Altrincham Football Club
The Club: its Location, Ground Facilities, History and Supporters' Association
Including Admission Prices and Sponsor Information
This Page
21 May, 2001 
UNIBOND PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1998/99- 7th IN 2000/01 & TRYING AGAIN IN 2001/02!
Left to right: The scene after the title was clinched, 1-0, versus Emley, at Moss Lane; Altrincham parade their trophies from an open-top bus in the town centre, Saturday 22 May 1999. Click on photos for enlargements.
The Club
Nicknamed 'The Robins', Altrincham played the 1999-2000 season in the Nationwide Conference league, to which they returned in season 1999/2000 after two years in the Unibond (Northern) Premier League. Sadly, despite lying in midtable in March, they are now back in the Unibond Premier League for 2000/01 season. Nevertheless, during the 1999/2000 season there were some achievements in the Conference:The Club runs three sides: the first team (Unibond Premier League), the reserve team (Lancashire League) and the youth team (Bolton N.W. Youth Alliance League). Click on the buttons above for details of each team.
Club Address and Contact Numbers
Moss Lane, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 8APTelephone - 0161-928 1045 Fax: - 0161-926 9934 Robins' Round Up - 0640 69 99 39 Club Newsline - 0640 69 99 29
Manager
The team manager is once again Bernard Taylor (left), assisted by coach Graham Heathcote. The duo succeeded Mark Ward, the former Everton, West Ham and Manchester City midfielder, who had been appointed player-manager on a two-year contract on 19 May, 2000. Bernard and Graham had formerly managed the Club before Ward's appointment, which came in the wake of relegation from the Conference in May 2000. After a season when the championship remained out of reach, Mark Ward was sacked as manager on 18 March 2001, though his player registration was not immediately cancelled. Bernard Taylor and Graham Heathcote were then re-appointed in March 2001, initially as caretakers, before being appointed permanently on 1 May, 2001. For current club news, see this site's Home Page.
Before his original appointment as manager in the 1997/98 season Bernard Taylor was the Altrincham reserve team manager. He became first-team manager following the resignation of John King. During his initial reign as manager, with Graham Heathcote, Bernard oversaw promotion, as Champions, from the Unibond Premier league to the Conference in 1999. He also brought cup triumphs in the Unibond Challenge Cup (1998) and the Cheshire Senior Cup (1999) as well as the Unibond Shield in both 1998 and 1999 and the losers' spot in the Cheshire Senior Cup Final in 2000. He remained at the Club as Stadium Manager before being re-appointed as Team Manager in 2001 (see above). Graham has been at the Club since he was 17 year-old player in 1971 and won many honours during the Club's most successful period. He doubles up as Club Secretary (see below).
Reserves' Manager
Mark Ward appointed Joey Dunn as Reserve-team manager in June 2000. Dunn, a former player with Warrington Town, came to Moss Lane from a similar post at Runcorn but left when Ward was sacked in March 2001. George Heslop took over as caretaker Reserves' boss, whilst retaining his Youth team duties.Chairman, Board, Directors and Commercial Manager
The Chairman since the resignation of Gerry Berman, a Manchester businessman, has been Mark Harris, the former Deputy Chairman (pictured right with Steve Finney). Gerry Berman remains a large shareholder. New Directors were appointed in February 2001 after the Club had been saved from a winding-up order threatened by an ex-Director. Further new Directors were soon appointed, namely Bob Green, a long-time supporter of the Club, Kevan Guiney, a local newsagency owner and supporter of local amateur football and Jeremy Pollitt of Hillcrest Homes, a Grappenhall-based building firm. Two more Directors were named in early March; Dave Tracey (Financial Director) and Gerald Deaffuren, a Lancashire businessman. In May 2001, three new directors were appointed. These were The Robins' Review joint-editor, Grahame Rowley, Geoff Goodwin of Goodwins' Coaches and Bob Peters of Twenty-Twenty Research. The Board also includes a representative of the Supporters' Association (S.A.F.E.), Mark Eckersall. In early March, 2001, Terry Brumpton was appointed as Commercial Manager, a post he also holds at Hednesford Town and other clubs. The Associate Directors include Angus Loughran, 'Statto' of TV sports punditry fame, though he is rarely seen at Moss Lane games. The sales of Danny Adams, Kevin Ellison and Gary Talbot have also helped the club to stabilize its finances in 2001, whilst Leroy Chambers and Dickie Landon were loaned out to cut the wage-bill. Major economies will apply next season but the team budget will still be amongst the largest in the UniBond League.
Club Secretary
As well as first-team Coach, Graham Heathcote is the Club Secretary and formerly served as coach/ assistant manager under both John King and Bernard Taylor. Before that he was a key member of the playing staff, making 502 appearances for The Robins. He is to be honoured with a well-deserved testimonial game this season (2001-02)Matchday and Company Secretary
The Matchday and Company Secretary is George Heslop. George is also the Club's Youth Team manager and is enjoying great success in that guise this season, with the assistance of Neil Thomason. On the departure of Joey Dunn, he also assumed responsibility for the Reserves.Club Sponsors 2000-01
The official Club Sponsors are Heyrod Construction Ltd, who are building and civil engineering contractors based at the Albion Works, Clowes Street, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 7LY. Company turnover in 1998-99 was £22 million. The Heyrod logo appears on the first team's shirts. Next year's sponsors will be Hillcrest Homes, whose managing-director is Alty Board member, Jeremy Pollitt.Match Sponsorship
For £500+VAT up to ten guests enjoy a pre-match hot buffet and complimentary drinks, as well as selecting the Man of the Match. To sponsor the match ball costs £100+VAT; the ball is presented before the match by a player selected by the sponsor. For full details ring the Club (928-1045).Sponsors' Bond
There are three sponsors' bond packages, each costing £1000 +VAT. For details contact the Club.Local Map
Click on the link below for a map of the Moss Lane area; then close the map window to return here.The Ground: How to Get There
Left to right: The Main Carole Nash Stand at Moss Lane viewed from the Golf Road End, with the smaller McDonalds' Family Stand to its left; View from the terraces at the Hale End.
L to R: The visiting fans' turnstiles at Moss Lane during 1999/2000; the Main Stand from Moss Lane; the Main Stand from the Golf Road end.
Admission Prices 2000-01 and 2001-02
Match-Day Programme
The excellent match-day programme is The Robins' Review, edited by Grahame and Terry Rowley. It is an all-colour publication, packed with news, statistics and photographs. It sells for £1.50.Inside the Ground
If segregation is in force (a rare event), the home supporters' terracing is at the Golf Road end (the end nearer to Altrincham town centre); up to four turnstiles are open into this end on match days. Away supporters normally use the Hale (Richman's Night Club) end of the ground, which is uncovered. As shown on the adjacent plan, the main stand is on Moss Lane. The opposite side of the ground is covered terracing known as 'The Popular Side'. Crowd segregation is fairly rarely applied and when it is, the visitors are
guided into the Chequers/Richman's end. There is a licensed bar inside
the ground which is open on match days before, during and after the match- this is known as the Noel White Suite. It is situated under the main stand at its Golf Road end. Just beyond the ground, on the left, there is a public house, (King George). Also at the Golf Road end is the Robins' Shop (between the bar and Golf Road) and a mobile catering unit. For details of shop merchandise, click here. Another catering unit is situated at the Hale end of the ground and toilets
are to be found adjacent to this, as well as at the Golf Road end and near the
main stand.
Nearby Pubs
Altrincham F.C. History
Altrincham Football Club were founded in 1903. The club has played in the
following leagues:
Honours
Best Results
Sixteen victories against Football League clubs have been recorded by Altrincham. These include:This was the last defeat to date of a First (Premier) Division team, away from home by a non-League club in the FA Cup.
Tranmere Rovers were beaten 4-2 in 1921/2 in a FA Cup Qualifier. Other teams defeated in the FA Cup Proper include: Crewe Alexandra, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield United, York, Leyton Orient and Hartlepool.
Honourable draws were also achieved in the following matches;
Notable FA Cup defeats included:
Altrincham were founder members of the Alliance Premier League (now the Nationwide Conference) in 1979/80 and were its inaugural winners, at a time when automatic promotion to the Football League was not in place. They failed to gain election to the League by one vote in 1980. In 1997 the Club suffered its first ever relegation and for two seasons were in the Unibond Premier League (Northern Premier League). These years are chronicled in detail in Grahame and Terry Rowley's Altrincham Football Club: the Unibond Years, published in 1999 and available via the Club. The turbulent earlier 1990s are covered in Mark Harris's informative Altrincham FC: Kingdom come, published in 1995. Both books are still currently available at Sportspages bookshop in Barton Arcade, Manchester.
The Supporters' Association: S.A.F.E (Save Altrincham's Football Existence)
S.A.F.E. is the Altrincham supporters' club and membership is a bargain, bringing with it newsletters, access to S.A.F.E. meetings which are usually attented by representatives of the Board and the playing staff, discounted coach travel to all competitive away matches and the opportunity to help the Club by assisting with fundraising activities. There is also a S.A.F.E. in Exile group for those outside the Manchester or Cheshire area. For more on the Association and details of how to join either S.A.F.E. or the S.A.F.E. in Exile groups, please click here.