CHADDERTON PREVIEW

by | Apr 21, 2026

Here we are then – 46 games played, the Rams finish second and its into the play-offs for a second successive season.  A tough challenge awaits with fifth-placed Chadderton the visitors on Saturday.

MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Chadderton
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division Play-off
DATE: Saturday 25th April 2026
KICK-OFF: 3.00pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £9, Concessions (over 67) – £5, U12 – £1 (with paying adult).
NOTE: We are a CASH ONLY stadium – there are NO CARD FACILTIES at the ground.

PLEASE NOTE THAT SEASON TICKETS ARE NOT VALID FOR PLAY OFF GAMES

OVERVIEW:
The end of season play-offs.  Football’s equivalent of the lottery.  Four teams come in and only one will emerge victorious and make that promised step up to the Northern Premier League.  Nine months of sweat, toil, mud and sunshine come down to the next two weekends.

We have been here before.  We have seen the scintillating highs – see Darlington and Bamber Bridge – and the gut wrenching lows – see Radcliffe and Padiham.  Nails will be bitten, nerves will be shred but this is where it matters.

The Rams come into this play-off semi-final knowing that victory will see them at home in the final, having closed the season with a record points tally of 98, the lowest amount of defeats of any team in the division and only Atherton LR have conceded fewer than the Rams.

A second place finish is a tremendous effort from Steve Wilkes’ squad and they have firmly earned the right to be in this position with one defeat in our last 10 games played and a solitary defeat on home soil in the league all season.  It’s been great to watch … so far!

The visitors will be fifth-placed Chadderton, the second highest goal scorers in the NWCFL Premier Division with 126 who clinched their place in the end of season frolics with a 2-0 win over Stockport Town which broke a run of one win in their previous six which looked to have derailed their challenge to be here.

It is the highest that Chadderton have ever finished in their 46 year history and, having been promoted via the play-offs from NWCFL Division 1 North in 2023, beating FC St Helens on penalties, they have moderately recent success in this cut-throat finale.

Here they will be and it was only five weeks ago that the Oldham-based side travelled to the HWRS and the Rams held on for a 2-1 victory after what can only be described as one hell of a game at Andrew Street back in November that finished, somehow, 3-3!

Our home crowd numbers have been terrific this season once again but now is the time to come together and get the lads over the line on Saturday and then, all being well, again next Saturday too.

Ready to ride the rollercoaster one more time?!?

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 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.

Please be aware that the access road to Ramsbottom Cricket Club and Ramsbottom United FC has now had a no parking policy imposed with immediate effect carrying a fine of £100. Please do not park on this road.

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 welcome to everyone who has come up from Chadderton for this game.

The two sides first met in September 1997 in the preliminary round of the FA Vase where the visitors came out on top 5-4 – what an introduction!  The Rams would do the double over the Oldham side in the league, winning 1-0 at Andrew Street and 5-3 at the Riverside in April 1998.  Due to ground grading, despite finishing 12th, Chadderton would be relegated that season.

We would not meet again in the league until our return to the NWCFL in 2023 where our visitors have held sway, winning three of the five meetings.  They would do the double in 2023/24 with a 3-2 win at the HWRS – Kuda Chingwaro’s double not enough to beat a nine-man Chadderton side and it finished 2-1 at Andrew Street as Chingwaro’s strike was sandwiched between two Connor J Hughes goals.

Last season was a level playing field with a 1-0 win at the HWRS, Richie Baker’s third minute goal separating the sides while Chadderton finished with 10 men after Matthew Crothers’ early sending off but it was a win for the home side in April 2025 as Harvey Hayhurst’s goal split two from Tyler Berry and James Purfield.

The return fixture on a chilly night in November was a breathless affair and anyone who was there won’t forget it in a hurry!  A sending off apiece – Chadderton’s player having only been on the field for three minutes – was just the start as, going into injury time, the Rams were 3-1 down.  Step forward Oscar Radcliffe in 90+2 and then Maine Walder on 90+11 to grab a share of the spoils.

It was just five weeks ago that the sides met and it was a much quieter affair with Jacob Holland-Wilkinson’s opener being cancelled out by Benjamin Lowe before half time only for Harvey Hayhurst to hit the winner twenty minutes from time.

STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“After nearly 9 months of another gruelling North West Counties season, it all comes down to just three games to decide who joins Wythenshawe in the NPL next season.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate James and his team on sealing the Championship the other week. The Counties is a notoriously difficult league to get out of and whoever finishes top of the pile fully deserves all the accolades that come their way.

“Now it’s down to Atherton LR, Padiham, Chadderton and ourselves to scrap it out with us all hoping to gain that coveted second promotion spot.”