FC ST HELENS PREVIEW
Played two, won two and an FA Cup win as well – all by the same scoreline of 2-1. It hasn’t been plain sailing for the Rams but if you have win ugly, then so be it. The next challenge is a hard one against opponents we only met for the first time last season but Rammy supporters haven’t forgotten!
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs FC St Helens
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 9th August 2025
KICK-OFF: 3:00pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £9, Concessions – £5, U12 – £1 (with paying adult).
NOTE: We are a CASH ONLY stadium – there are NO CARD FACILTIES at the ground.
OVERVIEW:
It’s Friday 28th February 2025. The start of the NWCFL’s annual GroundHop Weekend and the Rams, for the first time at home, have been invited to be involved. Our opponents, FC St Helens. Having won 3-0 at Windleshaw Sports Ground on this very corresponding weekend and the Rams in decent form, a bumper attendance moderately expected a home win.
And it looked for all money they would get their wish as Harvey Whyte and Tom Hoyle put the Rams 2-0 up after 55 minutes and the 551 strong crowd starting to think it was game over. But the visitors had other ideas as first Joseph Barker and then Connor Spiers levelled in quick time and then, in injury time, the killer blow from Spiers. It probably put the nail in the automatic promotion coffin as the top two strode away.
Just six months later, the West Lancashire side strut back into town with that memory still raw amongst the Rammy faithful.
The visitors have started their season with an away loss at Longridge Town 2-1 an a home win over FC Isle of Man 2-0 before making their way through the Extra Preliminary Round against Glossop North End via a replay so they head to the HWRS with some confidence.
For the Rams, it is three wins from three across all competitions, all by the score of 2-1. Wins are wins, and whilst it might not have been the prettiest of wins, you take everything you can as the Rams are one of four sides to have maintained their 100% winning record alongside Stockport Town, Padiham and Pilkington.
What the Rams do know is that, given the fact they finished third last season and are, apparently, one of the favourites to take the title, every opponent facing us will be right up for the challenge to knock us down a peg or two … and FC St Helens know the secret as they proved last season. Only three sides came to the HWRS last term and took the spoils – FC Isle of Man, Padiham and our visitors on Saturday.
Its been good so far as the Rams, even in pre season didn’t taste defeat and it’s green all the way thus far on the result tally. But nothing, but nothing, will be taken for granted and mile number three of the 46-mile ultra league marathon is next.
FACILITIES
The game at Ramsbottom United will be by payment in CASH at the turnstile (the club does not have a card facility). Prices are as shown above and programmes are £2.
Due to cricket and adjacent building works, parking for spectators should be away from the ground, in either town centre car parks (drivers are advised to check any time limits) or in the various side streets, all of which are no more than 5-10 minutes walk away but please be mindful of local residents and businesses.
Various bus routes come into Ramsbottom town centre (https://bustimes.org/localities/ramsbottom for details) and the East Lancs Railway (https://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/events-activities/western-region-weekend/) station is adjacent to the ground.
Tea Bar serving hot and cold drinks, pie and peas, sweets, crisps etc will be open within the ground, as will the Can Bar serving beer, lager and cider.
HISTORY
We offer a very warm, summer welcome to everyone coming over from FC St Helens once again. It was this exact weekend 12 months ago that we first met and came away with a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Hoyle and both Sephton brothers as the home side ended the game with ten men with an 86-minute sending off.
As we have chronicled above, the tally last season was one win each as they came to town and took the spoils under the HWRS lights in late February (Luke Sephton in action, pictured above).
Our visitors closed their opening season in the NWCFL Premier in eighth place with 21 wins and 17 defeats in their 46 game campaign and will be looking to climb further this time around.
STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“FC St Helens, we certainly remember from last year! They are a highly competitive side who never lay down and we know that all too well.
“However, that was then and this is now and we are playing some good football at the moment, but know we have room to improve.
“We should have a few players back and available for us after missing the early part due to holidays and unavailability and we have trained really well this week so we are in a good place at the moment but we know that this will be a tough game.”
