GLOSSOP NORTH END PREVIEW
After our short hiatus for the FA Vase clash with Jarrow, we head straight back into league action when struggling Glossop North End made the trip up from the Peaks for a match under the HWRS lights.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Glossop North End
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Tuesday 21st October 2025
KICK-OFF: 7:45pm
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.
OVERVIEW:
Back to the bread and butter for the Rams on Tuesday night under the HWRS floodlights as the fourth of our six-packed home October schedule brings old friends for many, many years from Glossop North End for this key game in the NWCFL.
Why is it key? Because last season, crucial dropped points against Glossop would, amongst others of course, cost us either a higher league position or automatic promotion. You only have to look at the last six meetings between the Rams and Glossop, both in NPL 1W or NWCFL Premier (as they sank to relegation at the same time we did) and see that the Rams have just three points from a possible 18 in the six fixtures and no league win in the last eight.
That’s why it is key. So you really can forget that Glossop are down in 19th place with just four wins from their 16 starts this season and have lost their last four league games, only scoring once in the process – they have history and Rammy krytonite in their pockets!
Does any of this make any difference on the day or is it just ‘well that was then and this is now’? Who knows but the Rams come into this game – noting that this was written before Saturday’s FA Vase game – with six wins from their last seven games but, having strung together three clean sheets in a row, have shipped eight in the last four games despite winning three of them, the only blip being the Irlam away loss.
The Rams are unbeaten in the league at home this season and have a very fine record on our patch but there were two tough wins against Charnock Richard and Prestwich Heys earlier in the month, where the Rams had to dig deep and did so.
However, the pressure has been maintained on league leaders Padiham and it is very tight at the top of the table so all the Rams need to do is keep on churning out the results … but it will not be an easy task against a Glossop side looking for some form and knowing they have the formula against us.
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 welcome to everyone coming up from Glossop for this game.
Having written the preview for the Jarrow game, a side we had never played before, this one is very different as today will be the 46th competitive fixture since the very first way back in November 1997 at Surrey Street in NWCFL Division 1.
The record currently stands at 17 wins from the Rams, 16 wins for the Hillmen and 12 draws and the Rams just about hold the goal advantage 75-68. However, at the Riverside, the record couldn’t be more level – 9 wins each and five draws and a level goal scoring tally of 37 apiece.
It is thus that the Rams haven’t beaten Glossop in the league at the HWRS since Nialle Rodney and Joel Bembo-Leta lead the hosts to a 2-0 victory in NPL 1W two days shy of seven years ago – our only win across the last seven against Glossop at home.
Last season, the two games finished as draws. September saw Luke Sephton’s second half equaliser cancel out Lewis Reilly’s strike just before the half-hour mark while a drab 0-0, only enlivened by Harvey Whyte’s double yellow card in the space of six first half minutes forcing the Rams to play with 10 men for an hour.
We certainly don’t want another of those but Glossop will be wanting to repeat their 3-2 win at the HWRS the season before when Matt Dudley and Kuda Chingwaro’s goals weren’t enough to stave off the visitors victory despite having defender Saul Guffog sent off after two yellow cards in the space of three minutes .. beat that, Harvey!
STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“We will not be taking any notice of form tables or anything like that when it comes to Glossop North End. Richard Brodie has got a very good side on his hands and, whilst the results haven’t gone their way, we know all too well just how hard a game they will give us.
“I have been really pleased with our form and we are playing some good football but we need to find a way of ensuring we collect more clean sheets as we are conceding a few too many goals for my liking and that can, and has, prevented us previously from making inroads at the top of the table but we are continuing to work hard in all aspects of the game and that one part is very important.”
