Altrincham F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Altrincham


fullname = Altrincham Football Club
nickname = Robins
founded = 1903| ground = Moss Lane
Altrincham
capacity = 6,085
chairman = flagicon|England Geoff Goodwin
manager = flagicon|England Graham Heathcote
league = Conference National
season = 2007–08
position = Conference National, 21st
(reprieved)
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_red_stripes|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=000000|socks1=FF0000

pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_lightblueshoulders|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=1E90FF|body2=000055|rightarm2=1E90FF|shorts2=1E90FF|socks2=1E90FF

Altrincham Football Club is a football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Conference National.

History

Altrincham were founder members of the Alliance Premier League (now the Conference) at the beginning of the 1979-80 season and were champions of the league in its first two seasons, but each time failed to gain election to the Football League via the voting system in place at the time.

In 1980, Altrincham fell short of election to the Football League by the narrowest of margins. [http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/LeagueTables/Season1979-80/Div41979-80.htm]

It wasn't until 1987 that automatic promotion was awarded to the league winners, by which time Altrincham never made another serious push for the title and were relegated to the Northern Premier League in 1997. They won that division title two years later, only to go back down again after just one season. It was five years before they gained promotion, in 2005 as winners of the Conference North/Conference South playoffs beating Eastbourne Borough of Conference South in the final match.

Altrincham have been 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 for 15 matches, during which he scored 6 goals and Altrincham won 18 points. This led to an 18 point deduction which saw them finish in bottom place. An appeal to the FA on May 23 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. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/5044276.stm BBC Sport - Football: Scarborough relegation confirmed] ] The 2006-07 season saw Altrincham "relegated" on the final day of the season, after a 0-0 draw with Aldershot Town, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/6579029.stm BBC Sport - Football: Altrincham 0-0 Aldershot] ] 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. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/boston_united/6738469.stm BBC Sport - Football: Boston suffer new demotion blow] ] . 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.

Altrincham have given a fine account of themselves in the FA Cup against top league opposition; they held Tottenham Hotspur to a draw at White Hart Lane in 1978 and defeated Birmingham City 2-1 at St. Andrews in 1986. This was only the second time in history that a non-league side had beaten a 1st Division club in an FA Cup tie away from home; Wimbledon were the only previous non-league side to achieve this when they beat Burnley 1-0 in 1975.

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; as of the 2006-07 season, Macclesfield are ranked higher in the Football League, playing in League Two. So they also have discovered a recent rival in the form of Northwich Victoria F.C. 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 early in the 2006-07 season. This change in rivalry is shown by the fact that the Moss Lane outfit currently have 3 ex-Silkmen on their books, as well as the loan signing of James Jennings. Many other players have played for both clubs over the years, most notably Danny Adams, now with Morecambe

Current squad

:"As of 3 September 2008."cite web
title = 2008-09 First-Team Squad
url = http://www.altrinchamfc.co.uk/squad089.htm
publisher = Altrincham FC
accessdate = 2008-07-11]

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 28th February 1925.

Their top scorer was Jackie Swindells, who scored 56 goals in 42 games in the 1965-66 season [http://www.lusa.u-net.com/legend2.htm] .

Honours

Altrincham F.C.'s honours list includes the first two Alliance Premier League (now Conference) championships (1980 and 1981), the Bob Lord Trophy (1981), Cheshire Amateur Cup (1904), Cheshire County League Championship (1966 and 1967), Cheshire League Cup Winners 1933, 1951 and 1964, Cheshire Senior Cup Winners 1905, 1934, 1967, 1982, 1999 and 2005.

They have qualified for the FA Cup competition proper 29 times, in 1986 they progressed to the Fourth Round.

Altrincham were FA Trophy Winners in 1978 and again 1986, as well as being on the losing side in 1982.

Altrincham were also Manchester League Winners in 1905 and 1907.

Altrincham lifted the Northern Premier League Cup in 1970.

Altrincham were Northern Premier League Challenge Shield winners in 1980.

As members of the Northern Premier League, Altrincham won the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup in 1998. They were promoted back to the Conference as Northern Premier League Champions in 1999.

Altrincham won the Conference North Play-Offs in 2004-05 with a 2-1 win over Eastboune at Stoke's Britannia Stadium.

Altrincham youth team lifted the Cheshire Cup in 2006, 2007 and in 2008

League history

References

*fchd|id=ALTRINCH|name=Altrincham

External links

* [http://www.altrinchamfc.co.uk/alty1.htm Altincham F.C. official website]
* [http://www.altystartrust.com/ Altrincham FC Supporters' Trust]
* [http://www.altyfans.co.uk Altrincham FC Fans Forum]