BLUE SQUARE NEWS

Hebden Bridge firm Fat Cat Trading Company, which provides promotional banners and ground boards, is owed £169 and owner Craig Mitchell said he had been stung twice over the years by Halifax Town. 'I wouldn't touch the club with a barge pole now', he said. 'It is not worth the hassle... With the best will in the world it does not seem to matter who is running the club. People probably give 100 per cent but it seems to happen every few years. It is a shame. 2.5p is not worth a light. I have learned my lesson and I bet there are a lot of people like me'".

According to Blue Square Football "Stevenage Borough striker Steve Morison is currently the Blue Square Premier's hottest property with league clubs Plymouth and Crewe said to interested in acquiring his services. His performances have certainly not gone unnoticed with Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock said to interested in the highly-rated striker. Crewe are the latest team to be linked with a move for Morison, whose future looks increasingly uncertain after the news that manager Peter Taylor is leaving Broadhall Way".

Meanwhile, "Brighton and Hove Albion are reportedly preparing to make a summer swoop for Salisbury City goalkeeper Ryan Clarke. The Seagulls have a number of shot-stoppers on their summer wish list and Bristol-born Clarke is said to be high on that list".

NL Daily says that newly promoted Conference North side "Fleetwood Town have announced that redevelopment work commenced at Highbury Stadium on Monday. Clearing work at the rear of the Park End stand is underway and will be shortly followed by the demolition of both that stand and the 'scratching shed'. This is the first part of a £1 million project that includes the replacement of two stands, Football League standard floodlights and a new supporters` bar. Work is due to continue through the close season and the completion date is set to coincide with the start of the new season. Chairman Andy Pilley said: 'It`s been an extraordinary few days for Fleetwood Town. Seeing the stadium redevelopment start straight off the back of Saturday's promotion'".

"Kidderminster Harriers have offered six players new deals for next season. Strikers Iyseden Christie and Matthew Barnes-Homer and wingers Brian Smikle and Simon Russell have been offered contracts at Aggborough. Goalkeeper Dean Coleman and midfielder Andy Ferrell have also been told that they are wanted by manager Mark Yates. But defender John Munday and winger Michael Blackwood have been told they can leave, while Johnny Harkness will join Northern Irish side Linfield. Yates has also said that he is also looking at new additions to his squad. 'We've got a number of targets and we'll be trying to make sure that we can sort something out'".

"Woking FC announce that Goma Lambu and Matt Ruby have both agreed terms and have now signed contracts to keep them at Kingfield for a further season".

According to the BBC "Cambridge United have announced plans to rename the Abbey Stadium as The Trade Recruitment Stadium from 1 May in a five-year sponsorship deal. United's next home game is the Blue Square Premier play-off semi-final first leg against Burton next Tuesday. U's chief executive Norman Gautrey said: 'The board deliberated long and hard about the stadium-naming deal. The deal will help considerably towards paying the rent and [will] underpin the finances of the club'. Trade Recruitment are a Cambridge-based recruitment agency. The club have struggled to stay on top of rent payments for the stadium, which is owned by property developers Bideawhile 445 Ltd. Gautrey said: 'The circumstances in which the club finds itself, relating to the ground ownership and the level of the rent payable, meant that the board could not turn it down. Sadly this is the way that football is moving these days. [Directors] Paul Barry and Adrian Hanauer have committed large sums of money to the football club for which we are all grateful, however this will not last forever so we need to get into a situation where the club can stand on its own two feet'".

"Wrexham Football Club chairman Neville Dickens has denied speculation that the board is trying to sell the club. Dickens, who led a takeover of the stricken north Wales club in August 2006, did confirm to BBC Sport Wales that new investment is being sought. However, it is understood that the club has yet to receive any firm offers."

Before their relegation was confirmed last night, Mansfield Town's manager "Paul Holland has said his side must bounce back if they drop out of the Football League. The Stags will be relegated on Tuesday night if Chester draw with Stockport. He told BBC Radio Nottingham: 'We've got to look how teams like Doncaster and Colchester bounced back into higher leagues and try to emulate them. We've not been good enough over the season but we've got to stick together because if we do go down it's very important we go straight back up'. The Stags are currently three points off safety with one game to go in League Two. Holland, 34... has been associated with the club for 20 years. And he says, 'I'm man enough to admit there's been a few tears shed in the manager's office'"..

In BS North, the Yorkshire Evening Post reports that Harrogate Town boss "Neil Aspin will hold talks with the Town board this week about his budget for next season – after admitting that a host of players could leave. Town just missed out on the play-offs for the second year running, with poor home form in the second half of the season proving costly for Aspin's troops, who finished sixth. Aspin, due to sit down with chairman Bill Fotherby early this week, said: 'I don't know what sort of finance I'm going to have to work with, so there could be a lot of players that have to leave the club'".

"Grays Athletic have announced that defender Jamie Stuart has today agreed a one year contract with the club" states the Thurrock Gazette.

Even before they are promoted to the BSP the Sussex Express states that "Lewes Football Club have confirmed that Kevin Keehan IS to be installed as new first team manager at the Dripping Pan. The Sussex Express today met with board members at the club, who confirmed that the outgoing commercial manager at Brighton & Hove Albion would be replacing Steve King in the Rooks hot seat. It was also confirmed that Aston Villa star Gareth Barry, who used to play for Albion, had visited the club and was to be one of a potential number of sponsors to put cash into the club. But directors Martin Elliott and Kevin Powell refuted claims that there had been any sort of 'takeover' or 'buy-out' of the club. 'Kevin Keehan will be an employee of the club', said Mr Powell".

"Weymouth boss John Hollins has begun trimming his squad with the release of Franklin Anzite" states This is Weymouth. "The midfielder joined the Terras in February but made just five appearances in his time at the club as well as missing a penalty in the 2-1 defeat to Burton Albion... Hollins said: 'Franklin Anzite has gone. He was out of contract at Swindon when we got him but he's gone back to France to look for a new club I think. We won't be having a reserve team next year and, unlike when I arrived, we won't be having 25 or 26 players in the squad, more like 17 or 18 with a few young ones as well".

According to the Daily Post "Fans of Wrexham FC have re-opened talks with the club about investing more than £300,000 in next season’s drive to reclaim the Dragons’ Football League status. Wrexham Supporters' Trust recently rejected a request from Wrexham co-owner Geoff Moss to donate the cash, maintaining that it had been ring-fenced to buy a stake in the club, whose relegation to the Blue Square Premier was confirmed last week. Last night WST acting chairman Rob Griffiths revealed a meeting was held with Racecourse chief executive Anthony Fairclough last week. 'It looks as though we are making some progress because for the first time the club says it has no issue about selling equity, which is something of a breakthrough', he said. 'We are not taking anything for granted and we would like to get this money into the club, but we are not giving it away for nothing'... Grifftiths said there would be an advantage if the Trust’s £300,000 was made as a capital investment in the club because the cash would not appear on the annual profit and loss account – the basis on which the salary cap regulations are based. 'I’m still hopeful we can come to some arrangement with the club and I’d like it to happen before the Trust’s annual meeting in June', added Griffiths".

Meanwhile on This is Nottingham "Paul Holland today promised a swift clear-out of the Mansfield squad if he remains in charge beyond the end of the season - regardless of which division they are in. The Stags made few changes last summer, with many players already on the books at Field Mill offered fresh terms. But boss Holland will not be following previous manager Billy Dearden's example should he remain at the helm. He is promising a revolving door - getting rid of players who have not performed to make room for new blood. 'I see the squad being much changed, with numerous players coming in and out', said Holland. 'But I don't think that will be a bad thing. I have ideas who to keep and who to let go - and that doesn't change too much whether we stay up or go down.. If we go down, we are a league club playing in the Blue Square Premier next season. That is the time to attract players. Players who have been released by Premiership and Championship clubs who know we are going to play attractive football and have a chance of getting back into the League'. Holland is keen to give the club maximum time to land their targets and prepare for the 2008-2009 campaign... He said: 'I think it's important that we know what's happening next season. That we know what my future is and the players know what contracts will be offered. Nothing is in place yet, but other teams have done it. Wrexham have offered their manager a two-year contract and so have Chester - and that helps the continuity of the club. I would hope to get things finalised and sorted this week. If the result goes for us tonight, it may be they wait until after the weekend, which doesn't help the club... I think it's important to look at Doncaster and Colchester and how they did it and I will be speaking to people who did it with those clubs. It's vital that you get back straight away because if you dwell in that league, as Oxford have done, now it's the norm', he said.

"Barrow AFC top scorer Nick Rogan is set to stay with the Bluebirds" claims the NW Evening Mail. "The 24-year-old striker is out of contract this summer and was considering his options. A student in his graduating year at Liverpool University, Rogan was torn between furthering his academic studies down south and playing a third season for Barrow... 'I think it’s more than likely that I’m going to stay at Barrow, I can’t really leave a club like this when we’ve been doing so well', said Rogan, who has scored 37 goals in 108 appearances for the Bluebirds, including 20 this season. 'I’m in my final year at Liverpool doing a degree in oceanic sciences. I’m now thinking about doing a masters at Liverpool next year, so everything will carry on as normal. Maybe then I’ll do another degree after that.. Telford will feel they have a point to prove. They’ve come runners-up in the league and we’ve beaten them over a 6-0 aggregate in the league, so they’ll want nothing more than to put a few goals past us'... Manager Dave Bayliss, who gives Rogan a lift to training... states: 'Nick is not going to anyone else, he knows this is the biggest non-league club [???] and he knows what the fans and club think of him'".

From the Sports Echo we learn that "Boston United manager Tommy Taylor says Tony Crane will decide his own destiny at the club after the big defender walked out of York Street on Saturday... Taylor, who yesterday allowed Ashley Nicholls - who has joined Maidenhead - and Jon Stevenson to leave the club, has revealed that he would like to see the big defender stay with the Pilgrims. 'Craney put his gear on and left just after the game', said Taylor. 'He has not played and he just left after the match and he probably thought that was it. That's Craney for you... Everyone is welcome to come back'".

At Gainsborough Trinity "Steve Charles is now looking forward to next season. The Trinity boss... revealed former Manchester United youngster Ross Greenwood and holding midfielder Danny Anson have both agreed on new offers".

There is trouble at Alty's former Conference rivals Nuneaton Borough where "director Ian Neale will hold a series of meetings this week as the club looks to stave off administration... He said: 'I would like to make a decision on the direction of the club as soon as is possible... It may be that we will be able to release a more detailed statement in the next few days'... The Heartland Evening News exclusively revealed last week that the club was up to £1 million in debt, meaning administration is a near certainty. Former and current directors are owed up to £450,000 while other money is owed in taxes and to various construction companies. Despite the debts there is no doubt of any financial impropriety".

"Ryan Clarke looks set to be one of the major casualties if Worcester City are switched to Blue Square South next season. Although the St George's Lane club will not find out until next month if they are to be moved, manager Richard Dryden expects it to happen" claims the Worcester News. "With four northern-based teams having been relegated from the Blue Square Premier, the odds are that City will have to move to free up space in Blue Square North. As a result, Clarke, who still has a year left on his contract, could well follow George Clegg and captain Chris Smith out of the club. Twenty-four-year-old Clarke, winner of both the players' and supporters' player-of-the-year awards, is not prepared to take on the increased travelling commitments from his Lincolnshire home. Clegg, who lives in Manchester, is in a similar position, while Smith has already indicated this was likely to be his swan-song season at the Lane. Dryden is also looking to off-load Rapinder Gill, who arrived from Bromsgrove Rovers last summer, while Jon Munday is seeking a return to the professional game despite being released by Kidderminster Harriers. The City boss said: 'Clegg knows the situation. It was sad to see him go because he has been fantastic since I have been here and he's going to be a massive hole to fill'".

NW NEWS

HOW DO THEY DO IT?

It may also surprise those who hark back to the glory days to learn that Alty's average gate this season was actually 41 more than in the 1985-86 season when Altrincham actually won the FA Trophy at Wembley for the last time. For a full record of Alty's average gates since they joined the national level of football in 1979, click here.

BSP NEWS

Wot, no news from Mansfield Town? Actually there is, as making its first appearance on this page is the superbly named Mansfield Chad which reports on the BSP-bound club. "MP Alan Meale has called for an immediate fresh start at Mansfield Town Football Club - before it is too late. He has warned that a strategy has to be put in place for the club's future very quickly, 'otherwise there may be no Mansfield Town FC and no Field Mill stadium at all'. The MP said that the stadium and surrounding land would be very attractive to people looking for business opportunities and there needed to be a plan to preserve the football club. And he called for a new chairman, who did not have a conflict of interest, and a new board to be installed Mr Meale spoke out in the aftermath of Saturday's chaos at Field Mill, which saw the club almost certainly relegated to non league football after a proud 77-year history in the Football League - and owner Keith Haslam attacked by fans. Mansfield's MP told local radio station 103.2's Tony Delahunty that he had not been in contact with Stags' owner Keith Haslam since mayor Tony Egginton was installed as chairman recently. But he said he would do everything he could to keep the club alive - and that he would fight any plans to close the Stags by Mr Haslam, who says he has yet to be convinced any would-be buyers have the necessary funding in place for a takeover.

Mr Meale said: 'We have to have a fresh start . . . there has to be a new tomorrow and it needs to happen very quickly, otherwise there may be no Mansfield Town Football Club and no Field Mill stadium at all. After Saturday you wouldn't blame him (Keith Haslam) for closing the club down. And people have to understand this is a site just off the town centre and there are people looking for business opportunities... I have worked with the devil before to try to get things done for the benefits of my constituents... What everyone forgets is that people are employed there other than footballers . . . there are many other people, cleaners, office workers and ground staff. They don't know where their future lies. I feel for them and the fans. Fans must be totally bewildered by the on and off the field activities at the moment... I urged the then chief executive (Keith Haslam) to step aside and he did eventually, but all to no avail... It needs a new chairman and a new board, someone not tainted by this and who has a good grasp on business'".

The BBC confirms that "Stevenage Borough manager Peter Taylor will leave the club this week after failing to guide them to a play-off place. The former England caretaker boss took over in November after Mark Stimson resigned to become Gillingham manager. Boro chairman Phil Wallace told the club website: 'It's been difficult for all of us, but now we need to regroup, rethink and go again next season. We expect to make an announcement very quickly - hopefully within 10 days'".

But, "Forest Green manager Jim Harvey says he is staying in Gloucestershire despite the rumours linking him with the vacant manager's job at Stevenage Borough. Harvey led Rovers to eighth place this season - their highest ever finish. 'We've started something off here and it's promising. I just hope that we can keep everybody together and improve on it', he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. 'The first year we were 14th and we've improved. We've got a wee bit of ground to make up, hopefully we can do it'".

Nearer to home, NL Daily says that "Ryan Brown has become manager Dino Maamria's first signing of the summer for reprieved club Northwich Victoria. The full back agreed terms today on a new two-year deal to stay at the Marstons' Arena. 'I`m delighted', Maamria told those present at the official supporters' club's awards evening. 'There were a few clubs on the phone hoping to sign him during the January transfer window but I made him a promise that if the club stayed up then we would look after him. I'm glad to say I've done my bit and that's happened and Ryan wants to be a part of our future'. Brown, 23, joined the club from Leek Town in 2005. He struggled to hold down a regular place under Steve Burr last term but has been first choice full back under all three Vics' managers this time around".

"With the battle against the creditors seemingly won, Blue Square North club Boston United now find themselves in a fight with the Football Conference. Pilgrims chairman David Newton has warned the club is still in breach of Conference rules and that action could yet be taken against the York Street club. It is what Newton has described as his next battle after he and vice-chairman Neil Kempster had finally secured the financial future of the club last week, subject to a legal arrangement. Newton brought cheers to United supporters everywhere at the weekend when he revealed they had finally brokered an agreement with the Inland Revenue regarding the paying off of their Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA).... 'It is a relief to have agreed the CVA, but it is just one hurdle we have to deal with', said Newton. 'Our next issue is with the Conference. They can throw us out. That would be unfair, but we are ready to have some discussions with them'", he told the Sports Echo.

The coming week sees the play off semi-finals in the three Blue Square leagues. Three of the four teams vying for promotion to the Football League have been there before with Burton being the exception. In the Northern play-offs all four teams (if one counts Telford's predecessor club), are ex-Conference teams. However, in the South, only Fisher Athletic are a club with previous Conference experience. Eastbourne Borough would have got to the national level in 2005 but were beaten in the one and only North v South promotion play-off final by Altrincham.

Blue Square Football says that "play-off contenders Cambridge United have extended the loan stay of Crawley Town striker Magno Vieira until Sunday 18th May".

And confirming yesterday's news from Bullnews, the Blue Square site adds that "York City have decided to release skipper Emmanuel Panther after three seasons with the club. Panther (23) originally rejected the offer of a new deal last January and this has since been withdrawn. The Glasgow-born midfielder is joined on the departures list by Ross Greenwood, Alex Rhodes, Chris Hall, Leo Fortune-West and Anthony Lloyd, who is thus released for the second time in twelve months. The club have also exercised their right of extending the deals of eight players : Ben Purkiss, Mark Robinson, Nicky Wroe, Onome Sodje, Richard Brodie, Danny Parslow, Jimmy Beadle and Josh Mimms. Striker Craig Farrell has also been offered new terms but is yet to agree, while Martyn Woolford, David McGurk, Darren Kelly and Simon Rusk are already contracted until next summer. Youngsters Andy McWilliams, Liam Shepherd, Josh Ratcliffe and Danny Stimpson have each been awarded first-year professional contracts. Manager Colin Walker had previously notified Tom Evans, Darren Craddock and Stuart Elliott that their services were no longer required".

A WEEK OF "REFLECTION"

AWAY TRAVEL

SCOTTY DESERVES SOME LUCK

WELL DONE, NEIL

BSP NEWS

After all the goings on at Sussex-side Crawley Town, more strange goings on are emerging from that county. Even before they can enjoy their promotion after previous bids have stalled on ground grading of their Dripping Pan ground, outgoing Lewes boss "Steve King talked of his sadness" to theSussex Express " on what should have been a special day as the Rooks were presented with the Blue Square South trophy at a sunny, if emotional, Dripping Pan... An emotional King said, "I'll release a statement, probably next week. I don't think I've been through emotions like that in my life, apart from when my dad died recently... It should be the happiest day off my footballing career so far, but it's not. It's sad. I've built the club on the pitch, that's how I feel. And the support the fans showed me today was something else.. I'll just reflect on things, go out with the boys tonight, have a meal - be with my wife who's been a tower of strength for me. All my family were there today, all my wife's family were there... Some of those players take three hours to get to training, some of those players take three hours to get to a game - not once a week, twice a week three times a week. Probably half of their wages are going in travelling yet they still stuck with it. They've got a tremendous attitude. To dig in like that and to win the title - I'm just lost for words'. Captain Steve Robinson added, 'It's an unbelievable situation - which came to light earlier in the week. He (King) didn't say too much. We kind of drew our own conclusions only this morning. Without saying too much, it affected us. It's something that has never happened to us - and hopefully will never happen to us again... His record speaks for itself; he's well respected. As a manager it's a very difficult line where you bond with them (the players) but you've also got to be a disciplinarian. I think he did that perfectly and he's held in very high regard. I'm devastated really. As a team, it's all going to be broken up. Probably a few of us will go together and do other things. But to achieve something like that and not be able to continue it is disheartening'".

So the ever informative Argus has more good sports copy as it reports that "Steven King's departure as Lewes boss now appears certain... Speculation began on Friday that the Rooks were parting company with the most successful boss in their history. The club are still refusing to comment and say they will make a statement, probably on Tuesday. However, representatives of the Supporters Club met with directors Martin Elliott and Steve White on Saturday morning and later issued a statement saying they had been told King's contract was not being renewed and the Weston game was his last in charge... There was also no comment from the club about our story in Saturday's Argus that new investors were getting involved who wanted to bring in their own manager. Albion commercial manager Kevin Keehan, who is quitting his job with the Seagulls [Brightopn & Hove Albion] at the end of the season, is believed to be part of that consortium... Fans chanted Sack the board' and 'Stevie King's barmy army' as the players emerged on to the pitch. When skipper Steve Robinson scored Lewes's second goal he and Gary Holloway ran towards King and lifted their shirts to reveal T-shirts reading The King is gone, long live the king'".

Alty were dumped out of the Setanta Shield by Nuneaton Borough whose forum has a statement from the Club "Following recent speculation amongst fans and in certain sections of the media regarding the current position at Nuneaton Borough Football Club my fellow directors and I would like to clarify the situation regarding the club’s future. We must stress that the club’s present financial problems have been inherited from the past. We have stepped in to help save the club but we have been absolutely shocked by the poor standard of administrative and commercial systems which have obviously been a contributory factor towards the club’s current financial plight. We are currently looking at all options to take the club forward on a sound financial footing. Professional advisors have been appointed to review the club’s position and we will take on board their recommendations when they have completed their review. No decision has been taken with regard to taking the club into administration or on any other route. That may be only one of several options for consideration following the advice of our advisors. I can assure the fans that we have their interests at heart and the future of Nuneaton Football Club is our first priority. We have to work together to create a positive future for the club to create solid foundations in order to move forward with confidence".

Given the threatened regrouping of Blue Square North and South, Boston United may be moved to the south and the Pilgrims report from Boston Today that "United have beaten off the threat of liquidation. Chairman David Newton announced the news to the Pilgrims supporters 10 minutes before the final game of the Blue Square North season. Taking to the York Street microphone, he said that a deal had been agreed in principle with the Inland Revenue - who control Boston United's Company Voluntary Agreement as the major creditors. Although Newton did not say so, this basically means that he and vice-chairman Neil Kempster have dipped into their own pockets and/or the funnds of their company Chestnut Homes to pay off the CVA at a new agreed rate. Boston had debts of more than £3 million when they entered the CVA last year. This news brought the day's largest cheer from the 1,700-strong home support".

Bullsnews reports that "York have released club captain Emmanuel Panther. The influential midfielder rejected a new deal in January, and turns 24 in May so would be a free agent. The club have handed a new deal to ex-Bull Mark Robinson, but have released a total of nine players after a poor season".

GOING DOWN WITH A FIGHT

Above: Before the game Alty distributed the team shirts of players who had left the club during the season to their travelling supporters.

Above left: Alty defend a Weymouth attack; right: Greg Young tries to spot the ball as it arrives through Douglas's enormous flapping ponytail.

Above left: It's Gary Scott's turn to try and see through Douglas's flowing mane; and right: Gary Scott and Kyle Critchell walk off after seeing their red cards.

In the NL Paper, there is an interview before the match with Weymouth boss John Hollins. He claims his secret includes developing a feeling of "Hey, don't get pushed around, don't get bossed". After the Alty game he admitted "That was a real tough game".

BSP NEWS

Also according to the NL Paper, "Under Appendix E of the conference Rulebook, the Shaymen must agree a deal to repay their creditors AND come out of administration before Saturday, May 10 or face being kicked out of the Conference set-up [into the UniBond]... However, creditors will not vote on the matter until May 7 and any deal must then be approved by the football authorities. To make matters even worse, the consortium bidding to take control at The Shay... will complete its takeover only once a CVA agreement has been reached. That will give the club just three days to reach an agreement, have it ratified and complete the takeover needed to exit administration - an extremely unlikely scenario. The issue was discussed at a Conference board meeting on Thursday and Halifax will be notified of the rules in writing this week. Conference General Manager Dennis Strudwick said, 'We're in discussions with the administrator at the moment and I can't compromise my position by commenting any further. All I will say is that the competition will apply its rules'".

PAPER TALK

MATCH REPORT

From the above picture you might not guess that the final whistle had just gone and Altrincham had been relegated but this is the rousing reception the travelling support gave their team yesterday at the end of the game. As can be seen, the players threw their shirts into the crowd.

The website's match report on the Weymouth game is now here.

COMPARISON

WEYMOUTH 2 ALTRINCHAM 2 - ALTY GO DOWN

Right: Alty players throw their shirts into the crowd after the game. Above them the Setanta cameraman looks on.

Saturday 26 April

A JOB TO DO

The home team [Weymouth], meanwhile, will be without midfielder Mark Convery, who is still serving a suspension, although Marcus Browning and Paolo Vernazza should return after overcoming injury problems... The Terras are unbeaten in five and manager John Hollins is determined to extend that run at Alty's expense".

For those unable to get to Weymouth the Orange Tree pub in Altrincham's Old Market Place is believed to be at least one place where the game will be shown on Setanta TV.

DECISION DAY

Almost everything in the Conference is decided - the champions, the play-off qualifiers and two of the four relegation places. The three contenders for those two final places are Halifax Town (42pts GD-8), Altrincham (40 GD-26) and Farsley Celtic (39 GD-39). So Setanta TV has chosen the Weymouth v Altrincham match as its live game tomorrow (k.o. 5.15pm) and that final piece of the jigsaw could be decided in one of the following ways:

Altrincham FC physio, Sean Riley, reports that "Val Owen had another scan on Friday afternoon to try and find out why he is still experiencing pain at the site of his operation. Apart from Val, we will be taking a fully fit squad down to Weymouth". In the MEN, Stockport County boss Jim Gannon said, "We did consider bringing back Paul Turnbull from his loan at Altrincham but we didn't want to do that with them having such a big game at Weymouth. But Paul and Greg Tansey will both be back at the club on Monday'".

Likely to be facing Alty today is former loan striker Matthew Bailey who had a spell at Moss Lane, helping us to qualify for Conference North in 2004. From This is Weymouth we learn that "Weymouth manager John Hollins wants his side to stretch their unbeaten run to six games by condemning Altrincham to relegation at the Wessex Stadium tomorrow (5.15pm). Despite the Terras having secured their Blue Square Premier status... the upbeat boss has insisted that it will be business as usual for the televised clash. Hollins said: 'Nothing less than a win will be enough for Altrincham but we want to finish on a high note as well. We are unbeaten in our last five and we want to finish with three draws and three wins, which always sounds better. We have been aiming to find consistency and picking up points from six games against very different opposition would be exactly that and it will give us something to build on for next season. I think the draw at Aldershot on Tuesday showed how far we have come. Everyone did their jobs to the maximum and it really was a fantastic performance... The Setanta Sports cameras are coming down for a reason but we have got our own goals to play for. Tomorrow is not a charity match, we went to Aldershot meaning business and we will go into tomorrow exactly the same, looking to pick up points'...

Hollins said: "Everybody has a threat at this standard and Little is Altrincham's threat. 'You can't afford to take it easy against anyone and like I said, tomorrow we want to keep our rhythm going'. On-loan sensation Chris Blackburn could have played his last game for the Terras. The centre-back missed the Aldershot game and is unlikely to be risked tomorrow. Hollins added: 'Chris will want to play but like with Paolo Vernazza and Marcus Browning we have to be careful. Chris has done his work and there is no real need to risk him. He has got to go back to Swindon Town and I am sure they would not be happy if we sent him back with a three-to-five-week injury. Justyn Roberts came in against Aldershot and did very well alongside Scott Doe, who again was exceptional. [Goalkeeper] Stephen Henderson has also had a calf strain that we have had to keep an eye on but we have got Jon Stewart so that will be another decision we will need to make'".

BSP NEWS

According to theBBC "Wrexham are parting company with 14 players in the wake of relegation from the Football Championship [??League Two??] to the Blue Square Premier League. {Ex-Alty man] Phil Bolland, Josh Johnson, Mark Jones and Jeff Whitely will not be kept on. Sam Aiston, Richard Hope, Michael Proctor, Silvio Spann and Anthony Williams are transfer listed. Loan signings not offered contracts are Drewe Broughton, Richard Duffy, Paul Hall, Stuart Nicholson and Danny Sonner. A statement on the Dragons website read: 'After the sad events of the past week, manager Brian Little has made his intentions clear about reshaping the team for next season. It really goes without saying that the club's finances will have to be revaluated as we step down from the Football League and many aspects of the club's operations will have to be reviewed'".

Meanwhile the Crawley Observer says that "Bungling footie chiefs were left red faced after dozens of fans had to fork out for postage on their renewal season ticket forms. Crawley Town sent out letters to season ticket holders asking them to renew their tickets – but the fans ended up having to fork out £1.06 just to receive the letter because the club had not affixed adequate postage. One Crawley Town fan said: 'You'd think with this club's history of financial problems that they would find out the correct price of a stamp. I've forked out a quid for a letter I didn't want. The guy at the post office told me this has happened to dozens of people – we should all go down to Broadfield Stadium and get our money back from the club'. But footie bosses say it was just a mistake and they have now sorted out the blunder. Andrew Dodd, commercial manager from Crawley FC football club, said: 'We went and saw the post office about this yesterday and we have paid the difference and the rest of the letters are being delivered today. Supporters who have had to pay the £1.06 can come along to the club, with their Royal Mail receipt, and we will happily refund the postage they have had to pay'. Crawley are putting up their prices to £16 and £14 next season, The club have frozen prices on adult, concession and junior season ticket prices for supporters who take advantage of their early bird offer".

The Halifax Courier claims that "The third man in the consortium taking over Halifax Town has been revealed as Stuart Peacock. The businessman... said the consortium had pledged their backing to the club through heavy investment and it was now awaiting on two important results - Saturday's game and the creditors' meeting on May 7. 'We are trying to put the club on a professional footing and that is no disrespect to what has gone before;, said Mr Peacock, a Bradford businessman who is working alongside David Bosomworth and Bobby Ham, to turn the struggling club's fortunes round'... Mr Peacock said bigger attendances and business support would be needed and the new owners would be putting in place commercial activities. The businessmen are prepared to take over the club which is losing up to £30,000 a month and fund a continuing shortfall until the club breaks even. 'We hope to get the club on a better footing off the field as soon as possible with stronger management - but we do need help from fans and the business community. We can't do it alone and we hope fans recognise an awful lot of time and money has been put in by the consortium'. Mr Peacock is the founder of Caterleisure Ltd, of Wilsden, Bradford. Its business involves operating licensed bars, catering, and retail shop services across the UK including airports and tourist attractions... Mr Peacock is part of the consortium which includes Wakefield BMW dealer David Bosomworth and retired building firm owner Bobby Ham. They have put over £400,000 into the club since January 2007 and are hoping to take full control'".

Meanwhile "Calderdale Council will press ahead with completing the Shay regardless of whether the Stadium Trust has the money for fully fitting it out. With a contractor about to be appointed, the council has confirmed that it will put up to £2.7 million into finishing the east stand and creating space for spectators, changing facilities, bars, hospitality rooms and toilets. The trust is continuing its efforts to raise up to £1 million so that it can develop the new accommodation to make the stadium economically viable.... The council is negotiating with the trust to release parts of the 13-acre site for other developments... Work is due to begin on the stand on June 25, it should be completed by December 19 and ready for use on January 12 2009".

HALIFAX FACE DEADLINE

The club owes in excess of £2 million... and it is losing up to £30,000 a month. Providing creditors agree, and the deal is also backed by the football authorities, a consortium led by businessmen David Bosomworth and Bobby Ham, will then take over the club. The consortium believes, despite the club's repeated financial problems, it could eventually break even, and the businessmen have spent £400,000 trying to takeover the club before it went into administration.

'This proposal represents an opportunity for the club to be put on a proper stable financial footing and for the creditors to finally receive a dividend from the company towards the sums that they are owed', said administrator Rod Sadler. He warned failing to accept the proposal was likely to lead to the club being forced into liqudiation - and no payout... Its only assets are equipment of minimal value.>. The administrators had the added problem of coping with the previous CVA. That had been breached on a number of occasions and the administrators decided that creditors bound by that agreement were also entitled to receive the 2.5p dividend under the terms of the new proposal.

Mr Sadler said the club receives too little income from gate receipts and was reliant on benefactors and its fans' generosity. The last accounts filed in June 2006 showed a deficit in excess of £2 million and that is believed to have grown in the last two years. Without the support of the consortium agreeing to fund costs in administration the administrators believe the club would have been wound-up at a court hearing scheduled last month...

If the Football Association or Football Conference fail to back the deal - once it has the approval of creditors - the contract will fail. Creditors will vote on May 7 and any decision by the football authorities is not expected until June. The taxman is owed nearly £500,000 and former directors are also owed significant sums".

In addition to this, details of a communication from the Administrators to the Club's creditors have been posted on the Shaymen Forum. A quote from that communication is that "Unless the approval of creditors and members can be achieved by 10th May 2008, with or without modification, the club faces the prospect of being expelled from the Conference".

MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHAIRMAN

Is Football so different – or should it be?

Looking back on the season that we have just endured I asked myself exactly that question – what’s the difference between a successful company and a successful football club?

Both need good leadership from a Board of Directors, both need good managers to oversee the business and both need loyal workers who produce the goods. So, where did we go wrong this season – if relegation equates to failure?

Firstly, we started the season unsure of our standing in the football pyramid. Teams around us were signing up the players in preparation for the season and by the time we had received our reprieve at the beginning of June, the cream had been cropped and the manager was left with the unenviable task of putting together a team to compete in this league with less than a month to achieve it. The early season form, and lack of points gained, especially at Moss Lane, has been the prime reason for our demise this season – no one is denying that.

Then, we also had our debts to pay back. Not of our doing but saddled with them, this Board has had to work extremely hard to eradicate them. You won’t believe how difficult it is to work week in week out just to service someone else’s debt. It gets demoralising after a while and I can honestly say towards the end of last season, the pressures were such that I thought more than once of stepping down from the Board and becoming “just a supporter” again. It would be great to just watch the team, go home after the game and not have to worry about where the money was going to come from to improve the team. That may sound like I’m feeling sorry for myself but just like everyone else I do have feelings and they can be hurt by unfounded comments – I’m just glad that when I feel down there is always someone around the club who’ll pick you up and put a smile back on your face because that’s what this club is all about – a family of people working together, doing their best.

Part of that “family” is our present Manager, Graham Heathcote. A past player, coach and secretary of this football club. Over the years he has had to deal with the many problems that have befallen this club. No manager is popular with every supporter and Graham is no exception here. There are people who are quite vocal in their dissatisfaction with his leadership over the last few years but very few look at both sides of the story. For the first two years in the Conference National it was a struggle. Debts still played a big part in our thinking and we were unable to finance a team strong enough for this league. I also think that Graham couldn’t believe how much the Conference National had moved on in the time we were out of it. Fortunately we survived both years but only at the AGM and were therefore unable to plan properly for the following season. I believe that supporters understood our struggles in those first two seasons but this year I think the expectations were raised. Firstly because of the experience gained from our previous two seasons and secondly because we cleared our debts during the season and therefore expected more money to be available for team strengthening.

It would be easy to blame the manager for our predicament and I’m sure Graham would be more than happy to take some of the blame but calling for his head and that of the Chairman is not constructive – it’s destructive. Graham Heathcote hasn’t become a bad manager overnight. He has great knowledge of non-league football and over the years has done an excellent job for the club. He does not deserve the abuse which certain people feel free to dish out. He, like I, on numerous occasions has made himself available for anyone to ask questions face to face. Don’t hide behind pseudo names – take these opportunities to pose your questions and get your answers. At the end of each season, the Board meet and review the position that the club is in. I would hope that the supporters have the faith in the Board to make the right decisions for the club and to stand behind those decisions. It’s extremely easy sitting in your chair at home calling for this person or that person to be sacked but as in business decisions made by Boards of Directors are not always popular but are certainly taken with the best interests of the company at heart. What company do you know which allows its workers to dictate policies?

I’m sure that it hasn’t gone unnoticed that the four clubs relegated this season are all part-time. Is this an indication of the level that this league has reached – probably? But it may also show that players in full-time sides have the desire to preserve their employment status whereas players in part-time sides can always rely on their full time employment and then move on to another club and pick up a part-time income. Is the desire still there, is the camaraderie there? Only the players can tell you that. But the days of players being at the same club for years on end have surely come to an end for the majority – unfortunately. This is now the challenge that the club faces – to find a “team” of players.

I believe that the Board of this football club have done a tremendous job over the last six years – people soon forget the mess that the club was in back in 2002. Geoff, Andrew and myself, who all had full time jobs, took on the challenge to get this club back to the highest level that its supporter base could sustain and to eradicate the debts that were crippling it. I think that we were successful in that mission and along with the recent additions of Barry, Derek, Carole and David the club has moved on further with the addition of a junior section and the association with numerous local teams/clubs. The club have also made essential ground improvements and brought the catering “in house”.

However, now that the club has achieved its initial aims, it is now time to take stock and plan for the future. What the future holds, no one knows but what we can promise you is that we will do our very best to keep this club debt free and play in the highest league possible. We will not however, put this club back where it was 6 years ago. If people want the club to spend money it does not possess then perhaps it is time that we stepped down and let another Board take control of the club. If supporters know anyone who would like to plough money into the club then get them to get in touch – our door is always open. However, it is quite wrong for people to say that we should be ploughing our personal money into the club. No one, besides our fellow Board members, knows what each individual puts personally into this club and that’s the way it should be. You can be assured that each and every Board member is working his/her hardest to raise finance for this club be it from personal means or fundraising events.

So, in answer to my initial question, I do not think that there is any difference between a successful business and a successful football club. Spending money we do not have is not an option. I believe that we have the right mix on our Board of Directors; I believe we have the right manager to oversee our progress and I believe we have the nucleus of a good side. The challenge, as in business, is to move onwards, increase income and build a team capable of winning games in whichever league we are in. With your support, I believe this club can once again become a successful one. Let’s work together and achieve this aim.

Grahame is happy to discuss any of the above points with any supporter who cares to contact him.

YOUTH TEAM GOES TOP

Full details of these fixtures are in the Youth section. In their last five league and cup games the team has now scored 22 goals.

The Youth Team Presentation Night is now to be on Friday, May 23rd at Moss Lane. As well as the player presentations, the Altrincham & District FA will be making a special award for winning the Cheshire County FA's District Youth Cup for the third successive year,

GET BEHIND THE PLAYERS

Last season Altrincham went to Weymouth and secured their first away win of the season with a brace from Colin Little. Above, Alty celebrate after the first goal, scored in first-half injury time.

SAM says that "The fight will go on right till the death. Although the odds for survival are stacked heavily against Alty, Graham Heathcote has pledged his team won't concede defeat until they absolutely have to. The Robins' boss knows survival is not in his side's own hands but insists that will not change preparations for their final game against Weymouth... Alty must win at Weymouth on Saturday and hope Halifax lose at home to Stevenage, who have nothing left to play for ... Heathcote told SAM Sport: 'You can't do anything about other results. The problem is that we let ourselves down with a very lacklustre performance against Ebbsfleet last Saturday and we have paid dearly for it. I can't explain last Saturday and neither can the players. Ebbsfleet were just sharper than us all over the pitch. But we have one game left and we have to go and win at Weymouth and then hope that the result at Halifax goes our way. It's a slim hope because Halifax are in a false position. They're a midtable side really, if you take away the 10-point deduction. We know what we have to do and we just have to go down there and create a rousing finish. We have to be focussed on getting a performance and it has to be a lot better than last Saturday'

But Heathcote also confirmed that whatever happens on Saturday, the club will conduct a post-season inquest. 'Everyone needs to get behind the players at the weekend and then we can look at things once the season has ended', he added. 'We will sit down on May 5 no matter what happens and decide what the best course of action is for the future of this football club. It's different reasons why we have struggled this season than in previous seasons but that's to be discussed at the end of the campaign. It's been a difficult three years and this league wears you down. It's no surprise that the current bottom four are the proper part-time teams in the league. It's extremely difficult to complete. There are a lot of teams who have shown serious financial intent but the board here has made a decision to pursue long-term stability over short-term success. Whatever happens, we'll have a stronger club next year with a stronger base of youth and stronger community presence'".

Thursday 24 April

ROBINSONS WIN

I would like to thank everybody for attending the Game on Monday night and for Grahame Rowley and his Alty team for making such a good game. It was a very good game which ended at full time as a nil all draw. Despite the score there was plenty of action and it had been end to end for the 90 minutes with the rolling subs used through the game. Chris Rowley had played well to keep a clean sheet, although he had been beaten by a shot by Danny Biggins which was disallowed for an alleged hand ball. Charles Heathcote conceded a penalty mid way through the second half and this was blasted over the bar by Matt Day.

It was only the outstanding display of Robinsons' keeper Steve Power (who has played non-league for several teams including Radcliffe Borough) that had kept us in the game with a string of fine saves that won him Man of the match award. The game went to a pulsating penalty shoot out and Robinsons won 5 - 4. A great night was capped with a few beers and curry in the bar afterwards.

Unfortunately [former Alty defender] Vernum Rowland was unable to play as he was on call from work and he watched the game from the main stand, he was replaced by Ollie Needham who was drafted in at the last minute.

Best wishes to Graham Heathcote and the team for Saturday and I will be looking forward to a weekend in Weymouth and being with the several hundred Alty fans cheering on the boys in our final game. Thanks, Neil Faulkner.

OLD BOYS

Former Alty Youth and Reserve, Ben Deegan again played for Ashton United at the weekend. The Ashton forum says that "Deegan worked his socks off as ever".

BSP NEWS

There is some interesting information on Bullsnews about clubs relegated to the Conference (BSP). "Relegated Wrexham are hopeful for a quick return to League Two but as Hereford United, when they were relegated in 1997, soon found out it's not always that easy. Below is an edited list from icwales of how long some clubs took:

According to the BBC "York City manager Colin Walker has begun his preparations for next season by telling three of his players they will be released. Goalkeeper Tom Evans, defender Darren Craddock and midfielder Stuart Elliot have all been told they will not be offered new deals. All three will be released after the final game of the season at Salisbury. Evans and Craddock have both spent two seasons at Kit Kat Crescent, while Elliot has been there for only one".

"Burton Albion have been dealt a blow by the news that defender Mark Greaves will miss their play-off matches because of injury. Manager Nigel Clough told BBC Radio Derby: 'Mark has a broken jaw and is out for the rest of the season and Andy Corbett has a badly twisted ankle'".

The Halifax Courier says that Halifax Town "might only need a point at home to Stevenage on Saturday to be certain of securing Blue Square Premier safety but striker Jon Shaw says the team will be gunning for all three as the Shaymen look to end a difficult campaign with back-to-back wins... It is a straight race between Halifax and Altrincham for the final relegation place. The Manchester side have to win at Weymouth to put pressure on the Shaymen whose massively superior goal difference means one point would be enough to put them in a position of safety. 'You have to go out and be positive', said Shaw. 'You can't go out there and hope for a draw... We know that Stevenage cannot get in the play-offs. Whether that makes them more relaxed or they are upset and want to get back at us is out of our hands... If we win, we know we are safe and that's what we have to look to do'".

Meanwhile, The Comet says that "The way ahead for Stevenage Boro will become clearer in the next few days. Boss Peter Taylor and chairman Phil Wallace are meeting on Monday to discuss plans for next season. This is after Boro's failure to reach the play-offs this season following a run of four defeats in five games, and six defeats out of eight. Taylor said: 'We're going to get Saturday out of the way first and then I'll be meeting Phil Wallace on Monday. I see myself being here next season... I'm very disappointed to miss out on the play-offs... Even if we had got a draw, we would still have been in with a shout in our final game on Saturday. You've got to have consistency to get into the play-offs and we haven't shown that... I never dreamed we would lose the players we did when I joined, although I understand the reasons why... [Against Northwich onTuesday], there are no excuses; we weren't good enough.. We owe it to Altrincham and ourselves to put out our strongest available side', added Taylor".

THE BIG DAY APPROACHES

This time Altrincham have to win and also rely on Halifax Town being beaten to survive in the division.

According to This is Weymouth Terras' "manager John Hollins is now looking forward to building a squad for next season after his side secured their Blue Square Premier status with a 0-0 draw at champions Aldershot Town. The Terras stretched their unbeaten run to five games despite conceding a second-half spot-kick that was missed by John Grant... Hollins' men are now five points clear of the bottom four. The relieved boss said: 'It was a very tough game. Having already won the title and done everything, they started really fast as they normally do. Chris Blackburn has been playing with a knock and could not play for us and Stephen Henderson was a bit sore but thankfully came through it. We played four across the back with [former Alty loanee] Matt Bailey and Stuart Beavon up front and Justyn Roberts coming in, and although our defence had not played together much in the past they got to grips with it really well... We got a bit tired towards the end with all the hard work that we had done so we changed it, bringing on Nick Crittenden, Marcus Browning and Stuart Douglas.... We are now starting to look like a team... There is now a lot of thinking to be done about what we are going to do in preparation for next season but one thing is for sure and that is we do not want to be in this position ever again'... Weymouth's final day opponents Altrincham require a victory at the Wessex Stadium on Saturday to stand any chance of avoiding the drop. Hollins said: 'We have got one game left to play and we want to win it. We have got to finish the season on a high. Yes, Altrincham need to win but we are on a good run and we want to keep that going'".

30th ANNIVERSARY

BLUE SQUARE NEWS

According to Farsley Today "Farsley Celtic manager John Deacey is determined to stay in charge at Throstle Nest and try to lead the club back into the Blue Square Premier next season after their relegation was confirmed with a derby defeat at York City last night. Celtic's one-season stay in the top flight of non-league football ended with a fifth successive loss combined with wins for Halifax and Northwich which pushed the possibility of a last-day escape beyond Deacey's men... Deacey said: 'I want to stay with Farsley Celtic but it's up to the board to see what they want to do'. Deacey looked as though he would maintain Celtic's premier status earlier this month when back-to-back wins lifted the club to 18th in the table. But failure to take a point since proved costly and despite a brave effort by his side at York, when it looked at one stage as though they might force a draw to keep the dream alive, Deacey was unable to stop the rot. He added: 'I am gutted. The whole dressing room is gutted but we have got to bounce back. It's character building. We had the success last year and we've got to learn. We haven't disgraced ourselves in this league. We have given it our all, especially in the second half last night, but it just hasn't worked out this year. We have had a lot of complications but I feel we've given a good account of ourselves and the players should be proud, along with the committee and the supporters'".

From the Halifax Courier comes news that "Town climbed out of the Blue Square Premier relegation zone with a 4-0 win at Crawley last night and immediately set their sights on completing their escape in the final game of the campaign against Stevenage at the Shay on Saturday... as the Shaymen moved two points clear of their solitary rivals for the drop Altrincham... 'The players have shown over the past month that they want to stay in this division', said boss Chris Wilder. 'We will prepare right for Saturday's game knowing we need to take something out of it. We will need all the help going because it will be difficult as Stevenage will want to finish on a positive note... I thought we were excellent against a very good Crawley side who have beaten teams here all season', said Wilder... 'We knew we would have to do it the hard way, but we were positive with three up front. We matched them head on and it has been a long time since we scored four away from home'".

The Northwich Guardian "found Dino Maamria stuck for words... The Vics' boss, clearly still emotional after seeing his side preserve their Blue Square Premier status with a pulsating victory at Stevenage Borough, said he had been on the phone all day... 'I was up at 8.30 this morning talking to managers and players about next season', he said. 'There is a list of names I have already and now I know where we will be playing I thought I'd get started'... On hearing the final whistle: 'I didn't believe he had blown up at first. - the way the second half was going I thought he would add on another 10 or 15 minutes!... On Vics' travelling support: 'What more can I say? There were outstanding last night for us... There were two ways to approach the game; come here and sit back hoping to hit them on the break or go on the offensive. I think you know by now what a Dino Maamria team will do. It was clear we took their players by surprise because we were the team wanting to keep the ball and wanting to score the first goal. They didn't know what had hit them in the first half... Every corner, free kick and 50/50 was given to Stevenage... I hold Stevenage in very high regard and I do have a soft spot for them after the time I spent there. It's a shame that losing to us means they miss out on the play offs but that's football. I get on well with chairman Phil Wallace and chief executive Bob Makin and the pair of them have been texting me the past couple of months to say good luck' for the remaining matches'. On what he would like to see happen on Saturday: 'We win 4-0 with a hat trick by Dino Maamria and a fourth goal by Jonny Allan! I haven't though about whether to play myself or not but it's something I will talk to Marshy about and we'll see. The players will probably talk me out of it. Come to think of it I think they've hidden my shirt anyhow so I'll need a new one of those first'".

From the other side, The Comet claims that for Stevenage "The final nail in the coffin was a particularly painful one. The anger and disbelief on Tuesday night which greeted the end of Boro's play-off aspirations were in marked contrast to the wild celebrations enjoyed by the Vics' players and supporters as they ensured another season in the Blue Square Premier. This will also be the case for Boro, although how many of the management and players will start the new season in August with them is open to debate. Boro's fourth defeat in five games - and their 15th league reverse for the season - was made even more hurtful with the news that play-off rivals Burton had been soundly beaten at Kidderminster... Boro had fallen behind in another insipid first-half display... After 12 minutes of stalemate, Vics grabbed the initiative out of the blue. Michael Carr's snapshot from the edge of the box looked innocuous but Masters looked anything but as the ball crept in... Boro's young keeper showed his jangling nerves when he spilled a routine save from Matty Crowell. Luckily the ball was cleared but catcalls from the crowd would have done little to improve his already frayed nerves... Willock and Morison (twice) threatened an equaliser before spoiling tactics from the Vics came into play as their side started dropping like flies".

ALTY ON TV

TURNBULL TO STAY

BAD NIGHT FOR ALTY

Tuesday 22 April

BALL CANCELLED

GOOD NIGHT FOR YOUTH TEAM

DECIDING THINGS

Meanwhile, Torquay United, Exeter City, Cambridge United and Burton Albion were confirmed as the four play-off teams after Stevenage lost last night at home to Northwich Vics.

Finally, congratulations to Weymouth and Northwich Vics who have confirmed their survival in the BSP for next season.

BSP NEWS

One might think the Blue Square site would know who the Shaymen are but apparently not, as they reported yesterday that "Farsley Celtic face a must win encounter against York on Tuesday after falling back into the relegation zone thanks to a defeat to Forest Green on Saturday. The Shaymen are also in danger of relegation, a fact that turns this West Yorkshire derby into a potentially fascinating affair. 'We certainly need something now don't we?' Farsley manager John Deacey told the Telegraph & Argus. 'We should have more people available for Saturday's final game but unless we get something tonight it could be too late by then'".

"Oxford United midfielder Jamie Hand, on loan from Lincoln, says he is keen to make the switch permanent. Hand has been in fine form for the U's of late and told BBC Oxford: 'It's a performance that I know I am capable of week-in week-out. I am enjoying my football and I'm happy. I will be giving my all until the end of the season. It's a club I am very fond of, but we will sit down at the end of the season and take it from there'".

Farsley Celtic’s "player/coach Steve Torpey has said in the wake of the Forest Green [game], Celtic can still survive.... 'Of course we can, you look at the league table we have plenty of chances to survive. We should have got something out of the Forest Green game, but it makes it more difficult to survive'. Torpey came on as late sub against Forest Green said that Tuesday’s game at York is a must-win game just like Grays: 'We haven’t got to win but it would be nice to win, we don’t want to leave it till Saturday" Grays Athletic "have recalled Danny Knowles from his loan spell at Fisher Athletic following the injury of Nicky Eyre at Northwich Victoria last Saturday"

"Histon chairman Gareth Baldwin has said he is keen to make extra transfer resources available for next season. With the current campaign drawing to a close, the club are already planning their summer recruitment. 'We're obviously looking to try and get more money to spend on our playing budgets' Baldwin said. 'This year we have tripled our turnover, being in the Blue Square Premier has meant that we've three times the level of income'" reports the BBC.

However, The Cambridge Evening News says that "Gareth Baldwin will not be held to ransom when Histon enter the transfer market in the closed season... Baldwin said: 'We've been given permission to talk to two players who are at League clubs and are currently on loan at non-league clubs. We've got a track record in the Blue Square Premier now, they can see that our facilities are improving and we're an attractive proposition. But we're quite frugal and I don't want to attract players just because they're being paid a lot of money. They've got to come here as winners and I'm not interested in journeymen who would come here for £600 (a week) and not care if they win anything for the club'. And the chairman is backing manager Steve Fallon and coach John Beck's eye for a bargain in the transfer market. Baldwin said: 'Steve and John can spot a player and tell if they want to win things. Whenever we make a signing, that player always improves what we've got'".

This is Glos said yesterday that "Forest Green boss Jim Harvey fears hanging onto his best players this summer will not be as easy as he had hoped. Rovers play their final home game of an outstanding season against Ebbsfleet United tonight, when supporters have a chance to bid farewell to scoring sensation Stuart Fleetwood. Left-back Anthony Tonkin is another who will definitely be leaving the New Lawn after Saturday's trip to Histon, but Harvey had been publicly confident of keeping most of his squad together.... 'I will probably have to lose some more boys that I'd have liked to keep', said Harvey. 'It will be a case of taking stock at the end of the season, trying to keep as many as I can and looking to recruit again. That's not ideal - I would have liked to keep everybody and add to that - but finances are tight. What the chairman and board of directors have done for this club, with regards to the new stadium and staying in the Conference, has been remarkable. This year I hope I've helped the club go up a stage further with regards to results on the pitch. But I do know we're at full stretch to keep the budget healthy, and next year will be just as difficult'".

OLD BOY AND PRE-SEASON

And if you are keen for some pre-season action in July, as well as the above games, Welsh Premier confirms that "Bangor City will play their Uefa Cup ties ties this summer at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground. City's recent European games in the InterToto Cup - against Gloria Bistrita and FC Dinaburg - have been staged at Rhyl's Belle Vue Stadium, but the club beat Sartid Smederevo of Yugoslavia at Wrexham in 2002, before going out 2-1 on aggregate.The Citizens have qualified for the Uefa Cup again by reaching the Welsh Cup final, as opponents Llanelli are in the Champions League after lifting the Welsh Premier title. The first round is due to be played over two legs on 17 and 31 July... Four Welsh Premier clubs now qualify for European competitions. Champions Llanelli entered the Champions League. Welsh Cup finalists Bangor City qualified for the Uefa Cup along with the next highest placed league club, The New Saints. The next highest-placed league club, Rhyl FC, entered the Uefa InterToto Cup".

MAN IN CHARGE

According to This is Weymouth "Weymouth manager John Hollins has insisted that his side still have work to do in their quest to secure their Blue Square Premier status... Weymouth travel to champions Aldershot Town tomorrow evening before wrapping up their campaign with a home clash against fellow strugglers Altrincham on Saturday. Hollins said: 'As I have said many times we can only do what we can do. As soon as you start looking over your shoulder hoping another team loses they usually don't so it is important that we go into our last two games looking to keep our recent good form going. We have now won our last two and are unbeaten in our last four, and we want that record to continue."

MY SQUARE

Ian Rosendaal, coordinator of the MySquare scheme at Moss Lane reports that the winner in the draw for those who sponsored squares of the Moss Lane pitch is Margaret Whitfield from Timperley. Ian would like to thanks to everyone who took part in the scheme. The final figure raised for the club was just under £700 and the squares' ownership is shown above. Congratulations to Ian for administering this excellent fundraising scheme.

BSP NEWS

"'A monent of magic' - that was how Dino Maamria described Michael Carr's winning goal against Grays" to the Northwich Guardian. "The Vics' boss admitted the midfielder's first goal of the season had been long overdue... 'I think it was a test of our character today', he said... 'It's a huge psychological boost... Of course the result is the most important thing but I'm disappointed with how we played. There was a lot of pressure on young shoulders again today and I'm not sure we coped too well with it. The players were nervous and I think the crowd were too'".

According to Farsley Today "Boss John Decaey says tension gripping Farsley Celtic on the season's last lap is their biggest enemy... Deacey was speaking after watching his side fall to a fourth successive defeat against Forest Green at Throstle Nest. Deacey must now lift his men for tonight's Yorkshire derby at York and Saturday's final game, at home to Grays Athletic. The Celts have been cruelly hit by injuries and suspensions over the last few weeks...He said: 'The players looked tense. They didn't look relaxed on the ball and that has to change. I am not blaming injuries. I am just blaming it on the performancesof a few people who were below average and it cost us. We started poorly and it was an absolutely garbage goal to concede. We had been working on set-pieces from about 11 o'clock to 12 on the morning of the game but that didn't work, did it? We have to get something out of the remaining two games. It is as simple as that. We still have a fighting chance'".

The Halifax Courier says that "Town's bid to beat the drop will go down to the wire after Saturday's battling draw with champions Aldershot... 'I don't think that performance equates to a team that is low on belief and thinks they are going to be relegated', said manager Chris Wilder. 'They have shown their true colours for the football club. We would like to be in cruise control, but we are in the thick of it and we have to get on with it... There were a lot of weary legs out there and some are playing on auto pilot, but they gave it a go and that is all I can ask. A lot of things have gone against us over the last month, but the spirit and performance of the players speaks volumes about what they are about... We are in charge of our own destiny and not doing too badly at the moment in terms of the way we are playing... Two teams around us get late goals and win, two are beaten. Will it be our turn to score a late goal on Tuesday and Saturday?'".

In the Kidderminster Shuttle "Harriers' manager Mark Yates bemoaned a series of errors which allowed Weymouth back into the game in Saturday's loss... 'I'm disappointed - it's a game we controlled and should have won', commented Yates. 'We scored and were on top for the next ten minutes but we got a little bit complacent... that's dissapointing to take because we've been on a good run and brought a lot of support with us'".

Simon Russell put the Harriers ahead at the Wessex Stadium but the Terras then staged a fantastic comeback in the final 20 minutes with Chris Blackburn levelling before substitute Stuart Douglas netted the winner with two minutes to go... 'That is the first time we have come back and won from being a goal down since I have been here and that shows the belief we now have as a squad'" said Hollins. "I thought when we made the changes and brought on Nick Crittenden and Stuart Douglas it opened things up for us and we began to deliver more quality balls into the box... I also thought our fans made a big difference. They supported us throughout and were absolutely fantastic... I also thought Stuart Beavon's ability today was fantastic. His touch is good enough to be in the Premier League and the way he was taking balls out of the air was excellent. He was beating people, moving, bringing others into play and to be fair he has been awesome ever since I have been here. He has lost a bit of weight and sorted himself out and we are now beginning to see the best of him... "Chris Blackburn was also excellent again along with Scott Doe. Scott is not the biggest physically but he won his headers'" added the manager.

"Grays Athletic are currently looking for an emergency loan goalkeeper following the injury to Nicky Eyre during Saturday's fixture against Northwich Victoria, Nicky sustained ligament damage to his ankle and will be out for the remainder of the season."

Kidderminster Harriers report that "Jeff Kenna has admitted that his Wembley appearance whilst a Kidderminster player last season was 'beyond his wildest dreams'. The former Republic of Ireland International left the club after taking up the vacant managerial hot-seat at Galway United".

WEYMOUTH TRAVEL

Above: Altrincham in action at Moss Lane against Weymouth on 17 November 2007. Alty won 3-2 and their side that day was: 1. Stuart COBURN; 4. Karl MUNROE, 5. Darren TINSON (capt), 16. Ryan SHOTTON, 3. Gary SCOTT; 19. Chris SENIOR, 6. Jake SEDGEMORE, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 11. Warren PEYTON; 9. Colin LITTLE, 12. Joe O'NEILL. Subs: 13. Richard ACTON, 2. Steve ASPINALL, 8. Val OWEN, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 22. Carlos LOGAN.

On the Alty Fans' Forum, STAR travel coordinator Tom Jacobs writes "Just to inform you there are 35 on the coach already for next Saturday's trip to Weymouth (k.o. 5.15pm), so please book on early to avoid disappointment. Please only book (by ringing the Club on 0161 928-1045) if you are definitely coming to the game. We may run a second coach but this is solely dependent on sufficient numbers. Details of fares and times are on the Away Travel page.

Apparently the away bar at Weymouth is unavailable to away fans on Saturday as it is, due to the change of kick-off time, booked for a function. Because of segregation the home bar is also unavailable, therefore anybody who is travelling on the STAR coach and needs refreshment will be dropped off at the nearby Jon Gregory pub. Other passengers who wish to go directly to the ground will then be taken there. The Jon Gregory Pub is a restaurant/pub located at 113 Radipole Lane, Weymouth, DT4 9SS and is 0.6 miles from the Wessex Stadium. It has adjacent free parking, in the shopping centre car park. Meals are served from noon until 2pm, and from 6pm until 9pm and the pub also has a pool table, dart board, and for those that need a laptop, an 802.11b wireless internet connection. From the pub, turn left out of the car park, take the first turning on the right, then the fourth exit at the Wessex Roundabout. You will see the Wessex Stadium entrance on your left.

TENSE TUESDAY

YOUTH TEAM WIN 7-1

STILL THERE IS HOPE

If Altrincham can win their final game at Weymouth, they will have 43 points. That is a lower maximum number of points than any of the other four teams currently have and means that Alty already cannot catch Weymouth, who have 44 points. Next Tuesday's games do not involve Alty and the worst-case scenario is that Weymouth, Northwich, Halifax and Farsley all win that night; the best-case is obviously that they all lose. Those contrasting situations would leave Alty going into their final game as follows, with the target being to finish 20th or higher to stay up.

Worst-case scenario: The situation would be out of Altrincham's hands, but a win could keep us up...

Best-case scenario: The situation would be in Altrincham's hands and a win on Saturday would guarantee safety.

Halifax have a far superior goal difference to any of the other teams involved in the dog-fight.

FLEET VERDICTS

Meanwhile Ebbsfleet United has a very fair report on "Another relegation-threatened visiting side, another win for Liam Daish's men... It might have been the Fleet's 16th game since March 1st but with a few changes to freshen things up, the home side looked anything but lethargic as they coasted to a 2-0 victory... With Chris McPhee, Luke Moore and John Akinde part of a three-pronged attack and with a quartet of central defenders playing in the back four, there was an unfamiliar shape to Daish's side.. On 38 minutes they should have taken the lead. Chris Senior and Colin Little exchanged passes down the left and as the Fleet defence raced to cover they opened a gaping hole for Greg Tansey to run into down the right but his header was scrambled away by Darius Charles... Within two minutes the Fleet made Alty pay... McPhee slid in to beat Greg Young to the loose ball which he somewhat fortuitously prodded past Coburn.

Seven minutes into the second half and the visitors' diminutive but prolific strike force carved out a golden opportunity for an equaliser when a long ball was nodded on by Little to Senior but he blasted it over the bar from 16 yards. Again Alty were made to pay for a missed chance as Warren Peyton made an absolute hash of a back pass to his goalkeeper which Akinde intercepted but the young Fleet striker dwelt far too long on the ball with only the keeper to beat and the ball was cleared. Much to Altrincham's chagrin it went only as far as Stacy Long who, arriving in from the edge of the box, buried a rasping drive in the back of the net. Despite stepping up a gear and enjoying more possession, the visitors rarely found opportunities and those chances they did have were wastefully sent over the bar... After the visitors' best spell of the match had petered out, the Fleet coasted towards full time without looking in much danger".

OLD BOYS AND THE NORTH/SOUTH DIVIDE

At the bottom of BS North, Hucknall Town were relegated and Hinckley made themselves safe yesterday.

Elsewhere in the BS North, Paul Ellender netted for Boston United.

BSP NEWS

EBBSFLEET UTD 2 ALTRINCHAM 1

Above: Colin Little has just been fouled in this picture from today's game.

Altrincham could have no complaints after they lost to an Ebbsfleet side showing few signs of their taxing fixture schedule. Ebbsfleet went ahead in the 39th minute when McPhee scored after Alty failed to clear Charles's cross from the left. Warren Peyton gifted Ebbsfleet their second with an underhit backpass which was picked up by Akinde. When he made a hash of his chance, Long sidefooted the loose ball home (53 mins). Little and Senior each wasted a great chance to pull a goal back, but in the final stages Alty rarely looked like getting back in the game. Match report here

A BIG SATURDAY

Saturday 19th

The Gravesend Reporter says that "Ebbsfleet United's energy-sapping sequence of frequent run-outs could have been avoided with a bit of foresight by the Conference fixture planners, according to manager Liam Daish. 'There's been little thinking at the beginning when we had another cup competition brought in and the end of the season was brought forward to April 26', he said. 'So, we've had more fixtures, less time to play them in and runs in Cup and Trophy competitions - which I would not swap for the world. But, with the size of the squads you've got and the limited money you can spend on your preparations, it makes it all a mockery'". The Fleet have been ringing the changes as their team against Farsley last Tuesday was "Cronin 8, Ricketts 8, Smith 8, Charles 7, Hawkins 7, McPhee 7, Barrett 7 (Bostwick 59), Hearn 8, Moore 8 (Eribenne 86), Akinde 8 (Nade 83), Purcell 7. Subs not used: Mott, MacDonald", compared with the team on Thursday at Droylsden which was "Mott, Ricketts (Hawkins 63), MacDonald, Smith, Bull, Bostwick, Hearn, Barrett, Purcell, Nade, Eribenne (Akinde 71). Subs Not Used: Stubbs, Maskell, French". So only Smith, Hearn and Purcell played the full 90 minutes in both games and 17 different players were used in the two games.

"The Fleet will have little time to prepare for this Saturday's home encounter against Altrincham. That meeting with Graham Heathcote's Cheshire outfit will see Ebbsfleet play their sixth match in a fortnight... 'It's relentless and ridiculous', Daish said. 'You have got to think about professional players' welfares here too - you cannot just keep expecting them to go out and play games for the sake of it. It's fulfilling fixtures for the wrong reasons. Supporters are asked to dip into their pockets twice or three times a week and you cannot do it. So, now, when everyone should be looking forward to this part of the season, they are trying to get through it instead of enjoying it. It becomes a labour of love and the quality of football could go down'".

COLIN'S RECORD

VERNUM'S BACK AT MOSS LANE