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Ally McCoist – ‘Altrincham FC is absolutely magic’

In the heart of a South Manchester suburb stands the J. Davidson Stadium, home of Altrincham FC – the Robins. Across the road from a chippy and bordered by terraced houses, this is the quintessential English non-league football club, the heart and soul of a community. With a capacity of nearly 8,000, the stadium is made up of three standing areas and one large seated stand behind the dugout, and plays host to Altrincham’s home games. Their recently completed community hall combines the traditional terraces with a modern feel.

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With a proud history and a fiercely loyal fanbase who follow home and away, Altrincham (Alty for short) reflects all that is great about English non-league football. Altrincham are one of the most prolific giantkillers in FA Cup history – the club holds the record of knocking out more Football League teams than any other club that has spent their entire existence in non-league football. What really sets Alty apart though is their outreach work at Altrincham In the Community.

Former Scotland international and broadcaster Ally McCoist took part in one of Alty’s walking football matches today as part of his ambassadorial role for the National Lottery’s Football Weekends campaign. National Lottery players contributed £12.5 million of emergency funding to save non-league football clubs from liquidation during the pandemic.

Thanks to this contribution, non-league clubs are now thriving, with people enjoying getting back to football. Altrincham’s attendances have nearly doubled compared to before the pandemic, due to consistent community outreach work and affordable ticket prices.

As he’s nursing a recently acquired Achilles tendon injury, McCoist said walking football was well-suited for him. Although McCoist’s former manager, the late Walter Smith, was of the opinion that McCoist practically invented walking football in his last few years at Rangers.

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One of the participants sharing the pitch with one of Scotland’s greatest goalscorers was a volunteer named Colin, who works the Moss Lane turnstiles every other Saturday and tends to miss most of the first half, as he keeps the gates open for latecomers.

McCoist believes Altrincham FC is the epitome of a community football club, and is in no doubt that the commercialisation of football has left an enormous gap between players and fans, which makes the sense of community fostered at Altrincham even more important.

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The club inspires local people to get involved with different activities, such as walking football sessions at both indoor and outdoor facilities. These include sessions for Trafford Veterans Association, providing designated military veterans with the chance to meet up, stay active and rekindle the camaraderie of their military days.

Altrincham’s community work goes on across age groups, another aspect McCoist finds inspiring. He said watching the children’s disability team was a breath of fresh air, and was challenged with a few searching questions from a local primary school class. McCoist took place in a classroom talk on the importance of diversity in sport.

There was also a children’s disability coaching session in preparation for a game this evening, and a senior citizen’s fitness class taking place.

This weekend’s National Lottery’s Football Weekends campaign coincides with Non-League Day, where fans are encouraged to attend their local non-league football club in the absence of Premier League, Championship and FA Cup fixtures.

It is an essential date in the footballing calendar, where the FA encourages attendance and support at local non-league clubs.

Families can enjoy a football game on a budget on a buy one get one free scheme at Altrincham FC this weekend. There is a keen focus on encouraging repeat attendance, and the hope is that the initiative will help those in the North-West, a region home to four Premier League clubs, to engage with football at both ends of the footballing pyramid.

The war in Ukraine has had implications across the world, and people have been moved to do anything they can to help those affected by the conflict, and the feeling is no different at Altrincham. McCoist said to see the efforts made by ex-service personnel and members of the local community coming together was ‘honest and refreshing’.

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Hideous conflicts show the worst side of humanity, but also the best, and a local football club encouraging donations and acting as the cornerstone of a localised effort to help those in need is testament to the power and value of grassroots sport, at a time when the professional game is moving further and further away from core values.

McCoist was commentating on the Scotland vs. Poland game last night, a friendly at Hampden Park scheduled in place of the World Cup qualifier against Ukraine. The game ended 1-1 after a controversial penalty decision went Poland’s way. Despite his admission that he would also go down in the box a little too easily, McCoist said the decision to award a penalty for a foul on Krzysztof Piatek was the wrong decision.

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A solid performance stands Scotland in good stead on a brilliant night for British football, with Gareth Bale scoring two goals against Austria to send Wales through to the final round of World Cup qualification. The mouth-watering game in prospect between Wales and Scotland to decide group stage place in Qatar is one the British football community should celebrate and relish. Although McCoist would love to see his beloved Scotland go through, Welsh qualification would be acceptable, at least.

 

You can find out more about the National Lottery’s Football Weekend and find your nearest non-league club here: https://thenationallotteryfootballweekends.co.uk/

Read more of our football coverage here: https://sportsgazette.co.uk/

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Author

  • Will Rogan

    Will, 22, from Manchester is a graduate from the University of Edinburgh in Spanish and English Literature. He is editor of the Sports Gazette. Will’s particular interests include football in the Spanish-speaking world, rugby union, and Liverpool FC. He has extensive experiences of live sport from elite to grassroots level.