CHADDERTON PREVIEW
It is a fixture that has been long awaited as the league leading Rams welcome third placed Chadderton, a side who have quietly gone about their business this season and are firmly in the mix for the promotion honours.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Chadderton
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties Premier Division
DATE: Saturday 11th January 2025
KICK-OFF: 3:00pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £9, Concessions – £5, U12 – £1 (with paying adult) – CASH ONLY
OVERVIEW:
On a run of 18 league games unbeaten, the Rams regained top spot in the table when Bury crashed to a stunning 4-0 loss at West Didsbury and Chorlton last weekend whilst playing out an entertaining 0-0 draw at Abbey Hey.
Chadderton had the weekend off and haven’t played a league game since the last Saturday of 2024. But their promotion charge has rather come to a juddering halt with defeats in their last three fixtures, including a 5-2 reverse at ‘home’ to Bury and then a humbling 6-1 defeat in their game with West Didsbury, those two games sandwiching a 2-1 away day loss at Abbey Hey.
Despite that, the east Manchester side – who are currently playing all of their home games away from their long-standing Andrew Street home – will be a very difficult opponent and there are many who believe this game could define the Rams’ season. It was certainly a regular point of conversation with our league promotion rivals on Boxing Day that the Rams did have to face ‘Chaddy’ twice. However, our visitors have since lost the league’s leading goalscorer Lewis Byrne … to the Gigg Lane outfit.
Yes, it is very true that we still have two games to play against the Reds, the reverse fixture still to come as the currently scheduled penultimate league game of the season. But there is a lot to play for between now and then and this fixture, against a stung opponent given their recent results, will prove a stern test for Steve Wilkes’ side.
We are one point clear of Bury and six ahead of Chadderton, with a game in hand. But there is another daunting fixture on the horizon too with dangerous Lower Breck, in fourth place with two games in hand over the Rams and just ten points adrift and currently on a seven game win-filled streak.
Some positive news out of the Rams camp is that goalkeeper Brad Rose’s groin injury is not as bad as first feared and he is likely to return before the end of the month so Tommy Davis, who has impressed, will continue having joined on loan from Preston North End.
Kick-off is at 3pm at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium for the first home game of 2025. Buckle up!
HISTORY:
The history between outselves and Chadderton comes in two parts but the overall record is equal – four wins each.
Chadderton completed the double over the Rams last season, winning 3-2 at the HWRS (pictured above) having led 2-0 after ten minutes and adding a third before Kuda Chingwaro’s quickfire double made it interesting and it was Chingwaro again who levelled the scores at Andrew Street in March but that was to prove fruitless as Connor J Hughes hit twice either side of the break to seal a 2-1 victory.
But that was the first time we had met in the lead since 1998 when we played in NWCFL Division 1 with the Rams recording 5-3 and 1-0 wins.
Many will be hoping that the game on Saturday isn’t a re-run of the first ever meeting in the FA Vase preliminary round on 10 September 1997 when the Rams’ goals from Paul Cuddy, Martin Hulme, Mark Keegan and Mel Burke were not enough to see them through to the next round, going down at The Riverside 5-4!
STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“There is a lot of attention of this game but we are in a good place at the moment. That won’t see us take the foot off the gas though as we know how dangerous Chadderton are and they have had a great season so far.
“That won’t make any difference to us, we will go out with the same intensity that we have shown. We had to work hard at Abbey Hey to get the point and, on another day, things go our way but that’s just how it happens and we come into this game top of the table and confident.”
