AS AN Altrincham fan, are you happy with their performance this season?

Their lowest ever finish within the non-league pyramid and some demoralising cup exits may lead some of you to say no.

However, today, SAM sport says you would be wrong. If I were an Alty fan I would be more than delighted.

This season was always going to be about off-field activities as much as the on-field performance.

The club's financial difficulties are well known and have been reported at length elsewhere. Suffice to say that the club's debts are never far from anyone's mind.

Many may view this as a millstone round the club's neck, which will stifle ambition for years to come.

However, the 'green shoots' of recovery are beginning to appear: the board have chipped away at the massive debt which they themselves did not create, creditors have written off five figure sums owed to them, supporters' fundraising initiatives have gained a new impetus with bucket collections and the launch of the supporters' trust STAR, and the club is ready to sign off on its best financial statement in nearly seven years.

The present board may be weak in number, but there is no doubt it is strong in ideas. They have declared that the club must never overspend again, given that previous excessive generosity is at the root of the club's liabilities.

In Geoff Goodwin, the club have a chairman who is a businessman first and a fledgling football fan second. His coach company, Go Goodwins, is recognised as one of the best in the country and his style of transport lends a real 'Premiership feel' to first team travel.

Grahame Rowley - the only self-confessed Altrincham fan on the board - deserves special mention. He is a tireless worker for the club, who can be seen selling 'golden goal tickets' at every home match. Also, along with manager Graham Heathcote and former director Dave Tracey, he has written off money owed to him.

Director Andrew Shaw lent invaluable legal advice to the board when they tried to put together a land-based financial package which at one point seemed to be the only hope of saving the club.

This deal fell through, however, and many Robins fans breathed a sigh of relief at not having to move from the hallowed turf of Moss Lane.

In addition to this, supporters' are doing their bit in a way rarely seen since the setting up of SAFE, the pressure group which evolved into the club's supporters' association.

Bucket collections, run by Gary Warrington and his merry men at SAFE, have raised more than £2,000 this season alone. It's as good as found money - a simple tool, yet so effective.

The supporters trust - STAR - is only in its infancy, but the early signs are good. They are preparing to kick off their fund-raising activities for real in the summer, and it looks as though they will carry on the baton so enthusiastically wielded by SAFE for eight years - £60,000 pounds raised and counting!

With so many positives to smile about, the future is definitely bright for one of non-league's most famous clubs

Keep an eye on SAM sport for the latest news from Moss Lane this summer, because, put simply - We're Backing the Robins - Are You?

by Sports Editor Mike Crockett