IT'S been a whirlwind fortnight for new Altrincham manager, Lee Sinnott, as he sets about trying to get the Robins back into the Blue Square Bet Premier at the first attempt.

No loose ends have been left from last season as Sinnott prepares to jet off to Kos for a family holiday at the weekend and Altrincham supporters are now eagerly awaiting the start of the pre-season games on July 9.

During the past few days, the three players who were still considering Sinnott’s offers have made their decisions and while Robbie Williams has opted to join newly promoted Telford United and James Smith has declined the terms offered, there was a massive boost with the news that last season’s leading goalscorer, Damian Reeves, is staying at Moss Lane.

Sinnott summed up the events of the past few days by saying: “We would have liked to have kept Robbie and James, but the move to Telford gives Robbie the chance to continue at the level he was playing at last season and James wants to play full-time football, which we cannot offer him.

“Damian had a really difficult decision to make with a number of offers on the table from full-time Conference clubs, but I asked him to weigh up the pros and cons of each offer and I’m sure that the fact that he really loves playing for Altrincham and likes the fans here, were big factors in influencing his decision.”

It is believed that Reeves, Altrincham’s current player of the year, had four offers from full time professional Blue Square Bet Premier Clubs, but each one required him to relocate from his home in Doncaster.

The new Altrincham boss is also delighted to bring 26-year-old central defender, Adam Flynn, from Southport. Flynn was captain of the Sandgrounders’ side that won the Blue Square Bet North title a year ago and is also a coach for Liverpool’s youth team.

With eight players signed from last season’s squad and the capture of Chris Lynch (Hyde) and Simon Richman (Worcester City), Flynn is the eleventh player to sign at Moss Lane - and Sinnott hopes to add five or six more names to his squad in the coming weeks.