It feels like a good time to give everyone an update on where we are, both on and off the pitch, as we settle into the new season.

On the Pitch

It’s certainly been a mixed start. Three defeats followed by three wins probably sums up just how quickly things can change in football.

We shouldn’t get carried away after three victories, just as we shouldn’t have got too down after three defeats. What we do have now is some momentum, and the important thing is that we build on it.

I also want to recognise the hard work Neil Gibson, Lee Jones and the rest of the football staff are putting in.

They have my support and I know how much time, effort and commitment is going into trying to move this team forward. We all share the same ambition – we want Altrincham competing at the top end of the National League and challenging for promotion.

The last three results have given us something to build on. The challenge for Neil, Lee, the staff and players is to keep improving and turn this good run into the consistency you need to be successful in this division.

The Fan Zone

One of the real highlights for me so far this season has been seeing the extended Fan Zone in full use.

I’ve been closely involved with the Fan Zone since we revisited the project a few years ago. Seeing what it has become gives me a huge amount of pride.

The atmosphere before games is incredible. It has become a genuine meeting place for Alty supporters and, for me, it is exactly what a football club should be about.

Football is obviously about what happens during the 90 minutes, but we also have to make coming to Alty a great day out. The Fan Zone has transformed that part of our matchday and I want to thank everybody involved in making it such a success.

This season has also seen the launch of our new hospitality lounge, Club Alty 1891, which opened its doors for the first time at our opening home game against Southend United.

We were delighted to have Hale restaurant Sigiriya providing the food and chef for the occasion, and I’d like to give a special thank you to owner Dom and the whole Sigiriya team. The food was excellent and helped make the launch a really special occasion.

It’s fantastic to see a successful local business getting behind its local football club and playing a part in what we are trying to build here at Altrincham. That kind of support and involvement means a great deal to us.

A huge thank you to Dom and everyone at Sigiriya for their support.

Investment and the Future

I’ve always tried to be open with supporters about the realities of running a football club at this level, and one of our biggest challenges remains investment.

In spite of raising investment of nearly £4m since 2023, the club continues to need additional injections of capital to compete at the current level and above.

Revenue from ticket sales and commercial activities alone does not cover the annual investment required to fund our football operations and compete in the National League.

If we want to keep improving the playing squad, the facilities and the infrastructure, and ultimately give ourselves the best possible opportunity of reaching the EFL, we need continued investment.

We are very grateful for the investment we have received in recent years, but, as with most clubs, the need for further funding is continuous – although, unlike many other clubs, we are totally debt free. The most recent investment round of £750k was funded equally by Simon Orange and myself.

I do want to be clear about Simon’s role. He has no involvement whatsoever in the day-to-day running of Altrincham Football Club or in football decisions. He has more than enough on his plate running Sale Sharks and his other business interests!

What Simon does have is a genuine affection for Altrincham and a desire to support his local football club. He is fully committed to supporting Alty and helping us continue to move the club forward, and I’m delighted to have his support.

Alongside our continued support, I firmly believe we need to attract new investors – whether local, national or international – if we are to achieve our ambitions. Attracting that investment is a key focus for me and the board.

We believe the club has an incredibly exciting future, but one that will only be achieved with the right levels of investment to help us push on to the next level.

Our challenge is to continue growing while remaining financially responsible and protecting the long-term future of the club.

Growing Our Attendances

The other major priority for the coming months is attendances. Quite simply, we need more people coming through the gates on Moss Lane.

We have fantastic supporters and the backing the team receives, both home and away, is something we should never take for granted. But if we genuinely want to establish ourselves towards the top end of this division and ultimately challenge for the EFL, we have to grow our crowds.

We have improved the facilities. We have improved the Fan Zone. We are continuing to improve the overall matchday experience. Now we need to turn those improvements into more people coming to watch Alty.

There is one issue around attendances that I particularly want to mention. This season, a new National League rule means supporters aged 13 and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult aged 18 or over.

I understand the thinking behind the rule and the importance of safeguarding young supporters, but I have to say I strongly disagree with a blanket restriction like this.

Like many people of my generation, some of my earliest and best football memories are of going to games when I was young. Going to football with your mates and feeling part of something is often how that lifelong relationship with a football club begins.

My concern is the unintended consequence. We could have 12 and 13-year-old Alty supporters who have previously come to games safely with their friends who suddenly can’t attend because an adult isn’t available to accompany them.

For clubs like ours, that matters.

We are working hard to attract the next generation of Altrincham supporters, and we should be encouraging young people to experience live football rather than putting additional barriers in their way.

Of course, we have to comply with the rule. But I would ask our supporters to help us where they can. If you know a young Alty fan who wants to attend but now needs an adult to accompany them, please consider coming along with them.

Let’s not lose these young supporters.

They aren’t just important to our attendances today. They are potentially the people who will still be standing on the terraces supporting Alty in 20, 30 or 40 years’ time.

Growing our attendances will be one of the club’s biggest areas of focus over the next few months, and I would encourage every Alty supporter to play their part. Bring a friend, bring your family, bring someone who hasn’t been to Moss Lane before.

The bigger and louder we can make this place, the more it helps the team on the pitch and the stronger it makes the football club off it.

Women’s, Juniors & Academy

There has been plenty happening across the wider club in the opening weeks of the season.

Firstly, congratulations to our women’s first team on an excellent start to their league campaign, with three wins from three games. Unfortunately, there was disappointment with an early exit from the FA Cup, so we won’t be repeating the marvellous cup run we enjoyed last season, but the start to the league campaign gives us plenty to be positive about.

A special mention also has to go to our under-14 boys, who travelled to Northern Ireland and returned as Foyle Cup winners. It is a fantastic achievement for the players and everyone involved with the team, and it was great to see them proudly doing a lap of honour with the trophy at The J.Davidson Stadium last Friday. Moments like that are a reminder of how important our junior teams are to the future of the club.

On the Academy side, congratulations to graduates Louis Fallon and Max Beddow, who have both secured excellent loan moves, to Airbus and 1874 Northwich respectively. These are important opportunities for two emerging talents to get much-needed senior first-team football and continue their development. We will be following their progress closely.

It was also really pleasing to see Remi Raymond get an opportunity at Sutton and make a good contribution when he came on. Seeing young players progress through our system and earn opportunities at first-team level is exactly what we want our pathway to deliver.

Finally, I want to mention Owen German. Owen would have been very much part of our first-team squad this season but suffered a very unfortunate injury in the pre-season game at Wythenshawe Town. It was a huge disappointment for him, particularly at such an important stage of his development. Owen is working extremely hard on his rehabilitation and has the full support of everyone at the club.

His current contract is due to expire at the end of this season, but we don’t want his injury to deny him the opportunity he had earned. The club will therefore be offering Owen an extension to his contract, giving him the time and security to concentrate on his recovery and get himself back on the pitch. We all wish him well with his rehabilitation and look forward to seeing him back in an Alty shirt.

There is a lot of hard work ahead, but there is also a huge amount to be positive about.

Three wins don’t define a season, but they give us momentum. Let’s build on it, keep pushing the club forward and see where this season can take us.

As always, thank you for your continued support.