Altrincham: Gibson Finds His Tune
After the momentum of recent years, 2025/26 felt like a season of pause for Altrincham.
Thirteenth place was not a disaster, but it was not where the Robins expected to be either. This is a club that has made serious strides since returning to the National League, moving from respected part-timers to an ambitious full-time operation with play-off aspirations. Last season, though, became one of transition, adjustment and stalled momentum.
Crowds dipped slightly, from 2,088 to 1,961. The FA Cup ended at Slough, the Trophy run was over by the third round at Telford, and the league campaign never quite caught fire.
Yet the finish offered encouragement. Alty won their final three matches and took ten points from the last six, with the only defeats in that spell coming late against Halifax and eventual champions York City.
There is also a long-term off-field subplot. Altrincham have confirmed they are in dialogue with Sale Sharks following public comments from Sale owners and Alty investors Simon and Michelle Orange around the possibility of a new stadium development within Trafford. The club’s wording has been careful — no decisions, no announcement, and a promise of supporter consultation if anything affecting Alty’s future ever reached that stage — but it still places Alty inside a wider conversation about the sporting landscape in Trafford.
For now, the more immediate question is on the pitch. Can Neil Gibson turn a clearer summer into a side capable of climbing back towards the right end of the National League?
From the dugout
Neil Gibson’s arrival at the end of October 2025 brought much-needed direction after a difficult opening phase. Initially appointed on an interim basis, he did enough to earn the role permanently in November. That deal runs to the end of 2026/27, giving Altrincham something valuable heading into the summer: clarity.
Gibson now has time to judge the group properly, rather than inherit it in crisis mode. Lee Jones is alongside him, while John Coyne now has a formal football operations role. Andy Duff’s arrival as CEO adds commercial and football experience, while ground improvements point to wider progress. It all suggests a club tightening the whole operation, not just changing names on the pitch.
That may not excite fans like a marquee signing, but it gives Alty a clearer platform. The next version of the side should carry more of Gibson’s imprint.
Manager Profile
The manager may not have arrived with the profile of a headline-grabbing appointment, but his rise has been built on the sort of understated substance Altrincham could do with.
Before landing at The J.Davidson Stadium, Gibson had already proved he could handle a difficult National League job. He arrived at Wealdstone as something of a relative unknown, albeit with a strong body of work behind him in the Welsh leagues, and left with his reputation enhanced after dragging the Stones into a final-day survival fight — and, crucially, out the other side of it. Eight wins from 20 league games showed he could walk into a difficult National League situation, organise a side quickly and deliver under pressure.
That is the relevance for Altrincham. Gibson has already shown he can make quick decisions in an unstable National League season. This campaign gives him a different challenge: shaping a side from the start, rather than fixing one midstream.
Summer Mood
Few around Altrincham is pretending 13th was good enough, but there is no sense of meltdown either. They ended the season well, have kept important pieces in place, and Tom Crawford’s new two-year deal feels significant: leadership, continuity and standards in the middle of the pitch. Matty Kosylo staying also keeps a bit of soul in the building, given his connection with the club and supporters since 2020.
Fans still want another forward, defensive reinforcement and possibly a left-sided option. But there is also a sense that Gibson’s squad has gained a better blend of youth, experience and flexibility. The arrival of goalkeeper Owen Evans has helped quell the concern left by departing Ethan Ross.
Squad
The club’s messaging has been clear all summer: Gibson, Lee Jones and John Coyne want players who fit the culture, bring robustness and keep Alty entertaining.
The departures, however, do create a shift. Lewis Baines is the headline exit after 150 appearances, 18 months as captain and a major role in the 2023/24 play-off push, while Lucas Edwards, Sam Reed, Billy Sass-Davies and Yassine Toure have also gone. Tylor Golden, who was tipped for the EFL, has ended up at title challengers Boreham Wood.
Retained
- Kian Breckin | Midfield | Age 22
- Anthony Forde | Midfield | Age 32
- Otis Khan | Forward | Age 30
- Charlie Olson | Defender | Age 21
- Kahrel Reddin | Forward | Age 22
- Lucas Weaver | Forward | Age 24
- Louie Fallon | Goalkeeper | Age 19
- Jimmy Knowles | Forward | Age 24
- Remi Raymond | Midfield | Age 19
- Matty Kosylo | Forward | Age 33
- Tom Crawford (c) | Midfield | Age 27
- Sam Barnes | Defence | Age 25
- Eddy Jones | Defence | Age 24
- Jake Cooper | Defence | Age 25
- Lewis Banks | Defence | Age 29
- Joel Bailey | Defence | Age 20
- Owen German | Midfield | Age 20
Players in
- Sam Taylor « Tranmere Rovers | Free Transfer | Forward | Age 22
- Aidan Barlow « Rochdale AFC | Free Transfer | Midfield | Age 26
- Liam Humbles « Rochdale AFC | Free Transfer | Midfield | Age 22
- Jack Hinchy « Notts County | Free Transfer | Midfield | Age 23
- Kristian Dennis « Tranmere Rovers | Free Transfer | Forward | Age 36
- Owen Evans « Barnet FC | Free Transfer | Goalkeeper | Age 29
Situation unclear (previously in talks)
- Charlie Kirk
Players out
- Lewis Baines » Morecambe FC | Free Transfer
- Billy Sass-Davies » Released
- Lucas Edwards » Released
- Sam Reed » Chester FC | Free Transfer
- Yassine Toure » Released
- Isaac Marriott » Barrow AFC | Free Transfer
- Olly Crankshaw » Barrow AFC | Free Transfer
- Tylor Golden » Boreham Wood | Free Transfer
- Ethan Ross » Released
One to Watch: Jimmy Knowles
Jimmy Knowles feels like the obvious one to watch. Altrincham need more reliable output if they are going to improve on last season, and Knowles is already the player most likely to provide it. He finished as top scorer, has been retained for 2026/27, and should remain central to the attacking picture alongside Otis Khan and Matty Kosylo. If Gibson can build a more balanced side behind him, Knowles has the chance to become more than just a useful forward.
Bookies’ odds
At 200/1 with BetVictor, Altrincham are not being priced as dark horses. They are being priced as one of the sides the market expects to struggle.
The case for optimism is that Gibson has had time to assess the squad. The structure looks clearer, and late-season form hinted at more than the final table showed.
Prediction — 18th
The bookies are not always aligned with National League reality, often pricing on name and reputation. Even so, it is difficult to see Alty climbing far beyond last season’s 13th-place finish.
They look more likely to be steady than spectacular, with enough about them to avoid serious danger. This prediction says as much about the strength of the league as it does about Altrincham.
