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[Steve from Sale]

Message to Cult from Steve from Sale:-

Cheers for the work trawling through our archives. The Buxton game was the first match. I know it was a high scoring game and was also just after my birthday, I had been to ManU the previous Saturday or the one before and had complained to Ian Haigh about feeling intimidated in the Scoreboard paddock when some away fans had accidentally gone into our end and were surrounded by United fans bordering on aggressive behaviour. I only asked them to leave them well alone, but they started to turn on me so I walked away and avoided confrontation. I had seen one of the away fans who was so absolutely terrified his left leg shook uncontrollably, and it really got my back up. Fortunately the stewards and police arrived just in the nick of time and escorted the away fans to their own end. The lad who was terrified, flashed me a look of gratitude on the way out which pleased me immensly.

When you read the above story you can now begin to understand why I like non-league so much. The majority of fans go just to watch a football team play good football, not go out looking for confrontations. I neither understand or care for the mentality of loutish behaviour, but I still have a deep love of the game, especially at non-league and junior football level, having been involved for the last 8 years with Unicorn.

Footy is great, footy is bazzin', footy is my way of escaping from life's problems, without it I would be lost. But more importantly I had a club that gave me what I wanted, where the players felt like everyday lads such as me. But played the game for love of it, not for money. I remember speaking to Chris Adams who is ex Unicorn. Chris told me of his similar love of the game, and how he spent hours on fields with his mates as a kid and at Unicorn playing the game he loved. There were battles with parents trying to get him in at night to go to bed!!

That is real football, you may get the crowds in the premierships and atmosphere, but theres no way you are as close to the club and team as we are; and you certainly cant have a pint with em afterwards in the bar!! There is not one of those lads in the team at present who do not think likewise.

Keep it up Alty, ignore the 'No Disrepect Crew' and carry on shocking and ramming it down their throats!!

   
Steve from Sale
And thanks once again cult!!!!

[Number23]

Excerpt from a programme article I wrote last season:

25th January 1969
Northern Premier League
ALTRINCHAM…8   NORTHWICH VICS…1

Freddie Pye had signed Don Weston from Chester City just 20 minutes prior to the kick-off and the ex-Leeds United striker proceeded to have an astonishing debut in front of 2,430 spectators. Amazingly, the Robins were 3-0 up after only four minutes. Weston scored with his first touch in the opening minute, flicking home a header from an Ian Morris cross, and then two goals from the right winger (who was on loan from Stockport County) duly followed. Weston added his second goal after 36 minutes but John Leigh replied for Vics three minutes later. Swindells netted via the penalty spot in the 64th minute and Alty’s midfield inspiration Mick Metcalf made it 6-1 after 79 minutes. Morris scored his third goal a minute later and then, with two minutes remaining, Weston stabbed the ball home to complete his hat-trick after being set up by Halliwell. This was Vics’ biggest defeat since Wrexham thrashed them by the same scoreline in 1960 and their manager Noel Kelly resigned in the aftermath of this ignominious drubbing. Weston played 16 games for Alty, scoring nine goals, before joining Bethesda.

Thanks Cult. Not only a wonderful account of a game which (as I was only 8 ) I only vaguely remember but also confirmation that I'm only partially living in a dream world.

[Number23]

On the subject of programmes, how do people generally feel these days? Once, pre Internet, pre TV coverage of anything below "Div 1" there was just no information. A visit somewhere with the programmes sold really would spoil my afternoon. Nowadays I rarely buy.

I rarely buy one these days but there was a time when the program was a must have. Sometimes it was the only way to get anything more than the score for away games or a midweek game that you had missed.
Another reason was that it was the only way to deciper the half time scores on the boards at the side of the pitch. This will of course be completely meaningless to the younger viewers.

[RockyRobin]

Trophy Semi-Final against Enfield 1982. "Dougie Newton makes sure"!!!!!

86.

Sorry, I left that first time round but couldn't this time. 1986.

Indeed, I had been on the Asahi yesterday after surving an attack of Socialist workers at the office.

It should have read " Trophy Semi-Final against Wycombe Wanderers (scum) 1982"

I actually wrote that first and deleted it?!?!?!?!? Time for contemplation pierside......

[Ballers]

Quite, I think perhaps you need to find a quiet pier to do some more contemplating on with regard to the effect Dougie Newton might have had on the 1982 semi final.

The effect his penalty in the 2-0 semi final win against Enfield in the second leg in 1986 had was undemiable however. 

Bloody Socialists.

[jimwarrington]

First game i remember was just before my birthday against Cheltenham, we won 2-0. Must have been about nine or ten at the time so would have been 86 or 87... Remember getting soaked and covered in mud heading back over the golf course. Can't for the life of me remember the scorers though.

[VofD]

My first was the famous 6-0 win against Dagenham (as I think they were just called then) the last game of 87-88 I think. I was 6 and went in the Main Stand with my dad, I seem to remember I was sick and he had to take me outside at half time, I can't remember anything about the game other than we won 6-0. As I have since heard on here Daggers managed to let in their 100th league goal of the season during that game and it produced a loud shout of '100' from the Main Stand as the goal went in (guessing they went down that year). My first regular season I can really remember was 89-90, Mark 'Yosser' Hughes my first Alty hero.

Vintage V.of D.

My,my. That takes me back.
I started watching Alty irregularly in 84-85 season, but the match that got me hooked ever since was the cup victory at Birmingham in 86.

[Ballers]

First game i remember was just before my birthday against Cheltenham, we won 2-0. Must have been about nine or ten at the time so would have been 86 or 87... Remember getting soaked and covered in mud heading back over the golf course. Can't for the life of me remember the scorers though.

Wheeey, I was mascot in that game! . I think Gary Anderson may have been one of the scorers. The ref let me keep the 50p he used for the toss (alty's skipper let me call, I said heads, it was heads and we decided to attack the Chequers end in time honoured fashion). 

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

First game i remember was just before my birthday against Cheltenham, we won 2-0. Must have been about nine or ten at the time so would have been 86 or 87... Remember getting soaked and covered in mud heading back over the golf course. Can't for the life of me remember the scorers though.

Wheeey, I was mascot in that game! . I think Gary Anderson may have been one of the scorers. The ref let me keep the 50p he used for the toss (alty's skipper let me call, I said heads, it was heads and we decided to attack the Chequers end in time honoured fashion). 

Ballers & jimwarrington,

Could this be the game you refer to?

18th October 1986
Altrincham 2 Cheltenham Town 0
Attendance: 2,453.
Scorers: Paul Edwards and Eddie Bishop.

[Ballers]

I'm not entirely sure. What are the other options?

I remember the large attendance for that game was due to a) us being goo and b) a huge promotion of free tickets to schools in the area.

[Stockportalty]

My first game was at home against Bishops Stortford in the FA Trophy in the 81/82 season. I had only just started going out with my future hubby, he met me off the 371 bus and we walked across the golf course to the ground, I also met his Mum and Dad for the first time on the same day. I don't remember much about the match apart form the fact that we won - we must have, because we were at Wembley for the final a few months later. My first away match was the same season, a league match (I think), against Stafford Rangers when Mal Bailey got hurt and was lay on the side of the pitch for ages.

[jiminlondon]

I don't remember much about the match apart form the fact that we won - we must have, because we were at Wembley for the final a few months later.

actually a draw and required a last minute equaliser to get that.  the replay was a different matter altogether an would have gone down in alty folklore as one of the most complete performances (rivalling the way we played away at wycombe in the semi) if it had been witnessed by more than 20 alty fans.
i'm not sure why so few went to that game but its an abiding memory

[jimwarrington]

First game i remember was just before my birthday against Cheltenham, we won 2-0. Must have been about nine or ten at the time so would have been 86 or 87... Remember getting soaked and covered in mud heading back over the golf course. Can't for the life of me remember the scorers though.

Wheeey, I was mascot in that game! . I think Gary Anderson may have been one of the scorers. The ref let me keep the 50p he used for the toss (alty's skipper let me call, I said heads, it was heads and we decided to attack the Chequers end in time honoured fashion). 

Ballers & jimwarrington,

Could this be the game you refer to?

18th October 1986
Altrincham 2 Cheltenham Town 0
Attendance: 2,453.
Scorers: Paul Edwards and Eddie Bishop.

I was indeed. My birthday was the day after, not a bad present. My mum played hell with the state of my shoes though, got a right hiding    .... Good game I remember trying to get to the front at the Golf Road end.

[ManagementGuru]

Re Bishops Stortford:

Phil McGreal's 93rd minute equaliser got us the right to travel down to Stortford - who had won the Tropjhy the previous year and were therefore holders.

I remember a dour 1st half in the replay, followed by Alty going 1-0 down before Barry Howard in particular took control for a 3-1 win.

I was at Uni in London and traveled to the game by train with a mate of mine and fellow Alty fan.

We sat drinking in the pub next to the station until about 10 ish before strolling over to discover that BR had gone on strike and there were therefore no trains back to London.

We decided to hitch hike back to London, got to the M11 pretty quick and were stuck at a junction for ages.

A small van pulled onto the roundabout, did a complete lap, and then another before pulling up next to us.

The driver winds down his window "Hitching?"

"yes we're going to London"

"No mate, which way to Hitchin" and he drives off.

Finally got a lift to somewhere in the East end, a nightbus to Victoria station and a walk to South Kensington.

In bed by 3am

[SW]

Totally unrelated to football, but I once worked in Morden, at the real arse end of the Northern Line. One night after a few got a late train, living centralish in Shepherds Bush then. Woke at High Barnet, the full length of the line later about 1:30ish. No trains till 6am. Somehow got home via two hitched lifts, a couple of night buses and a jolly good kicking from the missus when I arrived home 4ish!