The Pressure Grows On Under Fire Rowley As Altrincham Fans Group Plan Walkout
By Ryan Allen March 10, 2017
A number of Altrincham fans are set to protest about Grahame Rowley and his running of the Vanarama National League North as they push for change at Moss Lane.
A walk out is planned for their next home game against Stalybridge Celtic on March 18 as they look to make their voices heard following a number of poor seasons.
The Goodbye Rowley Group will walk out of the ground after a quarter of an hour. Altrincham look sure to suffer back to back relegations. They are bottom of the league and are almost certain to be plying their trade in the Evo-Stik NPL Premier League next season.
Fans want change at the top of the club and saying Rowley, pictured above here with former manager Jim Harvey, needs to move on.
“Altrincham are certainties for relegation to the Evo-Stik League at the end of the season, and the fans are determined to show the current chairman that enough is enough,” the Group said in a statement.
“A series of off-field decisions, arguments with fans, lack-lustre leadership and dismal managerial appointments have seen Altrincham drop from a comfortable mid-table position in the Conference National to the lowest point in their proud 114 year history, in the space of just 24 months.
“What makes this even more shocking is that it has come on the back of a relatively stable financial period for the club, who have been boosted over the past few years by profitable FA Cup runs and the sale of Duncan Watmore to Premier League side Sunderland.
“A series of PR disasters have accompanied the on-field struggles and have continued to alienate the loyal Altrincham fan base. The recent Strategy Review from the board, where fans were prevented from asking any questions consider by the board as difficult, being the final straw.
“The fans are now calling on Grahame Rowley to step aside for the good of the club so that they can unite under new leadership and move forward.”
The group added: “This is our way of making our point, in a peaceful way, with no negative financial impact on the football club. It has reached a point where there is no way back for the current chairman and we call on other Alty fans to join us.
“We hope this public protest by a visible proportion of the fan base gives local businessmen/women and potential investors the confidence to come forward with a credible plan to take us forward, and gives them the assurance that the fans do indeed want change.”