Message from Altrincham Co-Chairman Bill Waterson

The pre-season programme is over and the moment those games have been building towards is finally upon us as we prepare to face Dagenham & Redbridge in the opening fixture of our 2023-24 Vanarama National League campaign.

Expectations are high and a bumper turnout is expected, and the club want to ensure that the process of welcoming you all back into The J.Davidson Stadium runs as smoothly as possible in the approach to Saturday's 3pm kick-off.

With that in mind, we have taken a long look at the matchday experience for all fans during the summer months and have brought in a number of improvements for the season ahead.

And we will be looking at how we can make further enhancements as the season progresses. For example, we will have improved exterior signage in place before the Boreham Wood game on the 19th August.

As ever, we will continue striving to make the time you spend with us as rewarding and enjoyable as possible, but, for now, here are the measures that have already been implemented and will be in place from this Saturday onwards.

Firstly, we are introducing dedicated access for Season Ticket holders at the Golf Road End, with Turnstile 7, the one on the right as you arrive at the stadium, being designated for those who have bought Season Tickets.

For Main Stand and Family Stand users, Turnstile 5 will give Season Ticket holders priority entry along with those who have purchased e-tickets.

E-ticket holders will gain access through turnstiles 5 and 6 on Moss Lane and turnstiles 8 – 10 at the Golf Road. The turnstiles at the far end of the Golf Road (numbers 11-13) will only be used for major fixtures and therefore will be closed on Saturday.

We will have cash turnstiles for home fans at all home League matches this season, and they will be Turnstile 6 by the Main Stand and turnstiles 9 and 10 on the Golf Road. Payment at the ground will be by cash only (there is an ATM machine opposite the main stand) and prices are as follows:

Adult £20
Concession £15 (65 and over, full-time students, NHS employees)
Junior £9 (12- 18 years)
Child £4 (5 – 11 years)
Infant £1 (under 5)

Segregation will be in place on Saturday, and away fans will enter through turnstiles 1-4 at the Chequers End. Dagenham & Redbridge fans will occupy the Chequers End, with all of the Popular Side being available for home supporters.

Turnstiles this Saturday will open at 1.30pm, and Director Mark Luby has offered to buy all fans in the Fan Zone between 1.30pm and 2pm a pint (or equivalent). The revamped Fan Zone is worth a visit in its own right, but this makes it irresistible.

And we will be offering an earlier opening time for those matches that coincide with early kick-off live games on TV.

Most Season Tickets issued this season have been digital – i.e. no physical ST card. So you will need the Season Ticket on your phone or have a printed version to be scanned.

The vast majority of you who ordered physical cards have received them, with a handful still outstanding. I will have spoken or exchanged emails with most of you in this position, but if you’ve not heard from us or still have a problem, get in touch by emailing me at billwaterson@altrinchamfootballclub.com and we will make sure you can get in on Saturday and that any issues are resolved ahead of the Boreham Wood game.

Your digital Season Ticket will still get you into the ground even in the absence of the physical card.

LoyALTY cards have now arrived at the club, and those of you at the ground on Saturday can collect them, with Premium members being able to pick them up at “The Red Door”, on the corner of Moss Lane and Golf Road, and VIP and Elite members from “The Main Door”, the players' entrance under the Main Stand.

Those Season Ticket holders who have requested a particular seat in the Main Stand will find a personalised “Seat Reserved” sticker on your chosen seat.

Any ST holder requiring a reserved seat who does not yet have one, or who finds that their chosen seat is not yet marked as reserved, please let us know on Saturday, and we will put the reservation in place before the Boreham Wood game on the 19th.

There will also be two rows of seats reserved in the Main Stand for players' families, and these will also be marked as Reserved.

Season Ticket cards for Business Club members and for Life Vice Presidents will be available for the Boreham Wood game, and you will be able to gain access to the ground through the Red Door.

We can’t wait to have you all back at The J. Davidson Stadium as the new season kicks off. And all your messages, tweets, posts and calls tell us very clearly that you are equally as excited as we are.

We have some new processes tomorrow and these may take time to bed in, so please be patient with us as we get the new ways of working in place.

Bring on the Alty!