Droylsden preview
Our first and only Saturday home game in September sees high-flying Droylsden head into the HWRS looking to take the Rams’ 100% win record in the league on our own patch.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Droylsden
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 12th September 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 FACILITIES at the ground.
OVERVIEW:
Home sweet home is probably what the Rams players are saying to themselves with just two of the last six NWCFL games being played on the road. Don’t worry lads, the road awaits for the next three again…..
It really is a tale of two halves this season – nine points from nine on home soil but just two from the available 15 on their travels – so the excitement of being back on familiar territory will be one the Rams will be looking forward to.
Standing in the way though are revitalised Droylsden. Back from the dead and back in the NWCFL for the first time since 1987, ‘The Bloods’ have started the season in good form, picking up 13 points from their six starts and will be targeting a swift return to the NPL – where we last played them in February 2020, just before the world went mad!
The former Conference Premier outfit were forced to stand down from the NPL with the financial impact of the pandemic taking its hold but returned to the NWCFL in 2023 and won promotion via the playoffs last term, beating Maghull 4-3 on penalties after the game ended 3-3.
So what can we expect? A very tough encounter against a side that have already shown their mettle in winning four of their six games thus far this season and come into this game with a solid 2-0 win over Abbey Hey last time out, although were defeated 2-1 by Glossop on the Bank Holiday Monday.
For the Rams, it is a chance to bounce back from their hugely disappointing showing at Irlam last Saturday and produce something of the form they are capable of – the form that defeated AFC Liverpool and Prestwich Heys in back to back games at the Riverside.
A sizable crowd is expected so come on early and enjoy the atmosphere – should be a cracking contest.
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 welcome everyone who has made the journey up from Droylsden this evening and hope you have an enjoyable evening with us at the HWRS – obviously, result apart (to use Tony Cunningham’s well versed PA announcement!).
This will be the first time that the two sides have met in the North West Counties League – Droylsden left as Division 2 champions in 1987 and the Rams joined up in 1995. Such is life in football that the Rams were finishing 14th in this division while the Bloods were playing in the Conference back in 2008!
Our paths first crossed on 3 September 2016 in NPL Division 1 North – having missed each other in 2013/14 when we swapped places – Droylsden relegated from NPL Premier and the Rams memorably promoted via the play-offs from NPL 1 North.
That game in 2016 was a topsy-turvy encounter with Steve Lewis giving the visitors the lead before Louis Myers and Gareth Seddon put the Rams ahead and Alex Meaney added a third before Lewis hit back in injury time but the Rams held out for a 3-2 win.
The honours were shared 1-1 in the return game in January 2017, Grant Spencer’s first half opener being cancelled out by Jamie Frost’s penalty with 20 minutes left – a good result for Droylsden given they were reduced to 10 men when keeper Jamie Coates was sent off just before the break.
Pictured above is Ryan Ellison battling for the ball in our 3-1 home win over Droylsden back in April 2018.
The head-to-head record between the sides is 6-1 to the Rams with the one draw as listed above. Three of those six wins have come in the last three games and Droylsden haven’t scored against us since Sefton Gonzales did in March 2019 – 283 minutes of football ago.
April 2019 brought a four goal collection from Nic Evangelinos at the HWRS as he took home the match ball (possibly!) in a 4-0 win and the NPL NW season of 2019/20 saw the 10-man Rams win 5-0 thanks to a Josh Hmami double alongside Evangelinos, Daniel Naidole and Karl Jones, that being despite Iyrwah Gooden’s red card after just 14 minutes.
It was 3-0 in February 2020 with Hmami grabbing two and Ruben Jerome the third in the comfortable win – not that it counted for anything in the end as the season was halted with the Rams in second place and Droylsden in 16th.
