i think the older fans were very lucky to see altrincham as a successful non league club and still believe we should be there as the younger fans have never really seen the success so don't expect it......... Anyone who watched altrincham in the 70's & 80's (you lucky so and so's ... really jealous) seem to expect more than those that have been watching more recently......... You have seen the glory days and know what its all about, you probably still see Altrincham as that club. but I'm afraid we are not that club anymore.
Just a few points in relation to the above:
Whilst it seems to be true in some cases (notably UC) it's not true with me - I don't expect 'success' in the sense of winning something every year. I had that knocked out of me when, after the successful years in the Cheshire League whe entered the NPL and apart from a couple of occasions never looked like winning the league - although we had a lot of cup 'success'. What stuck in my mind was deferats like 0-6 at Holly Park vs South Liverpool.
Going away in those days was very much like currently I imaginge (I can go to many away games now as I'm on a pension and can't afford it). What I mean by that is we went for the team and to have some fun - winning (and it didn't happen too often as I remember in those early NPL years) was ASPIRED to but not expected. My best memories include going for a pint after a night match at Mtlock and seeing 'Bopper' Taylor in the pub round the corner from the ground. Buying eachother a pint and chatting about the match (can't remember the score but think we won) or coming back on the coach from Ashington having pinched a load of programme blanks in the ground, ripping them up into small pieces and shoving them through the coach roof window whilst coming back through Sunderland 'snowing' the locals (think we won that one as well). Great days with a fantastic club we all supported through thick or thin.
If someone whould have told me then the position we would be in today with our unrivalled non-league heritage (mu opinion) I would have snatch their hands off. We ARE a successful team and just by competing in this league we are having a different sort of "glory" days - we're fighting the big boys nearly every week and holding our own.
The time for dreaming will come again in a couple of years when the clubs foundations are a bit firmer and there's more money about.
I'm fully aware of the fact that Conference survival and cup success aren't mutually exclusive but they are almost so for us with a smallish part-time squad which will tire by the end of the season anyway.
I've been going to come in more on this debate on a number of occasions but restrained myself - and others have said what I would have said anyway - but suffice it to say You've not missed anything Gary - the match at the Brittania Stadium not so long back was, for me, just as exciting and just as much an achievement (if not more so because of the lack of finance) as anything I've seen at White Hart Lane (x2), St Andrews, Goodison, Anfield, Wembley etc (Apart from when we won 6-1 at Macc but that's another story!!!).
Despite the opinion of some people, we're still living the glory days1!
Long live the Supers!