to take it on the chin and deserved every little bit I got at the end of the match, as did the players... The only positives were Richard Brodie was outstanding and we didn't get beaten. Sodje also worked hard, but the rest of them were totally unacceptable'".
Meanwhile, "York City managing director Jason McGill has called for supporters to exert pressure on the local authority to speed up the move to a new stadium... McGill also described the club's annual £200,000 outgoings as a 'constant struggle' which 'cannot be funded without changes to the framework of the football club'. Majority shareholder McGill, did not elaborate on what such changes would entail but a smaller first-team squad, wage budget and the possible disbandment of the reserve side now seem inevitable next season. City pay almost £140,000 a year as part of the £2 million Football Foundation loan acquired to buy back Bootham Crescent from previous directors Douglas Craig, Barry Swallow and Colin Webb. McGill also estimates that £60,000 is needed every year for the maintenance and upkeep of the current ground, but added that some of the club's financial concerns would be alleviated if some assurances can be given over relocation. In a plea to fans, he said: 'Please help us lobby and exert pressure on local council representatives to publicly advocate, champion, endorse and fully co-operate with York City to provide a superior community stadium for the people of York. The major stakeholders and decision makers in the city must now decide once and for all if a professional club is viewed as an important asset for the local community. As a board, we are acutely disappointed by the lack of progress in determining the club's new stadium ambitions... The cost of preserving this (Football League) structure is excessive and unachievable with the club's current income streams'".
At another ex-League club, Cambridge United "Mark Convery has joined Blue Square Premier strugglers Weymouth on loan for the rest of the season. The 26-year-old was substituted during the home defeat by Crawley last Tuesday and was not included in the sixteen men on duty for the last two matches, and with Stephen Reed and Danny Brown making their respective comeback appearances on Monday and Ben Farrell expected to return to training by the end of this week, his opportunities would be increasingly limited. Convery joined last summer on a two-year contract after being released by York City, but the first half of his season was interrupted by injuries and he has struggled to hold down a first team place on a regular basis since then."
"Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy has signed for Cambridge United on work experience and will be in goal for Saturday's match at home to Kidderminster Harriers. The 18-year-old scholar has progressed through the youth ranks at Reading.... Saturday will not be McCarthy's Blue Square Premier debut; he was drafted in to play one game for Woking in an injury crisis earlier this season".
The Cambridge News says that Jimmy "Quinn said he may try to get another striker in before tomorrow (Thursday, 27 March)'s loan deadline to add some height to the frontline, while ruling out trying to bring back Leo Fortune-West from his temporary deal with York. He said: 'I'm having a look at a few, but nothing is jumping out at the moment'. Meanwhile, Mark Convery has rejected a loan move to Blue Square South promotion-chasers Lewes".
Alty were spared a threatened drumming demo on their visit to St James Park but Exeter City "are already renowned for having some of the most vociferous supporters in the Blue Square Premiership, but an exciting new project looks set to crank up decibel levels at St James's Park to even greater heights. The Football Club and Supporters' Trust has teamed up with Devon's community music organisation, Wren Music, to create a whole new way for young people to support the team on match days. Drumming Up Support will see youngsters, aged from 10 to 18, form a squad to develop a drumming group to play during matches. And the club's Director of Football, Steve Perryman MBE, is convinced it can only help the Grecians achieve success on the pitch. "Whilst managing in Japan, I witnessed the positive effect a band - and especially the drumming section - could have in terms of stirring up people's passion and enthusiasm in support of the team," said Steve. "They helped create such a club spirit that it drove us towards our first-ever championship. "From a playing perspective, noise at games can be absolutely vital in inspiring a performance, while silence can have quite the opposite effect. "Drumming Up Support is sure to mean more music and more noise and I'm all for it'. The project will be launched at the match between Exeter City and Halifax Town on Saturday, March 29th, with a drumming demonstration from Wren Musicians just before kick-off. All who would like to join the drummers can then come along to open workshop sessions... No musical experience is needed and there will be no music reading involved".
"Grays Athletic midfielder, Jamie Day, has joined Blue Square South‘s Havant & Waterlooville until the end of the season".
They won't concern Altrincham but the Blue Square Premier Play-Offs will be as follows:
From Torquay United we learn that "Kaid Mohamed and Mikkel Andersen have today left United and returned to Swindon Town and Reading respectively. Mikkel made three appearances for the Gulls in his loan spell while Kaid scored two goals in his spell with the club".
Stafford Rangers say that "A first-half double from Altrincham leading scorer Colin Little proved crucial in the Easter Monday clash at Moss Lane between two old rivals. Injuries to Neil Grayson and Kevin Street forced manager Steve Bull MBE to make two changes to the starting line-up with Marco Adaggio and Ross Draper both recalled. Ryan Lynch, who made four appearances for Stafford back in January, started for the home side". The report's statistics were:
"Stafford Rangers manager Steve bull has admitted that his side are not likely to beat the drop" according to Blue Square Football "but has stressed they will fight to maintain their Blue Square Premier status nonetheless. The Rangers are yet to record a victory under their new manager and have slipped further into relegation mire following Easter Monday's defeat at Altrincham. 'Realistically, everyone thinks we're down, but we won't be waving the white flag until it's mathematically certain', Bull told the Express & Star. 'I still want to give the Stafford supporters something good to watch and come here to shout about'. Bull is already looking to make some changes to his playing staff and has been scouring the market for possible additions ahead of Saturday's crunch clash against league leaders Aldershot Town. 'I need players for next season and some of the lads here aren't doing it', he added. 'There will hopefully be some players coming in and others leaving'. Speaking on Monday's disappointing defeat, Bull was critical of the poor showing but revealed that he was not coming down too hard on his players. 'I said to the players before they kicked a ball yesterday that this is the game that will keep us in the league. Fourteen points is a long way to get back. The players know that as well and they are as disappointed as I am. I said to the players that I could be horrible and get them in to training tonight', he added. 'But I'll let them have a rest and see what they can do on Saturday'".
"Stafford Rangers slipped nearer to their inevitable relegation following a 2-0 defeat at Altrincham" claims This is Staffs. "Steve Bull found little to be positive about from his side's below-par performance at Moss Lane. 'They were poor and we were poorer', was the verdict of the Wolves legend, who is still waiting for his first win as manager. 'There was nothing to get encouraged about. I thought on Saturday (against Torquay) they did well, passed the ball well, but today they left it all on the bus. We lost it in the first half. We didn't compete with anything. It was just hard for the lads as they looked very lethargic as if they couldn't cope with two games in three days'... There was no argument about Altrincham being the better side but, like Stafford, they struggled to create decent goalscoring opportunities... During the last half hour, Altrincham appeared content to defend their lead and allowed Stafford to threaten... Aldershot, 14 points clear at the top, visit Marston Road on Saturday and could secure the title with a victory".
"Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough was delighted with Matthew Williams' goalscoring debut in the 1-0 victory at Farsley Celtic on Easter Monday. Striker Williams has joined on loan until the end of the season from Tamworth. And the 26-year-old former Manchester United youth product impressed Clough with his all-round contribution. 'His overall play was very good, he looked lively and was the best striker we had', Clough told BBC Radio Derby... 'It's been a struggle over the two games but we dug in defensively and that's been the basis for the six points', Clough added.
"Oxford United will attempt to make striker Matt Green's loan move from Cardiff a permanent one. Green scored the winner against rivals Stevenage - his sixth goal for Oxford - giving the U's a third win in nine days. Oxford boss Darren Patterson told BBC Radio Oxford: 'I have had a preliminary chat with the boy. We know we will face competition to sign him permanently, but I had competition to sign him on loan'".
NL Daily reports that "Jimmy Quinn, manager of Cambridge United, has decided to extend Jack Jeffrey's loan from West Ham United by a further month. With the bad ankle injury to Lee McEvilly, Quinn has decided to keep the 18-year-old Scottish forward at Abbey Stadium for another month. Jeffrey found his chances limited the first few weeks of his stay, with the form of Lee Boylan and Lee McEvilly restricting him to cameo appearances from the substitute bench, but recent poor form and injuries led to Jeffery getting a good half hour against Crawley on Tuesday night, in which he mightily impressed".
Blue Square Football says that "Halifax Town manager Chris Wilder is considering recalling striker Darryn Stamp from his loan spell at Northwich Victoria after a number of ill-timed injuries. Frontman Andy Campbell is the latest casualty on the Halifax treatment table after suffering a leg injury in Monday's 2-0 defeat at Droylsden. Nathan Joynes and Jon Shaw are both receiving treatment for the respective injuries and wilder could be tempted to bring Stamp back to the Shay Stadium. 'It is something that was discussed two weeks ago when we were put in the current position', Wilder told Halifax Today. 'It was always going to be the case that we might have to bring him back'".
"Farsley Celtic manager John Deacey believes his side can beat relegation this season despite dropping into the bottom four on Monday. Deacey's side failed to collect any points from their two Easter fixtures and have subsequently slipped into the dreaded relegation zone. Celtic battled valiantly against Nigel Clough's high-flying Brewers and were unfortunate to in a game that produced just one goal. Amjad Iqbal's mistake gifted the ball to Burton's striker Matt Williams and the on-loan marksman went on to fire his side ahead. 'Amjad has been a model of consistency this season and it was a shame that it happened to him', Deacey told the Yorkshire Evening Post. 'I was happy with our performance but we have to be more lethal in the opposition's box. I've said before that I think it will go to the wire and I still believe that. We will survive'" reports Blue Square Football
"A debut goal for loan signing Matty Williams clinched a precious but barely-deserved victory for Burton Albion on their first-ever visit to Throstle Nest" according to the Burton Mail. "he 25-year-old striker struck after 14 minutes... But it was a far from convincing display against relegation strugglers Farsley Celtic... And they needed a stroke of good fortune in the dying minutes when home striker Simeon Bambrook was denied the equaliser by the woodwork. With skipper Darren Stride failing to recover from a hamstring injury, Albion made four changes from the side that scraped a 1-0 win over Crawley Town... Wingers Marc Goodfellow and Keith Gilroy both dropped to the bench to make way for Shaun Harrad and Aaron Webster to give Albion a more competitive edge in the wide midfield positions. And manager Nigel Clough made the most of his new attacking option by giving Williams his first start alongside top scorer Daryl Clare. The quaintly-named Throstle Nest was an unglamorous reminder of Albion's UniBond League days, with two sides of the ground amounting to nothing more than a ribbon of uncovered standing area".
The Burton Mail also refers to how "Albion's play-off hopes have been given a massive boost after a dream set of Easter Monday results... as promotion rivals Exeter City, Stevenage Borough and Forest Green Rovers all suffered costly defeats... Manager Nigel Clough told Mail Sport: 'This time last year we blew it in terms of the play-offs by losing to York and Southport. There are still eight games to go, but hopefully the results this weekend will be the springboard for us go on to achieve our ambitions... It's been a struggle over the two games but we've dug in defensively and managed to keep two clean sheets. That's been the basis of our six points because we were far from our best, especially in the second half. Some of the decisions we made on the ball were very, very poor indeed. I thought Farsley were a bit unlucky in the second half... Not only did Matty get us the winning goal, but his overall play was also very good... Williams said: 'I came here to play football and it's fantastic I've got the winning goal on my debut'".
From This is Glos, we read that "Jim Harvey was as bewildered as the spectators inside Plainmoor after Stuart Fleetwood was controversially sent off in Forest Green's 1-0 defeat to Torquay United.Rovers' top scorer saw red in the 27th minute for reacting to an apparent head-butt by Gulls' defender Mark Ellis. Referee Dave Phillips took the decision on the advice of his assistant David Martin, but Harvey remained in the dark afterwards as to exactly what his player had been accused of. 'Apparently their fella (Ellis) has pretended to throw a head-butt at Stuart and he has had to back out of it', said Harvey. 'It was just a bit of grappling I think in the box, and I've no idea where the red card has come from. It's such a shame that in the latter stages of the season, when there are two teams playing who have a chance of getting into the play-offs, you get officials making decisions that confuse everybody. Nobody was sure what had happened, and it killed the game'... Torquay's winner came from the penalty spot... Scorer Roscoe D'Sane later missed a second spot-kick... 'I know their manager (Paul Buckle) has been very complimentary about his squad and their attitude, but we were head and shoulders above them', Quinn said... 'I didn't feel Torquay knew how to cope with us, and long balls into the box and set-pieces were really all they could muster'".
On the contrary, the Torquay boss Paul Buckle thought "We had enough very good opportunities to win two or three games" according to This is South Devon. "It was one of those days when we just couldn't take a second chance... And when you miss as many chances as we did today, football has a habit of hitting you with a sucker punch. It happened to us against Altrincham (1-1) a few weeks ago, but this time we stayed solid as a group and we were good enough to keep a clean-sheet". Buckle "praised the Gulls' fans in a 3,000-plus crowd [at FGR], saying: 'They were frustrated, like I was and the players were, but they didn't go over the top. They backed us, which was important because the players can feel it when the crowd gets frustrated'".
The Halifax Courier says that "Boss Chris Wilder brushed aside calls from a section of the travelling Halifax support at Droylsden for him to resign... The final whistle yesterday brought an angry reaction from some supporters calling for the manager's head. 'People have to fire bullets at someone and they will fire them at me', said Wilder. 'I have told the players I will take it on the chin all day long because I know it will turn round and I know this club will stay in this league. It will then move forward, whether with me or not and on today's opinion people don't want it to be with me. But I will be here until the end of the season and I will make sure this club stays in the league... The players know we are there for them. If it is just us doing it to the end of the season, then it is just us and I don't mind that. I imagine a lot of the supporters will have gone away after the game and completely given up on us', he said. "'There are still nine games to go... I have had decent times at this football club and I don't get carried away when people are patting me on the back in the same way I don't get carried away when they are shouting for me to go... It has not been the best few days for the football club', he said".
The Kidderminster Shuttle says that "Harriers' manager Mark Yates admits he'll be working hard to bring new players into Aggborough on-loan before Thursday's deadline... Harriers are a little light in central defence after the departure of Luke Jones back to Shrewsbury Town... Yates said: 'It has been quiet over the weekend because it's Easter but I'll be on the phone tomorrow morning with one or two things we are waiting on. We have a couple players we'd like to bring in... We're not as bad as our league position makes out', said the manager. 'When we put in a decent performance, work hard and compete for first and second balls it gives us the conviction to play some good football... Our last three home performances have been pretty decent. We've tried to get the ball down and play... I thought Gavin Hurren produced one of his best performances in defence for some time and many of the squad will be happy with their contribution'" against Rushden.
This is Weymouth quotes Terras' boss John Hollins after their win over Exeter. "It was a tough game and they are a very good side. They are really well organised and we knew we had to stop them by being big and strong... We were again without a few players today but our pack is a good one now and we shuffled it about and the performance we put in was excellent. You only have to look at James Coutts and how much stronger and quicker he is now looking. He is also showing more belief in himself and it is the same with Anton Robinson... Defensively the back five were again fantastic today'... Commenting on Malcolm, Hollins said: 'Michael was a constant threat and could have had a hat-trick... The lads are now becoming more and more confident but on Saturday at Farsley Celtic it will be a different proposition again'".
So, it now makes even more sense to leave the car behind and use the coach as you will save your fuel and running costs as well as avoid the £3 parking charge being applied at Wincham Park for private cars. Full details of the coach trip are on the Away Travel page.
A minute's applause before the kick off to Monday's game against Stafford Rangers was a fitting tribute to Gary Wright ("The Skipper"), the Altrincham FC steward and supporter, home and away, who died on Saturday morning after a fall at home the previous weekend. A collection was also held which raised around £500 from which will be purchased a suitable floral tribute to Gary for his funeral, the date of which has yet to be set. Any remaining money may be used for a small permanent tribute to Gary at Moss Lane. Above is pictured Gary's steward's jacket and some flowers which were placed on the touchline at Moss Lane before kick off on Monday.
Right: Monday saw Val Owen's return to action after a four-month injury lay-off which included a knee operation. Here we see (l. to r.) Chris Lane, Warren Peyton, Robbie Lawton, Val Owen and Gary Scott in second-half action against Stafford Rangers.
Colin Little's two goals on Monday take his tally to 21 for the season, 18 of which have come in 28(+5) appearances in the Blue Square Premier. Indeed, he has scored eight goals in his last seven BSP games. It was a less fortunate game for Chris Senior who had a tooth knocked out by a challenge from Stafford Rangers' defender Richard Sutton. Alty moved up two places to 19th but Halifax Town and Farsley Celtic are only two points behind and have three and two games in hand, respectively.
From Hereford, Bullsnews tells us that "One of the Bulls' targets in the January transfer window, Chester winger Kevin Ellison, is still in demand. Wrexham have had a fresh bid for the former Tranmere man rejected according to the Daily Post. Ellison missed yesterday's win over Darlington, and the future of the top scorer at the Deva has been in constant doubt since several clubs made bids in January.Ellison had agreed a move to Stockport in February before the deal failed amidst conflicting reports. Chester sources claimed the player decided the deal wasn't right, while Stockport claimed that monies were owed by Chester to the player that weren't forthcoming. Bury and Wrexham had bids rejected before the Hatters' move, and interest from the Bulls was revealed in the press".
NL Daily reports that "The healthy long standing relationship between Nantwich Town andneighbours Crewe Alexandra has resulted in the Railwaymen consenting to the loan signing of Junior Brown. Brown, a 19-year-old first year professional at Gresty Road, is a naturally left-footed player who is equally at home in a wide midfield role or in a striker's role. He experienced UniBond league football earlier this season during a loan spell with Kidsgrove Athletic. The 5` 8” player possesses lightning quick pace and joins fellow Crewe loanee Nick Farquharson at The Weaver Stadium at a time when Nantwich are striving for promotion. The loan period is for a month... In a further development, Nantwich have served a seven-day notice of approach to league rivals Alsager Town for permission to speak with former Leek Town striker Dave Whittaker. Another former Crewe player, Whittaker has extensive experience of UniBond Football both as a striker or as a central defender">
But Nantiwch Town later reported that "Junior Brown has had a change of heart and decided to stay at Crewe. We respect Junior's decision... and would be delighted if he decided to join us some time in the future".
Above: Colin Little, off picture to the left, nets Alty's first goal.
This was a vital win for Altrincham but after securing a 2-0 lead by the interval they withdrew O'Neill and Senior during the second half in favour of Scott and Lane, which allowed Rangers to come more into the game. But the visitors looked a poor side and rarely threatened to score. After King had forced a fine save from Alcock inside the first minute, Alty should have taken a lead in the second minute but O'Neill missed the target horribly from six yards. However, Colin Little continued his rich vein of scoring by putting Alty ahead as the game went into the 14th minute with a header following a Stafford half-clearance. Alty's leading scorer then netted his 21st goal of the season (18 in the BSP) three minutes before the interval when he converted O'Neill's pass from close range to make it 2-0. Though O'Neill hit the bar with a fine effort in the second half, Alty failed to improve their goal diffference but moved up two places in the table thanks to defeats for Halifax Town and Farsley Celtic.
Match report here.
Right: Ryan Shotton takes a throw-in at Aldershot last Saturday.
It's another vital game for Altrincham on Monday against one of the only three teams beneath us in the table. The sides drew 1-1 at Marston Road back in August with Robbie Lawton the Alty scorer. The Alty line-up that day was: 13. Richard Acton; 15. Chris Lane, 14. Stephen Rose, 5. Darren Tinson (capt), 2. Steve Aspinall; 7. Robert Lawton, 8. Val Owen, 6. Jake Sedgemore; 21. Gareth Whalley, 11. Warren Peyton; 19. Chris Senior. Subs: 1 Stuart Coburn, 4. Karl Munroe, 12. Joe O'Neill, 17. Colin Potts, 18. Pat McFadden. Only five of Alty's starters that day started last Saturday's game at Aldershot (Lane, Tinson, Lawton, Peyton, Senior). In the corresponding Moss Lane fixture last season Alty lost 1-0 in bizarre circumstances, with Rangers scoring when Chris Senior was made to leave the pitch for carrying his boot which had come off his foot.
Easter Monday, March 24th
Right: Alty captain Jack Kimber keeps close to his opponent, whilst centre-backs Alex Murphy and Jake Leigh-Watson await developments behind them.
Altrincham Youth went out of the Open Cup this afternoon after a penalty shoot out. Tom Bailey had put Alty ahead early in the second half before Curzon levelled to take the game to extra time. With the score still 1-1 after that period, the penalty shoot out was won 4-2 by Curzon Ashton. Report in Youth section.
Ebbsfleet United "confirm the signing of Brentford defender Darius Charles on loan until the end of the season. Ealing-born Charles began his career as a trainee at Brentford in 2004 and signed professional forms in 2006. He started life as a central defender though was converted to a left-back under Terry Butcher at Brentford and can also play left midfield".
After Alty's 13th defeat by a single-goal margin in the league this season, at Aldershot, Graham Heathcote told the NL Paper, "We've come away from places like Torquay, Stevenage and, now, Aldershot and shown we can play. But it's not performances against the top sides that matter, it's the games against the middle and bottom sides where you've got to do it and we haven't. That's our inconsistency. If we'd played as well as we did today against some of the sides we've lost to, we quite simply wouldn't have lost. But that's why we're at the bottom and they're at the top'".
Droylsden boss Dave Pace has "called for football chiefs to show no mercy to clubs like Halifax who go into administration... Pace, who has personally invested £4.2 million in the Bloods believes the Shaymen have got off lightly ... 'The 10-point penalty is a joke... the clubs should be relegated. I could very easily have paid the majority of my squad £2,000 a week, got to 55 points and then said I didn't have enough money, taken the ten-point penalty and stayed in the league. But I don't do things like that. I work all hours to run this club properly and always will do but perhaps I'm too honest... What has happened over the last couple of years does not make the Conference look very good... If we were flying at the top of the table I would still be saying these things. Maybe I'm just not as clever as the people who manipulate the rules for their own benefit'".
As Dave Pace joins Graham Heathcote in calling for relegation for clubs going into administration, Blue Square Football says that "Blue Square Premier chiefs have confirmed that Halifax Town will be docked 10 points for entering administration. The ruling was confirmed at a league board meeting this week and it leaves the Shaymen just one point above the dreaded relegation zone... Halifax officials had earlier announced that the club had been placed in the hands of administrators Rod Sadler and Peter Sargent. This is the second time in the space of six years that the club has gone into administration and the club's supporters will be hoping for another happy ending". Whether there will be a happy ending for the creditors is less likely.
The NL Daily tells us that "Burton Albion have boosted their squad for Easter and the run-in by signing forward Matty Williams on loan from neighbours Tamworth for the rest of the season. Williams, 26, is a former Manchester United youth product who has also been with Notts County. He scored for Tamworth against the Brewers in the FA Cup tie at the Pirelli Stadium earlier this season".
Gary is pictured, right, on the terraces at Grays, doing what he loved best - watching Altrincham FC with his friends.
Match report here.
Above: Conditions were poor at Aldershot, with sleet and snow showers.