www.altyfans.co.uk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/torquay_united/7271636.stm

Sales of Devon Cream Teas set to soar!

Good player, in all honesty.

Does this move signify that Droylsden have abandoned all hope of avoiding relegation?

OK then, we have established that Richard Acton was the last Alty goalkeeper to receive a red card (please refer to the associated thread).

However, that incident occurred in a cup tie.

So, the obvious next questions are:

Who was the last Alty goalkeeper to be sent off in a LEAGUE game?

Where and when did this incident occur?

Something to ponder over whilst listening to the commentary on the Torquay match....

If you seek an extensive wallow in Alty FC nostalgia, track down a copy of the official match programme that was published for the FA Cup Fourth Round tie between Liverpool and Havant & Waterlooville on 26th January 2008 (eBay is a good place to start).

As this represented Liverpool's first FA Cup tie against Non League opposition since Alty visited Anfield for a Third Round tie on 3rd January 1981, the impressive programme features several articles reminiscing about the day that the Robins faced Bob Paisley's reigning League Champions.

The programme contains:

*** The Files Of Anfield Road: nine pages of photographs of the Liverpool v Alty match from the archives of the Liverpool Echo, including snaps of goals by Terry McDermott and Kenny Dalglish;

*** The Kop 'N' Goal Years: a five page report on the build-up to the tie and the match itself, including further photographs (in one of these, they incorrectly identify Harry McNally as Tony Sanders on the Alty bench!);

*** John Owens feature: a three page interview with the former Alty central defender who is the current Liverpool Academy Manager, in which he describes how he tried (and failed!) to mark Kenny Dalglish;

*** Shankly's Last Anfield Visit: a page detailing how Bill Shankly was in the Alty dressing room as an advisor to Tony Sanders on that memorable afternoon.

All in all, it's an ideal accompaniment to the recently issued DVD of the Liverpool v Alty match.

Huge thanks to Ian Boardman in the Robins Shop for alerting me to this issue.

P.S. We really should go back to an all white away kit rather than our present blue monstrosity.....!

         

Did anyone else spot the aforementioned David Birch being escorted out of the ground near the end of today's game?

He appeared to be in the Droylsden end and involved in some sort of altercation near to the home team's dugout.

Bizarre....

(which I hope is no longer applicable after tomorrow's visit to Droylsden):

Stuart Coburn has yet to keep a clean sheet in a league game this season.

Tomorrow's weather forecast of heavy showers and strong winds is not too encouraging.

Do we know if Woking are journeying North on the day.....and, if indeed they are, what time would any pitch inspection have to be made to prevent them travelling unnecessarily?

Or are they staying somewhere nearby on Wednesday evening?

 

As there's lots of talk about a Non-League team playing at Anfield this afternoon, here's a vaguely related question...

Who were Alty's next opponents after the 1981 FA Cup Third Round tie against Liverpool?

(Supplementary questions to follow once this one has been answered correctly).

There's an article in today's issue of The Sunday Times about the Notts County team that won promotion to the (old) First Division back in 1981.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article3216359.ece

Amongst the players profiled is our old friend, Brian Kilcline, who had a brief (and, frankly, abject) spell with Alty at the start of the 1998/99 season.

Here's the published update on him:

Brian Kilcline
Another ever-present, the powerful defender formed the backbone of the defence in four seasons with County. Known as Killer, he captained Coventry to victory in the 1987 FA Cup final and was Kevin Keegan’s first and most important signing in his first spell as Newcastle manager.

He lives on a barge in the Midlands and does home renovations in Yorkshire.
He is also a professional arm-wrestler.

I bet that Tunna could beat him in an arm-wrestling contest...