NORTH: Alfreton Town news

Alfreton Town chairman Wayne Bradley this week made an impassioned plea for everyone at the club to pull in the same direction.

As the injury-blighted Reds suffered consecutive defeats in the league last Saturday and Tuesday evening, the Reds supremo issued an 'all hands to the pumps' call.

The chairman commented: "It is a hugely frustrating time for all of us. Victory tastes sweet, defeats taste bitter, but I ask everyone, especially the supporters not to turn bitter from the taste of defeat.

"Our fortunes have to change because it is too one-sided against us at the moment. It will take somebody or some bodies to give us a spark. We aren’t playing well but we aren’t getting the rub of the green either.

"We are going to have to continue to show what scrapping qualities we have got and that is not just on the field. We need people to get behind us rather than seemingly keep kicking us”. Supporters have been airing their grievances on the Fans Forum on the club’s official website but Bradley insists there will be no answers placed on there.

He commented: "Anyone wanting answers to any frustrations they have can write to me - the address of the club is in the matchday programme and on the website and everyone will get an answer.

"Alternatively, fans can attend the next managerial forum in the Reds Bar on Monday, March 14th (8pm start) and have all their queries answered by the relevant people, I can promise them that. Admission will be just 1 which will go towards buffet costs.

"The website fans forum is just that, a forum for the fans to discuss matters. By its very public nature, people from other clubs frequently access it and I don't think that it is the right place to conduct our business."

He added: "We have players who were forging a hero status level up to early December when results started to go against us. Now some of them are being described as past their best, how bizarre is that? The criticism is unfair and it is ripping the club apart.

"As I said earlier, we need everyone to battle through together and if they do, we will turn the corner. We need to create a togetherness and I will lead from the front. But we still have to be sensible. We will carry on all our preparations towards progression from the changing rooms, the boardroom and more importantly, the fans."

Fans have become impatient at a lack of player movement into the Impact Arena and again the Reds boss appealed for understanding. He said: "There isn't a lot of player movement at the moment. At this stage of the season you would expect a flurry but it is not happening. We keep analysing where we can find replacements and additions from but when you do find him, his costs are astronomical in some cases, although to be fair to the players, they are going to go for top dollar, get whatever they can.

"There are clubs at our level who, beyond our understanding, are definitely not on a level playing field. The financial input of at least one chairman into his club is exceptional to say the least.

"I can understand our fans being disappointed with the way things are going at the moment but I can only tell them that we are trying desperately hard to turn things around.

"We continue to look for new signings and there isn’t a week goes by without a player being involved in discussions with us. But our fans have to accept where we are at. There have been some astounding monies being talked."

Reacting to criticism of Mick Goddard's move a few weeks ago, Bradley explained: "The player was unsettled because he wasn't getting a game and the offer that came in was too good to turn down. That money paid for the next four weeks of football at the Impact Arena which is a massive scenario.

"I said before the season started that we are the underdogs in this division and I stand by that, it is a fact borne from the point of view of our resources on the incoming side and that we already have a very active commercial side which is as good as, if not better than most.

"The only other choice is to bankroll the situation but that would put the very infrastructure of the club at risk - as has happened to a certain extent with one or two other clubs within our division.

"I am not prepared to do that because those very same clubs - and one or two more - would admit that once you slip into that financial survival mode, you struggle to stop the landslide backwards.

"I do not want to be the individual that people say in later years: 'He was the fool who took us to the limit we were at and then withdrew everything!' I am not going to abandon the club, but I am also not going to stand by and see the club subsidised to such a level that it falls flat on its face.

"It is the current dip in attendances that are also harming our attempts to bring new players in, but let me assure everyone, we haven't given up on our progressional aims and that includes this season." The Reds went down 1-0 at home to Droylsden last Saturday and lost 3-1 at top of the table Southport on Tuesday, Luke Foster registering his first goal for the club as a second half reply.

Injury crisis
Manager David Lloyd must feel like he has shot several Robins. Already missing from Tuesday night's trip to Southport were Mitch Ward and Mark Blount. Both of those have also now got viruses which also affected Carl Bradshaw going up on the coach to such an extent that he couldn't play.

Mark Sale had also had to cry off with an ear infection which affected his balance and then John Knapper had to have an x-ray on a shin injury at Southport hospital after the game. While no bones are broken, there is possible nerve damage as 'Knapps' - who made his first start since December 7th due to another injury - suffered severe bruising to his shin and swelling to his ankle and had no feeling in his foot.

Mark Hume has had the cast removed from his broken leg but faces a scan on Thursday of this week to ascertain if the healing of both his tibia and fibia has been a success. Hume has been out since October 26th and will certainly miss the rest of the campaign. The additional absentee set-backs leaves David Lloyd having to search even harder to bring people in to help out.

Double header
The Reds begin a double header of attractive home games against teams also chasing play-off spots this Saturday when sixth-placed Altrincham are the visitors (3pm kick-off). Fifth-placed Kettering Town visit the Impact Arena next Tuesday (7.45pm kick-off).

Under-16s can gain free admission to both games, provided they are accompanied by a paying adult.

Reserves
The Reserves saw last Saturday's game at Wirksworth Town fall victim to a weather-affected pitch.
This Saturday the Reserves travel to take on Long Eaton United Reserves in league action.
Next Wednesday the Reserves are home to Ashover in the League Cup semi-final (7.30pm).

Under-19s
Wednesday evening of this week the U19s were due to host Sheffield Club in the league (7.45pm).
The scheduled game at Matlock Town last Wednesday was cancelled due to the poor weather.
There are two additional fixtures for the Under-19s. On March 22nd they are away at Middlewood Rovers while on March 30th the U19s are home to Matlock Town.