www.altyfans.co.uk
General Category => Altrincham FC First Team => Topic started by: Leeds Leeds Alty on May 12, 2022, 11:50:10 PM
-
Who do people think our natural rivals currently are?
In past years the obvious contenders, depending on what generation you started watching Alty were Wigan, Macc Town, Northwich, Mossley, Runcorn, Scarborough for a while, Macc Town again, Southport intermittently, Chester in recent years, Stockport perhaps, even Wrexham at a stretch.
I am going to put in the case for Halifax. We have both yo yo'd between NL nd NL North for a few years, have had some big 6 pointers with them, have seen big followings come to Moss Lane and we are taking more and more to theirs every time we play them. I used to think they were bigger than us, but our attendances have been higher than theirs this season, so they seem increasingly to be about our level, just as Macc, Vics, Southport have been in the past.
What do people think? Any other past or current contenders that I may have overlooked?
-
Witton , Stafford , Buxton , Stalybridge , Droylsden , Enfield , Barrow were all worthy of consideration perhaps Matlock , Kettering and Boston .
-
And Bangor .
-
And Bangor .
Who's season seems to have been expunged!
Anyone any idea what has happened to them?
Sadly we don't really have any real rivals at the mo, Stockport are the closest we have.
-
That reminds me, there seems to be an official Alty's rivals league for next season, with one of the Northwiches, new-club Macc, Witton and Runcorn Linnets all in the same league, plus Mossley as an added bonus (I'd love to hear about that 78/79 season - how good were Mossley?).
I understand Chester are desperate to be our rivals, but personally I don't take it much more seriously than I did Stalybridge (though I must admit I always like to beat the 1978 to 1987 FL racket).
-
And Bangor .
My first ever Alty match back in 1990.
I'd love to know why Barrow took us so seriously. That inhaler...
-
Key criteria of a rivalry for me is the wins feel sweeter and the defeats hurt more for both sides. I'm struggling to think of a team in this league that is an actual proper rival in that respect, Halifax included.
I think the Chester rivalry has been the strongest over the last few years although I reckon they see us more as a bogey team and are annoyed that we are relatively near, smaller in their eyes yet keep outperforming them.
It's to our credit - and certainly those running the club over time who kept us solvent - that we have stuck around while the old school rivals of Macc, Vics, Runcorn all went to the wall or fell apart. I suspect Macc will be back sooner than the other two and that rivalry will come into play again.
-
For the newest generation, due to the similarity in league positions, the train link involved, the swapping of players etc - it's probably been Chester
-
It doesn't feel like we have one. It has to be a game with edge, and I can't recall anything along those lines since Macc were put out of their misery.
-
It doesn't feel like we have one. It has to be a game with edge, and I can't recall anything along those lines since Macc were put out of their misery.
When we've played Chester at home recently, they seem to bring a 'youth' element as they can just jump on the train.
I'm sure the playoff game would have been quite tasty (especially with the Johnston element and subsequent red card, the near comeback etc) if it hadn't been behind closed doors.
-
It will always be M*cc are V*cs.
Playing a team where it's a must win and can't lose, for me, means those two whatever league they play in. Chester, due to where we live, has been the nearest to that. It's been great to flaunt Alty colours and even face masks in the village but apart from local one-upmanship it's not a rivalry. They view us as (to quote) a tinpot part time pub team and are all mortified we keep beating them.
-
Oldham next season, plus Halifax.
-
Key criteria of a rivalry for me is the wins feel sweeter and the defeats hurt more for both sides. I'm struggling to think of a team in this league that is an actual proper rival in that respect, Halifax included.
I think the Chester rivalry has been the strongest over the last few years although I reckon they see us more as a bogey team and are annoyed that we are relatively near, smaller in their eyes yet keep outperforming them.
It's to our credit - and certainly those running the club over time who kept us solvent - that we have stuck around while the old school rivals of Macc, Vics, Runcorn all went to the wall or fell apart. I suspect Macc will be back sooner than the other two and that rivalry will come into play again.
Agree with all this. At our current level we do not have a proper rival & as the latest Macclesfield footballing franchise goes higher the promotions will get harder so reckon it could be a good few years before we play any of our traditional rivals in a league game anyway.
-
Anyone managed by Steve Evans.
As stated, no real rivals.
Manchester United are just up the road ::)
-
I don't think teams want to be our rivals as they all seem to be stricken when they are.
Eg. Macclesfield, Northwich, Runcorn etc. 😂🤣😂🤣
-
I asked this question a while back, and others said Chester.
I don't feel like we have one, and I do sometimes wonder why we sing so many songs about essentially dead clubs. You could argue tradition and it is fun to be fair, but I don't believe Macc 2, Runcorn 2, or various Northwiches can ever really be seen as true foes again.
I can see Oldham becoming the closest thing, they aren't as big as Stockport and don't have any right to be in the FL. Also, we played them before in the Manchester League back in 1904 haha.
-
I grew up with Northwich being our main and absolutely hated rivals (Jeff Forshaw anyone?) - we could never beat them. Runcorn and Mossley were the other main local rivals, Macc were having a bad time of it late 70s to mid 80s so they weren't really a threat though it was a different story before I started watching. A lot of players moved between the teams. Doesn't feel like we have a real local rival now since the NPL season brought us games against Warrington and Witton.
-
I grew up with Northwich being our main and absolutely hated rivals (Jeff Forshaw anyone?) - we could never beat them. Runcorn and Mossley were the other main local rivals, Macc were having a bad time of it late 70s to mid 80s so they weren't really a threat though it was a different story before I started watching. A lot of players moved between the teams. Doesn't feel like we have a real local rival now since the NPL season brought us games against Warrington and Witton.
Cap doffed towards Dave 'slob' Ryan.
-
In my early days it was Wigan Athletic and Northwich Vics, along with Runcorn who were our arch rivals.
-
I remember many moons ago when Wigan were our big rivals, back then they played there games at Springfield Park.
-
Yes the main stand at Springfield Park with the snack bar and bar inside up a flight of stairs then walking out to the seats blew my teenage mind. I was very jealous especially as our main stand hadn't been extended at that point and only had plank seats.
Have always resented Wigan since then! 🙄
To my mind, the only one of our historic rivals who were clearly a bigger (but not better) club than us.
-
And Bangor .
Who's season seems to have been expunged!
Anyone any idea what has happened to them?
The curse of Stephen Vaughan Sr. struck again:
https://www.thebangoraye.com/bangor-city-will-not-play-in-the-welsh-leagues-next-season/ (https://www.thebangoraye.com/bangor-city-will-not-play-in-the-welsh-leagues-next-season/)
-
And Bangor .
Who's season seems to have been expunged!
Anyone any idea what has happened to them?
The curse of Stephen Vaughan Sr. struck again:
https://www.thebangoraye.com/bangor-city-will-not-play-in-the-welsh-leagues-next-season/ (https://www.thebangoraye.com/bangor-city-will-not-play-in-the-welsh-leagues-next-season/)
How is that guy still in football?
-
Yes the main stand at Springfield Park with the snack bar and bar inside up a flight of stairs then walking out to the seats blew my teenage mind. I was very jealous especially as our main stand hadn't been extended at that point and only had plank seats.
Have always resented Wigan since then! 🙄
To my mind, the only one of our historic rivals who were clearly a bigger (but not better) club than us.
Yes, Wigan used to get some ridiculous crowds in the FA cup for a non-league team. They probably should've been voted in years earlier, but the FL had only been voting in Southern clubs since 1958, with some clubs seemingly unhappy about a national 4th and 3rd division.
A similar situation to the Northeast in non-league (and Cornwall, but fortunately that seems to be being put right now, with two more Northern League teams promoted, and Falmouth doing really well this season, and the likes of Mousehole could squeak into the Southern League in the future.
-
Mousehole....squeak....I see what you did there 😉
-
And Bangor .
Who's season seems to have been expunged!
Anyone any idea what has happened to them?
The curse of Stephen Vaughan Sr. struck again:
https://www.thebangoraye.com/bangor-city-will-not-play-in-the-welsh-leagues-next-season/ (https://www.thebangoraye.com/bangor-city-will-not-play-in-the-welsh-leagues-next-season/)
How is that guy still in football?
Thanks Cult!
How can any club even look at Vaughan with his record? Madness!
-
Mousehole....squeak....I see what you did there 😉
That reminds me, when Keynsham were due to play there midweek recently, they complained that it was further to go there than to go to Manchester. For a step five team! I suppose these geographically peripheral areas will always be problematic. Still, if it was up to me, I would allow leagues like that to reduce to ten or twelve teams to reduce travelling, at least at step 6. I suppose it would muck up the pure pyramid if they did it at step 5. (To be fair, the South Western League does have East and West divisions.
Wasn't so long ago that Carlisle City were having to travel to Oswestry in the North West Counties second division. Things are a little better now (well, apart from the Isle of Man). Still, there's perhaps one or two more things that could be changed at steps five and six.
-
I got hooked back in to watching Alty in the 90s because I could easily go to away games at Macc, Runcorn, Stalybridge and Northwich. I think Witton had only just been relegated the season before, but later I would be able to go there and Hyde. So lots of football to watch without a lot a travelling. I've got to admit it's not quite as appealing to me now. Telford and Kidderminster were probably the limit of my travelling in recent years.
-
That reminds me, there seems to be an official Alty's rivals league for next season, with one of the Northwiches, new-club Macc, Witton and Runcorn Linnets all in the same league, plus Mossley as an added bonus (I'd love to hear about that 78/79 season - how good were Mossley?).
I understand Chester are desperate to be our rivals, but personally I don't take it much more seriously than I did Stalybridge (though I must admit I always like to beat the 1978 to 1987 FL racket).
Mossley really were that good in 78/79. We were great, easily the 2nd best team in the NPL, and good enough to take Spurs to a replay, which set us up financially to really challenge for the APL title next season, but Mossley were far and away the best team in the league, and it was both a travesty and a relief that they did not get into the APL due to their ground, or I doubt very much that we would have won the title the following season.
They also had the most hostile bunch of hill dwelling, deliverance characters, including a gang led by a thoroughly evil miniature moustachioed skinhead who caused havoc in the Golf Road when they came to Moss Lane. They were pretty horrible and they hated us - we were mainly just scared of Mossley, on and off the pitch!!
-
Mossley were arguably the best non-League side in England immediately before we took their mantle. Apart from the striker Leo Skeete, who ended up here a few years later, they had Eamonn O'Keefe who signed for Everton, and Geoff Sleight who'd been capped twice by Australia and was quite nippy.
-
Just to add to that, even in 1979-80, when we won the inaugural Alliance Premier League, Mossley won 5-1 at Moss Lane in the Trophy.
Their form suddenly collapsed when, after several years of finishing 1st or 2nd, they were 22nd in 1983-84, and have never been the same since.
Did the supporters' coach get its windows put in at Mossley once?
-
All of Mossley's success was inspired by their fitness fanatic manager , the late Bob Murphy who i got to know quite well . He gave them the confidence and belief that they could beat anybody and most opponents could'nt cope with their energetic attacking play , he was pretty much the Brian Clough of non league ! I faced Eamonn O'Keefe in a schools cup tie , we turned up with 8 players and as captain i was told to man mark their star player , we lost 8-1 but Eamonn did'nt score . He deservedly went on to play for Everton and Ireland and i Sunday league stuff . Such is life .😒
-
Just to add to that, even in 1979-80, when we won the inaugural Alliance Premier League, Mossley won 5-1 at Moss Lane in the Trophy.
Their form suddenly collapsed when, after several years of finishing 1st or 2nd, they were 22nd in 1983-84, and have never been the same since.
Did the supporters' coach get its windows put in at Mossley once?
I certainly don't recall the natives at Seel Park being overly hospitable when we lost that NPL Cup Semi-Final Second Leg tie there in April 1979.
That Mossley forward line of Ian Smith, Eamonn O'Keefe, Leo Skeete, Dave Moore and Vinny Garmory was outstanding.