So here we are at last. As touch and go as it was, the 2020/21 National League season gets underway today with Weymouth making the long trip up to The J Davidson Stadium.
Like Alty, Weymouth won promotion to the National League back in August after navigating the National League South promotion games. The two lockdown cup winners will do battle in what promises to be a fascinating opening day encounter between two clubs steeped in National League tradition.
The first Alliance Premier League season was contested in 1979/80 with Altrincham claiming the inaugural title and Weymouth finishing as runners up. It's a nice piece of history and context going in to today's game, especially given how both sides have found themselves back amongst the cream of Non-League football after stellar summer campaigns.
The big news ahead of today's game is, of course, the news that Jordan Hulme has made the switch from Altrincham to AFC Fylde. Despite that, we know that the Robins still have a variety of attacking options at their disposal in the reliable Tom Peers and new signings Matty Kosylo and Max Clayton, both of whom have impressed during pre-season. Perhaps, it's a big opportunity today for a Robin to step up and claim that vital role in the Alty side as their own.
Weymouth appointed Brian Stock as their manager on 4th September. In a full piece that you can read here, he contemplated today's game with Echosport:
“It will be a tough game. You look at the way Weymouth went up and Altrincham went up – I did it as a player at Havant – it’s that momentum which has taken them into the second season.
One thing I would try to promote with the lads is to keep that momentum, that belief, have that winning mentality. When we don’t quite make the grade in games we don’t get results our performance might deserve – because that will happen given the style we’ll play – it’s making sure we bounce back strong.”
Altrincham will be without Dan Mooney who, while nearing a return to fitness following the ankle injury he sustained at Nantwich Town, is suspended for today's game.
We are offering today's Robins Review out digitally, completely for free to all. Just click here for a series of interviews and exclusive content from a new-look match day programme.
Looking to watch today's game live? Learn more about how you can purchase a ticket to the live stream here.
Looking to access today's stream as a season ticket holder? Learn more about how we're granting access via redeemable codes here.
Starting with today's game we will have two commentary teams, one for Alty TV LIVE and one for Radio Robins, which is of course, audio-only.
On Radio Robins, today's commentary team is Niall Finnegan, Paul Salt & Niall Flynn
You can listen to live commentary of today's game on Radio Robins, sponsored by Ashley Mowers Garden Machinery, and the broadcast starts at 2:45pm.
The match commentary sponsor is 'The Non-League Lounge.'
You can listen to Radio Robins in any of the following ways:
1) By visiting our MatchCentre on the club website.
2) Download and install the Mixlr app on Android devices from the Google Play Store - start the app and search for 'Radio Robins'.
3) Download and install the Mixlr app on Apple devices from the Apple Store - start the app and search for 'Radio Robins'.
4) https://mixlr.com/radio-robins
5) There is also a temporary Radio Robins WIX website at https://rr5977.wixsite.com/radiorobins
