I'd like to start by updating everyone on Altrincham Football Club's position regarding the possibility of a new stadium development within Trafford, following recent public comments made by Sale Sharks owners and Altrincham FC investors Simon and Michelle Orange. 

Altrincham FC maintains regular communication with a wide range of stakeholders across the borough, including Sale Sharks. As has been referenced publicly, we are in dialogue with Sale Sharks regarding matters of mutual interest and the future sporting landscape within Trafford. At this stage, there are no decisions to announce.

However, given the significance of any potential new stadium project within our home borough, it is entirely appropriate that Altrincham FC is involved in discussions and represented at the table should any proposals progress. Our priority in all conversations is to ensure that the long-term interests of Altrincham Football Club, its supporters, and the wider community are protected and enhanced.

We will continue to assess any opportunities that could benefit the club while remaining focused on our ongoing development both on and off the pitch. I fully appreciate that supporters will have questions and strong views on any potential future developments.

I want to reassure everyone that, should discussions ever reach a stage where decisions affecting the future of Altrincham FC need to be considered, there would be a comprehensive and meaningful consultation process with our supporters before any decision was made.

As always, I will keep supporters informed of any significant developments when it is appropriate and possible to do so.

Off-season Ground Improvements

Work is continuing around The J.Davidson Stadium as we move forward with projects that will enhance the matchday experience for all supporters during the 2026/27 season.

• Pop Side - I know a lot of our supporters will be delighted to hear that the Pop Side will be in full use again for the new season. It's been a real bug bear of mine that we haven't been able to use it fully in recent seasons, and with the eyesore of all the scaffolding. However, work has recently been completed and the whole Pop Side will now be open for our supporters to use on matchday.
• Fan Zone Expansion - Work is progressing really well. The space and capacity that is being added will allow us to offer more fans the opportunity to enjoy the pre and post-match atmosphere. We're also putting an away fan zone in place as I'm very keen to improve the experience for away fans and encourage more away fans to visit Alty.
• Hospitality Lounge - Work on what will be a revamped and redesigned hospitality lounge is going really well. We'll be offering a full hospitality season ticket for the lounge, with more information and sign up options for supporters available by the end of this month. Interest among our partners and sponsors has so far been very high in the season ticket option, but we will also be holding back a number of seats for individual matches.
• Golf Road End Roof - I did mention recently on Radio Alty that we were looking at replacing the Golf Road End roof. It remains high on the list of ground improvements, but with a limited timeframe and contractor availability in short supply it's simply not been possible to sort out this off-season.
• New LED Floodlights - The new floodlights have now been installed and I'd like to thank one our volunteers, Lynda, for all her hard work around putting together the grant applications which allowed us to carry out the project.

New Staff Additions/Roles

Our new CEO, Andy Duff, started at the beginning of the month, he's settling in really well to the role and he's got himself involved straight away in a number of important aspects around the football club.

John Coyne, in his new role as Head of Football Operations, is progressing well alongside Neil and Lee on the recruitment side as we head towards the start of pre-season. We believe it won't be too long before we have a number of new signings that we can all get really excited about.

Season Tickets

Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who has already bought a season ticket for the 2026/27 season. Your support is really appreciated by everyone at the football club.

I know a number of supporters have voiced their opinions on changes to season ticket prices, and I've been in touch with Union Golf Road on this subject, especially in regards to the 18 to 21-year-old category no longer being available.

It's always difficult when you're trying to set the correct pricing levels for both supporters and the club. An 18-year-old who's in full-time employment and bought an Early Bird Adult season ticket for the new season will have paid £13.91 per match for a ticket, which we think represents good value, as is an 18-year-old student's price of £11.95 per match with an Early Bird.

I do appreciate that compared to last season some of these increases look very high, but I would counter that by saying before this season the pricing was extremely low.

Overall, the summer up to this point has been a productive one across all areas of the football club, with the hard work continuing, especially in player recruitment, as we move towards July and the start of our pre-season schedule.

Finally, I'd like to once again thank everyone for their continued support of the club.