Words John Edwards

The name of Altrincham FC will be broadcast throughout the Basque Country after world famous La Liga side Athletic Club announced plans to support our Non-League Day fixture with Barnet.

The Basque giants' history can be traced back to English roots, hence the name Athletic rather than Atletico, with migrant shipworkers from Sunderland and Southampton to the fore when the club came into existence at the turn of the 20th century.

They haven't forgotten their background, and it struck a chord when they were made aware of English football's recognition of grassroots football with the inception of Non-League Day.

As they looked around the ways of expressing their support, they unsurprisingly narrowed the search down to teams sporting the iconic red and white stripes they have always worn and concluded that Alty's promotion showdown with table-topping Barnet on Saturday March 22nd would be the perfect choice.

Providing tangible proof of the collaboration's importance to them, Athletic Club, the team’s official name, have sent the Robins one of their men's jerseys and one women's jersey for us to raffle on the day of the Barnet game at The J.Davidson Stadium.

In addition, staff at the San Mamés Stadium are preparing an in-depth article about Alty, detailing our history and the tradition behind our home kit, that will be distributed throughout the wide area of their fanatical support at the start of the week leading up to Non-League Day.

On the same weekend of March 22-23, Athletic Club will hold their own “Basque Non-League Day” in collaboration with 93 of their 170 affiliate clubs. Grassroots football helps make Athletic unique in the world and plays a vital role in maintaining their renowned policy of only fielding footballers born or raised in the Basque Country.

Explaining why Alty will headline a week-long programme of link-ups with English non-League clubs, the Lions issued a press release, saying:

"Athletic Club has teamed up with six English non-League clubs that play in red-and- white stripes as part of our 2025 Non-League Day celebrations.

"The teams - Altrincham FC, Bromsgrove Sporting, Evesham United, Sheppey United, Steyning Town and Witton Albion - have all received one Athletic men’s jersey and one Athletic women’s jersey to raffle off at their respective Non-League Day fixtures.

"In the week leading up to Non-League Day, Athletic Club will publish a series of articles about each of the clubs involved in this initiative with information about their respective histories, their kits and further details about their NLD matches, starting with Altrincham FC on Monday March 17th.

"The opening line of the club’s official anthem, “Athletic gorri ta zuria” (Athletic, red and white), is a powerful expression of the colours’ importance to Athletic’s history and identity, with red and white also being present on the flag of Bilbao.

"What’s more, the Lions’ first red-and-white kits, which made their debut in a 1910 friendly against Sporting Irun, originated from England, although it has not yet been possible to establish for certain whether they came from the Sunderland or Southampton.

"If you’re an Athleticzale in England at the time of the Non-League Day games, we encourage you to attend one of them, including Altrincham FC vs Barnet FC at The J Davidson Stadium.

"Non-League Day is an initiative that connects directly with Athletic Club’s identity. Besides playing a crucial role in local communities, on a sporting level, grassroots football is a fundamental part of the club’s youth development strategy, and Athletic has affiliate agreements with close to 170 clubs across the Basque Country.

"Athletic Club is the only side in La Liga to celebrate non-professional football and encourage attendance at local grounds during the March international break."

It is hoped this new relationship with Athletic Bilbao might develop along similar lines to our recent affiliation with NEC Nijmegen, Alty director John Coyne commenting:

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Athletic Club to promote Non-League Day on March 22nd. This partnership not only celebrates the rich history and community spirit of non-League football but also strengthens the bonds between our clubs.

"By joining forces, we aim to highlight the vital role that grassroots football plays in nurturing talent and fostering a love for the game."

*Watch out for more details of how the Athletic Bilbao jerseys will be raffled on Non-League Day, here on the club's website and on our social media channels.