Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Altrincham.

The Opposition

Altrincham have embarked on a steady start to life without long-serving boss Phil Parkinson, who departed the J. Davidson Stadium in October 2025 after almost a decade in the hotseat.

Having led the Robins from the Northern Premier League to the National League as well as overseeing their transition to professional, full-time football, Parkinson was a popular figure in Cheshire across his stint in charge, but a poor start to the 2025/26 season led to his dismissal towards the start of the campaign. Parkinson’s successor, Neil Gibson, was soon named in permanent charge of the Robins after spending four weeks as interim boss, in which he guided the club to almost unbeaten month in the league, including three wins in a row against Boston United, Truro City and Brackley Town, a brief streak which was ended by defeat against Southend United, along with a loss in the Emirates FA Cup against Slough Town.

Nonetheless, Altrincham opted to place Gibson in permanent charge, and he has successfully steadied the ship to secure survival and a sixth successive campaign in the National League, having taken over initially with the club sat a point above the drop zone, going on to rack up 38 points from 29 games.

While consecutive top half finishes over the last couple of years may have led to an anticlimactic campaign for the Robins – they can at best finish in 12th this term – Alty will be looking up under the former Connah’s Quay Nomads and Wealdstone boss, who showed his grit and resilience to battle at the wrong end of the table when he guided the Stones to safety last season, and he will want to ensure they finish the current campaign strongly as he enters his first full season in 2026/27.

Part of the rebuild may include having to replace star man Luke Hutchinson in between the sticks, who has been an invaluable member of the backline since signing on loan from Bolton Wanderers last summer, helping to secure the best defensive record in the entire bottom half (63), 25 of which came in the first 15 games of the season under Parkinson, and having been aided by a back five of the likes of Liam Humbles, Tylor Golden, Dan Sassi, Jake Southern-Cooper, Edward Jones and Sam Reed.

In addition, key man Isaac Marriott has anchored the side at the base of a midfield which includes captain Tom Crawford, alongside the likes of Matty Kosylo, Elliot Osborne and more recently Otis Khan, while up front, Jimmy Knowles has been a crucial addition from Boston last summer, spearheading an attack which has recently lost Declan Howe who returned to Scunthorpe United following a brief loan spell, and will require the gap to be filled by the likes of Kahrel Reddin, Lucas Weaver, Ollie Crankshaw and Charlie Kirk.

Altrincham will certainly have one eye on another outside shot at the play-offs next season, a feat which would put the cherry on top of their impressive rise from the Northern Premier League in just two years, but will first be aiming to end the current campaign with six points from their final two games.

The Manager

Neil Gibson

Former Wealdstone boss Neil Gibson replaced long-serving boss Phil Parkinson in the Altrincham dugout at the end of last year.

Born in St Asaph, Wales, Gibson’s playing career began with a five-year spell in Tranmere Rovers’ academy, before spending three years with the Super White Army’s first team. He went on to turn out for Rhyl, Sheffield Wednesday, Southport, Halesowen Town, Leigh RMI and Prestatyn Town, including 15 years and over 100 appearances with the latter, including 13 years as manager.

This was followed by stints at Flint Town United and Connah’s Quay Nomads before making the switch to Wealdstone midway through the 2024/25 campaign, parting company with the Welsh side five months before his return to England.

He subsequently led the Stones to survival, but departed the club by mutual consent in May due to difficulties in commuting from Wales. He returned to management after just a few months away to join Altrincham, initially as interim boss, before being named in permanent charge in November.

One to Watch

Luke Hutchinson

Luke Hutchinson joined Altrincham from Bolton Wanderers in the summer on a long-term loan, and has become a fans’ favourite during his season at the J. Davidson Stadium.

Having progressed through the youth setup at the Macron Stadium, Hutchinson gained senior experience with a host of loan spells at Atherton Collieries, Bamber Bridge, Radcliffe, Hyde United and Marine, slowly working his way up towards EFL football, with nine appearances in the National League North with the latter. He subsequently spent the backend of the 2024/25 campaign at Crawley Town, playing once as the Red Devils suffered relegation from League One.

This preceded his move to Alty, being seen by Phil Parkinson as the ideal candidate to fill the number one jersey while Ethan Ross continued his recuperation from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Hutchinson has gone on to play a key role in the Robins’ backline this term, becoming one of the standout goalkeepers in the division and a firm fans’ favourite, with only Isaac Marriott, Jimmy Knowles and Tom Crawford playing more games than the 23-year old.

Recent Form

Altrincham 1-0 Eastleigh

York City 2-1 Altrincham

Altrincham 0-1 FC Halifax Town

Woking 1-1 Altrincham

Solihull Moors 1-0 Altrincham

Boston United 2-2 Altrincham

Last Time Out

Altrincham secured a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Eastleigh in their penultimate home game of the season. Tom Crawford’s first-half strike proved decisive, but loanee Luke Hutchinson’s series of excellent saves ensured a clean sheet and all three points.

The breakthrough came after 18 minutes, as following McNamara’s save, the rebound fell to Crawford, whose shot took a deflection and found the bottom-left corner.

Humbles continued to be a constant threat, while Eastleigh looked dangerous on the counter but were denied by key defensive interventions. Altrincham created strong chances before half-time without adding to their lead, before the second half saw increased pressure, particularly from Eastleigh. Hutchinson delivered a series of crucial saves to preserve the advantage, and despite late tension, Altrincham held firm for the win, while Eastleigh confirmed their league safety.