Altrincham FC Supporters Association
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SAFE wants your support
SAFE wants your membership not only for your membership fee but also to demonstrate support for the Club
SAFE is the Supporters Association for Altrincham Football Club. It was formed three years ago initially with the specific task of saving the Club from extinction. Hence the initials SAFE which stood for Save Altrincham Football existance. It succeed in that task and now acts as the Supporters Association. Over the last thee years it raised £24,000.00 for the Club. Last year this was £8,000.00. Membership last year was 300 but more members are needed. Those supporters from outside the area and overseas who cannot regularly attend matches are particularly urged to join
The benefits of joining SAFE are
Membership starts on the day of joining and the fees are Adults £3.00. Junior (under 16) £1.00. Senior Citizen £1.50, Family (2 Adults and 4 Children) £5.00
You can easily join by completing and e-mailing the membership form, after which you will be invoiced for your fee, then sent your card or you can send your details and cheque directly to the Club at Altrincham Football Club Moss Lane Altrincham Cheshire WA15 8AP telephone inquires can be made to the Club at 0161 928 1045
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The gallant losers.
Below is a photo of the SAFE team which lost to "The class of 78" which were those Alty player who were in the team which won the 1978 FA Trophy at Wembley
Cliff our photographer apologises for the quality of the photo which is not up to his
superb standard. It was a lousy night, dark and raining, the white blobs are drops of rain
caught in the time the shutter was open.
For those of you who do not know the ring master Paul Johnson (no relation) who organises
the Alty email ring site is kneeling on the front row on the extreme left facing the
picture.
I regret I can not give you the names of the others apart from the organiser of the match
Bill Coop who is fifth right from SAFE Chairman Peter Read on the extreme left and 5 left
from SAFE Secretary Alan Brotherton, the other one in "civi" clothes third from
the right.
It would be nice if someone could provide all the names.
I had to make some compromises on the size of the file, which is larger than I would like, but as I thought it would be nice to thank those who played for SAFE and as its the end of the season I thought viewers would be prepared to accept a longer down load time than usual. Since then I have discovered thumbnails!
Double click to enlarge
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Junior Robins News
The Junior Robins scheme has been very successful in attracting youngsters to Moss Lane. SAFE is always looking for new members and if you're under 14 years old, you can join and receive a number of great offers: a mention in the match programme when it's your birthday, a birthday card signed by your favourite Alty player, a free match ticket for every SK matches attended, free entry to the Junior Robins Christmas Party, a 10% discount at Scott Sport, Cooper Sports and the Robins' shop.
Membership costs just £5 a year. To join, send your name, address and date of birth together with a cheque for £5 made payable to SAFE to: Junior Robins, Altrincham FC, Moss Lane Altrincham Cheshire WA15 8AP
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SAFE (Save Altrincham's Football Existence). Its chairman Peter Read describes the reasons for its formation and the changes that have occurred recently.
SAFE is the Supporters Association of Altrincham F. C., although originally it was started as a campaigning pressure group to ensure the survival of the football club in May 1995.
When the Chairman John Maunders announced his decision to part company with Altrincham F.C. in early May 1995, his statement concluded with ominous words about closure of the club being unavoidable if no satisfactory offer for Maunders share holding was forthcoming. This effectively gave the club a limbo period of just four weeks to find a buyer before the Vauxhall Conference A.G. M.
This was a hammer blow to the supporters of Altrincham F. C., a club with a proud non-league heritage, the most successful F. A. Cup giant killers of the last 20 years, and at the end of a season that had hinted at the long awaited renaissance of the club, with 4th place in the Conference, a Cheshire Cup Final appearance, and a glamour F. A. Cup tie at Tottenham Hotspurs having been achieved.
With directors resigning, the management team with no club to manage, the players in contractual no-mans land, in May 1995 Altrincham F. C. was nothing more nor less than its supporters. With a news blackout at Moss lane adding to the feelings of despair and confusion, a group of friends who were long time supporters of the club decided that something positive had to be done.
John Wood and I visited the local press and were given every encouragement and support. Word got around about an informal meeting and over 60 people turned up; we outlined our plans, which were to raise money, raise awareness of the dire situation at the club, show any potential purchasers of the club that support would be forthcoming, and provide organisation, a voice and focus for the supporters of the club. A committee was elected and we set to work.
Our main aim was to ensure the continuation of a football team playing under the name of Altrincham. We had no illusions about the chances of funding a Conference team - we were preparing at the worst to enter a team in either the North west Counties or Mid Cheshire Leagues and to build from there. Enquiries were made about the lease of Moss Lane, entering lower leagues; local and regional newspapers and radio showed great interest and support. T-shirts were designed and printed, social events organised, and a myriad of phone calls made and letters written to any name in football who we thought might help.
We held a public meeting which packed in over 300 supporters who rapturously acclaimed the speech of SAFE's guest, manager John King. A consortium of business men spoke of their plan to acquire the club and spirits rose. By Thursday June 8th , two days before the Conference AGM and one day before the declaration of membership deadline, all these hopes had been shattered. All known bids had been rejected and a growing sense of doom descended on Moss Lane. SAFE's committee were preparing for the worst, when at 6.55 p.m. on Thursday 8th June, the press officer of Altrincham FC rang barely able to contain his excitement. He had just heard that John King , Altrincham's manager, had walked away from a meeting at John Maunders house with all the previous Chairman's shares. It was a moment all of us who had been involved in so passionately in the previous four weeks would never forget.
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Altrincham fans showing their support for John King outside the GMVC League AGM in Blackpool following his eleventh hour rescue. The SAFE Chairman Peter Read together with the saviour John King.
On the following Monday SAFE met the clubs new board and were given a set of keys to the Moss Lane home ground. This was a concrete expression of the new openness and unity that, I am glad to say , still exists between directors and fans.
To date SAFE has: raised £16,000, held quiz nights, race nights, discos, sponsored walks, sponsored bike rides, coffee mornings, car boot sales, raffles, re-launched the club lottery, provided a lottery manager, computer advice, day to day bookkeeping and accountancy, started and maintained this Internet site, provided material and labour for the £500,000 ground improvements and run all away transport among other items.
Our other committee members are - Dave Forshaw, Paul Dewey, Bill Coop, Keith Williams, Mark Eckersall, Lucy Crabtree, Peter Hughes, George Heslop, Rob Muir, Alan Brotherton, and Paul O'Keefe.
Membership is Adults £2.50, Juniors and OAP's £1.00, Families £5.00. regular newsletters are provided.
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