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[DAB @ ALTY]

I have been having a serious think about how Stalybridge are able to be a full time outfit with gates of around 400/500 and now looking like real promotion contenders.They employ youngsters as full time professional footballers on very modest wages who are obviously motivated by their situation,it also brings a lot of young talent into a job.We, as a part time non-league outfit do not seem to able to attract those players anymore who want to play for the shirt.I think if we want to get back as a successful club at Alty,then we have got to start looking at new options and looking to go down new pastures.I cannot see us in our location as being able to ever attract those 1700 gates of some years ago,so surely we have to look at new ideas of how we can be that big non league club again,all be it with modest resources.Looking through alot of the comments on this forum at the moment,we don't seem to have many players in our current squad whom people seem to think are worthy of playing in an Alty shirt,so maybe now is the time to have a serious look at the alternatives.I remember Hughesy going on about this full time situation at the end of last season and to be honest,a few people around the club just laughed at his suggestions but I bet those same people are quite envious of what is being achieved at Stalybridge at the moment.Over the last few years we have seen big changes at non-league levels,so maybe it is now time to see some big changes at Altrincham Football Club, if as I'm sure is all fans aims to see us in the running to be a successful club once again.

[altrincham]

Top post, i agree with most of what you say,  it would be hard theres no doubt about it but a bit of change, risk and ambition is whats needed and Stalybridge are proof that it can be done.

[fuertes]

I don't think we can take half a seasn at Stalybridge as proof that full-time is the way to go. Fair enough, I didn't think it could work at all and (assuming they're financially okay) I'm willing to accept I was probably wrong about that. But let's take another example. Southport. Part-time (albeit three training sessions per week - not two) and flying in the Conference National. Newport and Lincoln are full-time but absolutely awful.

I'm seeing the argument for full-time more and more. When we've got the likes of Flynn who seems not to care about playing the game now that he's got an LFC coaching gig, the prospect of young lads with pace and desire does seem more appealing. But, on the other hand, Damian Reeves and Nicky Clee wouldn't stay with us. Do we really want to chuck talent like that away?

I don't know whether some sort of half-way house is possible? Two mornings and two evenings training per week? The part-timers only come in on the evenings, the young lads on £200 p/w attend every session?

[Bob]

The issue is how much Stalybridge are actually paying, something I suspect would be impossible to know for sure. If we could go full time on the same wage bill as what we pay now then it is worth looking at.

[MadFrankie]

I don't think we can take half a seasn at Stalybridge as proof that full-time is the way to go.

Isn't this their second season as full time?

[joe]

Totally agree with DAB. Full time with young players is the way forward IF it can done be done on our budget.

[Robin Reliant]

In the far off distant days when Alty were regarded as one of the "Best" non-league teams the part-time option was the only way.
Things have changed ...BSP is now more league3 than non league and BSN (andBSS) are going in that direction.
Although we have always (recently!) lived within our means being part-time must mean that we are destined to stay at this level
Young players willing to be part-time and hope for a scout from a big club to spot them are no more and one of our traditional
sources of revenue from transfers has gone with them.
We will soon have to make a decision....but not yet. full time in BSN is not yet  essential but in BSP it soon will be  unless we want to yoyo up and down every couple of years

[fuertes]

Isn't this their second season as full time?

Yep, and they didn't trouble the leaders last time round.

[fuertes]

In the far off distant days when Alty were regarded as one of the "Best" non-league teams the part-time option was the only way.
Things have changed ...BSP is now more league3 than non league and BSN (andBSS) are going in that direction.
Although we have always (recently!) lived within our means being part-time must mean that we are destined to stay at this level
Young players willing to be part-time and hope for a scout from a big club to spot them are no more and one of our traditional
sources of revenue from transfers has gone with them.
We will soon have to make a decision....but not yet. full time in BSN is not yet  essential but in BSP it soon will be  unless we want to yoyo up and down every couple of years

In that case, why are Southport sitting third with almost half the season gone?

[mikealty]

In the far off distant days when Alty were regarded as one of the "Best" non-league teams the part-time option was the only way.
Things have changed ...BSP is now more league3 than non league and BSN (andBSS) are going in that direction.
Although we have always (recently!) lived within our means being part-time must mean that we are destined to stay at this level
Young players willing to be part-time and hope for a scout from a big club to spot them are no more and one of our traditional
sources of revenue from transfers has gone with them.
We will soon have to make a decision....but not yet. full time in BSN is not yet  essential but in BSP it soon will be  unless we want to yoyo up and down every couple of years

In that case, why are Southport sitting third with almost half the season gone?

Because they have three training sessions a week at Semi-Pro wages, so are essentially full time.

[OldhamAlty]

In that case, why are Southport sitting third with almost half the season gone?

There's a lot more luck in Football than anyone would like to admit, take 24 teams and the odds are in favour one of them is going to dramatically over/under perform (Histon a few years ago, or Newcastle up in the Premiership right now). If they can hold it together and then do it again next season, then we can honestly say it's not luck, you can be part time and compete properly.

[fuertes]

Because they have three training sessions a week at Semi-Pro wages, so are essentially full time.

So if we start training on Weds, we'll have gone full-time? I'm not having that. We're still training far less than full-time clubs and on Tuesday nights many of our players will have been at work all day rather than preparing for the match.

[fuertes]

There's a lot more luck in Football than anyone would like to admit, take 24 teams and the odds are in favour one of them is going to dramatically over/under perform (Histon a few years ago, or Newcastle up in the Premiership right now). If they can hold it together and then do it again next season, then we can honestly say it's not luck, you can be part time and compete properly.

I accept that. But what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If half a season isn't proof part-time works in the BSP, nor is it proof that full-time in the BSN is the answer.

[Paul Cain's Chip Pan]

So if we start training on Weds, we'll have gone full-time? I'm not having that. We're still training far less than full-time clubs and on Tuesday nights many of our players will have been at work all day rather than preparing for the match.

I think in Southport's case it's got more to do with the fact that they train during the daytime at least once a week, which would not be feasible if you've got players with proper full time jobs. They're not full time pros but neither are they a part time outfit in the traditional sense.

[mikealty]

I just think that with the amount of training we're doing now, as has been said before we'll probably be a 'yo-yo team'! I agree young players paid less with more training sessions seems to be the way to go, a la Histon and Southport.