OTS – 4th NOVEMBER
Another Saturday so another chance to take a look back at the games played on this respective day in our non-league history – and it is a glorious day this one … Saturday 4 November (and I know we aren’t playing today!!!)
2017 – SCARBOROUGH ATHLETIC 2 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 1
Northern Premier League Division 1 North
Ramsbottom made their first visit to the Flamingo Land Stadium to take on a Scarborough side that had lost just one league game at their impressive new home.
The visitors were looking to build on their impressive victory against Shaw Lane on Tuesday night but were grateful to keeper Danny Taberner for making an excellent save on just three minutes from Grimsby loanee Wright as the home team started positively.
Scarborough were looking an attacking threat early on in the contest but the Rams responded with their first shot on goal as a rasping Phil Dean effort was tipped for a corner by home stopper Taylor.
The deadlock was broken on the quarter hour mark when a contentious and certainly not intentional handball was given against Tom Brooks and ex-Barnsley midfield Coulson sent a superb 25-year curling free-kick past Taberner to give the hosts the lead in front of an excellent crowd of 953.
After suffering the setback, the visitors responded by winning a number of corners but couldn’t take advantage and were to fall further behind on 26 minutes when the impressive Max Wright surged into the Rams box before unleashing a powerful shot which hit the inside of the post before falling kindly back to the same player who doubled the home sides advantage.
The scoreline was no more than Scarborough deserved although the away side almost grabbed a lifeline as Dean again brought a smart low save from Taylor and Brooks fired over as the half time whistle blew and the Rams were contemplating a fifth successive away defeat in the league.
Ramsbottom started the second half as they had finished the first with Jamie Rother testing Taylor before making way for Sam Heathcote in an attacking change on 52 minutes. Almost immediately the deficit was halved as a fine Jerome Wright cross found an unmarked Josh Heaton at the fat post who stooped to head in his second Rams goal in three appearances.
Scarborough responded straight away and Taberner was at his best to tip over a blistering drive for a corner but it was Ramsbottom that were applying plenty of pressure in a much improved second half showing.
Mark Fell made his second change when Spencer replaced Brooks on 66 minutes. Scarborough were looking a threat on the break as the Rams pushed more men forward looking for an equaliser their play merited as the home supporters began to show their frustrations.
Dean fired over for the visitors whilst Wright reciprocated and went on a mazy run before firing wide of the target as the match was becoming more open as the minutes ticked by.
Parity was almost restored on 83 minutes when Jerome Wright floated a cross towards Luke Thompson at the far post and with the goal seemingly at his mercy, a home defender nudged the Rams defender off balance and the header sailed wide of the target.
This would prove to be the last chance of the game as the Rams slipped to an unfortunate defeat by Mark Fell’s side could take some positives from an excellent second half performance that on another day could have yielded at least a point from the trip to North Yorkshire.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Taberner, Roscoe, Brownhill, Moran, Thompson, Heaton, Dean, Rother (Heathcote 54mins), Brooks (Spencer 66mins), Daniels, Wright. Subs not used: Stott, Meaney, Williams.
2006 – RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 3 STONE DOMINOES 1
North West Counties League Division 1
(report from Lancashire Telegraph)
Ramsbottom carved out an assured victory over basement boys Stone Dominoes at the Riverside Ground.
Liam McManus scored after five minutes and Stone conceded again after 23 minutes when Lee Cryer headed into the back of the net.
Cryer scored a second header just before half time after a surging run from Anthony Johnson who provided the cross.
The second half saw a much more determined effort by Stone and they almost scored with Campbell having to be alert to keep out Mezarous’ effort.
In the 68th minute Stone grabbed a consolation through James Sheldon.
2000 – CLITHEROE 2 RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 1
North West Counties League Division 1
(report from Lancashire Telegraph)
TWO-goal hero Lee Cryer took his season’s tally to seven as Clitheroe took the points in an evenly contested encounter with Ramsbottom in the NECFL Division One.
The former Leigh RMI front man struck after seven minutes from the penalty spot after his co-striker Neil Spencer had been brought down.
It was nip and tuck as both sides adapted well to the heavy conditions and Ramsbottom certainly made their championship-chasing local rivals fight all the way for the points.
A glorious equaliser from Phil Porter — a shot from outside the box which found the top corner — looked like earning the visitors a point.
But nine minutes from time Lee Sculpher floated in a free kick which Cryer volleyed home at the far post.
Cryer and Spencer have now scored 17 times between them to maintain Clitheroe’s fine start which sees them third in the table having won an impressive tally of nine league games.
A crowd of more than 250 watched this latest win and with a couple of games in hand Clitheroe are still looking to have more than a passing interest in the title race.
1995 – RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 4 BACUP BOROUGH 0
North West Counties League Division Two
(report from Rossendale Free Press)
Ramsbottom United produced a sparkling performance to beat struggling Bacup Borough 4-0.
Striker Steve Johnson returned form injury to add more sparkle to Rammy’s forward line against a side which had taken part in a training session organiser by Rochdale manager Mick Docherty last week.
Club spokesman John Maher said Johnson helped several of the younger players with their game during matches.
“Steve is prepared to passo n the experience gained from his professional playing days.”
United tore into a Borough side that failed to reproduce its recent improved form.
Ian Lees netted twice with the other goals coming from Johnson and Martin Hulme but the outstanding performance came from sweeper Neil Rhodes.
The most disappointing aspectd from Rammy was the sending off of Mark Isherwood along with Borough’s central defender Robert Dorrington.
Lees opened the scoring with his first goal for Ramsbototm after Johnson had played the perfect dummy.
Johnson added Rammy’s second goal with a powerful drive into the roof of the net.
Phil Rose played the perfect ball from midfield which Lees converted, following a fine run from the middle of the park, to make it 3-0.
The best goal was Hulme’s volley after substitute Karl Stanley beat several Borough defenders on the right wing before sending in the perfect cross.
1972 – SOUTHAMPTON 1 NORWICH CITY 0
Football League Division 1
What on earth has this got to do with Ramsbottom United? Probably absolutely nothing really but your reporter can’t find who Rammy were playing on this particular Saturday back in 1972.
But, in front of 17,775 spectators and the Match of the Day cameras, New Forest born right-back Bob McCarthy, with his first goal for the club in his sixth season, scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for the Saints, fielding legends like Mick Channon and Terry Paine, Bobby Stokes (yep, him of 1976, all you Manchester United supporters) and Hugh Fisher.
Four miles down the road from The Dell, a very heavily pregnant lady was informed of the result by her husband of 18 months. To say she didn’t care much was an understatement as the expletive laden response confirmed. A few hours later, at 10.20pm, Richard Victor Isaacs was born … on this Saturday 51 years ago!
