PREVIEW – BURY (GAME OFF)
GAME OFF – Waterlogged pitch. New data TBA.
Shall we have another go? For the third time, we prepare ourselves for a trip down the road to Gigg Lane to face Bury FC. The previous two attempts were washed out so it’s a Tuesday night under the lights as the Rams attempt to stretch their unbeaten run to three.
MATCH: Bury v Ramsbottom United
VENUE: Gigg Lane, Bury, BL9 9HR
COMPETITION: North West Counties League Premier Division
DATE: Tuesday 6th February 2024
KICK-OFF: 7:45pm
ADMISSION:
Tickets can be purchased in advance (see below). Or the admission charges oin the gate are Adults – £10, 16-18 year olds – £5, Under 16s – £3 (expect children under 12 to be accompanied by an adult), Under 5s – FREE.
TICKETS:
You can pre-purchase a ticket from the Bury FC website at https://buryfc.co.uk/tickets/
PARKING:
Around the stadium there is street parking available. Please check road signs as some of the streets are residents only and need a permit. Ground parking is for players, officials and committee only. Further information is available here https://www.nwcfl.com/clubpage.php?id=885
ENTRANCE TO STADIUM:
Bury FC have requested that supporters enter the ground via the Cemetary End (East Stand) even if they have tickets for the South Stand.
ALCOHOL:
Due to recent incident of anti-social behaviour, Bury FC have added additional safety measures to their home games under the advise of police. There will be no alcohol served at the kiosks.
COMMENTARY and STREAMING:
Commentary of the game will be available via Roch Valley Radio and the game will also be streamed live – details will appear on Bury FC’s website on the day of the game.
OVERVIEW:
The Shakers v The Rams. The ‘Black Pudding’ Derby – Bury makes them, Rammy lobs ’em! The M66 Derby! The East Lancashire Railway Derby – although no trains will be running ahead of the game, of course! Call it what you will but it is a game that many, you would think, have been looking forward to for a long time.
For even mentioning Bury and Ramsbottom United playing each other at the same level is almost surreal in itself. Bury, the town’s team who, when they were a football league club, used to pop up and play us in a pre-season friendly, now taking us on, via the reformed club after the events of 2019 and the formation of the phoenix AFC, in the North West Counties League. And the Rammy faithful make their way to Gigg Lane for the first time since Boxing Day 2006 when the hosts were FC United of Manchester who were sharing the ground with the then League Two club.
With eight goals in our last two games, having edged past Lower Breck 3-2 and hammered Litherland REMYCA 5-1, the Rams make the 6.6 mile journey with a little spring in the step. Having collected just one point from the previous six games, it’s six points from six available in the last two, thoughts of relegation scraps eased a touch, thoughts of ‘can we still make the play-offs’ suddenly reappear into view.
However, we are up against the form team in the table with six wins from their last six games and 26 goals scored in that time. The last time they played at home was a week Saturday ago when they humiliated Skelmersdale United 10-1. They have won 11 of their 14 games at Gigg Lane and scored 42 goals in the process. They are the leading goalscorers in the division by a distance and could go top of the table with a win on Tuesday night. It will be a serious test of this new look Rammy’s credentials.
But there is a new found belief with back-to-back victories as the Rams commence a trio of difficult away games as Wythenshawe Town and West Didsbury & Chorlton follow within the next week then home games with Colne and current league leaders Wythenshawe hot on their heels. Seven games in February which will define the remainder of the campaign.
You will have seen there are many restrictions and notices ahead of this game as a small minority of the home support causing Bury FC some issues but, with an average home gate well in excess of 3,000, let’s hope that the football is the only story … as the Rams look to create their own little piece of history and win three league games in a row for the first time in two and a half years (August 2021, won four in a row).
HISTORY:
The first ever league fixture between the Rams and the Shakers. The second meeting between the Rams and this incarnation of Bury FC.
Tony Cunningham’s match report from the league cup game is here to remind you of what happened when nearly 1,700 packed into the HWRS in November.
STEVE WILKES’ THOUGHTS:
“We are really looking forward to the game, thankfully on the back of a couple of wins.
“We’re under no illusions of how difficult it’s going to be, but I’m sure this was one of the first fixtures the players and fans alike both looked for.
“We have two tough away games this week against the top two but we are really looking forward to seeing how far we’ve progressed in the last couple of weeks.”
