Words John Edwards | Pictures Jonathan Moore

Altrincham will return to familiar territory this summer after accepting an invitation to take part in the prestigious weekend-long Isle of Man Festival of Football in Douglas.

Alty's build-up to the 2025-26 season will already be well underway when they head across the Irish Sea in the second half of July, and it will be given a competitive edge as they battle it out with three other teams to be tournament winners.

The Robins will launch proceedings against Radcliffe at 3pm on Friday July 18th, with the second semi-final following at 7pm the same day between hosts FC Isle of Man and League Two Fleetwood Town.

Two days later, on Sunday the 20th, a third-placed play-off will kick-off at 11am as a precursor to the final at 3pm, all games taking place at The Bowl, FC Isle of Man's smart, modern 3,350-capacity home stadium in Douglas.

The prospect of heading to the island again will appeal strongly to everyone connected with Alty - players, coaches, officials and supporters - after such a good time was had by all last time we visited in July 2022 for a one-off pre-season friendly against FC Isle of Man.

On that occasion, Jordan Hulme fired us into an early lead as we ran out 5-1 winners, with trialist Callum Gribbin, Ben Pringle, Elliot Osborne and Marcus Dinanga also on the scoresheet.

Three years on, in a twist that will add an extra layer of interest and intrigue for Robins fans, one of the biggest crowd favourites we've had at Alty in recent times, could be lining up against us in the tournament opener.

Jordan, a gifted, goalscoring number nine in his Alty days under Phil Parkinson, skippered Radcliffe at Oxford City in the Vanarama National League North last Saturday, while another popular ex-Robin Josh Hancock went on from the bench as their side lost 1-0.

Let's hope both are on the boat when the Boro sail into Douglas harbour this July!

With former Chester managerial duo Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson in charge at Radcliffe, it is sure to be a highly-competitive 90 minutes, with more of the the same in our second match two days later, and Phil Parkinson is relishing the chance to renew acquaintances in the Isle of Man capital.

"We're really looking forward to going back to the Isle Of Man again as part of our preparations for the 2025-26 season," said the Alty boss. "We enjoyed our time there in the summer of 2022, training and playing against FC Isle of Man. The facilities are really good and getting the players away together for a weekend during pre-season is always beneficial for team bonding."

As an Isle of Man resident, Alty Co-Chairman Lawrence Looney is both pleased and proud to see the Robins playing such a prominent part in one of the highlights of the island's sporting calendar.

"As I am based in the Isle of Man, I am delighted that we will once again be showcasing our talented squad for football fans on the island," said Lawrence. "It's an even more exciting prospect this time, as we will be playing tournament football, with two semi-finals on the Friday and a third-place play-off and final on the Sunday.

"The Festival was a great success on its launch last summer, and there's every reason for anticipating the same again this year. I know how much our fans enjoyed our last visit to the island three years ago, and we're all hoping they will travel in even greater numbers for what promises to be a memorable weekend this July."

Co-Chairman Bill Waterson added: "We really enjoyed our visit in 2022 and we're looking forward to it once again. It's a great short summer trip for everyone connected with the club."

Tickets for the tournament can be bought by clicking on the link here, while ferries to Douglas (and weekend packages) can be booked by contracting the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.