Edition number three of this series looking back at the events on the pitch on the respective Saturday’s in our non-league history.
SATURDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 2015
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 0 DARLINGTON 1883 3
Our history when playing Darlington 1883, the reformed former football league club from the north-east is something of Rammy legend. Who can ever forget that night on 30 April 2014 in Bishop Auckland, that incredible play-off night and the 2-0 win in front of nearly 2,000 at Heritage Park?
Just 17 months later and we would welcome The Quakers back to the Riverside and it would, as it stands, be for the last time we would play them as they would be promoted in the National League North and we would suffer our only relegated in our history that same season.
When Darlington came to town – who were promoted from NPL One North, the season after we had been – they were top of the league. On the flip side, we were played 10, won 0, drawn 2 and lost 8 in the Northern Premier League season.
A mistake from Grant Shenton in the Rammy goal, who had attempted to dribble his way out of trouble, gave Graham Amstrong a simple tap-in for Darlington’s opener within the quarter hour. Robert Youhill provided the second on 67 minutes, with Man of the Match Nathan Cartman finishing the job with just a couple of minutes remaining in a game where the Rams barely got out of the starting blocks.
The 12th winless game of the season – including the FA Cup exit – was the final game in charge for Jon Robinson, who resigned from the post a couple of days later and was replaced by Phil Edghill, who had been Rammy legend Robbo’s assistant.
RAMSBOTTOM TEAM v DARLINGTON 2015: Grant Shenton, Luke Heron, David Kuba-Kuba, Max Harrop (Matthew Crothers 79), Melford Knight, Kyle Harrop (Prince Hayward 72), Phil Edghill, Alex Meaney (Jake Cliffe 68), Sam Grimshaw, Andrew Fitzgerald, Lee Gaskell. Subs not used: Jamie Rother, Charlie Russell.
SATURDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 1998
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 3 HOLKER OLD BOYS 0
With good wins in the FA Cup over Shildon and a 1-0 league success at Shawbridge over Clitheroe, the Rams welcomed lowly Holker Old Boys to the Riverside looking to continue their good form which has seen us suffer one defeat in the previous nine.
Manager Ken Bridge had no fresh injury worries for this game and was pleased to see new signing David Yorke-Robinson come off the bench to score the winner on Tuesday night at Clitheroe.
But he was considering some changes with the reserves having an important game, also against Clitheroe on the same day.
He need not of worried as the Rams completed a comfortable 3-0 victory over the Barrow-in-Furness based side who would be relegated from NWCL Division One at the end of the season with just four wins to their name.
Goals from Steve Orrell, Russell Brierley and Mark O’Brien completed the easy win and maintained our solid opening to the campaign. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t last.
