Altrincham F.C.
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| Full name | Altrincham Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Robins | ||
| Founded | 1891 | ||
| Ground | Moss Lane, Altrincham (Capacity: 6,085 (1,154 seated)) |
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| Chairman | Graham Rowley | ||
| Manager | Lee Sinnott | ||
| League | Conference North | ||
| 2010–11 | Conference National, 22nd (relegated) |
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Altrincham Football Club is an English association football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Conference North, having been relegated from the Conference National at the end of the 2010–11 season.
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[edit] History
Altrincham F.C.'s name was Broadheath F.C. from their foundation in 1891 until it was changed to the present name in 1903.
Playing in the Cheshire League for most of their early history, Altrincham achieved little success until the 1960s, when Altrincham director Noel White hired Freddie Pye as manager. A key turning point in the history of the club is often cited as the signing of Jackie Swindells in 1965, who in his first full season (1965–66) scored a phenomenal 82 goals in 63 games for the club helping Altrincham to the first of two back-to-back Cheshire League titles. The 1968–69 season saw Altrincham join The Northern Premier League (NPL) as founder members.
After 11 seasons in the NPL, Altrincham joined the Alliance Premier League (now the Football Conference) as founder members at the beginning of the 1979–80 season, going on to win the league in its first two seasons. Despite their success Altrincham failed to gain election to the Football League on both occasions due to the voting system in place at the time. In 1980, Altrincham fell short of election to the Football League by the narrowest of margins.[1]
It wasn't until 1987 that automatic promotion was awarded to the league; since then Altrincham have only challenged for promotion in the 1990–91 season, eventually finishing 3rd behind Barnet and Colchester United, despite having promotion in their hands with three games left.[2] Much of Altrincham's success in that season was credited to the goal-scoring prowess of Ken McKenna who scored 22 goals in the league, picking up the player of the season award in the progress.[3]
Altrincham never regained their success of the 70s and 80s and in 1997 they were relegated from the top flight of non-league football to the Northern Premier League for the first time in their history. They won that the NPL title two years later, only to go back down again after just one season in the Conference. It was five years before they gained promotion again, in 2005 as winners of the Conference North/Conference South playoffs beating Eastbourne Borough of Conference South at The Britannia Stadium in the final match.
In the pre-season before the 2003–04 season began, Altrincham defeated Northwich Victoria F.C. 4–3 to win the Anthony Worrall Thompson Trophy, a charity cup sponsored by celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson.
Altrincham were uniquely reprieved from relegation for three successive seasons (2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08) as a result of other clubs' issues. In the 2005–06 season Altrincham finished 18th in the Conference, outside of the relegation zone. However, they were found to have fielded an ineligible player, James Robinson, for 15 matches, during which he scored six goals and Altrincham won 18 points. This led to an 18-point deduction. An appeal to the FA on 23 May failed, which meant that Altrincham finished in bottom place. However, with Canvey Island resigning from the league and Scarborough losing their entire points total for breach of the league's rules on club ownership, Altrincham remained in the Conference.[4] The 2006–07 season saw Altrincham "relegated" on the final day of the season, after a 0–0 draw with Aldershot Town,[5] although they were later reprieved when Boston United (relegated from Football League Two) were refused permission to play in the Conference National and ordered to play in the Conference North instead, as a result of financial problems.[6] In 2007–08, they finished in the Conference relegation zone for the third successive season but were yet again reprieved from relegation when Halifax Town were forced into liquidation. 2008–09 proved to be a much better campaign, however, with the club spending much of the season in mid-table, and they eventually achieved safety from relegation with two games to spare. Altrincham did even better in 2009–10, challenging for a play-off spot early in the campaign and finishing in a relatively safe 14th place. However, the club had a poor start to the 2010–11 season, earning only one point from their first eight games, which resulted in the sacking of long-time manager Graham Heathcoate in September. Ken McKenna replaced Heathcoate and the team's form gradually improved as the season went on, but their awful start cost them in the end and they were relegated in 22nd place on the final day of the season. Ironically, had they finished one place higher they would have earned a fourth reprieve from relegation due to Rushden & Diamonds being expelled from the Conference because of financial problems, but this time it was to be Southport who were reprieved.
After Altrincham's relegation Mckenna left the club [7]
Former Farsley Celtic and Port Vale manager Lee Sinnott became the club's new manager for the Conference North Campaign, with former Hyde manager Neil Tolson his assistant.
In 2009, Ricky Ponting, captain of the Australian Cricket team, became a major shareholder of the club after striking up a friendship with club Chairman Geoff Goodwin, whose Eccles-based coach company Go Goodwins have the ECB contract to drive the Australia team coach.[8] [9]
[edit] Rivals
Altrincham's traditional rivals are Macclesfield Town, a rivalry dating back to when both clubs were in the Cheshire League, and later the Northern Premier League and Conference. However, the clubs have not shared the same division since 1996; Macclesfield are currently ranked higher in the Football League, playing in League Two. A more recent rivalry has developed with Northwich Victoria who have been in and out of the Conference in recent times. The intensity of this rivalry was epitomised in Altrincham's 3–0 defeat of Northwich at Moss Lane of Boxing Day 2006. Despite this, many players have played for both clubs over the years, most notably Greg Young, Ryan Brown, and Lee Elam.
[edit] Current squad
- As of 6 March 2012[10]
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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[edit] Club records
Altrincham's most expensively signed player was Keith Russell, who joined them from Blackpool in the summer of 1998 for £15,000. Their most expensively sold player was Ian Craney, who joined Swansea City for £150,000 from Accrington Stanley in January 2007. Altrincham received £75,000 of this figure due to a sell-on clause in his contract.
Altrincham's record attendance was 10,275 for a friendly against Sunderland on 28 February 1925.
Their top scorer was Jackie Swindells, who scored 56 goals in 42 games in the 1965–66 season.[11]
[edit] FA Cup giant-killers
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009) |
Altrincham have a proud history of giant-killing in the FA Cup, holding the record of knocking out more League sides than any other team that has spent its history playing non-League. Sixteen FA Cup victories against Football League clubs have been recorded by non-league Altrincham, as follows:
- 1921–22 Tranmere Rovers
- 1965–66 Rochdale
- 1973–74 Hartlepool
- 1974–75 Scunthorpe United
- 1979–80 Crewe Alexandra
- 1979–80 Rotherham United
- 1980–81 Scunthorpe United
- 1981–82 Sheffield United
- 1981–82 York City
- 1982–83 Rochdale
- 1984–85 Blackpool
- 1985–86 Blackpool
- 1985–86 Birmingham City
- 1988–89 Lincoln City
- 1992–93 Chester City
- 1994–95 Wigan Athletic (notable for the goalscorer Chris Sharratt playing against his old club)
Altrincham, uniquely for a non-League team, made the third round of the FA Cup on four consecutive occasions between 1979 and 1982. Altrincham's FA Cup record against top league opposition has seen them defeat Birmingham City away in 1986 (the second and most recent time a non-league club has beaten a top league club on their own ground). They drew with Everton in 1975 and Tottenham Hotspur in 1979. Altrincham lost the replays in both cases. The 1992 giant-killing of Chester City at Moss Lane is remembered for a spectacular goal by Clive Freeman.
[edit] Honours
- Alliance Premier League (now Conference)
- Champions: 1979–80, 1980–1981
- Bob Lord Trophy
- Winners: 1980–1981
- Winners: 1980–1981
- Cheshire Amateur Cup
- Winners: 1903–1904
- Winners: 1903–1904
- Cheshire County League
- Champions: 1965–1966, 1966–1967
- Champions: 1965–1966, 1966–1967
- Cheshire League Cup
- Winners: 1932–1933, 1950–1951, 1963–1964
- Winners: 1932–1933, 1950–1951, 1963–1964
- Cheshire Senior Cup
- Winners: 1904–1905, 1933–1934, 1966–1967, 1981–1982, 1998–1999, 2004–2005, 2008–2009
- Winners: 1904–1905, 1933–1934, 1966–1967, 1981–1982, 1998–1999, 2004–2005, 2008–2009
- Conference North
- North / South playoff winners: 2004–05 (winning 2–1 against Conference South playoff winners, Eastbourne Borough, at Stoke's Britannia Stadium)
- North / South playoff winners: 2004–05 (winning 2–1 against Conference South playoff winners, Eastbourne Borough, at Stoke's Britannia Stadium)
- FA Cup
- 1st Round: 1933–34, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2007–08, 2008–09
- 2nd Round: 1967–68, 1973–74, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1992–93, 2001–02
- 3rd Round: 1965–66, 1974–75, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1994–95
- 4th Round: 1985–86
- 1st Round: 1933–34, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2007–08, 2008–09
- FA Trophy
- Winners: 1977–78, 1985–86
- Runners up: 1981–82
- Winners: 1977–78, 1985–86
- Manchester League
- Winners: 1904–05, 1906–07
- Winners: 1904–05, 1906–07
- Anthony Worrall Thompson Trophy
- Winners: 2003–04
- Winners: 2003–04
- Northern Premier League
- Champions: 1998–99
- Champions: 1998–99
- Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1969–70, 1997–98
- Winners: 1969–70, 1997–98
- Northern Premier League Challenge Shield
- Winners: 1979–80
- Winners: 1979–80
- Cheshire Cup (Altrincham youth team)
- Winners: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
[edit] League history
| Season | Division | Position | Significant Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joined the Lancashire Combination Division Two | |||
| 1911–12 | Lancashire Combination Division Two | 2 | Runners Up |
| 1912–13 | Lancashire Combination Division One | 11 | – |
| 1913–14 | Lancashire Combination Division One | 13 | – |
| 1914–15 | Lancashire Combination Division One | 7 | – |
| English football is postponed due to World War I | |||
| Joined Cheshire League | |||
| 1919–20 | Cheshire League | 8 | – |
| 1920–21 | Cheshire League | 9 | – |
| 1921–22 | Cheshire League | 12 | – |
| 1922–23 | Cheshire League | 3 | – |
| 1923–24 | Cheshire League | 10 | – |
| 1924–25 | Cheshire League | 12 | – |
| 1925–26 | Cheshire League | 16 | – |
| 1926–27 | Cheshire League | 9 | – |
| 1927–28 | Cheshire League | 20 | – |
| 1928–29 | Cheshire League | 19 | – |
| 1929–30 | Cheshire League | 22 | – |
| 1930–31 | Cheshire League | 4 | – |
| 1931–32 | Cheshire League | 4 | – |
| 1932–33 | Cheshire League | 12 | – |
| 1933–34 | Cheshire League | 6 | – |
| 1934–35 | Cheshire League | 2 | Runners Up |
| 1935–36 | Cheshire League | 2 | Runners Up |
| 1936–37 | Cheshire League | 13 | – |
| 1937–38 | Cheshire League | 9 | – |
| 1938–39 | Cheshire League | 20 | – |
| English football is postponed due to World War II | |||
| 1946–47 | Cheshire League | 10 | – |
| 1947–48 | Cheshire League | 15 | – |
| 1948–49 | Cheshire League | 10 | – |
| 1949–50 | Cheshire League | 6 | – |
| 1950–51 | Cheshire League | 10 | – |
| 1951–52 | Cheshire League | 8 | – |
| 1952–53 | Cheshire League | 22 | – |
| 1953–54 | Cheshire League | 6 | – |
| 1954–55 | Cheshire League | 12 | – |
| 1955–56 | Cheshire League | 14 | – |
| 1956–57 | Cheshire League | 16 | – |
| 1957–58 | Cheshire League | 15 | – |
| 1958–59 | Cheshire League | 13 | – |
| 1959–60 | Cheshire League | 9 | – |
| 1960–61 | Cheshire League | 21 | – |
| 1961–62 | Cheshire League | 11 | – |
| 1962–63 | Cheshire League | 8 | – |
| 1963–64 | Cheshire League | 3 | – |
| 1964–65 | Cheshire League | 8 | – |
| 1965–66 | Cheshire League | 1 | Champions |
| 1966–67 | Cheshire League | 1 | Champions |
| 1967–68 | Cheshire League | 2 | Runners Up |
| Joined as founder members of the Northern Premier League | |||
| 1968–69 | Northern Premier League | 9 | – |
| 1969–70 | Northern Premier League | 12 | – |
| 1970–71 | Northern Premier League | 8 | – |
| 1971–72 | Northern Premier League | 10 | – |
| 1972–73 | Northern Premier League | 4 | – |
| 1973–74 | Northern Premier League | 3 | – |
| 1974–75 | Northern Premier League | 3 | – |
| 1975–76 | Northern Premier League | 7 | – |
| 1976–77 | Northern Premier League | 10 | – |
| 1977–78 | Northern Premier League | 5 | – |
| 1978–79 | Northern Premier League | 2 | Runners Up |
| Joined as founder members of the Alliance Premier League | |||
| 1979–80 | Alliance Premier League | 1 | Champions |
| 1980–81 | Alliance Premier League | 1 | Champions |
| 1981–82 | Alliance Premier League | 11 | – |
| 1982–83 | Alliance Premier League | 12 | – |
| 1983–84 | Alliance Premier League | 3 | – |
| 1984–85 | Alliance Premier League | 5 | – |
| 1985–86 | Alliance Premier League | 4 | – |
| Alliance Premier League is re-named Conference | |||
| 1986–87 | Conference | 5 | – |
| 1987–88 | Conference | 14 | – |
| 1988–89 | Conference | 14 | – |
| 1989–90 | Conference | 16 | – |
| 1990–91 | Conference | 3 | – |
| 1991–92 | Conference | 18 | – |
| 1992–93 | Conference | 10 | – |
| 1993–94 | Conference | 10 | – |
| 1994–95 | Conference | 4 | – |
| 1995–96 | Conference | 12 | – |
| 1996–97 | Conference | 22 | Relegated |
| 1997–98 | Northern Premier League | 8 | – |
| 1998–99 | Northern Premier League | 1 | Champions |
| 1999–2000 | Conference | 21 | Relegated |
| 2000–01 | Northern Premier League | 7 | – |
| 2001–02 | Northern Premier League | 9 | – |
| 2002–03 | Northern Premier League | 14 | – |
| 2003–04 | Northern Premier League | 12 | – |
| Placed in the newly formed Conference North upon league re-organisation | |||
| 2004–05 | Conference North | 5 | Promoted |
| 2005–06 | Conference National | 22 | Reprieved |
| 2006–07 | Conference National | 21 | Reprieved |
| 2007–08 | Conference National | 21 | Reprieved |
| 2008–09 | Conference National | 15 | – |
| 2009–10 | Conference National | 14 | – |
| 2010–11 | Conference National | 22 | Relegated |
[edit] References
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ "Scarborough relegation confirmed". BBC Sport. 3 June 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/5044276.stm.
- ^ "Altrincham 0–0 Aldershot". BBC News. 28 April 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/6579029.stm.
- ^ "Boston suffer new demotion blow". BBC News. 10 June 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/6738469.stm.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13333997.stm
- ^ – "pontings pommy soccer secret"
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/altrincham/9495391.stm
- ^ "Altrincham FC First-Team Players 2011–12". Altrincham F.C.. http://www.altrinchamfc.co.uk/squad1112.htm. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- ^ http://www.lusa.u-net.com/legend2.htm
- Altrincham at the Football Club History Database
[edit] External links
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