STALYBRIDGE CELTIC PREVIEW
Wembley is calling. It’s that time of year once again where 745 clubs all start to dream of an arch in west London and of tin-foil cardboard cut out FA Cups! Yes, it’s that time again and, for the first time in four years, we start on that long road with a home game and it is NPL West side Stalybridge Celtic that are coming to visit.
MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Stalybridge Celtic
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: The Emirates FA Cup – Extra Preliminary Round
DATE: Saturday 3rd August 2024
KICK-OFF: 3:00pm
ADMISSION: Adults – £9, Concessions – £5, U12 – £1 (with paying adult)
OVERVIEW:
Yeah ok! The likelihood of Ramsbottom United getting to Wembley in mid-May might be a bit far fetched but, as they always say, you gotta buy a ticket to be in the draw. And here we are, in early August, wondering, pondering what the season has in store and how far can we go.
It is the same story up and down the country but to be able to host a game, even this early in the competition, is still a treat because, well, its all about the magic of the Cup, isn’t it. Regardless if it is the extra preliminary round or round 3 when the ‘big boys’ come into play, the excitement is still the same.
So here is it. And our visitors from Stalybridge Celtic have sampled that joy of reaching the ‘proper’ rounds as recently as 2015/16 season when they went down 2-0 to Doncaster Rovers in Round 1. They are veterans of the FA Cup, having first played in 1913/14 but enter at this extra preliminary stage of the competition for the very first time, which will be a culture shock for the former Conference club only just over 20 years ago.
Whilst the Rams have been in competitive action for a week already, claiming a 2-2 draw away at Pilkington last Saturday and then beating newly promoted Abbey Hey 3-0 on Tuesday night, Stalybridge are still in pre-season and must wait another week before the NPL West campaign kicks off when Stafford Rangers go to Bower Fold.
So it is a very difficult game to call. Celtic beat Bradford Park Avenue 1-0 in their final friendly on Tuesday but were well beaten 4-1 by Hyde United at the weekend at home. What does that tell us – not much really but they have had minutes in the legs and that’s about it!
The Rams have started the season well and sit sixth in the fledgling table and showed plenty of positive signs in the victory on Tuesday evening on a glorious evening but this will undoubtely be a stiff test of the new look Rammy side.
It is just the second ever meeting between the sides, the other coming in the NPL League Cup Round 1 in November 2017 where goals from Eddie Cooper, Ben Richardson and Jerome Wright gave the Rams a 3-0 success and we would go onto reach the quarter-finals before falling to Atherton Collieries.
Just as a warning – there is cricket going on across the other side of the wall on Saturday – Ramsbottom 3rd XI are playing Lowerhouse 3rd XI from 1pm and there is also an Under 11s game earlier in the morning so parking might be at a premium so please either get down early and enjoy a bit of leather on willow or find an alternative location.
STEVE WILKES’ THOUGHTS:
“We were really pleased with the performance on Tuesday night,” said manager Steve Wilkes. “But like every manager, you always want a bit more and I think we could have and should have won the game by more.
“So this is something to build on ahead of the game on Saturday against a good side in Stalybridge. They have had a good pre-season and made some good signings but this will be their first fully competitive game so we really don’t know what to expect – apart from it will be a tough game for sure.”
