PILKINGTON PREVIEW
On Tuesday it will have been 10 days since the mess left from the Nelson game and we will attempt to play once again at the HWRS as Pilkington head into town for what is now a crucial game in our season after the original game was postponed due to Storm Claudia.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Pilkington
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Tuesday 16th December 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:
It really wasn’t that long ago that Rams supporters were basking in the glow of a record run of 11 consecutive victories across league and cup competitions, spanning the whole of October and deep into November with goals aplenty including the 8-0 hauling of City of Liverpool and three or more goals in all five before.
The picture is a little different now, having not played a league game for a fortnight and winless in their last four including exits from both the League Cup and the controversial FA Vase defeat in the quagmire that was a week Saturday ago. Add to the mix a disappointing 2-0 loss at Wythenshawe and the Rams have slipped to fourth in the table – naturally with games in hand given the raft of postponements but still licking wounds from a chastening quadruple of results.
And so this match at home to Pilkington, who are down in 18th place but enduring a difficult period with just one win in their last nine games – a 2-1 away success at FC Isle of Man, a shining beacon in amongst some crunching rocks of three 6-1 reverses and a 10-1 loss at home to Padiham at the back end of November – comes at a very important time for the Rams.
That is, of course, if the pitch is back to looking something like a football pitch and not a potato field and with more heavy rain forecast for Sunday night and Monday – and another flood warning for the River Irwell – please do keep your eyes on our social medias for more information about inspections etc.
It would be a real shame if the game was postponed as that would be the final action of the 2025 calendar year at the HWRS – one of the most entertaining years in recent memory and with the Rams, once again, in the shake up come the spring of 2026. We thank every single supporter who has come and joined us this year … bring on 3rd January when we go again at home to Litherland REMYCA … we do have two away games before year out, of course!
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 and access to the cricket club, 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 also 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.
STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“A really important game as we need to get back to winning ways having not won in the last four league and cup games.
“Pilkington will as always provide tough opposition but if we produce what we were producing up until a couple of weeks ago then I’m hopeful we can win the game”.
