Public Meeting
The report below does not necessarily reflect the views of Altrincham Football Club. However, it is hoped that it is an accurate reflection of the meeting in question.
Meeting held at 12 noon on 27 January 2001 in the Noel White Suite, Moss Lane.
28 January, 2001
Background
It has been a tumultuous week at Moss Lane and nearly 100 fans turned up for today's open meeting before the Worksop match hoping to learn more about the identity of the consortium which stepped in on Tuesday to save the Club from a winding-up order.The Panel
The meeting was chaired by Acting Chairman of the Club, Mark Harris. He was flanked by a panel comprising Board members Anthony Taylor (Deputy Chairman), Kevin Guiney (newly appointed Board member), Mark Eckersall (SAFE Supporters' Association representative on the Board), as well as Club officials Mark Ward (Player/Manager), Graham Heathcote (Secretary) and George Heslop (Company Secretary).The Meeting
Mark Ward
As Mark Ward had to leave early to prepare for the match against Worksop, Mark Harris asked that questions be first directed at the player-manager concerning team matters. Mark firstly referred to three players who had been released; Gary Talbot (sold to Northwich), Barry Crowe (who has gone to Droylsden, as announced a couple of weeks ago) and Phil Power (also going to Droylsden on what appears to be an extended loan till the end of the season and of his contract). "I've got to do what's right for the Club" said Mark, explaining why he was having to release playing staff.It emerged later that Talbot was out of contract at the end of this season and would have left for no fee then. Alty received a sum of "more than £2,500" from the Vics and his salary is also a recurrent saving to Altrincham. The audience were also reminded that Gary was now thirty years of age. Mark said he had about 13 players left so would need to draft in more youngsters.
Mark admitted that "it looks like we are not going to win the championship now" though the team would strive to finish as high as possible. He felt that we had often failed to press home our advantage and make one goal leads into two or three goal leads.
Asked about Leicester City he indicated that Kevin Ellison was returning to Filbert Street for further trials next week but that the Foxes' interest in Stuart Coburn was now at an end. Mark went on to say that some of the experienced players whom he had inherited had not shown enough "hunger and desire" so had been moved on. He would seek to blend youth with experience in future. As for himself, he still had a year on his playing contract but he regretted rushing himself back too quickly after his leg operation. Mark indicated that Steve Hawes would be the new captain, a choice which was met with unanimous approval by the audience.
Mark Harris
The Acting Director then turned to financial events of the past week. He prefaced his comments by saying that our long-term future was not yet secure; we had bought "breathing space" through this week's developments. The threat of a winding-up order had been very serious as it would then have brought other debtors to the Club's doors wanting repayment. To a number of cries of "hear, hear!" Gerry Berman was thanked for his prolonged investment in the Club. Mark indicated that Gerry would be at today's match and that he remained a large shareholder at the Club. In this regard he joined Noel White and John King who remained as shareholders after leaving Moss Lane. As for the new backers, they wished to remain anonymous as some of them may not ultimately join the Board. Other new backers were being actively sought to secure a longer-term future. Moves were also afoot to reduce expenditure.Mark thanked Anthony Taylor for his role in putting together this week's financial package and he also introduced Kevin Guiney to the meeting as a new Director of the Club. Kevin is well known as a regular spectator at Moss Lane as well as for his local support of Amateur football and for his newsagency business. MH indicated that Directors would be given specific areas of specialisation and that Kevin's was to be to develop the ground's facilities, such as the bar. MH also paid tribute to Mark Eckersall and SAFE, the Supporters' Association and to George Heslop and Graham Heathcote. He went on to state that his catchphrase was "There is no I in 'team'"- everyone needed to pull together and do even little things which would build in to larger scale benefits for the Club. In response to a query about the Club's previous failure to exploit its social facilities, it was stated that improved catering facilities would be on the Board's agenda.
The Acting Chairman indicated that three potential new Directors had already been approached and that any new appointments must be "working" Directors not freeloaders; "we must have realism" and "not spend money before we have got it". Mark Ward will be given a players' budget next year which he can spend as he wishes up to its limit with the approval of the Board.
Local Community
MH announced that Bob Allan had volunteered to get a Schools' Programme under way and that he would be approaching local schools with offers of free tickets and other promotions. Subsequently, MH referred to the revival of free/reduced price entry for children via tokens printed in the local press.Mark Harris
Attempts from Alan Johnson and others to discover the identity of the ex-Director who had threatened to serve a winding-up order met with a negative response given the sensitivity of the matter. Likewise queries about a certain company's involvement could not be confirmed or denied. The plans for dealing with the long-term future should no more new backers emerge before the end of the season were also not totally clear.An assurance was given that major steps such as selling of the ground would and could not be effected without the Board going to the shareholders and the supporters of the Club first. From the floor it was suggested that Directors' loans should be clearly identified as donations rather than repayable sums.
Anthony Taylor fielded a question about the identity of the new backers. He said that these parties wanted "a week or so" to assess what had been a rapidly changing situation before being identified. To a later question, it was confirmed that no money had been paid to Gerry Berman in the context of his resignation as Chairman. GB's investments were described as being "ringfenced" i.e. any large transfer income would not be siphoned off to pay off these investments. Mark Harris described his predecessor as having conducted himself with dignity throughout last week's events. In response to Peter Hennerly, MH indicated that other debtors were being approached about the resolution of their debts.
Fundraising
SAFE's Alan Brotherton reported that Yankee income was at a low level and appealed for more collectors and subscribers. Stan Riley pointed out the failure for years to stop spectators sitting in the stand when they had only paid to stand on the terraces. Graham Heathcote outlined the difficulties of preventing this, caused by the bar being located under the stand and with no pedestrian route from the Hale End. (However, it was noted that in the ensuing game against Worksop that stewards did police the stand entrances.) MH indicated that a new Commercial Manager was a "top priority".However, it had not yet been decided how or whether this position would be advertised. The Board was exhorted to appoint someone with local business knowledge. Graham Heathcote announced that talks had been going on with the major Manchester-area Premiership and Nationwide teams about fundraising games at Moss Lane. Also, the recent hosting of a Manchester United under-16 game attended by Sir Alex Ferguson might lead to further games at the ground, possibly involving visiting international teams who would otherwise play at the United training complex at Carrington. The issuing of new shares in the Club was raised but at present no plans in this regard could be announced.
Conclusion
Mark Harris concluded by expressing his view that Altrincham would now best be described in the press as "Cash-strapped Altrincham" as this might help to bring home to the locality the Club's real plight.Footnote
After the meeting the match against Worksop took place. In the matchday programme the list of Directors had been amended since the last home game to show Mark Harris as Chairman and also to list as a Director a certain "John Smith jnr". It turns out that Mr Smith was briefly a Director at the end of last season and may now be rejoining the Board.Previous Public Meeting
For notes on the previous public meeting on 2 December 2000, click herePlea from Mark Eckersall
Mark Eckersall, SAFE's nominated Director on the Altrincham Board has issued the following appeal:
All,
The Messenger have provided the club, at last, with some real space in its paper and it is to be congratulated. However it has missed Saturday's meeting. We will attempt to get it in Friday's MEN but please tell everyone you know who cares about Alty to be there at 12. There is a lot of hard work to be done by all, but we now have some breathing space. Apathy will kill us once and for all this time and it must not happen again. We must gain more support from outside, but also from the people already here.
People (including myself) have limited budgets buts it's little things. Next time a bucket comes round don't turn your back, throw anything in it. Doesn't matter if its 10p. It's going to one place and that's to help the club. If you watch the results in the bar, buy a pint or an orange. Don't meet in the King George before the game, use the bar. You know where the money is going. Although we need to tighten it up, don't pay to stand up then sit down. You are only cheating yourself. When I can afford it I pay to sit down and stand up because it all helps. There will be many initiatives starting around the club, please support them all you can. Don't get me wrong, watching Alty isn't cheap but we try and keep the place clean and presentable. Everyone has the right to come, pay their money and go home.
That's fine and is much appreciated. I don't believe any has the right to go out of their way not to help, then claim to be a supporter. We all do what little we can, be it restricted by time or money. Don't leave it to someone else to take action or raise funds. If everyone did a little it would spread the burden. I'm sorry if anyone takes offence at this, and its not a dig at the people who do such great work. It's a reminder. We had one 5 years ago, and we've got one now. I'm not sure we will get another. See you Saturday. Mark Eckersall