Words John Edwards | Picture GR Photography

A special day to honour an unrivalled Altrincham career is edging ever nearer. Eleven days from now, on Sunday July 28th, it will be nostalgia all the way at The J.Davidson Stadium as household names from the past 20 years join forces with Alty fans to pay homage to Stuart Coburn in a testimonial match kicking off at 3.30pm.

Stuart's Alty career statistics are unique and will remain so. The ultimate accolade of Alty's greatest ever player may well be a matter of debate. There is no definitive answer. Opinions will vary, each to their own.

But, in Stuart's case, there can be no arguments. In terms of longevity, at least, he is out on his own, with an astonishing tally of 689 appearances standing as a club record that will surely never be beaten.

His contribution extended far beyond mere statistics, of course. He wasn't known as England number one on the terraces for nothing, and those appreciative Alty fans who serenaded him as such will have their own particular favourite memory of his heroics between the posts.

Never has there been a more deserving recipient of a testimonial, and everyone at Alty is hoping for a bumper turnout, not least as Stuart is eager to raise as much as possible for his chosen charity, The Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, in memory of two of his former team-mates, Mark Maddox and George Melling.

Tickets for the match, which will feature Alty sides from 2005 and 2014 and is sponsored by Jones Contracts, are priced just £5 for adults and £2 for under-18s and are available for purchase here.

It will surprise no-one that, so far, in excess of 40 ex-Alty players have pledged to be there on the day, pulling on their boots again and rolling away the years to take part in what promises to be a memorable afternoon for not only an exceptional goalkeeper but all-round good guy.

So, it's Alty 2005 versus Alty 2014, and, over the next 10 days, we will bring you the lowdown on the players, four or five at a time, from two squads packed with familiar names, starting today with Rod Thornley, Gary Talbot, Gary Scott and Val Owen.

ROD THORNLEY - brother of former Manchester United and Huddersfield Town winger Ben Thornley, livewire striker Rod signed for Alty towards the end of the 2000-01 season from Congleton Town, where he had been their top scorer in the North West Counties League.

It soon became apparent how and why he had been their leading marksman. In his first full season at Moss Lane, he scored a phenomenal 20 goals in his first 20 appearances and went on to finish the campaign with 31 overall. He further endeared himself to Alty fans by celebrating each one with a trademark cartwheel.

Pacey and hard working, Rod was a clinical finisher, as his record suggests, and he made the task of trying to mark him a nightmare for defenders with his ability to receive the ball with his back to goal, spin on a sixpence and accelerate towards the penalty area.

A thoroughly accomplished number nine, he became known on a national scale for his role as a masseur for United and England but never forget his Alty connections, often returning to The J.Davidson Stadium to support any number of club initiatives or simply to catch up with old acquaintances. Scored 79 goals in all, including the opener in Alty's 2-1 promotion final win over Eastbourne Borough at Stoke's Britannia Stadium, in 183+43 appearances.

GARY TALBOT - Alty have had their share of centre-backs who fall into the category of 'proper defenders' over the years, the sort who think nothing of putting their body on the line for the sake of keeping their goal intact.

Tom Hannigan springs to mind as one from fairly recent times, and Gary Talbot is most certainly another, albeit of an earlier vintage. Signed from Winsford United towards the end of the 1998-99 season, when the cry of 'Gary's ball' went up, it brooked no argument. He was the archetypal no-nonsense defender, airs and graces in short supply but courage and commitment in abundance.

In many ways, in this age of footballing centre-halves, he was a throwback, an old-fashioned number five who commanded the back line with a calm but uncompromising authority and who was a prodigious header of the ball.

That much was evident in opposition territory, as well as his own team's. Whenever Alty won a corner and he made his way into the area, you could almost feel the sense of trepidation amongst opponents as he positioned himself for the ensuing aerial battle, one he won more often than not.

A consistent, dependable performer who gave no less than 100 per cent every time, his ferocious commitment made him a firm favourite with Robins fans.

GARY SCOTT - predominantly a right-back, Gary became a jack-of-all-trades who could be relied on pretty much anywhere on the pitch. He underlined his versatility by switching seamlessly to left-back and was just as adept at slotting into midfield, which he did with aplomb in the 2005 promotion final against Eastbourne, when he acquitted himself expertly on the left-hand side.

Team first, self second was the mindset of that 2005 side, as it is with the current one, and when Gary was told his role, his only thought was doing a job, which he did with the energy, drive and tenacity that typified his career. He even went close to an opening goal twice in the first half, as Alty booked their place in the Conference National with a deserved win.

Liverpool born, as so many Alty players past and present tend to be, Gary started his career with Tranmere Rovers and had spells with Rotherham United, Marine and Leigh before joining Alty and making his debut against Stalybridge Celtic in October 2000.

A wholehearted player, the curtain came down on a distinguished Alty career that spanned well over 250 appearances in the summer of 2008, when he joined Witton Albion.

VAL OWEN - initially played for Alty Reserves in the autumn of 2004 after a short spell out of the game in the wake of his departure from Halifax Town, but promotion to the first team wasn't long in coming for this all-action midfielder.

After his senior debut in October that year, he quickly established himself as a powerhouse presence at the heart of Alty's midfield, sure and strong in the tackle and creating a formidable partnership with Eddie Hussin that was the envy of so many teams.

He scored some crucial goals in the 2004-05 play-offs, not least in the final against Eastbourne, when he launched himself into a diving header that the keeper got a hand to but couldn't stop bouncing into the net to give Alty a 2-0 lead that proved decisive.

A potent force again in the Robins' first season back in non-League's top flight, injury problems subsequently took their toll, but when he bade farewell to Moss Lane in December, 2008 in pursuit of more regular first-team football, he left behind countless fond memories for appreciative Alty fans.

*Watch out for more pen pics of players lined up for Stuey's big day, here on the club's website tomorrow.