PILKINGTON PREVIEW
Have we all dried out after Tuesday night? What a deluge that was so we hope for considerably drier weather come Saturday when we welcome mid-table Pilkington to the HWRS for match number 20 of the league campaign.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Pilkington
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 15th November 2025
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:
A record run of victories in a row and just one defeat in our last 17 games dating back to Bank Holiday Monday in August, it really is the stuff of dreams. And as manager Steve Wilkes celebrates his 1,300th game in management, he could barely have believed the form his side are in.
We will never know the outcome of Tuesday night’s game at Wythenshawe – wow, what a downpour that was to wash out 80% of the NWCFL programme that night – but we will try again next month instead. But we welcome Pilkington to the HWRS today, a side on the rebuild after an indifferent couple of campaigns since their promotion from Division 1 North in 2023, dancing with the relegation trapdoor a little too closely in 22nd and 21st place respectively.
They put a stop to a five-match losing streak last Saturday when an injury time goal from Kyle Robinson-Murray gave them a 2-1 win over on the Isle of Man so head into this match with the Rams with a bite of form and, like every side in the division, will not just come to the HWRS to roll over, despite our maintaining the only remaining unbeaten home league record in the NWCFL Premier Division (Maghull are also unbeaten at home in Div 1 North).
The Pilks find themselves in 12th place with 26 points from their 21 games, including eight wins and two draws but their away form has been excellent with five wins from nine, featuring wins at Irlam and West Didsbury at the start of the season so the Rams will need to be on their full guard against an ever improving Green Machine!
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.
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 across from Pilkington for this game.
The two sides had never met before our first league encounter in October 2023 when the Rams put five past the visitors on their way to a 5-1 victory – Kudo Chingwaro scoring four and Maine Walder the other. And we would meet again the following Saturday, this time at the Arcoframe Stadium in the FA Vase when the game finished frantically 2-2 with goals in the 91st for Pilks’ Adam Gilchrist and 94th for the Rams for Oscar Radcliffe. The Rams would take the game 4-3 on penalties.
An end of season trip west and in front of a very small crowd of just 57, the Rams slammed another five in – this time it was Oumar Camara with the quartet of goals, separated by Roman Allen’s strike on 64 which helped the Rams to a 5-1 win again.
Last season, it was a much closer affair with the first game of the season ending 2-2, again with late goals on both sides from Liam Bott for Pilkington and Robert Wilson’s 92nd minute equaliser but it was more comfortable on this very weekend 12 months ago (16th November 2024) when Corey Stacey slotted twice in the Rams’ 2-0 success (pictured above).
STEVE WILKES SAYS (on his 1,300th game):
“It’s a really proud moment for myself and my family. To reach 1,300 games as a non-league manager is something not many people achieve. I’d like to thank all the players and staff that I have worked with because if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have reached this total. Thank you to the fans of the six clubs I’ve managed. Here’s to a few more.”
STEVE WILKES SAYS (on our recent form):
“Since our 4-1 home victory over Barnoldswick, we’ve progressed nicely in The FA Vase with a 4-0 with away to Crook Town, which we’ve been rewarding with a juicy home tie against Nelson, who are unbeaten since August and currently on a 13 game winning streak. Tuesday night saw us travel to Wythenshawe, but not for long as a monsoon took over and the game was abandoned on 18 mins. The referee 100% made the correct decision.
“We now return to Wythenshawe on 2nd December which means we will have played Saturday/Tuesday for 10 weeks on the trot. In my opinion this is totally unacceptable regarding player safety. The league rule of having to play a postponed game within 35 of the original game, seriously needs looking at.
“If no more games are cancelled before the New Year, we will have just 18 league left after playing 20 in 10 weeks.”
