Altrincham and Enfield, two of non-league football’s biggest names of the past, are in turmoil and face uncertain futures following recent revelations of financial crises, boardroom upheaval and supporters’ revolts.

Altrincham chairman Gerry Berman has offered to step down after supporters were told that UniBond Premier League club are £450,000 in debt and losing around £3,000 a week. As the cash crisis has bitten players have been paid late and non-payment of bills meant the squad had to travel in private cars to a recent match at Bamber Bridge after the regular coach company refused transport.

While Alty continue to pay the highest wages in the League gates have plummeted 40 percent to 600 this season, a far cry from the late seventies and early eighties when the Cheshire club captured the Conference title and FA Trophy twice and earned national recognition for FA Cup exploits that included a 2-1 humbling of then First Division Birmingham City at St Andrews in 1986.

Deputy chairman Mark Harris insists the debts are not as bad as they appear but conceded the Moss Lane club is in dire financial straits.

Mind the gap

"A substantial amount of the debt is in directors’ loans," said Harris. "The big concern is a widening gap between income and expenditure. We did reduce the budget this season but income has dipped alarmingly and we’re working with external advisors on a strategy to get out of this.

"It’s common knowledge that our wage bill is twice as large as the next club in the League but when we get to the end of the season and player contracts are up there’s no way I would be party to anything other than a drastic reduction."

That is bad news for player/manager Mark Ward as he battles to keep Alty in contention for the title. The former West Ham United and Everton man is midway through his first season in management and admits it has been a baptism of fire.

"I’ve been told that I’ve got to really reduce the squad," said Ward, 38. "Realistically, unless there is a miracle I’m not going to be able to bring any more players in. If Alty are going to win the championship I’ve got to go with what I’ve got. But I’ve got so many players injured I’m down to the bare bones."

Familiar ground

In 1995 Altrincham faced a similar crisis and were 12 hours from closure before a consortium led by then manager John King saved the club. Alan Brotherton, vice-chairman of Save Altrincham’s Football Existence (SAFE), an arm of the supporters association that helped the club then, is less than impressed that the club has reached another crisis point so soon.

"Five years ago we vowed never to get in this position again," said Brotherton. "Over the years it’s been a myth that Altrincham have been the Manchester United of non-league. That came about because of our cup exploits but the club has never been that.

"Unfortunately, the club have continued to profile themselves as ‘well off’ but we’ve got to face facts and appreciate we are no longer a Conference club. If we get through until May there has to be a massive restructuring to ensure Altrincham survives."

200 miles south, meanwhile, another set of doughty old cup fighters face an even bleaker future as homeless Ryman Premier League Enfield battle to find a new stadium amid growing anger amongst supporters over the continued chairmanship of Tony Lazarou.

A FINANCIAL crisis is threatening the future of Altrincham, the fallen giants of non-League football in the North-West of England.

Unless a rescue package can be put together sooner rather than later, the Cheshire club may not survive the season. Already the first-team squad has had to be trimmed after the players' wages were not paid on time, and other unpaid bills are mounting.

Two decades ago Altrincham were unchallenged as the best team outside the Football League. After the Alliance Premier League (now the Nationwide Conference) was formed in 1979 they were the new league's first champions in 1980, a feat they repeated the following year after they had missed out by one vote on election to the Football League in 1980.

After a promotion place was granted to the Conference champions, they just missed out to Barnet in 1991. They are also the last non-League club to beat a top-flight side on their own ground in the FA Cup, thanks to their 2-1 win at Birmingham City in 1986.

Despite their current predicament, Altrincham have not abandoned hope of winning the UniBond title and regaining the Conference place they lost last season after just one term back among the elite of the non-League game. They lie in fourth place in the Premier Division, 10 points behind the leaders, Emley. However, the Robins' player-manager, the former Everton and West Ham midfielder Mark Ward, has been told to reduce the size of his squad despite a spate of injuries.

It is over a month since Gerry Berman, Altrincham's chairman and biggest shareholder, made an appeal for help to the local business community. "We do have a number of plans in action at the moment," he said, "but the substantial financial investment we are looking for has not been found.

"We are looking at reducing our expenditure, but the problem is that we negotiated contracts with players when we were in the Conference and, as a result, we are paying Conference wages. Wages at other clubs in this league are between a quarter and a half of what we pay"

Berman made it plain that club's continued existence is in doubt. He stressed: "The message we want to get across is: `Do the people of Altrincham want a football club?' If they do not, we are more than happy to shut up shop."

Unfortunately Len was ill and I could only make contact with Muriel so I  and gave her Robert’s address. She said she and Len would write to the American Hinkin’s, gave me a  cup of tea and I left it at that

Altrincham were promoted to the Conference that year and it was unlikely I would hear any more of the story, but not so. Back we came to the UniBond and another fixture against Spennymoor (which we won 4-0) and a chance to see if there were any developments. I sent an e-mail to Robert and was sorry to learn from his wife Suzanne that he had been ill, but to date they had not established a family relationship with the Northumberland Hinkin’s

Prior to our visit to Spennymoor I checked with the Club to learn that Len had passed away but Muriel was still a Director and ran the snack bar. I visited her, got another cup of tea and was asked a favour. Len served in the Royal Air Force during the WW2 and had been awarded a British Empire Medal for his services. Muriel had the citation and the medal and wanted to pass it on a member of the family. Unfortunately she had no contact or knowledge of a Hinkin in this country and wondered whether the American Hinkin’s would be interested in having the medal and keeping it in their family.

I contacted Robert and Suzanne and they were delighted and honored to accept the BEM, which Muriel sent to them.

I like this story an example of the way the Internet can bring people and families together. I pleased to have been in the middle

ROBINS chairman Gerry Berman has told the town of Altrincham to get behind its football club, or run the risk of losing it.

More than a month has passed since the club's desperate financial position was made public, but Berman revealed that no-one had come forward with any kind of rescue plan for the troubled Robins.

When asked if he was looking at a matter of weeks rather than months before the club would have to fold, he said, "We just do not know.

"We do have a number of plans in action at the moment, but the substantial financial investment we are looking for has not been found.

"We are looking at reducing our expenditure, but the problem there is that we negotiated contracts with players when we were in the Conference and as a result, we are paying Conference wages.

"Wages at other clubs in this league are between a quarter and a half of what we pay.

That is something we cannot look at until the end of the season." He added, "I think that if Altrincham wants its football club to continue and prosper, it better get behind it and start supporting it.

"Crowds have dropped by around 40%, and just recently we had the lowest attendance in 44 years against Ilkeston in the FA Trophy.

"The message we want to get across is `Do the people of Altrincham want a football club?', because if they do not, we are more than happy to shut up shop."

Berman's deputy Mark Harris said "No-one is in the business of closing down football clubs deliberately, and in our case, it is not one man's decision to make anyway. I would like to think that that would be an absolute desperate and final measure.

"What is clear is that the club needs a top to bottom restructure at the end of the season.

"There are a number of uncertainties facing all clubs at the moment - not just us. The possible collapse of the transfer system, for example."

When reminded of the rumours regarding investment which would only come if he stepped down, Berman relished the opportunity to speak to the persons involved.

"I have already stated publicly that I would be happy to make that move if that was what was required, but still no-one has come forward.

"If these people do exist, let them come forward and speak to me."

He added, "We all want Altrincham FC to survive and prosper. We all have that common aim."

UNIBOND PREMIER Altrincham chairman Gerry Berman has offered to step down after it was revealed the club is £450,000 in debt and losing up to £3,000 a week.

As the crisis has bitten, players have been paid late and non-payment of bills meant the squad travelled in private cars to a match at Bamber Bridge after the regular coach company refused transport.

Altrincham have the highest wage bill in the league, but average gates have slumped to 600, a drop of almost 40 percent from last season, as manager Mark Ward has fought to keep his side in the hunt to regain their place in the Conference following relegation.

Deputy-chairman Mark Harris says the debt is not as serious as it appears, but agrees the Cheshire club - which has had nine commercial managers in five years - is in financial straits and that major restructuring and a drastic cut in the playing budget are inevitable.

"A substantial amount of the debt is in directors' loans," said Harris. "The big concern is a widening gap between income and expenditure. We did reduce the budget this season, but income has dipped alarmingly since relegation.

"We're working with external advisors on a strategy to get out of this and part of that is we are looking for a quality commercial manager.

"It's common knowledge that our wage bill is twice as much as the next club in the League and historically we've been a big payer. But when we get to the end of this season and all the player contracts are up there's no way I would be party to anything other than a drastic reduction.

"This is an accumulation of the last three or four years during which time the directors have bridged the gap. As many clubs are finding, however, it is a situation that cannot continue indefinitely."

Player-manager Ward has endured a baptism of fire during his first season. His side has been decimated by injuries, but the former West Ham and Everton man is under no illusions about the seriousness of the financial situation.

"I've been told that I've got to really reduce the squad," said Ward. "Realistically, unless there is a miracle I'm not going to be able to bring any more players in. If Ally are going to win the championship I've got to go with what I've got. But I've got so many players injured I'm down to the bare bones."

Twice FA Trophy winners and Conference champions in 1980 and 1981, Altrincham shot to national fame through FA Cup exploits in the late 1970s and early 80s when they defeated a string of Football League outfits including a 2-1 humbling of then First Division Birmingham City at St Andrews in 1986.

After that, they struggled and almost folded in May 1995 when chairman John Maunders pulled out. The club came within 12 hours of closure before a consortium led by then manager John King saved the situation, allowing local businessman Berman to take over as chairman.

Altrincham’s fortunes have continued to fluctuate and at a recent public meeting Berman claimed he had sunk "hundreds of thousands of pounds" into the club and said "enough was enough". He said he would be "happy to hand over the assets and debts" to anyone wishing to take them on and "walk away" if necessary.

Berman was unavailable for comment last right, but Alan Brotherton, vice-chairman of Save Altrincham's Football Existence (SAFE), an arm of the supporters' association that helped save the club five years ago, is concerned it may not survive this time. He also claimed that Altrincham's image as being a big Non-league dub is past its sell-by date.

"The hope is that someone will come in with money, but that hasn't been forthcoming and the situation is not getting better," said Brotherton. "Over the years it's been a myth that Altrincham have been the Manchester United of Non-League. That came about because of our Cup exploits, but the club have never been that.

"Unfortunately, the club have continued to profile themselves as 'well off'. We've got to face facts and appreciate we are no longer a Conference dub.

"Five years ago we vowed never to get in that position again and I feel sorry for Mark Ward who must have his hands tied.

"But if we get through until May there has to be a massive restructuring. Our priority is to ensure Altrincham survives, whether that means playing park players in the team or not."

ALTRINCHAM, often dubbed the Manchester United of non-League, are fighting for survival again.

Five years after millionaire chairman John Maunders' exit left the Robins on the brink of extinction, the future of the proud Moss Lane club is once more on the line.

The small group of shareholders who attended Alty's AGM on Monday were left in no doubt about the depth of the financial crisis as chairman, Gerry Berman, and his board re-emphasised that they're struggling to keep the ailing Robins airborne.

Dwindling attendance’s and an equally alarming decline in commercial activity have left Berman and his directors unable to continue bridging the gap between income and expenditure.

It's common knowledge Altrincham's wage bill remains the highest in the UniBond League in spite of player-manager Mark Ward's continuing efforts to trim his budget - efforts which this week saw him move to loan out Richard Landon and Barry Crowe to Droylsden.

With 17 contract players on their staff, Altrincham are committed, until the end of this season, to a wage structure which directors are now being forced to review but have no easy way of reducing.

Alty's relegation back to the UniBond League last summer after just one season in the Nationwide Conference was a blow for which they simply hadn't bargained.

The perilous position the club now finds itself in has prompted deputy-chairman Mark Harris to issue a desperate plea for support.

Harris told the Pink: "The board would welcome news that there are people out there who would want to come in and save the club, but, so far, the silence has been deafening.

"All we were able to do on Monday was advise the shareholders that we're holding a series of meetings with external advisers to try to develop a strategy to get us out of this mess.

"We're also looking at ways to streamline the football club and reduce expenditure.

"None of the directors here is on an ego-trip of wanting to keep control for control's sake. But whoever came in would have to shoulder the financial burden until the end of the season. I suspect that there are people out there waiting until the 59th minute of the 11th hour before they move to step in, which I understand is good business sense.

"Unfortunately, that won't help those of us currently running the club to hand it over in its best possible condition."

Harris has emphasised his chairman's message that, unlike Radcliffe, Altrincham aren't up for sale - because, he says, the club is no one person's to sell.

While Berman is the largest single shareholder, no individual has a majority to give them control.