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Yes

27 (67.5%)

No

8 (20%)

Unsure

5 (12.5%)

Total Members Voted: 20

[RageAgainstTheFirstTeam]

Right, I know it's been brought up before but with a change of managers I just thought I'd do the topic again, especially as Ken has been making a few hints towards it

I don't know all the circumstances about what happened to our last reserve team, wasn't there a problem with the league? Even if we were in a poor standard of local league I think it'd still be worth it. And if not then what happened to playing occasional friendlies?

I think we could really do with a reserve team personally, even if they aren't in a formal league. Not only for developing youth but this season how good would it be if Twiss, Hewson ect had 4 or 5 more games under their belts? I also think it's a bit of a waste of our youth team, it seems to turn up some decent talent that could possibly be good standard players, Bennett, Gamble from pre-season, Woods who played in the CSC this year. What do you lot all think?

[lukealty12]

We should do but we can only just fund a first team....

[York Alty]

100% yes so far - but HOW? 

[bumble]

How much did it cost originally

[Altysteward93]

Sorry guys, I started off the 'no' votes.

Personally I can't see the point.
I'd be all for it, as long as the games weren't at Moss Lane as theres the wages, ground costs etc. and I doubt the 100 or so in attendance would fund the extra costs.

If we arranged to join the league that the lads on Stamford park play in then it would be good in my opinion.

[(S)ALTY]

I thought Ken McKenna put the case for a reserve team very well at the recent fan's forum.

If we have players who are not match fit as was claimed by Graham Heathcote before his departure, then how are they expected to get match fit when their chances of a game are limited.

Not having a reserve team also cuts off a potential line of supply from youth level.

At the moment we have a crazy situation where the club runs a youth team but once they reach 18 and get too old to play they have nowhere to go but to other clubs who then benefit from the coaching etc that Alty have provided.

I'm in favour ...

all those in favour say 'aye' ?

[(S)ALTY]

I'm going to say something radical here: IF it came down to it we should have reserves over a youth team.

As it is what do we actually get from the youth team?

As far as I am aware the club run a number of junior teams with the youth team being the 'upper limit'

I have seen a number of young lads in Altrincham kits at home matches on a regaular basis, so at least the club are encouraging juniors (and their dads) to come along and support their local team.

[Butty]

I'm going to say something radical here: IF it came down to it we should have reserves over a youth team.

As it is what do we actually get from the youth team?

As far as I am aware the club run a number of junior teams with the youth team being the 'upper limit'

At the end of last season, there were 2 Altrincham teams in the Timperley league. This season the b team are playing in the T&DJFL Youth league and the a team are playing in a league around Liverpool (or so I've heard). From what I can gather (bearing in mind I am in regular contact with these players) they have nothing to do with, or have been in any contact with Georhe Heslop's team. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that there is a bit of a breakdown in communication between the club's official Youth team and the teams at the Youth age of the Timperley League, which, by the way, are the same age.

[AltyTunnelSteward]

The Altrincham Juniors team plays in the same League as Georges team but in a lower division.

As for a breakdown in communication - George has lent players to the other team this season and I know for a fact that when he is able he goes to watch them.

George does a magnificent job and has done so for years. I lose count of the players this Club has lost because there has been nowhere for them to move to when they get to old for Youth Football but who have cropped up elsewhere doing a good job.

I am hugely in favour of a Reserve side

[Nasha]

No doubt in my mind we should bring back a reserve team. If anything,it forms part of the progression line (Juniors,Youth,Reserves,1st Team). At the moment, when a Youth player is good enough to go onto the next level, but is not yet ready to go into a Conference side,they sign for clubs like Ashton, Flixton etc, and they just end up being on the old boys section. With the reserve side, they can make the step up while still playing for Alty.

I have seen Ken on quite a few occasions this season chatting to George and asking about the youths. It would be no surprise to me if next season we do have a reserve side again, with a few of the current youth team being in there.

[Paul Cain's Chip Pan]

In an ideal world there is no question that we should have a reserve team. It is a crying shame that our youth setup, as fantastic as it is, is unable to produce "home-grown" talent for the first XI due to the fact we can't bridge the gap between youth and first team football.

It's a matter of finance, I suppose. How much do we have to take out of the pot in order to fund the running of a reserve team? Will this come out of the first team playing budget? You could argue that over a sustained period of time it would be an investment and that it could (at the very least) pay for itself.

You can argue it either way, but if Ken McKenna sees a reserve team as an integral part of his masterplan for the club's future I'm sure he'll make a very good case for bringing it back.

[fuertes]

No, because we can't afford it. Sad but true.

[RedWhiteRedWhite]

Absolute no brainer this. Even clubs in the north-west counties league have reserve sides!

I personally know a bloke who made an offer to the club some years ago...about coming in, and setting up a reserve side at no cost to the club at all...and they didnt go for it. Cost, in my opinion is not the major prohibiting factor in setting this up.

Given a realistic prospect of playing first team football at this level...reserves would play for very little...if not nothing at all. (Obviously first team players "gaining match fitness" would already have their contracts)

All other costs - eg: transport, kits, floodlighting etc etc can all be achieved in the same manner as amateur sides do. (eg: players drive to games themselves, get sponsorship etc)

No brainer.

[Mrs Warbouys]

In my opinion, its somthing that will need looking at,and again its down to finance.If it was me, i would re-evaluate the whole playing side of things at the club in the summer. If the wage bill is roughly what the press reported it as then I would seriously think about dropping it by a couple of grand, and use the saving to make the transition towards full time football, and put a reserve side into the mid cheshire league. I realise that the standard of the midcheshire league is moderate but it would at least be good for keeping players ticking ober, getting them fit again, and give the young lads in the youth team somthing to aim for.It seems a stubling block that players seem to crave full time football, and even though we seem to offer a very very good package,they dont want to be part time.We need to set our stall out and say we can offer you full time football and this is what we can pay, if youve been released from a league club in the north west and want a second chance, come and do it here. Those players that are deemed good enough and want to stay part time, should stay part time, and two of our 5 days of training should take place in the evenings to accomodate this, it doesnt need to be an all or nothing approach.If a feasablility could take place,/has taken place, we need to know what extra running costs due to being full time would need to be found? Then if we know figures we can do our bit as fans to try and raise that money to let the club concentrate on finding the playing budget. If its a case of extra kit and laundry, see if any of the laundrettes would help out in return for a programme advert,or even one of the washing machine companies. See if trafford mbc would help out finding us a permenent training base, BTH in an ideal world for a couple of hours each morning.If its feeding the players at lunch time, cut a deal with local sandwich shop or caterer. I honestly believe this is the only way we can ever compete at this level now.And its somthing we must try to fund in whatever way we can without putting the club into financial trouble.

[fuertes]

In my opinion, its somthing that will need looking at,and again its down to finance.If it was me, i would re-evaluate the whole playing side of things at the club in the summer. If the wage bill is roughly what the press reported it as then I would seriously think about dropping it by a couple of grand, and use the saving to make the transition towards full time football, and put a reserve side into the mid cheshire league. I realise that the standard of the midcheshire league is moderate but it would at least be good for keeping players ticking ober, getting them fit again, and give the young lads in the youth team somthing to aim for.It seems a stubling block that players seem to crave full time football, and even though we seem to offer a very very good package,they dont want to be part time.We need to set our stall out and say we can offer you full time football and this is what we can pay, if youve been released from a league club in the north west and want a second chance, come and do it here. Those players that are deemed good enough and want to stay part time, should stay part time, and two of our 5 days of training should take place in the evenings to accomodate this, it doesnt need to be an all or nothing approach.If a feasablility could take place,/has taken place, we need to know what extra running costs due to being full time would need to be found? Then if we know figures we can do our bit as fans to try and raise that money to let the club concentrate on finding the playing budget. If its a case of extra kit and laundry, see if any of the laundrettes would help out in return for a programme advert,or even one of the washing machine companies. See if trafford mbc would help out finding us a permenent training base, BTH in an ideal world for a couple of hours each morning.If its feeding the players at lunch time, cut a deal with local sandwich shop or caterer. I honestly believe this is the only way we can ever compete at this level now.And its somthing we must try to fund in whatever way we can without putting the club into financial trouble.

I'm willing to consider anything that might improve our fortunes, including your ideas, but it does sound a bit like Northwich 'part-full-time'.

I'm just not sure we could find players of sufficient ability willing to play full-time for £250-350 per week. I tend to think the only possible recruits on those terms would be very young players released from big clubs. Would they be good enough? If it's possible to mix young, well-trained players with talented part-timers such as Clee and Denham then perhaps there's merit in the whole plan. I must admit I'm doubtful though.

Have we tried arranging home friendlies on Thursdays instead of training in order to keep up certain players' match fitness levels? Seems logical...