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Dino, did you spend three weeks engaging in the South African pastime of smoking Dagga (Marawana) ?

I lived in South Africa for 23 years and clubs training at 5.30am in the morning is a new one on me. I played at Rustenburg and we trained twice a week Tueday and Thursday evenings 7pm to 9pm and the highlight was the after training drinking sessions. South African Soccer is part-time and the last example to follow by anyone.

When SA played England at Old Trafford in 1997 the SA team threatened a boycott over pay. This prompted England Captain Alan Shearer to rant that he would play for England for nothing. At the time Alan Shearer was earning £28,000 a week salary from his club - his opposite number for SA, Gerry Siskosana was on less than £200 per month which supported his family of 11 members. The SAFA entourage for that game was huge (all paid from SAFA funds) with less than half being players and backroom staff. This included the three females expensively brought over to sing their National Anthem - a total embarrasment - a sorry sight, awful sound and they could only manage to recite part of the Anthem.

As for the rest of present day South African society - extremely violent crime, poverty, corruption, road carnage and the AIDS epidemic - some example to follow ?
Anything positive ? - Yes, SA are the World's top nation - at Rugby (ask any Englishman) !!!!

Gearge Yardley - came to Alty in 1974 from Australia having previously made his name with Tramline Rovers. Played for us against Hartlepool and Blackburn and that was enough for manager Roy Rees.

And before anyone mentions Gary Hulmes -  I would point out that Gary just didnt fit into the Johnny King after training/match culture set. Gary was top scorer for years in the League of Ireland firstly with Sligo Rovers then Limerick City whose then Manager Eoin Hand (who is a personal friend of mine) sold him to us in 1981. Gary left Alty when we didnt get elected as expected to the Football League. If I am corect he was a full-time employee of Alty along with goalkeeperJohn Connaughton.

Putting fans of two clubs who hate each other on an unsegregated terrace could be dangerous. Oxford also have a hooligan element who have been looking for a chance to have a good fight.

It is inevitable that most football fans in the Alty area, even those of us whose first love is the Robins, would probabably favour either United or City. I dont recall these feelings leading to any violence on the Moss Lane terraces during an Alty League match. As for Oxford, there was a problem at the Kassam stadium when we played them last season, caused by their local yobs seeing an opportunity to start a fight in a situation where they were unlikely to come off second best. It reminded me of England fans in Dublin in 1995 who started a riot from the protected area of the top tear of the stand, where the local yobs could not possibly attack or retaliate. That incident resulted in the match being abandoned and saved England from another defeat. Pure cowardice. I hope Oxford have security measures to avoid a repeat this season and in the future - if we stay up.

Sorry to see Rod go - a great pro, great servant to Alty and above all a really nice lad. He made a lovely gesture to my 5 year old son whilst he was warming up to come on at St Albans, before treating us to a cracking goal and trade mark cartwheel.
Thanks again Rod and all the best for the future.

50 and my first game was a 3-3 home draw with Mossley in 1963 on a pitch covered with sand.
First away game was a 4-1 drubbing of Northwich in I think 1965
These days I am limited to Alty matches in the South East.
I once travelled from Johannesburg to see the Robins knock Blackpool out of the FA Cup in 1984.
Fondest memories Everton, Spurs, Hartlepool, Birmingham, Sheffield United, Blackburn, Blackpool (twice) Orient, Crewe (3-0) all in the FA Cup.
Then when we beat Mossley in the NPL Cup 5-4 after being down 4-1 with only 11 minutes to go in the late 70's.
Biggest disappointment was a 1-0 defeat to Notts county in The FA Cup in 1973. Then the 6-1 defeat at Burnley the day before I went to live in South Africa for 23 years. I was also at the Barrow (then a third division side) game when Bert Lister R.I.P. scored.
I still think Jackie Swindells was our greatest ever player but we had other great characters - Les Campbell, Mike Halliwell, John Hughes, Gerry Casey, Joe Pritchard, John Rogers, Peter Eales, Barry Howard and of course Kingy.
Yip, those were the days.

Please could the person who said they have 2 Alty kids kits from long ago give me a call on 01737 779403. Thanks Robert