Liverpudlian Tony Thompson made his first appearance for Alty in a pre-season game on 8 July 2017. In 2016-17 he had played on loan from AFC Fylde for Warrington Town but he started out with Rotherham United (2012), from where he had loan spells with Chelmsford City and Southport in 2014-15 before he joined Morecambe, where he played one League Two game. Later in 2015-16, he moved to Chester FC before joining AFC Fylde in 2016. The early part of 2017/18 saw him sharing first-team duties with Tim Deasy but he soon established himself as the regular first choice for the remainder of the season.

Altrincham appearances to June 2018: 48.

Signed initially on a month's contract on 12 September 2008, Shaun is a former Everton Academy Player of the Year, who was released by the Toffees in summer 2008. After trials with Bradford City he joined Altrincham. A hardworking right-footed defender/midfielder, Shaun made his Alty debut on 16th September 2008. On 13 October 2008 he signed on for the rest of 2008-09 season, having impressed in a run of seven unbeaten games in the side.

The son of former Altrincham player of the 1980s, Peter Densmore, Shaun followed his father into the England semi-pro international side and scored on his debut for England "C" side against Malta in February, 2009. sadly, he picked up a medial ligament injury in February 2011 which sidelined him till the latter part of the season but he returned to full fitness before the end of the season.

A regular starter in 2011-12 in central midfield, Shaun was named captain on the departure of Robbie Lawton in November, 2011, a role assumed by Jake Moult in 2017. Most of his appearances have been at right-back but he is also impressive in midfield and a capable left-back. His wholehearted approach and his excellent freekicks make him a key member of the team. His 2014-15 season was disrupted by injuries as was 2015-16 when he suffered two significant injuries by mid-October and in early January 2016 it was announced that a knee operation would terminate his season. He also missed much of 2016-17 through injuryl.

Following the resignation of manager Neil Young on 28 August 2016, Shaun, along with Alan Goodall and Jake Moult, was appointed to a joint caretaker-management role before the brief tenure of Jim Harvey. Shaun made a welcome but brief return to playing action on 6 December 2016 in the FA Trophy but was then sidelined again by injury for much of the remainder of that campaign. In 2017-18 he initially started mostly played as left-back, alternating in that role with Lewis Short, before re-establishing himself at right-back with some outstanding performances. By the closing stages of the season he was back to his best but an injury curtailed his appearances in the final games.

Appearances to June 2018: 341(+21), 26 goals.

Centre-back Liam Goulding signed for Altrincham on 27 May 2018 from Warrington Town. In addition to his central defensive prowess, he is also a capable right-back and has also played as a holding midfielder. Before joining Alty, Liam had impressed manager Phil Parkinson not least when playing against Alty for the Yellows on no fewer than four occasions in 2017-18!

Liam's father, Derek Goulding, also played for Altrincham, joining as a teenager at the start of the 1981-82 season.

Liam started out at Accrington Stanley, where he captained the youth team. Whilst at the Lancashire club, he had loan spells at Belper Town, Witton Albion, Ashton United, Chorley, Marine and Wealdstone. He then joined Wealdstone, after leaving Stanley, before signing for Warrington in summer 2017.

Appearances to June 2018: 0.

A tall left-back who can also operate as a central midfielder, Connor joined Altrincham, initially on a month's loan, from Stockport County on 2 November 2017. He had been at Edgeley Park since February 2017, when he had joined from Curzon Ashton, but injury sidelined him before the end of the 2016-17 season at County. Connor had previously been at the Tameside Stadium since 2011. His impressive performances for Alty prompted an extension of his loan period into 2018. He missed several games in the Spring through injury before returning for the run-in where he played well at centre-back.

Appearances to June 2018: 24, 1 goal.

Tom Hannigan, who was the captain of AFC Fylde, joined Altrincham on 23 May 2016. A very reliable central defender, Tom had joined AFC Fylde in summer 2014 from Vauxhall Motors who were then in Conference North. In his first season with Fylde he was named "Manager’s Player of the Season". Earlier in his career, Tom was released by Tranmere Rovers, aged 16, and then studied for ‘A’ levels before completing a degree at Hallam University.

He made his Altrincham debut on 6 August 2016 at home to Darlington. Sadly, Tom picked up a knee medial ligament injury in only his second competitive game and was ruled out for a sunstantial period. His season was further disrupted by suspension and another injury, in Spring 2017, which terminated his season. However, he recovered to start the 2017-18 campaign and put in some assured performances before injury again sidelined him in late October 2017. However he again recovered and his consistency and experience was an important factor in Alty's strong run-in for the league title. Appearances to June 2018: 51(+5), 4 goals.

Ben Harrison is a centre-back who signed for Altrincham, from Nantwich Town, on 16 May 2017. Previously he had enjoyed a lengthy stay at Witton Albion, where he racked up more than 200 appearances. Earlier he had played for two other Cheshire teams, Barnton and Lostock Gralam. He had a brief spell at AFC Telford United early in the 2015/16 season before returning to the Dabbers in September 2015. Ben soon impressed with his reliable performances in pre-season and the season proper. Having been an ever-present, a knee injury sadly curtailed his season in April 2018. Appearances to June 2018: 44, 2 goals.

James, a 1.83m centre/right-back, who spent 2016-17 at Welsh Premier club The New Saints, played as a trialist for Alty in July 2017 but, in August, decided to try his luck elsewhere. However, he returned to Altrincham in time to make his debut on 23 August 2017.

Before joining Altrincham, James had spent three seasons with Welsh premier club The New Saints, moving through from their Academy to first team. His first season at Alty was slightly curtailed by a hamstring injury shortly before the end of the campaign. Appearances to June 2018: 31(+4), 3 goals.

Andy was signed on 21 December 2017 from Southport, having previously played under manager Phil Parkinson at Nantwich Town. He made his Alty debut on New Year's Day, 2018. Andy can operate as a full-back or wing-back on either flank and won Nantwich's Player of the Year award three seasons running and was named in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Team of the Year for the second successive time in 2017.

Andy moved from the Dabbers to Southport in summer 2017. Andy played at both right- and left-back during 2018. Appearances to June 2018: 15(+3), 1 goal.

Signed from Nantwich Town in May 2017, Josh is a midfielder who came through The Dabbers' youth set-up before moving on to Winsford United (2009-10). Next, he joined Witton Albion and made more than 150 appearances and scored some fifty times.

He next joined AFC Telford United before a return to Witton, which preceded a move to Salford City and then a return to Nantwich Town in January 2016. He started the season at Alty with four goals in his first six appearanes in league and cup matches and remained the leading scorer for the club in the league into mid-November. He continued to be a vital member of the team to the end of the season, weighing in with important goals.

Appearances to June 2018: 48(+3), 20 goals

A lively and skilful winger, who is also a capable central midfielder, Max joined Altrincham on the eve of the opening game of the 2017-18 season. His career had begun with Liverpool FC's Academy, before he moved to Bury, where he made his Football League debut in March 2011. At the end of that year he went on loan to Blyth Spartans. After returning to Gigg Lane, another loan followed, at Hinckley United.

After he had been released by Bury, he joined Nantwich Town in the summer of 2013. However, he left for Ashton United in March 2015 but, at the start of the following campaign, he was at Ramsbottom United. However, he rejoined Nantwich in 2016. His energetic performances and long-range shooting made him a popular figure with supporters of Altrincham. Appearances to June 2018: 25(+13), 5 goals.

John Johnston was manager Phil Parkinson's first signing in mid-May 2017. A tricky right-winger, with electrifying pace, John finished 2016-17 season at Salford City, a club he had joined in 2016. His career started at Kidsgrove Athletic, before he moved to Leek Town in July 2013.

His good performances at Harrison Park led to a move to Crewe Alexandra in January 2014 but they immediately loaned him back to Leek till the end of the 2013-14 season. John's form was rewarded when he was named as the Evo-Stik League First Division South Young Player of the Year for 2013-14. In that same season he actually played against Alty when Leek won at Moss Lane in the FA Trophy.

At the end of November 2014, Crewe then loaned John to Alfreton Town who, in January 2015, signed him themselves. A month's loan to Salford City came in January 2016 and he signed for the Ammies later in 2016. A loan spell under Phil Parkinson at Nantwich followed before he was recalled to Salford. Four goals in his first six competitive appearances endeared him to the Altrincham faithful and his mercurial performances on the wing were a continual source of entertainment. He also converted several penalties for the team. Appearances to June 2018: 49(+3), 20 goals.

Lee Sinnott signed midfielder Jake Moult on a 93-day loan from Alfreton Town in late August 2012. Previously, Jake had been a summer trialist at Altrincham in 2007. Born in Stoke on Trent, he joined Alfreton on 1 July 2010, before which he had been with Stafford Rangers. His earlier career was with Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle. Jake is also a very capable centre-back when required.

In early November 2012, Jake formally moved to Altrincham on a free transfer, signing a contract to the end of 2013/14 season. He is the brother of former Wrexham, Motherwell and now Preston North End striker Louis Moult and Jake himself has a powerful shot. He was rewarded for his consistently good performances in central midfield with the 2014-15 Players' Player of the Season accolade.

Jake captained the side for much of the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.

Following the resignation of manager Neil Young on 28 August 2016, Jake, along with Shaun Densmore and Alan Goodall, was briefly appointed to a caretaker-management role before Jim Harvey took over. In advance of the 2017-18 season Jake was appointed team captain and led them to success with many committed performances.

Appearances to June 2018: 259(+27), 28 goals.

Midfielder/winger Simon Richman is a product of the Bolton Wanderers' academy and the Port Vale youth system. He broke through into the Valiants' first team in League One in 2007-08 and made 48 League appearances for them in all, mostly in 2008-09 in League Two, when he was voted the club's Young Player of the Season. Simon then suffered a groin injury which kept him out of action for several months and, though he made five first-team League Two appearances for Vale in 2009-10, he was released at the end of that campaign. In summer 2010, he had trials with Southport and Worcester City, before joining City and making eight league appearances in the Blue Square Bet North.

Simon became Lee Sinnott's first signing at Altrincham in summer 2011 but his early Alty career was marred by injuries and illness. Having mostly played in right midfield, Simon completed the campaign in central midfield, a position he also played in during 2012-13. Summer 2013 saw him as an integral part of the Great Britain Universities' team which won the silver medal in the world games in Kazan, Russia.

His energy in midfield is an important feature of the team. Outside football, Simon has a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Manchester.

His 2015-16 season was disrupted by an injury in late August but he then re-established himself as a regular starter. 2016-17 also saw him as a regular starter, though some games were missed through injury. Early 2017-18 also saw him miss games through injury before re-establishing himself as a regular starter. Towards the end of that season he played impressively at right-back as well as in midfield. Appearances to June 2018: 231(+49), 18 goals.

Sean rejoined Altrincham on 21 May 2018, having first signed for the club, from Colwyn Bay, in May 2014. Prior to that, he had another spell with the Bay, and had also played for FC Halifax Town where he was part of their promotion squad from Conference North. Earlier, he also spent time with Stockport County, Vauxhall Motors, Hyde and Skelmersdale United.

After 25(+12) appearances for Altrincham, Sean was surprisingly released by Altrincham at the end of the 2014-15 season and, like his ex-Alty team-mates Kyle Perry and David Parton, he joined Hednesford Town for 2015-16.

By the start of 2016-17 season he had moved on to AFC Telford United but, in mid-November 2016, he signed for Warrington Town where he became an important figure in their reaching the promotion play-offs in 2017-18.

Appearances to June 2018: 25(+12) 0 goals.

Anthony was manager Phil Parkinson's first new signing of summer 2018 when he joined on 17 May 2018. Ironically, his last game of the 2017-18 season had been against Altrincham for Hednesford Town, a club he had joined in March 2018 from AFC Telford United. He had joined Telford in the summer of 2017 before his move to the Pitmen in March 2018.

Anthony has dual Montserrat and England eligibility. He started out at Mansfield Town in the Stags' under-19s in 2015/16 before joining Stafford Rangers in November 2016. He soon moved on to Matlock Town and also had a spell with Ilkeston before he joined AFC Telford United.

Appearances to June 2018: 0.

Jordan Hulme signed for Altrincham on 13 July 2017, just after he had left Salford City where he had scored ten times and provided eleven assists in 48 appearances in 2016-17 in National League North. The previous season he had netted 18 times in 54 appearances for the Ammies.

Jordan's earlier clubs include CMB Sports Club, Walshaw Sports Club, Shevington, Padiham, Ramsbottom United (2012) and New Orleans Jesters (USA). At Ramsbottom, he had scored more than thirty goals in 100 or so appearances before following the Rams' management duo of Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson to Salford City in January 2015.

A versatile player, at previous clubs he has turned out as a right-winger and right-back, as well as striker. By mid-November he had established himself as Alty's leading scorer in all competitions and crowned a fine season as Alty's top scorer, breaking the 30-goal barrier, and the NPL's Player of the Season.

Appearances to June 2018: 52(+2), 31 goals.

Born in Warrington, Tom came through the Chester FC youth system (2013-16) where he made 3(+21) first-team appearances under manager Neil Young. Tom then went on loan to 1874 Northwich FC and, in January 2015, he started a month's loan at Marine.

In December 2015 he went on a month's loan to Salford City, with a similar loan stay at Hednesford Town following that. In 2016 he briefly joined Hednesford before a summer 2016 move to AFC Telford United. However, he soon moved on to Warrington Town (Sept. 2016) and then Droylsden (Dec. 2016 to Feb. 2017). At that point he joined Nantwich Town.

Although his Altrincham appearances in 2017 were more often from the bench than from kick-off, by mid-November 2017 he had participated in more Altrincham games than any other member of the squad and had weighed in with some important goals.

Appearances to June 2018: 26(+20), 11 goals.

James Poole is a 5ft 11inch inside-forward who Altrincham signed from Salford City on 16 May 2017.

He started out at Macclesfield Town (2005) before spending five years on the books of Manchester City (2006-11) where he was in their FA Youth Cup winning side. Whilst at City he had loan spells at Bury (2010) and Hartlepool United before signing for the North East coast club who were then in League Two. He made almost a hundred appearances for Hartlepool (2011-14), which preceded a spell at Bury in 2014–2015 season.

Whilst at Gigg Lane, he made five appearances on loan in the Conference for Dover Athletic. James then joined Salford City, in September 2015, and scored regularly for the Ammies. He missed the opening game of the 2017-18 season through a suspension but soon started to make impressive performances after that. However, injury caused him to miss a few games in September 2017, before he re-established himself as an inventive number ten. But a knee injury ruled him out for the closing month or so of the championship-winning campaign. Appearances to June 2018: 34(+2), 13 goals.

• Sam HEATHCOTE
• Laurence TAYLOR