Matchday Preview: Week 13
Fri 23rd October 2026 | Match Previews | By Jay Cooper
The Macron Cup returns this weekend to steal the spotlight in the NWCFL.
Friday
Macron Cup:
Just the one game under the lights this evening. A greater Liverpool derby will see Premier Division promotion hopefuls Burscough take on First Division North new boys Halewood Apollo at the Community Ground. It’s a first-time-ever competitive game between these two sides in the Macron Cup!
Saturday
Macron Cup:
A whopping 14 Macron Cup games are coming your way at 3pm on Saturday, with a 15th coming at 6pm, when FC Isle of Man, competing in the Macron Cup for the first time this season, will host First Division North table-toppers Maghull.
From the afternoon games, we have the following list of same-division clashes:
- AFC Liverpool vs FC St Helens (Prem)
- Alsager Town vs Bilston Town (South)
- Ramsbottom United vs Chadderton (Prem)
- Telford Town vs Allscott Heath (South)
- Wednesfield Community vs Eccleshall (South)
- Wolverhampton Casuals vs Crewe (South)
Curiously, no games that will feature two sides from the First Division North to come. We do, however, have the following inter-divisional matches coming your way:
- Bacup Borough vs Charnock Richard (North/Prem)
- Barnoldswick Town vs Darwen FC (Prem/North)
- Flixton vs Atherton LR (North/Prem)
- Fulwood Amateurs vs Euxton Villa (North/Prem)
- Holker Old Boys vs Nelson (North/Prem)
- Irlam vs Barnton (Prem/South)
- Prestwich Heys vs New Mills (Prem/South)
- Woolton vs Litherland REMYCA (North/Prem)
By Sunday, the completion of these games this weekend will have narrowed down the Macron Cup to its final 16 competitors for the 2026/27 campaign!
Premier Division:
Away from the knockout nature of the NWCFL’s most prominent cup competition, there are three Premier Division matches also to be played at 3pm on Saturday.
Droylsden would go top of the league with a home victory over eighth placed Glossop North End on Saturday. The Bloods ought to be extra confident, given that they are unbeaten in the league thus far at the Butchers Arms.
Trafford, who have been very busy with cup contests throughout the first months of the campaign, will have the opportunity to catch up on some league games as they go away to fourth-bottom Longridge Town this weekend. Victory would see them jump above Barnoldswick Town in fourth, and it would take them to within two points of time-of-writing league leaders Nelson.
Finally, towards the foot of the division, newly anointed bottom side Abbey Hey will look to quickly return that label to AFC Liverpool as they hunt for their first league points since mid-August. They will welcome 15th placed South Liverpool to the Abbey Stadium.
First Division North:
There are seven games on the cards on Saturday from the First Division North.
Second placed Cammell Laird 1907 will have the chance to narrow the gap between themselves and leaders Maghull to just a point with a win this weekend. Their obstacle? An away game against fifth bottom AFC Knowsley, fresh off a 4-0 victory over Squires Gate.
Speaking of Squires Gate, the side in 19th will be back at the Skiddle Community Stadium on Saturday, and they will look to course correct after their most recent result when they do battle with Maine Road. A win for the hosts would see them leapfrog their visitors in the standings.
Fourth placed Thornton Cleveleys will also be in action, going on the road to face mid-table Ashville in their bid to maintain their status as play-off contenders. Victory would see them move within two points of the top of the tree.
Just a point separates ninth placed Ashton Town from 12th placed Colne ahead of Saturday, but that may not be true by the time the full-time whistle goes at the latter’s DM Pies Stadium when both sides meet for bragging rights.
Steeton, currently 16th, surprised a few this past weekend when they slew the division’s active silver medallists Cammell Laird 1907 in a 2-0 victory. This coming weekend poses the Chevrons with the chance to build on such an impressive result with a return to the Marley Stadium, where they will welcome 14th placed Daisy Hill.
All three sides currently inside the bottom three are in league action this weekend, with two of them facing one another. Bottom side Uppermill, still searching for their first win as an NWCFL side, will have a chance better than most others to break their duck as they go on the road to meet fellow strugglers Garstang at the Riverside.
Finally, second bottom AFC Blackpool will have the chance to cut the gap between themselves and the safety spots to as few as two points when they play hosts to 15th placed Ashton Athletic at the Mechanics Ground.
First Division South:
A further five games to bring to you from the First Division South.
League leaders Sandbach United have played more league games than the majority of their nearest challengers ahead of this weekend, which speaks to their current five-point lead in the title race. Five points could become eight on Saturday, but their hosts on the day, fifth placed AFC Bridgnorth, will be doing their absolute best to slow them down and maintain their own title push.
Another team with title ambitions are third placed Stafford Town, who have also played more games than the majority of sides around them. They are currently six points behind the leaders, but they can further help their cause with an away win this weekend against 15th placed Shawbury United.
Mid-table Dawley Town will still be coming down from their topsy-turvy 6-5 victory last weekend, but they will need to screw their heads back on as they ready themselves to face another fellow new arrival to the division for this season – 14th placed Brereton Social, away from home.
The defeated side from that 11-goal barnstormer against Dawley last weekend were bottom side Widnes Town. They will also be on the road on Saturday, attempting to right the ship and claim just their second league win of the campaign against fifth bottom Foley Meir at the Trentham Foods Stadium.
Finally, Market Drayton Town will welcome Cheadle Heath Nomads to the Balufab Stadium on Saturday. MDT are currently 13th in the table, whilst CHN are 12th. Both sides have 14 points to their names, and just two goals in favour of the visitors separate the two sides in the standings.
Matchday Preview: Week 13
Fri 23rd October 2026 | Match Previews
By Jay Cooper
The Macron Cup returns this weekend to steal the spotlight in the NWCFL.
Friday
Macron Cup:
Just the one game under the lights this evening. A greater Liverpool derby will see Premier Division promotion hopefuls Burscough take on First Division North new boys Halewood Apollo at the Community Ground. It’s a first-time-ever competitive game between these two sides in the Macron Cup!
Saturday
Macron Cup:
A whopping 14 Macron Cup games are coming your way at 3pm on Saturday, with a 15th coming at 6pm, when FC Isle of Man, competing in the Macron Cup for the first time this season, will host First Division North table-toppers Maghull.
From the afternoon games, we have the following list of same-division clashes:
- AFC Liverpool vs FC St Helens (Prem)
- Alsager Town vs Bilston Town (South)
- Ramsbottom United vs Chadderton (Prem)
- Telford Town vs Allscott Heath (South)
- Wednesfield Community vs Eccleshall (South)
- Wolverhampton Casuals vs Crewe (South)
Curiously, no games that will feature two sides from the First Division North to come. We do, however, have the following inter-divisional matches coming your way:
- Bacup Borough vs Charnock Richard (North/Prem)
- Barnoldswick Town vs Darwen FC (Prem/North)
- Flixton vs Atherton LR (North/Prem)
- Fulwood Amateurs vs Euxton Villa (North/Prem)
- Holker Old Boys vs Nelson (North/Prem)
- Irlam vs Barnton (Prem/South)
- Prestwich Heys vs New Mills (Prem/South)
- Woolton vs Litherland REMYCA (North/Prem)
By Sunday, the completion of these games this weekend will have narrowed down the Macron Cup to its final 16 competitors for the 2026/27 campaign!
Premier Division:
Away from the knockout nature of the NWCFL’s most prominent cup competition, there are three Premier Division matches also to be played at 3pm on Saturday.
Droylsden would go top of the league with a home victory over eighth placed Glossop North End on Saturday. The Bloods ought to be extra confident, given that they are unbeaten in the league thus far at the Butchers Arms.
Trafford, who have been very busy with cup contests throughout the first months of the campaign, will have the opportunity to catch up on some league games as they go away to fourth-bottom Longridge Town this weekend. Victory would see them jump above Barnoldswick Town in fourth, and it would take them to within two points of time-of-writing league leaders Nelson.
Finally, towards the foot of the division, newly anointed bottom side Abbey Hey will look to quickly return that label to AFC Liverpool as they hunt for their first league points since mid-August. They will welcome 15th placed South Liverpool to the Abbey Stadium.
First Division North:
There are seven games on the cards on Saturday from the First Division North.
Second placed Cammell Laird 1907 will have the chance to narrow the gap between themselves and leaders Maghull to just a point with a win this weekend. Their obstacle? An away game against fifth bottom AFC Knowsley, fresh off a 4-0 victory over Squires Gate.
Speaking of Squires Gate, the side in 19th will be back at the Skiddle Community Stadium on Saturday, and they will look to course correct after their most recent result when they do battle with Maine Road. A win for the hosts would see them leapfrog their visitors in the standings.
Fourth placed Thornton Cleveleys will also be in action, going on the road to face mid-table Ashville in their bid to maintain their status as play-off contenders. Victory would see them move within two points of the top of the tree.
Just a point separates ninth placed Ashton Town from 12th placed Colne ahead of Saturday, but that may not be true by the time the full-time whistle goes at the latter’s DM Pies Stadium when both sides meet for bragging rights.
Steeton, currently 16th, surprised a few this past weekend when they slew the division’s active silver medallists Cammell Laird 1907 in a 2-0 victory. This coming weekend poses the Chevrons with the chance to build on such an impressive result with a return to the Marley Stadium, where they will welcome 14th placed Daisy Hill.
All three sides currently inside the bottom three are in league action this weekend, with two of them facing one another. Bottom side Uppermill, still searching for their first win as an NWCFL side, will have a chance better than most others to break their duck as they go on the road to meet fellow strugglers Garstang at the Riverside.
Finally, second bottom AFC Blackpool will have the chance to cut the gap between themselves and the safety spots to as few as two points when they play hosts to 15th placed Ashton Athletic at the Mechanics Ground.
First Division South:
A further five games to bring to you from the First Division South.
League leaders Sandbach United have played more league games than the majority of their nearest challengers ahead of this weekend, which speaks to their current five-point lead in the title race. Five points could become eight on Saturday, but their hosts on the day, fifth placed AFC Bridgnorth, will be doing their absolute best to slow them down and maintain their own title push.
Another team with title ambitions are third placed Stafford Town, who have also played more games than the majority of sides around them. They are currently six points behind the leaders, but they can further help their cause with an away win this weekend against 15th placed Shawbury United.
Mid-table Dawley Town will still be coming down from their topsy-turvy 6-5 victory last weekend, but they will need to screw their heads back on as they ready themselves to face another fellow new arrival to the division for this season – 14th placed Brereton Social, away from home.
The defeated side from that 11-goal barnstormer against Dawley last weekend were bottom side Widnes Town. They will also be on the road on Saturday, attempting to right the ship and claim just their second league win of the campaign against fifth bottom Foley Meir at the Trentham Foods Stadium.
Finally, Market Drayton Town will welcome Cheadle Heath Nomads to the Balufab Stadium on Saturday. MDT are currently 13th in the table, whilst CHN are 12th. Both sides have 14 points to their names, and just two goals in favour of the visitors separate the two sides in the standings.
