I must admit that I was disappointed the other day to read some unpleasant things had been written about me in a recent Altrincham program.

In the article - the writer - who I won't name here -not only slagged off yours truly but also our ground, our pitch, our floodlights … you name it.

And why? Because we had the temerity to annihilate his precious team the other week. I’ve never heard such sour grapes in all my life.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for all that Altrincham have achieved in the past and count their manager, Bernard Taylor, as a friend.

But I’m surprised they should have seem fit to print this rubbish; even though in a strange sort of way, I'm slightly chuffed they should have devoted a couple of pages to Droylsden – because it shows how much the football lesson we gave hurt them. Before I'm finished on the subject, let me ask the author of the piece one question: `Now much of your money have you put into Altrincham Football Club?'

You see, I've sunk well over a million quid into Droylsden and, while you might not think that - apart from a first-class main stand and social club - we've got a of to show for it, I can't see you doing that for your club, even it you were to win a fortune on the Lottery. And before you start accusing me of being so filthy rich that I don't miss the odd million, I can tell you categorically that I'm not,

Yes, I'm lucky enough to have made a bob or two, but I'm still a working lad who is out grafting by seven in the morning and rarely home by the same time in the evenings.

At least, too, we can say at Droylsden that what we've got has been paid for by ourselves.

Sure, Moss Lane is a superior ground to ours the fact it's been given a Nationwide League grading proves that - but I shudder to think how many handouts Alty have deceived for stadium improvements over the years.

The same can be said here in Tameside of our neighbours, Stalybridge and Hyde, who are always at the front of the queue when there's any money to be dished cut, which is one of the reasons why I'll be shedding no tears when both of them are relegated next month.

It will be interesting to see how far Stalybridge have to sink before Torn Pendry and his associates at the Football Foundation start looking for another team in Tameside they can help.

As for Hyde, their pleas for financial aid have became so embarrassing that seriously expect their directors to be busking outside the turnstiles next time I go there!

Having said that, at least it would make a change from having a bucket shovel under your nose every time you set foot in Ewen Fields.

As for ourselves, I don't really need to say much at the moment because our football is saying it for me.

I've turned our fortunes round in a way which no-one thought possible and, in the process, proved I'm not as barmey as some people thought when I said back in December that I believe there is no better manager than me in the UniBond League.

Our recent victories over Alty and Lancaster have shown what we're capable of and I've told the lads that alt we are lacking now is a degree of consistency.

Every one of our players has told me they want to be here next season, and, so it's now up to them to prove to me they're good enough for that.

The atmosphere around the place is excellent, and the only thing which continues to bug me is that the people of Droylsden still don't seem to be aware that the town now has a cracking little team which, with one or two additions, could be a formidable force next season.

Yet I haven't paid a penny for a player this season and am operating on a budget nothing like that at Altrincham. Now who's the crackpot?

Dave Pace has snapped back at criticism of Droylsden's pitch following the Bloods' 2-0 midweek victory over Altrincham.

Robins’ boss Bernard Taylor refuses to be drawn into the debate, although, he was known to be furious about the state of the Butcher’s Arms surface.

But one Alty official, reporting on the defeat on the Robins' clubcall line, claimed the pitch looked "more like a ploughed field than a football field."

Pace whose side, by Altrincham's admission ran out worthy winners, says such comments are no more than sour grapes and refutes suggestions that Droylsden "doctored" the surface to put the Robins off.

The Bloods' chief said: "I'm not getting away from the fact that the pitch was a little muddy, but it looked worse than how it actually played.

"And it's rubbish to suggest we deliberately churned it up beforehand. As anyone who has seen us this season will testify, we're now a much more creative side than we used to be.

"In fact, Alty can consider they got off lightly, because, if the pitch had been better, we'd have beaten them 6-0."

Pace hopes the victory, which followed a 3-1 win at Gainsborough, will inspire Droylsden to strike out for a top-six finish.

It's all a far cry from November, when Droylsden were in freefall - a run which, says Pace, was the result of him being distracted by his father's death.

Altrincham, meanwhile, now need to perform a minor miracle if they're to snatch the UniBond League title silverware from under the noses of season-long leaders Burton.

To complete a bad night for the Robins, skipper Steve Hawes was sent off along with Droylsden's former Alty defender Adam Farley and must now serve a three-match ban which will keep him out of the UniBond Cheshire Senior Cup final against Crewe at Northwich a week on Tuesday.

ALTRINCHAM'S supporters' association has reached a mile-stone in its fundraising efforts for the club.

SAFE, which was formed six years ago, recently donated s £4,000 to the ailing club a contribution which takes the total raised in that time to more than £50 000.

And club chairman Mark Harris paid tribute to the tireless work of both the members and the committee.

I don't think the club will ever , be able to fully express its thanks to Safe for what they have done for the club. They have raised, on average, £10,000 per season and that is a phenomenal amount of money.

"I think I speak for everyone at Altrincham Football Club when I say that we all recognize the huge debt we owe not only the SAFE committee but the members, as both groups play a vital part in raising that money - and it is no exaggeration to say that this money keeps the club going, added Harris.

And, according to SAFE committee member Alan Brotherton there will be no let-up in the Association's fundraising efforts "We want to continue ou fundraising efforts as before, and we also have a number of new ideas in the pipeline.

"When you look at how much money the club needs, £4,000 may seem to some people as drop in the ocean, but every little bit helps," he added.

"Anyone who wants to be involved with SAFE can feel free to come into the SAFE cabin on match day. We're always on recruitment drive to make SAFE and the club stronger and more successful. "Everyone would like to think of Alty as a UniBond top-half club, and eventually a Conference club, but that doesn't happen automatically, and that why we want to double our efforts."

• Altrincham fell even further behind in the league with a 2-0 defeat at Droylsden on Tuesday night.

A bad tempered affair on poor pitch saw Alty captain Steve Hawes and former Alty defender Adam Farley ordered off. a Goals came from Darren Wright and Nigel Evans

CASH-STRAPPED Altrincham have been dealt another blow -this time by the weather.

Ground staff arrived at Moss Lane to find huge panes of glass from the side of the main stand had been blown out during night gales.

The cost of replacing the glass is expected to run into thousands of pounds, just two weeks after the UniBond Premier club - losing £2,000 a week and believed to be £100,000 in debt -announced cuts to the playing budget.

"The damage has all been cleared and we can play home games," said assistant manager Graham Heathcote. "The loss adjudicators have been out, but we don't know exactly how much the work will cost.

"The supporters in the stand might get a bit cold with nothing to protect them from the wind, but we'll just have to warm them up with the football!"

The stand at Moss Lane showing the storm damage - How do you take a picture of a window that's not there? Stewards Maria and son Adam came up with the answer - put your arms through

ALTRINCHAM boss Bernard Taylor fears the Robins' chance of pipping season-long leaders Burton to the UniBond League title could be wrecked by a looming fixture crisis.

Taylor needs no reminding of the circumstances in which Alty were relegate from the Nationwide Conference two years ago, when a nightmare run of eigh games in the final three weeks of the campaign proved to be their downfall.

Altrincham are already certain to face a similar April fixture glut this time having gone into yesterday's home clash with Bishop Auckland with a daunting 19 league matches still to play in just two months..

And Taylor, whose gutsy side also have a UniBond Cheshire Senior Cup final date with Crewe at Northwich a fortnight on Tuesday, confesses he's worried that, courageous as his players are, they'll be hard-pressed to keep winning once their current schedule of two matches a week becomes a punishing three - or even four.

"Of course I'm concerned about the scale of the backlog we're now facing. I'd say it was a major worry" he said.

"I'm not saying we're the only ones with a problem, because all the teams around us have probably got one or two more games left than they'd like.

"That even applies to Burton, particularly if they succeed in reaching the two-legged FA Trophy semi-finals. But they already have points that we're still chasing - and a squad big enough to cope with the demands of a difficult run-in."

Taylor added: "Considering all the injuries we've got and the fact there's no money to bring in replacements, our lads have done marvellously to keep us in contention as long as they lave.

"It's easy for me to say we'll battle till we drop because I don't have to go out and play It's the players who deserve the credit and we can only hope they can somehow keep going."

Altrincham's sick-list will grow latter this week when Danny Murphy goes into hospital for a hernia operatiion.

He, like team-mates Jason Gallagher and Chris Adams, who are both recovering from similar surgery is not expected to play again this season.

Paul Taylor, who limped off with a groin strain in last week-ends 3-0 win at Blyth, is, according to his manager, looking in real need of a rest after a long run of games following his return from a knee op in December.

Boss Taylor, who less than a month ago faced having to trim his already wafer-thin squad due to cost-cutting, has so far managed to resist such calls and, ironically, is now hoping his Macclesfield counterpart Dave Moss might do him a favour by agreeing to loan him. a player.

But Alty's headaches aren't confined to the pitch as their main stand suffered serious damage during Monday night's gales and staff reported for work on Tuesday to be confronted by a scene of devastation.

The matter is now in the hands of the club's insurers.

Possible good news for Alty however, is Burton's continued interest in the FA Umbro Trophy, which could just prove to be a distraction to their title ambitions.

Meanwhile, Droylsden chief Dave Pace, who has just completed the signing of Chester's Darren Wright following the striker's successful loan stint with the Bloods, has vowed to do Altrincham no championship favours when they arrive at the Butcher's Arms on Tuesday

Pace, outspoken as ever, but, for once, with his tongue firmly in cheek, said: "If I've got anything to do with it, Altrincham will still be playing in the UniBond League next season. I like Bernard so much that I'm determined to kwwp running in to him.