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General Category => Altrincham FC First Team => Topic started by: Steve from Sale on May 01, 2016, 09:49:51 AM
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It is the morning after the night before, and like all Alty fans, I am feeling the low of the club facing relegation.
Yesterday, I travelled on the supporters coach to the game in hope and anticipation, but sadly things did not go our way and once again, my beloved club has to deal with relegation, and the flight to get back to where we belong.
However, this post has nothing to do with the whys and what happened to the team this season, I am going to leave that to others on this occasion. This email is about the behaviour of a couple of our fans towards Graham Rowley, Danny and members of our team. We were behind the goal later during the second half and Graham Danny and I think Karen was also in the area. They were spotted by the fans and given verbal abuse like I have never seen before, and have no wish to see again. I found the situation deeply embarrassing and potentially very harmful to the clubs infrastructure at a very vulnerable time. There was much shouting and yelling at Graham and Danny, which I found deeply offensive and must have been very, very upsetting for them. This was one moment when I was not proud to be an Alty fan and I among others greatly resent being put in this situation, which does not in any way reflect our club ethos. I have always found the club very friendly and family orientated, and love the company of my fellow Robins fans, both at the ground and particularly going tribal at away games. The whole afternoon, aside from the final score, was spoilt for me by those fans who made the relegation even harder to take than it already was. Results did not go our way anyway, so even if we had beaten Braintree it would not have mattered a pair of fetid Dingo's kidneys.
After the game the players also came over to thank the away fans for their support both today and throughout the season but this was hijacked once again by those fans behaviour as they laid into the players once again with vile abuse, some our better players included mentioning no names. At both stages several of our fans, myself included, turned against them and had a stand-up argument with them, stating they were causing embarrassment and also potentially damaging ructions within our club; which could now be rudderless as well. I have no wish to go into details of what was said, I refuse to give their remarks the time of day.
On the way home I was pleased to see Graham and the board at one of our pit-stops at a motorway service station. Steve Murray and myself made a point of speaking to both Graham and Danny to sympathise with them, and I sincerely hope Graham continues in his role as chairman, and gets the club back to where it belongs. The other two supporters seem to have conveniently forgotten that Graham oversaw our last promotion as chairman, two years ago. We all discussed this and many other aspects of what happened in the coach on the way home. All the other fans felt exactly the same as I did, so the individuals spoilt the day for other fans also. So thank you to the two fans for what you did, you were not help whatsoever and as said before, and embarrassment to the club. Unlike yourselves though, I am not naming names. There are ways of dealing with what happened last night, yours was the worst way possible.
As a football club, we suffer the relegation, lick our wounds - ie mend our injured backbone of the team. keep up our spirits of this great little club, pick ourselves up and then go again, starting Monday with the management update. That is doing what the chairman's role is, by acting quickly to put matters right, despite the major hinderance yesterday. We go onwards and upwards from there.
Graham, I hope you and your family stay in their roles and keep the club on the up, you have always done your very best for the club and I thank you profusely for all the thankless work you put in - every one of you. I am so sorry for what happened yesterday, you did not deserve the abuse you received and I hope the fans involved are named and shamed by somebody. I do also appreciate that all your tireless work for the club is all voluntary, and I am one of many who appreciate all you do.
I also think the fans involved should be big enough to apologise personally to you all, and hope they feel ashamed of themselves in the cold light of the next day, but somehow I do not think this will happen any time soon. I also wish to add that you were no help whatsoever, and you were an embarrassment to me, other fans and the football club as a whole - you know who you are.
So now we go again, starting on Monday, and beyond. The ship that is Alty will be righted and will live to fight again; and back where we belong, given a little time. I look forward to those days once again, accept what has happened for this season. My club will bounce back, it always has done, but I never want to witness a situation like that again.
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In hindsight it probably wasn't a smart move by GR to come over to the terrace. What did he expect would happen - we'd just been relegated (avoidably)?
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Personal abuse towards anybody is unacceptable. The Rowley family have been brilliant for Alty. However, fans have a right to express displeasure if they feel the club is not being run well. Yes, there should be apologies for unnecessary personal abuse, but I'd like to see an apology from the chairman for the dreadful, cataclysmic decision not to appoint a manager for the end of season run in. We're all hurting at the moment, not just the Rowleys.
Just to add, I admire the Rowley's for coming over to the terraces - it would have been easier to hide.
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It would have happened at any club in the same circumstances unfortunately
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Whilst personal abuse is not right at all, the whole situation could have been avoided. I'm not sure that people who've followed the club all over the country all year to see abject performance after abject performance need lecturing to or publically hanging by someone on a once a season free jolly...
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Just for the record, if it was a public hanging, I would have named the guys involved, I didn't.
I also resent being called 'someone on a once a season freebe', I have been to a great many away games over the years, several this season also. I had my name down on the list as a paying away fan last Saturday, before Graham and the boards kind offer. Do not think I do not have this club at heart, I am a fan who has now followed the club over the last 42 seasons, and I hurt just as badly as you do.
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I think the day is quickly approaching when we should consider putting all the sh*t that has gone on throughout the last 9 months behind us and is finally laid to rest and we look forward with a positive mind towards the announcement of the next manager and let him start to rebuild for the start of next season.
We don't really need to harp on about what has happened. It has happened and that's that.
Lets not start spouting crap like "tinpot league" and "we should be beating teams like -------- "etc. There will be some good teams in the league next year and we need to approach those games with a positive attitude and not fear anybody. Whoever the new manager is, lets get behind him and show him what Alty is all about.
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Without wanting to be a dick about it if Graham chose to a) approach a group of angry fans at the end of the game or b) stood behind the goal with the fans then he should expect there will be amanosity toward him given the circumstances we find ourselves in.
Any chairman would.
Graham finds himself or chooses to sit in the family stand during home games, and sits in a stand during away games.
Why give people the opportunity to criticise in a horrible situation.
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Everyone is hurting, that's one thing that drags us all around the country for nine months of the year. I've never been as glad to see a season end, it's been steady decline since Colchester. The line can be drawn once a new manager is put in place and we look to a rebuilding job. Everyone needs to remember people vent their frustrations in differing ways and none of us are more superior, special or holier than thou than anyone else. We all pay our money,we all do our bit for fundraising, we all care deeply. Let this sorry season go, yes there's going to be days of postmortem. But let's see what's announced tomorrow, all new managers at this level will come with some baggage. But let's give the new guy a chance to bed in and see what he can do.
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Don't tell lies Steve. Graham Rowley came over to have an argument. There was an argument. No-one was "abused". I'm not sure why you are bringing his family into it?
As for the players, if I ever see half of them again it will be too soon. They deserved everything they got. And more.
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I'm finding the current situation very difficult in that I fully appreciate the running of the club side that the board do, and these are people who are fellow fans .....hard to criticise someone you count as a friend.
I try to balance my criticism with acknowledgement and praise for the superb community side of the club.
I was amazed to hear the is a large and perhaps majority shareholding within the boardroom.......the cry often goes out for investment with absolutely carrot offered in return....we seem to expect local businessmen to hand over their hard earned thousands and have no say in how the money is spent....I'd be furious if I'd handed over (say) £20k at the start of the season and seen it thrown at Griffith and then a decision that relegated us.
The people who say there is no-one interested in alty include those who fought for the majority shareholding in the courts a few decades ago....
as geoof Goodwin asked star "why do you need more than one share?"
I am sure the club could have a think about using shares to attract new investment.....there are little cliques of mates who are millionairres locally who would have great fun each throwing 30k a season into a club already infastructured for success.....cliques like swales white rosenfield were in the 60s....these are people who share yachts in monte carlo and think £20k for a weekend away hiring a crew is nothing.....
No-one can argue that we have a reasonably steady well run ship with a big community image.....avoidable relegation combined with comments about being happy with how the team had been managed into this state are going to be met with hard criticism from hurting fans.....cant stand the heat? get out of the kitchen....or listen to the fans in the first place....I will remember my plea for the board to do something to show they f**king cared....they did nothing...and we got relegated.
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I don't know whether Grahame went on the terrace for an argument/to make a point or whether to show solidarity with the loyal travelling fans but whatever it was a misguided move with tensions and frustrations running high. It wasn't hard to understand that despite everything that had gone before, most of us yesterday would have accepted the inevitable providing the team showed some balls but they did not. We could see that, surely he could see that. Criticism of the appointment of Tolson is well documented and known by all including Grahame, he wouldn't have been considered to be hiding if he had stayed in the Directors box, that is what he should have done. It is nice that as a club we have an open(ish) relationship with the heirachy but there are times when distance is a better option.
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Matt I am not telling lies, I heard everything that was said, including the remarks to Danny as did others nearby. Graham definitely did not come over looking for an argument. He faced up to the fans, maybe it was the wrong thing to do but he did have the guts to stand amongst us whether ill-advised or not. The two saw him about 8-10 yards away, and started the abuse. On hearing it he came over to speak to them probrably because as chairman he felt he had to respond and answer the criticism. There was no way he came over as you say, looking for an argument.
Please do not call me a liar, I don't like it at all.
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Unfortunately we seem to have a chairman prone to misjudging opinion, and he's judgement has proved to be a liability to the future of the club
Forever a bitter taste regarding all of this to many of us
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I was stood right behind the Chairman for the whole episode and this is exactly what happened.
Matt I am not telling lies, I heard everything that was said, including the remarks to Danny as did others nearby. Graham definitely did not come over looking for an argument. He faced up to the fans, maybe it was the wrong thing to do but he did have the guts to stand amongst us whether ill-advised or not. The two saw him about 8-10 yards away, and started the abuse. On hearing it he came over to speak to them probrably because as chairman he felt he had to respond and answer the criticism. There was no way he came over as you say, looking for an argument.
Please do not call me a liar, I don't like it at all.
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The initial comments were nothing more than anyone would expect to hear in the circumstances.
Coming over was Graham's decision
Danny interjected of his own initiative and there was a right of reply to that.
There were no comments made about "family"
Maybe not a liar Steve but you need to take off your carnage visors or refrain from pretending you are imparting an even portrayal of events
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Who is Danny?
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Danny is our programme seller at the Golf Road end, along with Sarah Rowley.
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Danny is our programme seller at the Golf Road end, along with Sarah Rowley.
You mean Dan Jones?
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Steve, Graham came over and approached the supporters. The supporters did not spot Graham.
Anyway, I was stunned Graham came over. Not the best decision in the world. What did he expect to get? A pat on the pack and a "well, there's always next year"? A round of applause for presiding over the cock up of Griffith, severe drop in form, inability to replace players & appointment of Tolson?
The fans in the area are frustrated with a relegation that many feel could have been avoided if better key decisions had been made.
One of Graham's points was that a manager was not available (of the 42 expressions of interest) after Sinnott leaving. He also did not want to listen to other supporters who were critical of Tolson's tenure. Nor did I like the Chairman shouting for someone to take over his job. It was a no win action that was, frankly, bizarre. Grahame should be applauded for the amount of work he has done for the club over the years, but needs to learn how to handle those who are severely angered with what has happened this season. A priority needs to be getting other people in to assist at this level. Unfortunately, I work out of the country for 10 months a year.
Lets also clear something else up. There was no abuse aimed at Graham's family, although I agree some of what was said in the heat of the moment was over the top.
Back to the match. It was awful. No ideas, no communication. The sort of thing I would expect from a pre-season friendly. Braintree didnt have to get out of 2nd gear. Rankine was off the pitch as soon as the whistle went. I felt sorry for Ginnelly who showed more passion than the rest of the squad.
The most frustrating element is that the group of players could and should have been good enough to avoid relegation, given the right management.
Anyway, Neil Young looks like a good appointment. Even if he has been out of work since leaving Stockport in January.
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I noticed that about Rankine, fastest I've seen him move all season. Hope that's the last we see of him at Alty and please, no more mercenaries like him.
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Over the last few seasons we do seem to sign strikers who are on the large side
Not you Damo
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It's a shame about Ranks. A bit fitter and in a team with Clee, it might have been different for him. I agree, it's probably the end for him and it looks like a mutual break from what I've heard. We need to keep Reeves. Yes, he's been awful this season, but Neil needs to put an arm round the lad and persuade him to stay.
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Absolutely brilliant original post Steve from Sale. My thoughts entirely and couldn't have put it better.
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Thanks Scottie, very much appreciated.
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Steve, Graham came over and approached the supporters. The supporters did not spot Graham.
Anyway, I was stunned Graham came over. Not the best decision in the world. What did he expect to get? A pat on the pack and a "well, there's always next year"? A round of applause for presiding over the cock up of Griffith, severe drop in form, inability to replace players & appointment of Tolson?
The fans in the area are frustrated with a relegation that many feel could have been avoided if better key decisions had been made.
One of Graham's points was that a manager was not available (of the 42 expressions of interest) after Sinnott leaving. He also did not want to listen to other supporters who were critical of Tolson's tenure. Nor did I like the Chairman shouting for someone to take over his job. It was a no win action that was, frankly, bizarre. Grahame should be applauded for the amount of work he has done for the club over the years, but needs to learn how to handle those who are severely angered with what has happened this season. A priority needs to be getting other people in to assist at this level. Unfortunately, I work out of the country for 10 months a year.
Lets also clear something else up. There was no abuse aimed at Graham's family, although I agree some of what was said in the heat of the moment was over the top.
Back to the match. It was awful. No ideas, no communication. The sort of thing I would expect from a pre-season friendly. Braintree didnt have to get out of 2nd gear. Rankine was off the pitch as soon as the whistle went. I felt sorry for Ginnelly who showed more passion than the rest of the squad.
The most frustrating element is that the group of players could and should have been good enough to avoid relegation, given the right management.
Anyway, Neil Young looks like a good appointment. Even if he has been out of work since leaving Stockport in January.
A far more accurate account.
Positive appointment in Neil Young, fingers crossed.
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To be fair Grahame and/or his family often come over and stand with supporters at away games, especially at games where fans have made an extra effort to get there. I recall Bromley and FGR and also at Dover on a bitterly cold evening on St Patrick's Day last year when we only had about 20 fans.
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So, if no other options were available when Lee left, but Young left Stockport in January, what was he upto between Jan and now? Perhaps these other options weren't actually explored?
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Maybes are maybes now. Thankfully action has now been taken . New start, let's move on and up. Welcome to Neil.
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I agree with you SW. I am going to file this into the past now.
The club has now taken action, brought in the best manager currently available, and actioned the relegation. Whether this should have been done earlier in the season is now immaterial, the board felt they were doing the right thing but it did not work out I'm afraid; so we move on.
I have not commented, but I agree the performance was spineless and not what I anticipated on the way down to Braintree. From the board down to us the fans, we were all taken by surprise by what happened at Braintree.
In my own conclusion from this game, there are players who have no wish to stay at the club, good or otherwise. What I want Neil Young to do first is get all our current players together, find out those who want to stay and are good enough. Those who are not fully committed whether good enough or not, should be removed. I want players who want to play for the club, there are 9 or 10 I believe from the current squad who do fit this criteria. We will find out who they are when the retain list is published. Expect possibly some surprises.
After that it is up to Neil, the rebuilding during the summer is going to be interesting, and I feel much better now the board have acted swiftly. Looking forward to next season more now, I don't ask for immediate promotion, but steady re-building. Lets see what happens on the roller-coaster that is Alty FC.
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If true then it is very sad to hear that our chairman was subjected to abuse
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It wasn't really abuse, it was a couple of lads upset and feeling wounded after a season of disappointment, they vented their spleen. It wasn't pretty but it wasn't really all that bad. If the club head shot comes over on the terraces while we watched that utter garbage well then? Things have been done to address the issue. It should have been earlier but what is what it is.
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tell grahame to order the cheese and pickle sandwiches for next season.
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I'm finding the current situation very difficult in that I fully appreciate the running of the club side that the board do, and these are people who are fellow fans .....hard to criticise someone you count as a friend.
I try to balance my criticism with acknowledgement and praise for the superb community side of the club.
I was amazed to hear the is a large and perhaps majority shareholding within the boardroom.......the cry often goes out for investment with absolutely carrot offered in return....we seem to expect local businessmen to hand over their hard earned thousands and have no say in how the money is spent....I'd be furious if I'd handed over (say) £20k at the start of the season and seen it thrown at Griffith and then a decision that relegated us.
The people who say there is no-one interested in alty include those who fought for the majority shareholding in the courts a few decades ago....
as geoof Goodwin asked star "why do you need more than one share?"
I am sure the club could have a think about using shares to attract new investment.....there are little cliques of mates who are millionairres locally who would have great fun each throwing 30k a season into a club already infastructured for success.....cliques like swales white rosenfield were in the 60s....these are people who share yachts in monte carlo and think £20k for a weekend away hiring a crew is nothing.....
No-one can argue that we have a reasonably steady well run ship with a big community image.....avoidable relegation combined with comments about being happy with how the team had been managed into this state are going to be met with hard criticism from hurting fans.....cant stand the heat? get out of the kitchen....or listen to the fans in the first place....I will remember my plea for the board to do something to show they f**king cared....they did nothing...and we got relegated.
I agree with a lot of that. What I would say is that I firmly believe that potential future directors, sponsors and benefactors will come via the CSH and community work. The more people we get through the doors of this club - regardless of why they come - and the more people in the town who are aware of us, the better. Trying to cherry pick individuals in Bowdon or Hale Barns who arent interested in Alty to begin with probably isnt going to work.
As for the shares, they are all fully allocated and widely dispersed. If there was a share issue then I believe (and I happily stand corrected if wrong) that they have to be offered pro rata to the existing shareholders first of all, which makes things quite complicated as a fair number of shares are held by people with no current connection to the club. New shares cannot just be offered publically either.