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Stephen Bushell was signed by Alty on loan from Halifax Town, where he was team captain, on 24 November 2005 and made his impressive debut two days later against Tamworth. He is a midfielder who has been recovering from a broken leg, suffered in April 2005. A Mancunian, Steve's previous clubs include York City from February 1991 to June 1998. He then joined Blackpool for three years before, in August 2001, he signed for Stalybridge Celtic (then in the Conference) where he played alongside Ged Murphy, who coincidentally signed for Alty a few weeks before him. Steve joined Halifax Town in November, 2001. His previous appearances on joining Alty were:
Picture courtesy of Gavin Rathbone
Steve returned to Halifax Town but then joined Altrincham on contract in summer 2006; see Players of 2006-07.. Appearances on loan : 7..
Formerly no. 16
Chris, a tall left-back, signed for Alty, initially for a month, in November 2005 from Accrington Stanley. He had played 30 games for Stanley after being released by Liverpool in September 2004. He made his debut for Alty at Gravesend in November 2005 where he played for 58 minutes before being substituted. He left Alty for higher remuneration at Vauxhall Motors on 1 December 2005. Appearances on departure : 1.
Formerly no. 27
Christopher was signed in mid-September 2005 as stand-by goalkeeper following an injury to reserve keeper Richard Acton at Woodley Sports. Chris, who is 6ft 1in tall, is currently with Trafford FC for whose reserve team he plays. He is a former pupil of Blessed Thomas Holford School, Altrincham. He was on the Alty bench at Hereford but did not figure again. Linked with a move to Stoke City in January 2006. Appearances on departure : 0..
Formerly no. 12
Central-midfielder Steve rejoined Altrincham in early June 2005 from Stocksbridge Park Steels, whom he had joined from Worksop Town. Steve was previously at Moss Lane from late 1999 to May 2002. He was appointed Altrincham captain on 27 January 2001 on the departure of Gary Talbot. Surprisingly released by Alty, he joined Worskop Town in May 2002 having made almost 200 appearances for The Robins. Steve had originally joined Altrincham from Hull City, for whom he had started 18 league games. Before that he was the youngest player ever to play in the Sheffield United first team, for which he made 1 full and 3 substitute appearances, before moving on to Belle Vue where he played 18 full games for Doncaster Rovers. Steve then drifted into Sunday league football before being signed by Bernard Taylor in 1999. He turned down a £20,000 move to Southport in December, 2000. Though generally a central-midfielder, he had a spell for Alty in 2001-02 at right-back. He is also a proficient taker of corners and free-kicks and has a good long throw. Inhis second spell, Steve showed great commitment at right-back and in central midfield but was released on 27 October 2005 as part of a general review of the squad and joined Stocksbridge Park Steels. Appearances on departure : 163+4, 17 goals..
Formerly no.23
Flixton-born Kirk is a former Man. United Reserve and, in 2002-03, was a first-team squad member (no.28) at Old Trafford. He is a left-back/midfielder, who had a spell in the USA before returning to play for Altrincham Reserves in October 2004. After joining United in 1997, Kirk gained first team experience whilst on loan from United to Royal Antwerp (2001-02). In 2002-03 he went on loan to Scottish club, Livingston. In May, 2003 he moved from United to Blackpool on a free transfer before going to Halifax Town, also on a free transfer, in September 2004. He underwent a cartilage operation in December 2004 but made his Alty debut as a sub at Kettering on 19 Feb. 2005. Injured over the summer, Kirk was absent from the side at the start of 2005-06 but played intermittently for the first team after that but was loaned out to Ashton United in November 2005 and left on 8 December, seeking first-team football elsewhere.. Appearances on departure: 9+6, 1 goal.
Formerly no.18
Lutel, a St Kitts & Nevis international, made his debut for Alty on 28 July 2005 in a friendly against Lincoln City and signed non-contract forms for Altrincham the next day. His early career was with Selby Town, Yorkshire Amateurs and Scarborough before he joined Guiseley. From there he moved to Hyde in 1996. He joined Bury from Hyde in 1998 but they released him at the start of the 2000-01 campaign. Lutel next joined Accrington Stanley where he had a prodigious scoring record. In November 2004 he went on three-months' loan to Droylsden but picked up an injury. Lutel went to Garforth Town to get fit at the start of the season and did not make his Alty debut till 15 October 2005, when he came on as a substitute against Southport at Moss Lane. He was released in mid-November. Appearances on departure : 3+1, 0 goals.
Formerly no. 25
Nehru is an ex-Hyde midfielder, signed by Alty after impressing in pre-season to 2005-06. He was with Moss Amateurs in the Lancashire & Cheshire Amateur League before being signed by Mike McKenzie for Hyde in July, 2001. In 2002 Nehru opened a music studio at the Millennium Power House, in Moss Side, Manchester which is open to local youngsters wishing to learn about the music industry. Despite his slender frame, Nehru is strong on the ball and impressed in early-season substitute appearances in the Conference. However, he then went on loan to Mossley and made his debut for them on 8 October 2005 and has not appeared for Alty since. By early 2007 he was playing for Woodley Sports.
Formerly no. 24
Aged 19, George is a tall centre-back/right-back who established himself in 2004-05 after emerging from the Reserves. He was formerly at Blackpool FC and Morecambe (reserves and first team) and has also represented the Lancashire FA. After coming on as a late sub against Lancaster in Nationwide North on 29 January 2005, he made his full Alty debut on 1 February 2005 in the Cheshire Senior Cup at Vauxhall. However, his first league start was as a right-back at Kettering on 19 February 2005. After 3(+2) appearances in the Conference, George moved to Clitheroe to get first-team football and he made his debut there on 8 October 2005 before a brief stop at Lancaster City from where he briefly returned to Altrincham, playing for the Reserves in 2006, before deciding to leave again. Alty career: 20(+7) appearances, 0 goals.
Jozzer is Jonathan's preferred first-name, though he is usually named in the press as Josh. He signed for Alty on 17 December 2004 from Ashton United just as he was about to start a 3-match suspension, which was soon to be followed by a supplementary 5-game ban for the same offence, committed whilst at Ashton. Jozzer had previously been with a number of local clubs including Trafford, Flixton, Curzon Ashton and Radcliffe Borough. He made his Alty debut, as a sub, at Nuneaton on 22 January 2005 and scored on his home debut soon afterwards, before the second part of his ban began. He is a tall striker with a good touch, who scored 11 times for troubled Ashton before his move to Moss Lane. But his long suspension and then flu meant he was never fully matchfit and he was released in late April 2005. However, he did bravely step up to convert one of the penalties in the Nationwide North play-off semi-final shoot-out at Nuneaton for which Alty fans will be, for ever, grateful.
Jonathan is the nephew of Alty kitman, Dave Mitten, brother of sports writer Andy Mitten, and his great uncle was Charlie Mitten the former Man. Utd player who was, in the early 1960s, the Altrincham manager. After leaving Alty he joined FC United of Manchester whilst continuing his daytime job as a plumber. Released by FCUM, he joined Flixton. Alty career: 5(+10) appearances, 1 goal.
Formerly No.16
Altrincham signed James, a left-sided midfielder, from Vauxhall Motors on 15 July 2005. In 2004-05 he played 44 games for the Motormen and scored 7 times. A former Liverpool Schoolboys player, he joined Liverpool FC as a left-back before moving to Tranmere Rovers in March 2001. In summer 2001 he suffered a broken neck in training and the Birkenhead club eventually released him, in spring 2004, after he had made 6 first-team appearances. He had 2 games at Macclesfield (25 March to May 2004) before being released and joining Vauxhall for 2004-05 season. He is 5'10" tall, weighs 12 stone and was born in Bootle. However, James was released by Alty on 20 October 2005. He scored one goal, at Aldershot. By 23 October 2005 he was back playing for Vauxhall Motors but then moved to Southport, a club he left on 2 February 2007 to join Stalybridge Celtic. Alty career: 5(+4) appearances, 1 goal.
Formelry no.19
James is a midfielder converted from a striker whilst at Crewe Alexandra where he played from August 2002 to May 2005. He had a brief loan spell from Crewe, as a striker, at Alty in late 2002 but that period was curtailed by a facial injury suffered playing for Altrincham at Marine. James signed for Alty a month in November 2005 from Accrington Stanley, where he had played three times in the reserves in 2005-06 season. James made his second debut for Alty in November and was soon on the scoresheet, netting against Tamworth on 26 November. After several more impressive games, James left at short notice in late February to play football for Richmond Eagles in Melbourne, Australia before moving on to Melbourne Victory in 2006. Alty career: 8+5, 4 goals.
Paul is a midfielder who graduated from the Alty Youth team, where he was captain in 2001-02. In the absence of a Reserves' side at Alty he moved on to Trafford and Leigh RMI before returning to join the re-formed Altrincham Reserves in 2004. He made his first team debut as a sub on 6 November 2004 in the CSC against Chester City. After figuring in pre-season 2005/06, Paul was released in late July, 2005. Alty career: 0(+8) appearances, 0 goals.
Formerly no. 19
Gary is a fast and skilful striker, who made his Alty debut v Lancaster City on 26 July 2005 and scored. He started his career at Morecambe but then played under John Coleman for Ashton Utd and moved with his manager to Accrington Stanley before transferring to Doncaster R. for £60,000 in January 2000. He played 16 games for the Belle Vue side. Gary returned to Accrington for £25,000 in September 2000 and then had a month each at Southport and Chester on loan in late 2001. In March 2002 he went on loan to Rossendale Utd for whom he signed that summer. After spending time in the USA with the South Jersey Barons and Virginia Beach Mariners, he joined Stalybridge (briefly, August 2004) before joining Leigh RMI in September 2004. On trial again at Accrington in summer 2005, after being released by Leigh, he nevertheless signed for Alty c.1st August 2005 and became a regular starter in the Conference in 2005-06 before figuring as a substitute and then being released in late October 2005. Alty career: 6(+6) appearances, 0 goals.
Formerly no. 29
The son of former Alty player and current Lancaster City manager, Phil WIlson, Kyle signed for Altrincham, initially on a one month's loan, later extended to two, from Crewe Alexandra on 20 October 2005. He had joined Crewe on 1 July 2003. A pacy forward, Kyle can play on either flank as well as up front. He is a former England youth international and played against Alty as a used sub in the Cheshire Senior Cup Final in March 2005. Made his Alty debut as a late sub at Tamworth, 22 October 2005 and in his first games he played on the left flank but then moved to play up front before injury curtailed his appearances. He returned to Crewe on 19 December 2005 and subsequently joined his father at Barrow. Alty career appearances 4(+2), 0 goals.