Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[highwayman]

Interesting article on the back of this week's SAM featuring an interview with Sedge and the reasons why he joined Alty.

Sedge talked about "the club being built on solid foundations", "the progression being made by the club each year, "the club being stable", "the club working within their means" - all the usual stuff that is self evident to supporters of the club.

What did get me sitting up and taking notice was "when I spoke to Graham and Dalton....both of them had a clear vision for the future of the club"

As an "Alty til I die" fan, I think that is the question I struggle with most.

What is the vision/ambition for the future of the club?

Are we happy to survive in the Conference Premier as a part-time outfit battling against the full-timers? - "part-time and we're proud of it!"

Or is there a plan to steadily improve and possibly challenge for promotion to the Footbal League and go full-time?

Perhaps Graham and Dalton can share their vision of the future with the rest of us? Or is it a secret?

What does everyone else think or know?

[Ideas 4 Alty]

Personally, I think the "vision for the future" is a self-sufficient club which is at the heart of the community with increased crowds and good football being played. I would doubt that goals such as promotion are a part of that vision at this time. I would think that securing the long-term future of the football club is a far greater priority. Needless to say, their amibition will be to play at the highest possible level the club can sustain within its means.

When you consider the rot which was setting in at this club about 5 or 6 years ago it is quite incredible that we now have a club about to play its third consecutive season in the "Conference", new youth teams of all age groups and new ground developments taking place it just shows you that the club does have renewed vision and is making great progress. If we make the same degree of progress in the next 5 years that we have in the last 5 years we should be looking very good indeed!

[baldrick]

I think any plan for the future must include improving the team. A lot is said on here about ways to attract bigger attendances and make more money, the best way to do this is to be successful. People will come to games if there is a good chance of promotion. These people could be described as glory hunters and if things don't go according to plan they will desert the club as quickly as they came. But if making money is the main aim success is the way forward. Unfortunately support is something money can't buy. You can attract short term bigger crowds by offering cheap tickets or bring a friend deals but supporters are born not made. The only way to create supporters is by getting them young and giving them a team to be proud of. There are thousands of Manchester United fans who have no chance of ever getting a ticket for Old Trafford. They have children who will grow up believing football is something to watch on Sky rather than at a football stadium. These people should be targetted. Get them to games regularly and when they grow up they will bring their kids. It will take at least a generation but Altrincham supporters are the most patient people i have ever met.

[teasybeaver]

I think any plan for the future must include improving the team. A lot is said on here about ways to attract bigger attendances and make more money, the best way to do this is to be successful. People will come to games if there is a good chance of promotion. These people could be described as glory hunters and if things don't go according to plan they will desert the club as quickly as they came. But if making money is the main aim success is the way forward. Unfortunately support is something money can't buy. You can attract short term bigger crowds by offering cheap tickets or bring a friend deals but supporters are born not made. The only way to create supporters is by getting them young and giving them a team to be proud of. There are thousands of Manchester United fans who have no chance of ever getting a ticket for Old Trafford. They have children who will grow up believing football is something to watch on Sky rather than at a football stadium. These people should be targetted. Get them to games regularly and when they grow up they will bring their kids. It will take at least a generation but Altrincham supporters are the most patient people i have ever met.

Please see Accrington Stanley, Morecombe, Rushden, Droylsden etc etc etc etc blah blah blah for evidence that money clearly buys supporters.

If you lash out all of your money on a billy big-time squad you will get increased attendances. Even more so if you lash out money you don't have!

I think the point in Altrincham's case is not that success will buy you supporters, but in reverse that more supporters will buy us more success as we afford ourselves a better playing budget. We are doing it the right way. By attracting more fans to the ground they will eventually begin to see the success the club is achieving and come to feel part of it. And from there we build onwards and upwards. Therefore their attraction becomes less temporary and they are integrated into the 'full-time' support.

If we continue at the rate we are going we could be up there without 'buying' anything. I truly believe that would set a platform that a lot of clubs would follow. Imagine a promotion chasing club that relies solely on its means to sustain its success. No sugar-daddy noose around our neck! Right now its a million miles away but Alty are the only club anywhere near it in this league. We're also a million miles closer than any other club or than we were 5 years ago.

Thats just my opinion, but I think its the most exciting time this clubs ever had, i'm not suprised we're starting to attract 'full-time' players!

[York Alty]

teasybeaver - spot on.

[altyf]

played teasybeaver....it is rants like that which make me PROUD TO BE AN ALTY FAN!!!!!!