PREVIEW – COLNE (A)

Is their any chance of a game? Is there any chance of writing one of these previews for a match that will actually be on? Well the weather has improved, it has gotten a little warmer and it’s stopped raining … we might just get on for a Friday night under the lights!

MATCH: Colne v Ramsbottom United
VENUE: NORI Stadium, Harrison Drive Stadium, Harrison Drive, Colne, BB8 9SL
COMPETITION: North West Counties Premier Division
DATE: Friday 26th January 2024
KICK-OFF: 7:45pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £7, Concessions – £5, U16s – £1, Under 12 – FREE. Pay on the gate, card and contactless payments accepted.

PROGRAMME: Digital version – can be obtained on the club website or via the QR code at the ground.

OVERVIEW:
It has been 13 long days since we last played a game and it has been a frustrating time for everyone across the board. The games against West Didsbury and Chorlton, Wythenshawe Town and Bury have gone by the weyside due to the weather meaning the last game we played was that very disappointing reverse to Skelmersdale United.

Of course, we are not alone as our hosts have also endured the same fate of waiting around for another game but this has rather stunted their momentum after thumping back-to-back Saturday victories over AFC Liverpool and Pilkington, scoring twelve goals in the process.

In fact, the men in red have not lost since 4 November, a total of eight games without defeat with six of those being victories. It has pushed them up the table into ninth place and are nicely at the top of the NWCFL form table. With 44 points from their 28 games, they are sat poised with a very healthy goal difference for a charge into the play-off places, which are only seven points away.

However, it has to be noted that their home form this season does leave plenty of room for improvement having won just four of their 13 at their NORI Stadium home and, whilst the weather has improved, there might be another issue in the way of this game taking place and that is a broken floodlight in the centre of the pitch which needs to be fixed – it was the reason their match on Tuesday night against Cheadle Town was postponed!

Frozen pitches, snow, waterlogging and maybe a floodlight fault causing postponements for the Rams – what’s next … a plague of locusts?!?

However, if the game doesn’t get the go ahead on Friday night, it will be played on Saturday at 2pm instead (weather permitting of course!). So at least we have two bites of this particular cherry to get the game on. Either way, it will be a tough examination for the Rams as they keep their own play-offs hopes alive.

HISTORY:
This will be the 34th competitive meeting between the Rams and Colne since the first in Division 2 of the NWCFL in August 1996, a game that the Rams won 4-1 and we would secure promotion as league champions that season.

But the story in more latter years has been a tale of woe for the Rams with just one victory (3-1 in September 2021 with goals from James Murphy, Eddie Cooper and Godwin Abadaki with Lee Pugh claiming a last minute consolation) across the last 10 games, a 0-0 draw in November 2022 breaking up the Red tide of three point claiming!

The Rams’ record at Holt House is 8 wins to 7 with one draw so overall. Colne lead 16-15 but the Rams lead in the goals stakes 49-48!

STEVE WILKES’ THOUGHTS:
“Tough game against one of the league’s form teams who seem to be scoring goals for fun, so we know once again we’re in for a tough evening at Colne.

“We’ve had a few good training sessions since we last played and brought in the 3 new faces, hopefully at Colne we might have a couple more as well.”