STAFFORD TOWN PREVIEW
The excitement of the league title challenge is shelved temporarily as Division One South promotion chasers Stafford Town head up for the quarter-final of the Macron Cup.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Stafford Town
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: Macron League Cup Quarter-Final
DATE: Saturday 15th February 2025
KICK-OFF: 3:00pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £9, Concessions – £5, U12 – £1 (with paying adult) – CASH ONLY
PARKING:
Please note that due to the commencement of works on the old Mondi mill site off Bridge Street there’ll be no parking on Acre Bottom Lane on the approach to the cricket and football clubs. Please make use of alternative parking and be mindful of residents and restrictions.
OVERVIEW:
After the nervy win over Chadderton on Tuesday night which closed the gap on league leaders Bury to a single point again, we take a break to play in the Macron Cup quarter-final. It’s just like 2012 all over again!
Stafford Town are the visitors to the HWRS, a side who have only been in the NWCFL since being laterally switched from the Midlands League in 2021/22 and they, like us, are in second place in Division One South, six points behind Winsford United. The links to 2012 keep on coming!!
For those not familiar, the last time that we played in the NWCFL League Cup quarter-finals was in the famous promotion season of 2011/12. We lost in the quarter-final to the now defunct Norton United 3-2. It was the only game that was lost in the last 15 games of that epic campaign, which culminated in a 5-2 win over Winsford United to seal the NWCFL title – the last time we ever played them in a league game.
And whilst there is a thirst to progress as there is some silverware on offer and it is just three games away, it is naturally a little down the pecking order in the grander scheme of things!
Not that this game will be that easy against a progressive side in good form in the shape of a Stafford Town side with one defeat in their last 13 games in all competitions dating back to mid-November – their only defeat coming to New Mills (geez, it’s 2011 this time!!) but this will be the first time they would have played a side in a higher league in the Macron Cup, having gotten past Ashville, Allscott Heath and Winsford United, all fellow Division One South outfits.
It’s been a great season for the visitors who have lost just one of their 15 league games on the road and they are also in the quarter-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup and the semi-final of the NWCFL Edward Case Cup having beaten Maine Road 7-4 in the quarter-final a couple of weeks ago.
But there is must to look forward in this game, a place in the semi-final being one thing at least.
STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“We have come through a tough game against a physical side on Tuesday night but now we turn our attention to this league cup quarter-final against something of an unknown quantity in Stafford Town.
“They are having a very good season and looking good for a play-off place if not automatic promotion.
“But we will not be taking this game lightly and, whilst we have an ultimate goal of promotion ourselves, there is a good feeling about this cup competition and we want to progress”.
