www.altyfans.co.uk

General Category => Altrincham FC First Team => Topic started by: taxi Phil on March 28, 2017, 11:45:26 PM

Title: Skelmersdale United
Post by: taxi Phil on March 28, 2017, 11:45:26 PM
See main site. The refusal of the owners of their ground to renew their lease could mean the death of the once respected club (FA Amateur Cup finalists many years ago for the benefit of younger readers).

It is, of course, mere coincidence that the owners are a property company.....
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: HashtagAlty on March 28, 2017, 11:47:01 PM
This is why you all should stop moaning about Grahame. He would never sell us to a property company he owns.
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: York Alty is back on March 28, 2017, 11:49:14 PM
I'm getting the word... Maunders.
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: Alty Bri on March 29, 2017, 09:55:13 AM
 I know the groundsman through a friend. The club are also being investigated for corruption of attendance figures apparently - things are not great there! The owner also owns Burscough FC - both clubs are bottom of their respective leagues by a mile. Yes, I guess things could be worse for us.
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: GB Alty on March 29, 2017, 09:58:13 AM
I know the groundsman through a friend. The club are also being investigated for corruption of attendance figures apparently - things are not great there! The owner also owns Burscough FC - both clubs are bottom of their respective leagues by a mile. Yes, I guess things could be worse for us.
sounds exactly like us

Corruption of attendance figures, bottom of the league relegated by a mile
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: Spring on March 29, 2017, 10:04:44 AM
Apologies for my ignorance but can someone explain what the situation is with Moss Lane. Specifically who is it owned by and what are the terms of the lease?

I suspect there is nothing anyone could do to change this situation, including the board but I hadn't realised that the ground ownership was yet another potential factor in this unfortunate saga.
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: im not really here on March 29, 2017, 10:07:47 AM
The ground is owned by Trafford Council and the club have just signed an 85 year lease, so it is one of the things that is positive at the club.
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: taxi Phil on March 29, 2017, 10:20:12 AM
The ground is owned by Trafford Council and the club have just signed an 85 year lease, so it is one of the things that is positive at the club.
Insert "few" before "things"......
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: Spring on March 29, 2017, 10:41:14 AM
Thanks a Rowley and Doughty out

Phew, a bit of good news, I feared the worst for a moment but at least the ground is secure.
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: beaker141 on March 29, 2017, 11:21:47 AM
Phew, a bit of good news, I feared the worst for a moment but at least the ground is secure.

I dont know the details - but I'd assume its secure whilst we have Altrincham FC playing there - if that ceased then surely the council would take it back and then decide what to do with it !
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: nimeta on March 29, 2017, 04:35:52 PM
Phew, a bit of good news, I feared the worst for a moment but at least the ground is secure.

I dont know the details - but I'd assume its secure whilst we have Altrincham FC playing there - if that ceased then surely the council would take it back and then decide what to do with it !

the same council that is closing Hale Library and will charge to empty green bins later in this year. So we can guess how this scenario may end up.

but having the council own the land is a massive plus for us. Didn't Ken Bates do something similar when he sold Chelski to the Mob...put the ground in trust to prevent the club being wound up as a property development??
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: cheshire cat on March 29, 2017, 04:49:36 PM
And yet it is Ashton Council that wants Stalybridge Celtic to move.

Nothing is sacred if it makes financial sense imho.
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: JTH on March 29, 2017, 04:52:28 PM
Phew, a bit of good news, I feared the worst for a moment but at least the ground is secure.

I dont know the details - but I'd assume its secure whilst we have Altrincham FC playing there - if that ceased then surely the council would take it back and then decide what to do with it !

the same council that is closing Hale Library and will charge to empty green bins later in this year. So we can guess how this scenario may end up.

but having the council own the land is a massive plus for us. Didn't Ken Bates do something similar when he sold Chelski to the Mob...put the ground in trust to prevent the club being wound up as a property development??

I think it's widely accepted that us not owning the land has secured our survival in that Moss Lane is a prime residential development plot. My understanding is in addition to the new 80 year lease with the Council, there is still a restrictive covenant placed on the site preventing it from being used for purposes other than sport or recreation. Of course such covenants can be reviewed and lease agreements set aside under Compulsory Purchase Orders (witness what nearly happened with the New Den a few months back). However, the Board and Chairman were rightly praised at the time for securing the lease extension beyond what I think was something like a 20 year term with rolling extension option. This both secured long term tenure but I think also allowed it to apply for the grant aid for ground improvements which has been referred to recently.
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe on March 29, 2017, 05:05:51 PM

We had plenty of connections with Skem back in the 1970s, so here's some nostalgia for the vintage Alty supporters on this forum.


The following photograph contains two subsequent (and excellent) Alty managers, in addition to six players who went on to join the Robins:


(http://www.non-leagueclubdirectory.co.uk/images/uploads/history/images/5377/70-71_skelmersdale_.jpeg)



FA Amateur Cup winners Skelmersdale United at Wembley back in April 1971:


(http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/sport-football-wembley-london-england-24th-april-1971-fa-amateur-cup-picture-id79662544?s=612x612)



Eventual Alty right full back Stan Allan is featured on this image:


(http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/sport-football-wembley-london-england-24th-april-1971-fa-amateur-cup-picture-id79662545?s=612x612)
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: JTH on March 29, 2017, 05:19:56 PM

We had plenty of connections with Skem back in the 1970s, so here's some nostalgia for the vintage Alty supporters on this forum.


The following photograph contains two subsequent (and excellent) Alty managers, in addition to six players who went on to join the Robins:


(http://www.non-leagueclubdirectory.co.uk/images/uploads/history/images/5377/70-71_skelmersdale_.jpeg)



FA Amateur Cup winners Skelmersdale United at Wembley back in April 1971:


(http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/sport-football-wembley-london-england-24th-april-1971-fa-amateur-cup-picture-id79662544?s=612x612)



Eventual Alty right full back Stan Allan is featured on this image:


(http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/sport-football-wembley-london-england-24th-april-1971-fa-amateur-cup-picture-id79662545?s=612x612)


I remember having a copy of the 'Football Champions Annual' of 1971 which stated Ted Dickin scored a hat-trick in that game. He later eventually signed for us, if a movie was ever to be made of this short spell it might be entitled 'Hanchard - The Prequel'.
Title: Re: Skelmersdale United
Post by: taxi Phil on March 29, 2017, 07:03:49 PM
Andy Windsor's screamer against Hartlepool still ranks high among my favourite Alty goals.