CURATE Jeremy Tear seemed to have taken Alex Ferguson's plea for football fans to sit down to heart - when he sat in every seat at Altrincham's Moss Lane ground.

Jeremy  sat in all of the 1,084 seats at the Robin's ground within 32 minutes.

The assistant chaplain to Altrincham Football Club took on the unusual challenge to raise funds for SCORE, the sports chaplaincy charity - and his efforts raked in about £400.

Jeremy says: "`I have done a number of sponsored events in the past but this is by far the most unusual. The club and the churches in the Timperley parish have been very supportive. It brings a whole new meaning to the words I use each Sunday - `please be seated'!"

BERNARD Taylor only had one thought on his mind on Tuesday night: "It's good to be back!"

And he highlighted two players as real hopes for the future.

Speaking after an entertaining 1-1 draw with Barrow on Tuesday night, he said, "It was a

very good game, between two good sides.

"We created so many chances, especially in that second half, and it's a pity we didn't put more of them away.

"I didn't go the match up at their place, but I am told it was much the same up there."

He paid tribute to Rod Thornley, saying, "The lad works so hard, and he got on the end of so many chances, especially in the second half."

Indeed, Thornley could well have added a second hat-trick in two games for the Robins, with his luck running out on a host of second half chances.

Bernard also had a good word for winger Paul Edwards, who had another storming game on the left side.

"Paul is a good player, and we are pleased with everything about him. We are pleased with his fitness, his attitude and Graham Heathcote, I know, is pleased to be working with him in training," finished Bernard.

Edwards has signed from Mid- Cheshire side Knutsford until the end of the season, and is enjoying his time at Moss Lane.

He said, "I thought tonight's was a good game, I enjoyed it.

"I'm here till the end of the season, and we'll just see what happens then, but I am enjoying playing at Moss Lane."

• A draw was a fair result on Tuesday night, as Robins were put to the test by an impressive Barrow side, who are undefeated in 12 matches.

The 1-1 scoreline did not reflect on an action-packed match, however, as Robins created at least eight chances, only converting one

Thornley was first to rattle the Barrow rearguard on seven minutes, seizing on a reverse pass from Finney, but his shot went straight to Bishop in the visitor's goal.

As on Sunday, Alty held territorial advantage for the best part of the first half, but unlike Sunday, only had one goal to show for it at half-time.

Thornley tackled Wayne Bullimore out side Barrow's box and got the rub of the green when the ball broke loose into space.

Thornely looked to be on for his fifth goal in three games, but he saw Finney in better space at the far post and coolly squared it to him.

It was just the latest in a long line of signs that Alty now have a forward line to be proud of.

The Robins held the lead until the 82nd minute, when Scott Maxfield fired in a deep cross from wide, and Stuart Coburn could do nothing about Grant Holt's bullet header.

A frustrating finish for Robins, who could have had the points sewn up by the hour mark.

ALTRINCHAM chairman Mark Harris has denied making a hasty decision in sacking Mark Ward after only eight months in charge at Moss Lane.

Former West Ham and Everton star Ward has worked under severe financial restrictions, but the board have decided he is not the man to lead them back into the Conference.

Ward met officials the day after their 3-0 win over Droylsden, to be told the decision to sack him had been made before the game.

Harris said the club have fired Ward because of:

• concerns over his ability to work on an even tighter budget next season.

• worries over the club's poor disciplinary record which could land them with a £10,000 suspended fine from the FA.

• embarrassment over Ward's comments to the press about other UniBond clubs.

Harris has installed Graham Heathcote and Bernard Taylor, the duo who previously won the side promotion to the Conference, in charge until the summer.

Within 48 hours of Ward's dismissal, Altrincham had received half a dozen enquiries for the post.

With around 12 players' contracts up in the summer an appointment could be sooner rather than later to allow the new manager to assess his squad.

But the possibility of the club being left with only three contracted players did not stop the board from firing Ward.

Harris said: "We have taken the view that we have missed the title by so many points on a much higher budget, we need somebody who perhaps has more of a record in working with a smaller budget.

"We didn't hire Mark with the intention of sacking him if he didn't win promotion. We have to make sure we pick the right person. We want success but there also has to be a degree of patience.

Patience was a luxury which Ward appears to have been denied. "I can understand how people would say that." said Harris. "Unfortunately this has been a matter of saying that this club has lived beyond its means for too long."

Harris admits that Ward, who could negotiate a pay-off of up to £60,000, has done everything asked of him. The former manager has overseen the departure of seven players to help ease a crippling £6,000 a week wage bill.

ALTRINCHAM'S acting chairman Mark Harris has dismissed claims that the shock sacking of manager Mark Ward was set up by directors to allow Bernard Taylor and Graham Heathcote to return to the helm.

Ward, who has yet to speak publicly about his dismissal other than to say he's "stunned, gutted and disgusted" by it, was axed last Sunday and, within 72 hours, the Alty board had announced that Taylor and Heathcote had accepted their offer to take the reins until the end of the season.

That led to talk that the affair had been `stage managed' to bring back the pair who guided the Robins to promotion to the Conference as UniBond champions in May 1999 before splitting up seven months later when Heathcote quit as coach in a row over Stan Allan's recruitment to the club's backroom staff.

Those whispers have been fuelled by the recent appointment of Taylor's son, Anthony, as Altrincham's vice-chairman, but Harris refutes suggestions of a family conspiracy, saying: "I can state categorically that the events of the last week have not been a cosmetic exercise.

"If the board had made up their minds to appoint Bernard and Graham permanently, we would simply have done that.

"On the contrary, what we're doing by bringing them back as caretakers is buying ourselves time so we can look at those declaring an interest in the job and identify the right person or people, with a view to making an appointment early in the summer.

"Bernard and Graham were logical choices to step in while we do that, first and foremost because, as general manager and club secretary, they are already on our payroll.

"Neither of them has so far said they'd want to manage the team on a permanent basis and both are fully aware of the board's intentions."

Taylor, too, insists he has no thoughts of his return being longterm, saying: "I've been asked to take charge until the end of the season and I'm not looking beyond that. And I think Graham would say the same."

Nevertheless, the current position is strikingly similar to that of three years ago, when Taylor was

made caretaker following John King's resignation and, despite saying he didn't want the job permanently, went on to steer Alty to five trophies in 27 months!

Altrincham will have no shortage of quality candidates to select from if, as Harris says they will, they choose to look further than Taylor and Heathcote. Such well-known names as Peter Davenport, Paul Futcher and Mark Carter have already indicated their interest.

The excellent achievements of Leigh's Steve Waywell, Stalybridge's Phil Wilson and, in previous seasons, of Hyde's Mike McKenzie, won't have escaped the attention of Moss Lane directors either, although, given the club's precarious financial state whether they could head-hunt such a high-profile manager must be open to doubt.

Meanwhile, Ward, 38, whose backroom team of Tony Murphy and Joey Dunn have gone with him, remains on Altrincham': books as a player.

The ex-Manchester City star out with a knee injury which could leaving him facing a second op in six months, has been speaking to the PFA about his contract which runs until May next year.

By now, most Alty fans will be aware that we parted company with player-manager Mark Ward last weekend. The decision to relieve Mark of his managerial responsibilities was made at a board meeting prior to the Droylsden match, and I wanted to take this opportunity to explain why the directors have taken this course of action, and the timing of it.

On behalf of the board I wish to express my thanks to Mark Ward for having undertaken his first managerial job in the most difficult of circumstances. It cannot have been easy to remain focused on the footballing side of the job in the light of the financial crisis facing the club, let alone deal with the challenges of combining the roles of player and manager. Mark was brought to this club to get us back into the Conference with a side that he, like us, felt was more than capable of achieving this goal. Injuries have meant that we never enjoyed the true benefit of the on-field influence a fully-fit Mark Ward would have exerted.

Unfortunately, partly due to circumstances beyond Mark's control, we will probably end this season around 30 points off top spot, and have really failed to mount a serious title challenge throughout the campaign despite having a wage bill twice that of any other UniBond club, and three times that of most.

As I explained in the Bamber Bridge programme, the financial reality is that we were losing £5,000 a week EVERY week prior to Christmas, and although we have already reduced the operating losses and are now setting about increasing income to close the gap further, in order to survive Altrincham F.C. must next season adopt a wage bill substantially below the £4,200 per week level set by the board and with which Mark complied. We are working on budgets for every area of the club's income and expenditure, but our feet remain firmly on the ground when it comes to predicting what we'll bring into the club coffers next year. You cannot budget to sell another Kevin Ellison, or for a (long overdue) FA Cup run.

The old saying of "horses for courses" applies nowhere more than in football, and the board reached the unanimous decision that the club needs a manager with more experience of working with limited resources and of spotting players from throughout non-league football and locally. Danny Murphy, and before him Danny Adams have been shining examples of the talent available locally. If we were unable to challenge for the title on £5,000 a week despite changing 75% of playing personnel, then we reluctantly concluded that Mark would be unlikely to assemble a squad capable of winning the UniBond on substantially less. And before anyone accuses the club's directors of lacking ambition, let me make it clear that we are totally committed to returning to the Conference, and that the 22 other managers of UniBond Premier League clubs would be only too happy to work on the budget which will be available to the new management team, whoever they might be.

Despite being the predominate factor behind Mark's departure, there were others, some of which must remain confidential between the board and Mark. The club has been under threat of a £10,000 suspended fine being imposed by the Football Association for our disciplinary record last season. We had impressed on Mark the importance on ensuring that our record this season reflected a substantial improvement, but although our tally of sendings-off has been much better, the number of bookings has led to the F.A. warning us that we are in danger of having the suspended fine imposed. Mark's own disciplinary record did not, we felt, set the appropriate example to his players.

Finally, it is a matter of record that Mark was often outspoken in his views expressed through press articles. Despite having been given a clear instruction to the contrary at Christmas, Mark has since made a number of public statements that have been detrimental to the image of Altrincham Football Club. Specifically, his comments before and after the Stalybridge fixture caused considerable embarrassment to the club, particularly as we enjoy an excellent relationship with our friends from Bower Fold. Mark is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and who believes in speaking his mind; unfortunately it is not always possible to do so.

On Monday, the directors invited Bernard Taylor and Graham Heathcote to take on the roles of caretaker manager and caretaker coach respectively. They will take charge of team affairs until the end of the season, giving the board the chance to assess the interest already being declared, and that yet to be shown, in the Moss Lane hot seat. We are in no hurry to make an appointment because we need to be absolutely sure that the man we go for has all the qualities we believe are required. Bernard and Graham will also have the chance to show what they can do, although the fact that their partnership took the club to 10th spot in the Conference means that their credentials to fulfill this temporary role are obvious.

My phone has been red hot this week, and I expect that to continue in the six weeks remaining this season. To close, I would like to make the final point that the decisions made last weekend were not those of one or two men. Both the decision to relieve Mark Ward of his managerial responsibilities and that of the timing of the decision were made by eight of us collectively. We wish Mark every success in the future, and must now concentrate on our own.

BERNARD Taylor is back in charge at Altrincham - as predicted by MEN Sport.

The former Moss Lane chief has accepted the Robins' offer to step In as caretaker-manager in place of the axed Mark Ward.

And Taylor's coach will be Alty's secretary, Graham Heathcote, restoring the partnership which guided the club to promotion to the Nationwide Conference as UniBond League champions two years ago.

The pair have agreed to hold the fort until the end of the season, by which time Robins' directors expect to have found a permanent boss.

Taylor and Heathcote's first game back at the helm will be Sunday's home UniBond premier division clash with Accrington.

Altrincham's Acting Chairman Mark Harris has confirmed Robins have asked former chief Bernard Taylor and Graham Heathcote to take charge in the wake of the shock dismissal of manager Mark Ward

The pair have apparently yet to respond but despite having split in December 99, it would be a surprise if either of them were to turn down Alty's offer to renew the partnership which promoted the Robin's into the National Conference and took the UniBond League Championship only two years ago 

MARK Ward was last night sensationally sacked as manager of cash-strapped Altrincham after just nine months in the Moss Lane hot-seat.

The former Manchester City and Oldham star, appointed in the wake of Alty’s relegation from the Nationwide Conference, was told of his dismissal in a meeting with the club's acting chairman Mark Harris and a fellow director.

Harris emerged to say: "The board have relieved Mark of his managerial responsibilities with regret, although he remains under contract with us as a player until the summer of next year.

"We appreciate his efforts in what has been a very difficult season but, after much consideration, we feel we need to bring in a manager with more non-League knowledge."

Ward, whose sacking comes with Altrincham lying fifth in the UniBond Premier Division, but with their promotion chances having disappeared, said: "I'm shocked and gutted by this, but I don't want to say too much at the moment.

"But I will be making a full statement once I've been in touch with the PFA about the terms of my contract.

Ironically, Ward was axed 24 hours after the Robins recorded only their third league victory this year - a comfortable 3-0 home win over Droylsden thanks to goals from Ian Craney, Danny Murphy and new signing Rod Thornley

Altrincham are, says Harris, in "no rush" to appoint a successor. Directors are understood to be poised to ask former chiefs Bernard Taylor and Graham Heathcote, who remain with the club as general manager and secretary, if they'll step in on a caretaker basis until the end of the season.

Mark Ward relieved of his managerial duties

Graham Heathcote, secretary of Altrincham FC told me that Mark Ward has been relieved of his managerial duties.  Heathcote and Bernard Taylor have been approached to act as caretaker managers. However there are a number of matters to be discussed and a decision will not be known until Wednesday at the earliest.  More news as it comes to hand

Football Backs Supporters Direct

Since our last newsletter was published, Supporters Direct have developed strong and positive links with both the FA Premier League and the Football League. We have had meetings with both, and the crucial point is both leagues accept that since Supporters Direct derives its origin from the third report of the Football Task Force Investing in the Community, which was unanimous, they have in effect already endorsed our aims and objectives and our operation.

Our key contacts are David Burns, the new Chief Executive of the Football League, and Kathryn Robinson, Head of Customer Strategy at the Premier League. Both have agreed to become involved and to promote constructive dialogue if we encounter any problems in our dealings with individual member clubs.

In fact, it may surprise some readers to know that we have encountered very little antagonism or opposition from the boards of football clubs. We, or the local groups, have encountered stony silence from a few, but in many cases we have received a positive welcome. Many trusts are forming with the public support of clubs and their boards, who realise that they are being offered constructive partnership.

Since we now, at the time of writing, have contact with supporters groups of 105 clubs, including the vast majority in all four English divisions, it appears unlikely that we will encounter major opposition within the football industry other than a few `local difficulties'. 19 Trusts have now been formed, with a further 9 in the pipeline, only six months after we received our initial funding. The number of trusts with significant shareholdings, and elected directors, is slowly but surely increasing.

All this convinces us that we are witnessing an irreversible sea-change in the relationship between clubs and their fans, and ultimately in the governance of the game itself.

As I have said before, let the force be with you!

WARD told "Enough!"

ALTRINCHAM boss Mark Ward has been told to stop what he's doing, because the board have had enough.

The club's cost-cutting drive have seen eight player pared off the first team squad, reducing it to 10.

However - to Wards' obvious relief - acting chairman Mark Harris and the new-look Moss Lane board have given him the all clear to see out the rest of the season with the skeleton crew he has left.

Speaking to SAM sport earlier this week, Ward said, " have been told that the eight or so players I have cut from the squad was enough and thank God really, because I would not have been left with a team, if more cutting was required.

"It's now a case of seeing out the rest of the season with what we have left, and trying to win as many games as possible. We need to show we can mount an even more serious challenge next season."

The latest round of squad reduction has seen Richard Landon move to UniBond First Division outfit Vauxhall Motors on a free transfer, and James Glendenning has been farmed out to St Helen's Town for the remainder of the campaign.

Ward added, "I am now working closely with the board, putting together the plans for next season and soon I will know what I have to work with next season.

Looking back, this has been a very important season for Altrincham Football Club.

"We were a matter of hours from going under, and to be honest, we have emerged with a more realistic idea of our standing. Namely, Altrincham FC are not the force they used to be.

"We've been realistic enough to recognise the need to cut 8 players from the first team squad and work with what we have left. Also, we are realistic enough to start living within our means.

ALTRINCHAM'S acting chairman Mark Harris has issued Moss Lane fans with a sharp reminder that the hard-up Robins remain on the edge of a financial precipice.

The potential £100,000 Alty will receive from the sale of winger Kevin Ellison to Leicester, plus talk of a further six-figure rake-off should their former defender Paul Ellender step up to the Nationwide League from Scarborough, has, says the Robins' chief, left many supporters believing the club has escaped the mire.

But Harris, who stepped into the Moss Lane chair, in a temporary basis following Gerry Berman's bombshell resignation six -reeks ago, says all the £50,000 Altrincham have so far earned from the Ellison deal has done is pay off a fraction of the club's crippling debts.

Harris says it remains as important as ever that fans do their bit by helping raise every last penny of potentially life-saving revenue for the stricken UniBond premier division outfit.

Harris told the Pink:

"No one should forget that it's only a matter of weeks since we came extremely close to closing. And we're still a long, long way from being out of the wood."

Latest additions to the Alty board are Jeremy Pollitt, managing director of Cheshire-based Hillcrest Homes, who will be responsible for commercial affairs, fellow businessman Bob Green, a longstanding Robins' fan who now lives in Norfolk, and David Tracey, a former consultant to the club, who's been given the role of financial director.

Returning to the board is Gerald Deaffurn, while Terry Brumpton, former commercial manager of Conference outfit Hednesford, starts his new job tomorrow as Altrincham's sales manager.

Altrincham have just launched a fighting fund which directors hope will have generated £60,000 by the end of the year from a series of planned fund raising events.

Robins' chiefs are also keen to attract more young fans to games and, with this in mind, they're issuing a family ticket for their home clash wit Accrington on Mother' Day, Sunday March 25 offering free admission to an adult and up to two children.

Meanwhile, cuts made so far to manager Mark Ward's wage bill will, say Harris, have the effect of pruning Alty's budget expenditure for the season by 20 per cent.

Directors are already working- on a business plan which should soon enable them to fix a wage bill for next term, giving Ward plenty of time to plan ahead.

Harris added: "It's no fault of the manager's that we're in this mess and he understands as well as anyone that we simply cannot pursue success at any price.

"We simply have to reduce our spending, how ever unpopular that might prove, but that does not mean we lack ambition neither do we want to damage the professionalism of the club.

"What we must ensure though, is that the club is still here to realise our ambitions."

Harris has revealed however, that he suspects not everyone associated with Alty wants to see the new board's effort succeed.

He said: "I cannot name names, but I'm aware that there are certain people - around and about us who are hoping we'll fail. For the sake of all true Alty fans, I hope we can disappoint them."

Harris also makes it r clear that he has no ambitions to remain as chairman, saying: "As an Altrincham fan for many years, it's a massive honour for me to be serving club and supporters as acting chairman.

"But if someone wants to come in with the f resources required to put the club back on its feet I'll be only too pleased to step aside."

ALTRINCHAM'S acting chairman Mark Harris this week announced further investment into the cash-strapped club, adding that there may be more to come.

He welcomed three new names to the Moss Lane staff and hinted at what he called, "substantial investment into the club."

Long-standing supporter David Tracey takes up the reins as financial director; Lancashire-based businessman Gerald Deaffurn is welcomed back and Terry Brumpton is appointed as Commercial manager.

Terry holds the same position at Hednesford Town and, as Harris says, "comes to the club with a proven track record".

"We are all working hard at preparing the budget for next season and in two to three weeks time, I hope to be able to tell the manager what he will have to work with next season," he said.

Also, the club is talking to a couple of big investors and if we are successful in realizing the interest that has been declared, it would see substantial amounts of money coming in to the club.

"On a personal note, I hopeful that either or both o these discussions will reach fruition and that anybody with the future of Altrincham FC at heart will help pave the way to realizing these important opportunities."

• Altrincham gave a trial to Congleton Town striker Rod Thornley against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.

He could not help the Robins, as they crashed to a 5-1 defeat to the Conference side.

• Robins' penalty hoodo struck again on Tuesday night as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands - of in-form Bamber Bridge at a rain-lashed Moss Lane.

Steve Finney gave Robins the perfect start after 12 minutes, but Bridge's Phil Robinson equalised three minutes later after Coburn conceded the penalty.

Dave McCann secured the full complement of points for the visitors with a 57th minute goal.

Two new Directors

David Tracey, who will be responsible for financial administration and Gez Deaffern have been elected to the Board of Altrincham FC

ALTRINCHAM FC manager Mark Ward has launched a scathing attack on last Saturday's opponents, Stalybridge Celtic, adding how disappointed he would be if they won promotion.

Speaking to SAM sport earlier this week, he said, "I'm honest in my opinion about other teams and I do think that it would be a sad sight if they won the UniBond.

"They don't really play football - they go totally against the grain.

"We created a lot more possession and chances than they did, it's just that we have lacked a real cutting edge up front and we have done all season."

Ward confirmed that the club will be looking for next season's players in lower leagues, mainly because of the strict wage structure which will be put in place.

• Altrincham's next league game is against Bamber Bridge at home on Tuesday night, and to cover two blank Saturdays on March 3 and March 10, Ward was hoping to organise friendlies against Doncaster and Manchester City respectively.

 Ward's Celtic blast

ALTRINCHAM boss Mark Ward launched an amazing attack on Stalybridge after his rocking Robins failed to halt the Tamesiders' UniBond title juggernaut.

A 74th-minute strike by defender Dominic Crookes gave Bridge a 1-0 win over ailing Alty which keeps them hot-on-the-heels of Premier Division pacesetters Emley, who crushed Colwyn Bay 4-1.

Celtic's triumph was the perfect answer to Ward's pre-match boast that, man for man, Altrincham are better than their Bower Fold rivals.

But the former Manchester City star was unrepentant afterwards.

Ward rapped: "I was disappointed because I thought we dominated, but, for me, Stalybridge don't play football. They just launch the ball."

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