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General Category => Altrincham FC First Team => Topic started by: nimeta on September 09, 2013, 11:03:22 AM

Title: Wikipedia
Post by: nimeta on September 09, 2013, 11:03:22 AM
I just looked at the Alty Wiki site. MAde interesting reading

A couple of things struck me as odd :-

1. Notable former players didn't include Jackie Swindles or John King (amongst others)

2. " Altrincham's record attendance was 10,275 for a friendly against Sunderland on 28 February 1925." Can this be true?????

Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: roytonmike on September 09, 2013, 11:32:10 AM
It's Altrincham Boys v Sunderland Boys (equivalent competition to English Schools these days, I guess).
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: RageAgainstTheFirstTeam on September 09, 2013, 01:25:08 PM
I added the Notable Players section a while ago. By Wikipedia guidelines, it's players who had or went on to have an extensive, successful league or international career, as opposed to players who were notable in our history. Swindells probably fits the bill anyway, come to think of it.

Both players are talked about quite extensively in the section discussing the history of the club.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: nimeta on September 09, 2013, 02:30:47 PM
It's Altrincham Boys v Sunderland Boys (equivalent competition to English Schools these days, I guess).

Yes, but the point was can you imagine 10k + at Moss Lane?? I mean, I am just trying to imagine what the ground must have looked like
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: bighairedmike on September 09, 2013, 02:49:00 PM
It's Altrincham Boys v Sunderland Boys (equivalent competition to English Schools these days, I guess).

Yes, but the point was can you imagine 10k + at Moss Lane?? I mean, I am just trying to imagine what the ground must have looked like

Unterraced ends and a lack of health and safety guidelines that dramatically drop numbers are the main reason. Moss Lane in the '20s looks nothing like it does today.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: nimeta on September 09, 2013, 05:43:06 PM
It's Altrincham Boys v Sunderland Boys (equivalent competition to English Schools these days, I guess).

Yes, but the point was can you imagine 10k + at Moss Lane?? I mean, I am just trying to imagine what the ground must have looked like

Unterraced ends and a lack of health and safety guidelines that dramatically drop numbers are the main reason. Moss Lane in the '20s looks nothing like it does today.

Anyone know if any pics survive of that era ??
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: roytonmike on September 09, 2013, 06:38:13 PM
Somewhere on YouTube I think there's a clip of a physical training display on the ground from the inter-war period, which might give some idea. Can't be any more precise than that - sorry!
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: arnald on September 09, 2013, 06:51:56 PM
Somewhere on YouTube I think there's a clip of a physical training display on the ground from the inter-war period, which might give some idea. Can't be any more precise than that - sorry!
there was picks posted on this site of the very early days   , it was a type of sports day - as you said physical training 
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe on September 09, 2013, 07:06:45 PM

Somewhere on YouTube I think there's a clip of a physical training display on the ground from the inter-war period, which might give some idea. Can't be any more precise than that - sorry!



http://www.britishpathe.com/video/physical-training-1/query/altrincham (http://www.britishpathe.com/video/physical-training-1/query/altrincham)


Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: anglo alty on September 09, 2013, 07:09:01 PM
i remember the crowd for an fa cup 4th qual v Wigan being quoted as 8,000 in 1966 which could be the largest Moss Lane crowd for a game involving Alty
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: Hamilton on September 09, 2013, 07:12:04 PM
Are we still not holders of the Antony Worrall Thompson Trophy?  ;)
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: arnald on September 09, 2013, 07:51:57 PM
does any one no about altys first ground  and what land marks are left
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: ManagementGuru on September 09, 2013, 08:02:01 PM
There were 8800 at the Orient game and that was only the other day
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: roytonmike on September 09, 2013, 08:42:30 PM
There were 8800 at the Orient game and that was only the other day
Gate figure published was 7844 - there was certainly room for more in the Golf Road!
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: roytonmike on September 09, 2013, 08:46:25 PM
does any one no about altys first ground  and what land marks are left
See official website archive section.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: SW on September 09, 2013, 08:50:07 PM
does any one no about altys first ground  and what land marks are left
See official website archive section.
Stood in the Golf Rd that day there was easily room for another few hundred. Pre Taylor we easily could take 10,000, safety wise I reckon we are about right now. Big change isn't it?
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: arnald on September 09, 2013, 09:05:30 PM
does any one no about altys first ground  and what land marks are left
See official website archive section.
Stood in the Golf Rd that day there was easily room for another few hundred. Pre Taylor we easily could take 10,000, safety wise I reckon we are about right now. Big change isn't it?
some one told me that we had are biggest  crowd against witon 14 thousand , when are rivals was wigan
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: Saughall Robin on September 09, 2013, 09:41:13 PM
does any one no about altys first ground  and what land marks are left
See official website archive section.
Stood in the Golf Rd that day there was easily room for another few hundred. Pre Taylor we easily could take 10,000, safety wise I reckon we are about right now. Big change isn't it?
some one told me that we had are biggest  crowd against witon 14 thousand , when are rivals was wigan

Think that might have been the second leg of the CSC final at the end of 66-67 season which we won 3-1 (3-2 on aggregate). People were sat on top of the Red Robin Club at one point I seem to remember.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: roytonmike on September 09, 2013, 09:48:40 PM
does any one no about altys first ground  and what land marks are left
See official website archive section.
Stood in the Golf Rd that day there was easily room for another few hundred. Pre Taylor we easily could take 10,000, safety wise I reckon we are about right now. Big change isn't it?
some one told me that we had are biggest  crowd against witon 14 thousand , when are rivals was wigan
Think that might have been the second leg of the CSC final at the end of 66-67 season which we won 3-1 (3-2 on aggregate). People were sat on top of the Red Robin Club at one point I seem to remember.
That is probably the occasion you're thinking of - combined gate for the two legs was over 11,000 (4012 at Central Ground 1st leg, 7290 at Moss Lane 2nd leg) which may be where the confusion over numbers arises. Wigan were 2nd in the league both years that we won it (65/6 & 66/7), then Macc came back into the picture.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: arnald on September 09, 2013, 10:06:45 PM
does any one no about altys first ground  and what land marks are left
See official website archive section.
Stood in the Golf Rd that day there was easily room for another few hundred. Pre Taylor we easily could take 10,000, safety wise I reckon we are about right now. Big change isn't it?
some one told me that we had are biggest  crowd against witon 14 thousand , when are rivals was wigan
Think that might have been the second leg of the CSC final at the end of 66-67 season which we won 3-1 (3-2 on aggregate). People were sat on top of the Red Robin Club at one point I seem to remember.
That is probably the occasion you're thinking of - combined gate for the two legs was over 11,000 (4012 at Central Ground 1st leg, 7290 at Moss Lane 2nd leg) which may be where the confusion over numbers arises. Wigan were 2nd in the league both years that we won it (65/6 & 66/7), then Macc came back into the picture.
thank you pall  good stats
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: thegazelle on September 10, 2013, 06:44:02 AM
SW    i too was in the golf road against orient , which is very bizarre can you recall why we decided to go in that end . if i remember correctly the orient fans were in the golf road corner of the popular side so we could have gone in the golf road.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: ManagementGuru on September 10, 2013, 03:11:05 PM
I was in the corner of the ground with the Orient fans - selling programmes.

I apologise for the error on crowds - there were "only" 7844 at Moss Lane for the game, as my brother angrily texted me pointing out, before the message board correction from RoytonMike.  The 8841 was the crowd at Brisbane Road. 

8462 for the Barrow game in 67/68 is the biggest I can find for a Moss Lane crowd  The Wigan game that Cult refers to had a crowd of 8088, and Scarborough the year before weighed in with 7182.  All these games were in the FA Cup.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: SW on September 10, 2013, 05:35:31 PM
What happened between 1968 and 1971 when I first went to Moss Lane. Pretty sure crowds were not published back then but my recollections were that from 71 onwards we used to get gates around 1500-1600 as a rule, what happened in the meantime if we could get 7k in for big games three or four years earlier?

PS Gazelle I don't get your question mate, I was in the Golf Rd and yes, Orient had the section of Popular Side. We tried that a few times that season, Vics were put there too I recall.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: jiminlondon on September 10, 2013, 05:50:21 PM

PS Gazelle I don't get your question mate, I was in the Golf Rd and yes, Orient had the section of Popular Side. We tried that a few times that season, Vics were put there too I recall.

I imagine he was in the Chequers like me despite always standing on the Golf Road normally
Was it tickets? Cannot think why we would have gone in that end unless we had to
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: SW on September 10, 2013, 05:52:13 PM
Thought that might be it, reckon you entered by the usual turnstile to find you couldn't walk round like normal?
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe on September 10, 2013, 06:49:57 PM

Chequers End for me, too, at that Orient game.

It was pretty packed on there, as I recall.

I'm still haunted by that moment of indecision between Alex Stepney and John Davison which led to Orient's second half equaliser.

Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: York Alty on September 10, 2013, 06:52:41 PM

Chequers End for me, too, at that Orient game.

It was pretty packed on there, as I recall.

I'm still haunted by that moment of indecision between Alex Stepney and John Davison which led to Orient's second half equaliser.



Chequers End for me too.  I had forgotten that moment of hesitation - I can almost picture it in my head now.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: taxi Phil on September 10, 2013, 10:54:01 PM
I was where the Family Stand is now.....and like Cult I can still see that awful moment when Alex Stepney made the only real blooper I recall during his brief stay with us.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: jiminlondon on September 11, 2013, 08:06:17 AM
Not forgetting Whitbread managing to get the ball over the bar from 2 yards out...
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: ManagementGuru on September 11, 2013, 08:50:45 AM
I missed the BIG one - 1967/8 - Cheshire League Championship decider 12th April 1968 (Good Friday): Altrincham 0 Macclesfield 2.  Attendance 8721

That day the power in North West non league football moved away from Alty, and we endured 3 mediocre seasons before the arrival of the late Roy Rees  and Tony Sanders in 1972 sparked the next great renaissance of the tea,.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: Randy Konk on September 11, 2013, 01:15:23 PM
This game was one of my most vivid  Moss Lane memories although I must have been a few times before that and I can remember little of the game other than the Alty goal - was it Mal Bailey at the Chequers end?

Great day, I do remember it being hard to move, packed in like a sardine. I still have the programe somewhere. Hard to imagine that number of people in there...different times

What was the attendance for the FA Cup replay v Sheff Utd early 80's. I'd have thought that would be pretty decent....
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: ManagementGuru on September 11, 2013, 01:29:54 PM

The goial against Orient was a mazy run and low shot from edge of box by Barry Whitbread into the Chequers end.  A very good goal.  His sitter miss from inside the six yard box was as a consequence of him and Barry Howard going for the same ball and colliding.  At 2-0 we would have won it from there and we would have had West Ham at Moss Lane.

The Sheffield United crowd was 5137, although the ground seemed a lot fuller.  There had been 12433 at Bramhall Lane.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: thegazelle on September 11, 2013, 02:11:26 PM
the crowds for Macc games in that era where always huge  . we moved to westminster road in 1969 and every time we played macc cars would be parked all the way up our road and along hale road . if you think how many people actually owned cars in those days , that would mean if we got a similar crowd today they would be parked all the way to wimslow.

at the risk of repeating myself one of the biggest crowds i remember was the matlock trophy replay in 78 but when the crowd was published it was 2,000 something i swear there was more than double that. didnt we get 4.000+ for the winsford quater final . cue memories of shouting "top right" to their keeper as heathcote put a free kick in the top right hand corner of the net , sparking mass hysteria on chequers end .
obviously no segregation for that one , when did the singers start gathering at the corner of the popular side even though the game was not segregated ? (well after my singing days)
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: jiminlondon on September 11, 2013, 02:20:38 PM
I remember that Pete, and for lots of matches after we would shout to tell the keeper where Heathcote was going to put it!
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: ManagementGuru on September 11, 2013, 02:51:00 PM
Matlock was 2253, the Weymouth replay was 2450 and the Scarborough semi final was 2795

The followng year there were 4086 for the Winsford game and 3793 for Runcorn in the semi.  And then 3700 at Runcorn for the second leg , which is a lot of people for (a very violent) Canal Street.

A brilliant header from Mal Bailey to win that one!  Oh happy days
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: mr f.trucker on September 11, 2013, 03:00:54 PM
Wasn't the Goalmouth sanded for the Stepney Incident ? seems to ring a bell.
I too was in the Chequers end.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: Uncle Globnasty on September 11, 2013, 04:08:21 PM
The goial against Orient was a mazy run and low shot from edge of box by Barry Whitbread into the Chequers end.  A very good goal.  His sitter miss from inside the six yard box was as a consequence of him and Barry Howard going for the same ball and colliding.  At 2-0 we would have won it from there and we would have had West Ham at Moss Lane.

The Sheffield United crowd was 5137, although the ground seemed a lot fuller.  There had been 12433 at Bramhall Lane.

Still my favourite win of all time at home. Against a team top of the old Division 4 at the time and after only just securing a 2-2 draw at Bramhall Lane (well it wasn't comfortable in my opinion, on or off the pitch), I didn't expect the complete demolition that occurred that night in my wildest dreams (and there's a place you'd be better off not visiting).
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe on September 11, 2013, 04:19:43 PM
The goial against Orient was a mazy run and low shot from edge of box by Barry Whitbread into the Chequers end.  A very good goal.  His sitter miss from inside the six yard box was as a consequence of him and Barry Howard going for the same ball and colliding.  At 2-0 we would have won it from there and we would have had West Ham at Moss Lane.

The Sheffield United crowd was 5137, although the ground seemed a lot fuller.  There had been 12433 at Bramhall Lane.

Still my favourite win of all time at home. Against a team top of the old Division 4 at the time and after only just securing a 2-2 draw at Bramhall Lane (well it wasn't comfortable in my opinion, on or off the pitch), I didn't expect the complete demolition that occurred that night in my wildest dreams (and there's a place you'd be better off not visiting).



Barry Howard's finest performance in an Alty shirt plus an astonishing goal from Graham Heathcote.

A truly exhilarating night.


Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: GolfRoader on September 11, 2013, 04:21:46 PM
The goial against Orient was a mazy run and low shot from edge of box by Barry Whitbread into the Chequers end.  A very good goal.  His sitter miss from inside the six yard box was as a consequence of him and Barry Howard going for the same ball and colliding.  At 2-0 we would have won it from there and we would have had West Ham at Moss Lane.

The Sheffield United crowd was 5137, although the ground seemed a lot fuller.  There had been 12433 at Bramhall Lane.

Still my favourite win of all time at home. Against a team top of the old Division 4 at the time and after only just securing a 2-2 draw at Bramhall Lane (well it wasn't comfortable in my opinion, on or off the pitch), I didn't expect the complete demolition that occurred that night in my wildest dreams (and there's a place you'd be better off not visiting).


Was it difficult to get away from Sheffield after the game?
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: Uncle Globnasty on September 11, 2013, 04:45:45 PM

Was it difficult to get away from Sheffield after the game?

It was if you were a giddy geek of a teenager travelling on his own on one of the many coaches and paying absolutely no heed to the drivers instructions as you disembarked. Had I have listened, I'd have known that the coach was picking us up at a different point to the drop off. As it was, I exited the away terrace in a joyous daze, transistor radio glued to ear for other results and an honourable mention of ours. My joy soon turned to panic as there was no sign of a coach and as I turned on my heels there was a wall of Sheffield United supporters heading along the side of the ground towards me. I am grateful to this day that we both wore the same colours as a group of likely lads approached me, thankfully they were only interested in the Wednesday score (looking back on it they'd have had to have been real sad sacks to have been looking for anything else with a gangly, specky geek like me).

I still can't remember to this day how I got back to the coach, but make it back I did.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: jiminlondon on September 11, 2013, 06:07:21 PM


Was it difficult to get away from Sheffield after the game?

Well I remember there being a load of Sheff Utd skins looking for trouble but not finding any. I remember this because I was with my brother who was stoned out of his head, he was wandering down the road singing 'Altrincham lalala' under his breath but loud enough to hear. I told him if he didn't stop I would fill him in myself.
But on a scale of 1 to Tottenham 79, not really.

I seem to remember them kicking open the gate at the Chequers end when the home game finished, is that right?
I can still see Barry Howard tearing Stewart Houston a new one, and was right behind Heathcote  screaming 'don't shoot from there' as he let fly. Great days indeed.

I suppose as Uncle Globby says we all have our favourites, and mine was and remains the Rotherham 2-0
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: thegazelle on September 11, 2013, 06:20:31 PM
An incredible night barry howard tore houston apart bob hatton refused to play because he was sh*t scared after we kicked him all over the park at bramhall lane.  their fans  did kick down the gates at the chequers .

some of my friends who were alty fans were at sheff uni so i stopped in sheffield after the match and we went to see rick wakeman at the city hall . we got the train back on the monday with loads of sheff utd fans who couldnt believe there was three fans of alty in one place at the same time .

it was rumoured we had the game won when kingy came back with his head bandaged up in a terry butcher like way . the sheff uts winger ryan (????) was a local lad and he said the whole team just deflated when he came back on.

Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe on September 11, 2013, 07:08:00 PM


OK then, name the pop singer/star who was standing amongst those Sheffield United fans at Moss Lane for that FA Cup First Round Replay.....

Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: thegazelle on September 11, 2013, 07:10:05 PM
guessing at the bloke from house martins............ Paul Heaton a known blades casual top boy
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: Uncle Globnasty on September 11, 2013, 07:59:42 PM
I suppose as Uncle Globby says we all have our favourites, and mine was and remains the Rotherham 2-0

I did say my favourite win at home for that very reason ;-)
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: robininstockport on September 11, 2013, 08:20:09 PM


OK then, name the pop singer/star who was standing amongst those Sheffield United fans at Moss Lane for that FA Cup First Round Replay.....




Phil Oakey?
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: SW on September 11, 2013, 09:05:00 PM


OK then, name the pop singer/star who was standing amongst those Sheffield United fans at Moss Lane for that FA Cup First Round Replay.....



Going for Martin Oakley from ABC, with all of my heart.

Erm, Fry, mixing up my 80s Sheffield scene!
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: SW on September 11, 2013, 09:14:43 PM
The Gazelle's Sheffield train story reminds me of a difficult journey home, being London based, after the losing Trophy semi final against Wycombe when I had to endure a trip home with around 1,000 pi$$ed Wycombe fans on my train. What a bunch of self-important tossers their fans became once they came good, most probably hadn't seen a game in 10 years.
Title: Re: Wikipedia
Post by: TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe on September 12, 2013, 12:18:48 AM

guessing at the bloke from house martins............ Paul Heaton a known blades casual top boy



Spot on.

Hull 0 the gazelle 4.