Week 22: Preview
Fri 19th December 2025 | Match Previews | By Jay Cooper
'Twas the weekend before Christmas, and all over the North West; NWCFL sides were lacing up to give it their best.
Let's see who is facing whom this weekend...
Saturday:
Premier Division:
It’s the last weekend before Christmas, and there’s plenty of NWCFL league action to soak in before the big, bearded fellow comes down the chimney!
There are two slightly early kick-offs to bring to you on Saturday, with Glossop North End being the only side from the top half of the table involved in either match. They will welcome FC Isle of Man to the Asgard Engineering Stadium at 2pm. Simultaneously, Prestwich Heys will be in action at home for the second time in five days as Barnoldswick Town visit Adie Moran Park.
There is no doubt now that Padiham will be Christmas No. 1 in the Premier Division this year. The Storks are top at the time of writing and will stay there regardless of how they fare against 13th placed South Liverpool away from home this weekend.
Their nearest challengers that are in action on Saturday are West Didsbury & Chorlton, who can cut the gap between themselves at the top of the tree to just a point if Padiham lose and Rammy take maximum points from their hosting of Chadderton – not easy, considering a positive result for Chaddy could see them breach the play-off places.
Comfortably in the play-offs going into the end of this year are fourth placed Ramsbottom United, who will be on the road to AFC Liverpool this weekend as they hope to keep their own names in the fat for the title race. Less comfortable in the top five are FC St Helens, who will have to be on peak performance this weekend at home to Cheadle Town if they want to spend Christmas Day in the play-off positions.
There’s no room at the inn right now for seventh-placed Irlam, but should both FC St Helens and Chadderton drop points, the M44 side will ready and waiting to pounce. To take full advantage in this scenario however, they will need to see off eight-placed Burscough away from home.
At the bottom, there’s no game this weekend for City of Liverpool, which presents Abbey Hey with the best chance they’ve had recently to climb out of the bottom two. They face bottom side Litherland REMYCA, who’ve lost their last three, and even just a point would see them into the safety places for Christmas Day.
As an early Christmas gift, Euxton Villa and Atherton LR, two teams who know each other very well after both getting promoted last season from the First Division North, will battle one another this weekend at the Jim Fowler Memorial Ground.
That won’t be the only mid-to-lower table clash going on this Saturday either, as middle-of-the-pack Longridge Town will square off with 18th placed Pilkington; and 10th placed Stockport Town go toe to toe with 15th placed Charnock Richard.
First Division North:
Like the Premier Division, it’s already guaranteed who will be top on the 25th in the First Division North: Ashton Town. With just four games to bring you from this competition on Saturday, Droylsden could cement themselves as Town’s closest challengers between now and the new year if they can outdo Thornton Cleveleys – they’d go second with a win.
However, a defeat for the Bloods would be catastrophic, as that would see not only their opponents on the day leapfrog them in the table, but could also see one of sixth placed Nelson or 10th placed Holker Old Boys overtake them too, when they face one another on Saturday.
Also, 11th placed AFC Blackpool are just one win away from levelling their points total to that of the current fifth-placed side, and they can take a massive step in the right direction with a weekend win over bottom club Ashton Athletic.
Incredibly, 13th placed MSB Woolton are ALSO just one win away from levelling THEIR points total to that of the current fifth-placed side, and THEY can take a massive step in the right direction with a weekend win away at Steeton – it really is anyone’s game in the race for the play-offs in this division this season!
First Division South:
The run-in to Christmas has left little be decided in the First Division South, but don’t let that stop you soaking in some interesting clashes this weekend. Firstly, there’s a battle towards the bottom of the table; with just four points, Alsager Town and a dotted line separating Wolves Casuals and Shawbury United ahead of their meeting this Saturday at Brinsford Stadium.
Elsewhere, Sandbach United have the chance to set themselves up nicely for the fixtures after Christmas Day if they take maximum points from second-bottom Haughmond away from home – doing so would see them sitting just a point behind the top five.
Inside the top five and in action this week are Stockport Georgians, who would go level on points with third-placed Eccleshall if they can put down one of the form teams in the division in New Mills on Saturday.
Finally, Foley Meir have a five-place, 10-point advantage in the table over this weekend’s visitors to the Trentham Foods Stadium, Cheadle Heath Nomads. That being said, Foley have lost two of their last three, whilst Nomads are unbeaten in that same timeframe – this one seems like a clash that could really go either way.
Week 22: Preview
Fri 19th December 2025 | Match Previews
By Jay Cooper
'Twas the weekend before Christmas, and all over the North West; NWCFL sides were lacing up to give it their best.
Let's see who is facing whom this weekend...
Saturday:
Premier Division:
It’s the last weekend before Christmas, and there’s plenty of NWCFL league action to soak in before the big, bearded fellow comes down the chimney!
There are two slightly early kick-offs to bring to you on Saturday, with Glossop North End being the only side from the top half of the table involved in either match. They will welcome FC Isle of Man to the Asgard Engineering Stadium at 2pm. Simultaneously, Prestwich Heys will be in action at home for the second time in five days as Barnoldswick Town visit Adie Moran Park.
There is no doubt now that Padiham will be Christmas No. 1 in the Premier Division this year. The Storks are top at the time of writing and will stay there regardless of how they fare against 13th placed South Liverpool away from home this weekend.
Their nearest challengers that are in action on Saturday are West Didsbury & Chorlton, who can cut the gap between themselves at the top of the tree to just a point if Padiham lose and Rammy take maximum points from their hosting of Chadderton – not easy, considering a positive result for Chaddy could see them breach the play-off places.
Comfortably in the play-offs going into the end of this year are fourth placed Ramsbottom United, who will be on the road to AFC Liverpool this weekend as they hope to keep their own names in the fat for the title race. Less comfortable in the top five are FC St Helens, who will have to be on peak performance this weekend at home to Cheadle Town if they want to spend Christmas Day in the play-off positions.
There’s no room at the inn right now for seventh-placed Irlam, but should both FC St Helens and Chadderton drop points, the M44 side will ready and waiting to pounce. To take full advantage in this scenario however, they will need to see off eight-placed Burscough away from home.
At the bottom, there’s no game this weekend for City of Liverpool, which presents Abbey Hey with the best chance they’ve had recently to climb out of the bottom two. They face bottom side Litherland REMYCA, who’ve lost their last three, and even just a point would see them into the safety places for Christmas Day.
As an early Christmas gift, Euxton Villa and Atherton LR, two teams who know each other very well after both getting promoted last season from the First Division North, will battle one another this weekend at the Jim Fowler Memorial Ground.
That won’t be the only mid-to-lower table clash going on this Saturday either, as middle-of-the-pack Longridge Town will square off with 18th placed Pilkington; and 10th placed Stockport Town go toe to toe with 15th placed Charnock Richard.
First Division North:
Like the Premier Division, it’s already guaranteed who will be top on the 25th in the First Division North: Ashton Town. With just four games to bring you from this competition on Saturday, Droylsden could cement themselves as Town’s closest challengers between now and the new year if they can outdo Thornton Cleveleys – they’d go second with a win.
However, a defeat for the Bloods would be catastrophic, as that would see not only their opponents on the day leapfrog them in the table, but could also see one of sixth placed Nelson or 10th placed Holker Old Boys overtake them too, when they face one another on Saturday.
Also, 11th placed AFC Blackpool are just one win away from levelling their points total to that of the current fifth-placed side, and they can take a massive step in the right direction with a weekend win over bottom club Ashton Athletic.
Incredibly, 13th placed MSB Woolton are ALSO just one win away from levelling THEIR points total to that of the current fifth-placed side, and THEY can take a massive step in the right direction with a weekend win away at Steeton – it really is anyone’s game in the race for the play-offs in this division this season!
First Division South:
The run-in to Christmas has left little be decided in the First Division South, but don’t let that stop you soaking in some interesting clashes this weekend. Firstly, there’s a battle towards the bottom of the table; with just four points, Alsager Town and a dotted line separating Wolves Casuals and Shawbury United ahead of their meeting this Saturday at Brinsford Stadium.
Elsewhere, Sandbach United have the chance to set themselves up nicely for the fixtures after Christmas Day if they take maximum points from second-bottom Haughmond away from home – doing so would see them sitting just a point behind the top five.
Inside the top five and in action this week are Stockport Georgians, who would go level on points with third-placed Eccleshall if they can put down one of the form teams in the division in New Mills on Saturday.
Finally, Foley Meir have a five-place, 10-point advantage in the table over this weekend’s visitors to the Trentham Foods Stadium, Cheadle Heath Nomads. That being said, Foley have lost two of their last three, whilst Nomads are unbeaten in that same timeframe – this one seems like a clash that could really go either way.
