PADIHAM PREVIEW
There is no time to lick any wounds from the hugely disappointing result on Tuesday night as the Rams surrendered their unbeaten home record to Euxton Villa and there will be no bigger test of the teams’ resolve than the dangerous challenge of play-off chasing Padiham.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Padiham
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 28th February 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.
OVERVIEW:
Tuesday was one of those nights. On the balance of play, the Rams had much the better of the game but it’s goals that count and Euxton took their chance and the Rams … well, didn’t. It was a huge missed opportunity to close the gap on leaders Wythenshawe, who saw their game postponed but there is still a lot of football left to be played.
So it is back to business and it is a really tough one as play-off chasing Padiham head into town on Saturday for a ‘six pointer’ which could go a long way in deciding whether the leaders are chasable or not. Is it a must win for the Rams? With 13 games to play, it is hard to say yes but, given the result on Tuesday night, it might well be.
The Storks come into the fixture with a couple of wins over Charnock Richard and Longridge Town – the latter albeit in the Lancashire Knockout – and a 3-3 draw with Irlam. But their recent form prior to that had been indifferent and it had seen them slip off the pace a touch, dropping down to fifth four points behind the Rams having played two games more.
But, we all know the reputation of Padiham especially when it comes to matches at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium where they remain unbeaten in the league since 2009 across their last seven games on our home patch, including of course, the play-off semi-final reverse in April when Luke Barlow’s 92nd minute strike wasn’t enough to haul the Rams over the line.
This game takes on more significance and it is one not to be missed. Can the Rams break the Padiham hoodoo?
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 down from Padiham for this game.
As we have already alluded to, the historical record between these two sides doesn’t make for great reading if you are a Ramsbottom United supporter. With just one win from our last six meetings – the memorable 4-1 success at The Arbories in September 2024 – it hasn’t been pretty reading since the return to the NWCFL in 2023.
A triple of defeats since that 4-1 win – with big crowds on for all – has seen Padiham continue to hold sway with 11 wins from 17 games since the first in the NWCFL League Cup in November 2006 and 7 wins from 9 on our hallowed turf.
Time to break the run?
STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“To say that we were disappointed and frustrated on Tuesday night is a massive understatement. We know that we had much of the game and had our chances to put them away but we didn’t and that is not good enough.
“So we now come into this crucial game with Padiham knowing just how important it is. We know what Padiham are capable of and they know what we are too so we just have to be at our best and put Tuesday night behind us quickly.”
