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[Bob]

Interesting that Rushden are now pretty much back to where they were before Griggs put his millions in. There was always the chance it would fall apart when the money ran out and now it has. Thing is, would we accept a similar offer from a guy like Griggs when we knew it probably would end in tears one day? Any thoughts?

[Jezza]

For every fleetwood there is a Grays, for every alfreton there is a droylsden.

Class is permanent and while everyone has their day in the sun everyone reverts to their natural level eventually....so Macc V Northwich will be an interesting evostick xmas derby in a few years.....

[gazwarrington]

Arrogant club, arrogant fans and back to where they should be.

No sympathy here.

I would rather Alty live within their means and know that there will always be a football club in Altrincham playing at the highest level it deserves to be by doing things the right way.

The Conference Premier is a hard league to stay in, due to SOME clubs who can afford to buy the best and MOST clubs who just pay what they can't afford. Its not a level playing field and when you get 1,000 at home the chances of being able to stay in the league, whilst doing things properly is a hard if not impossible ask.

Personally rather than everyone trying to 'out debt' each other I believe more teams should be part time, too be honest their are some League Two sides who should be part time anyway.

[Timperley The Best]

The number of full time clubs in this country is ridiculous

[distancetraveller]

I couldnt make the R&D away game last season but the season before when I did go I was speaking to a couple of there fans and even back then they said the club was on the slide financially, quoting such things as safety certificates for lifts that couldnt be afforded etc..

It is undoubtedly a very good stadium but sadly as others have said, once the singleton money man decides that they are fed up with there new toy then sadly it is the end of the road for the club.

OK we may be back in the BSN presently but I would rather be in Alty FC situation than being in the top echelon on the Non league scene with an owner who deep down you know will eventually pull the plug on his financial backing..

Yeah R&D fans would have thought its good whilst it lasts but the after shocks of slipping down the pyramid it will probably effect R&D a lot longer than the glory years that they enjoyed lasted..

The club certainly needs a financial Doctor now but not the type that flogs boots !!

R&D arent the only club in the BSP who have been living beyond there means for seasons. Personally I think this is just the tip of quite a big iceburg...

[Bob]

Its a double edge sword. They have a lovely ground which costs a lot to maintain. They had some great moments on the pitch but it raised expectations to artificial levels. Even when the sugar daddy goes the bar is left too high and disenchantment sets in, particularly among those who only saw success.

[Sarf London Alty]

Echo Gary's comments, no sympathy. An artificial club who have somehow managed to go bust despite the astonishing legacy left by Max Griggs. I can't see them coming back soon a la Chester or Halifax either.

[taxi Phil]

IF Kettering are the other club "in trouble", and

IF they enter into a merger with AFC Irthlingborough (or whatever they're called after the pending order has wound them up)

Will the Conference take on the new hybrid for next season in view of fact that half of it has just been expelled ?

THAT should give Sneaky Peakey a bit to mull over during the next few weeks.

[JTH]

Interesting that Rushden are now pretty much back to where they were before Griggs put his millions in. There was always the chance it would fall apart when the money ran out and now it has. Thing is, would we accept a similar offer from a guy like Griggs when we knew it probably would end in tears one day? Any thoughts?

Good question. I would hope the culture change at Alty instigated by Geoff Goodwin and maintained by the current Board would persuade us fans not be to seduced by anyone armed with a lot of cash and short term targets of Div 2 football within 3 years etc etc.

That said, Max Griggs left the club to the supporters' organisation, with no debt, a state of the art ground and a place at the top of the non-league game. There are plenty of examples of sugar daddies leaving clubs with no thought of the fans, as far as the Griggs 'R&D project' is concerned this does not apply. I think the supporters who viewed R&D's natural position as a BSP/Div 2 club and were persuaded to handover control to others  they thought could maintain this illusion are as culpable as any in R&D's current plight. 

[York Alty]

If you planned to send a club into fiscal meltdown I think your plans would look pretty familar to the actions that R&D have carried out over the last decade.  One man invests heavily, gets bored...

[PukkaPieman]

Interesting that Rushden are now pretty much back to where they were before Griggs put his millions in. There was always the chance it would fall apart when the money ran out and now it has. Thing is, would we accept a similar offer from a guy like Griggs when we knew it probably would end in tears one day? Any thoughts?

We already did that one, he was called John Maunders and in 1994 we very nearly lost Alty as a result, came within a few hours before the fans and a few others rescued it. Considering we have since spent the last 17 years trying to find investors (who we dont want to have a controlling stake) in the club, without much succees the question is totally hypothetical really !

Proud to be Alty.

[York Alty]

Pukka - i'm trying to forget that awful period in our history!

[PukkaPieman]

Pukka - i'm trying to forget that awful period in our history!

I dont have that luxury,..as I was involved in it!

[anglo alty]

build on solid foundations and not with one man and his cheque book progress may be slower but will last longer trouble is fans don't think like that but at the end of the day fleetwoods and crawleys money will not get them past league 2 league 1 is a massive leap playing clubs like the sheffields oldham all three with a premiership past the only non league team who can survive at that level seems to be yeovil albeit clinging on by their fingernails

[York Alty]

wycombe had a good few years at that level.