It's the 2025 edition of the NWCFL Groundhop this weekend, with hundreds of keen groundhoppers set to visit seven of our clubs across the East Manchester part of our region.
We take a look at what is in store this weekend and preview the seven games chosen this season below, kicking off tomorrow evening at Ramsbottom United with the final whistle blowing on Sunday at Droylsden.
WHAT IS THE GROUNDHOP?
Starting in 2017, the annual event (Covid aside) sees clubs in a particular area given staggered kick off times which allows groundhoppers to attend multiple games in one day.
We work with a company called GroundhopUK, who have been organising events such as this since 2002. They undertake several a year and have been influencial in attracting the groundhop community to over 600 games in that time.
For the NWCFL, we aim for seven games over the weekend, with one on the Friday night, four on the Saturday and two on the Sunday. Home venues are carefully selected in advance, with distance between grounds and travel time taken into account. It is our aim to visit every NWCFL team over time.
We have covered Cheshire, South Manchester, Merseyside, East Lancashire, West Lancashire and Sfaffordshire in the past, and this year is the turn of our East Manchester clubs.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED v FC ST HELENS
FRI 28 FEBRUARY 7.45pm
This could be a cracker of a first game with Ramsbottom United and FC St Helens both in the top two in the league
Promotion chasing Ramsbottom United have been in and amongst the top two all season, and their hopes of automatic promotion back to the Northern Premier League are still on track with just one loss in their last 13 league games. They lost their last game in the Macron Cup but its the league that matters, and they sit seven points behind leaders Bury with two games in hand. Key for their destiny this season could well be their home form at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium.
They've played 17 times at home this season, with 13 wins and just one defeat, that coming back in September to FC Isle of Man. There are stronger attacks that Ramsbottom in the league but its their defence that is by far the best in the Premier Division this season, with 17 clean sheets in the 41 games they have played. Thomas Hoyle is leading scorer with 19 goals this season, with Luke Sephton and Oumar Camara both also in double figures.
FC St Helens are in their first season in the Premier Division after winning the First Division North last season. They got off to a flying start this season with just one loss in their opening 11 games, however that was against Ramsbottom United. Their last six games see them winning three and losing three,
They sit eighth coming into the game, top of a cluster of clubs in the middle of the table with an eight point gap to Irlam one place above them. Making the play-off's will be difficult for them but its a tremendous first season in the Premier Division nonetheless. Joe Barker is leading goalscorer for them, with 21 goals this season a great return.
STOCKPORT GEORGIANS v SANDBACH UNITED
SAT 01 MARCH 11.00am
We kick off our Saturday programme in Stockport with an intruiging game between Stockport Georgians against Sandbach United.
Georgians started off the season in poor form with just two wins from their opening 13 league games, but a surging run towards the back end of 2024 lifted them well clear of the relegation zone. Its only the third home game since the middle of November for Georgians, who have not won at home yet in this calendar year.
Lucas Berry is the man to watch out for in this game for Georgians, the striker scoring an impressive 24 goals in just 29 games this season. And don't forget to stay til the end either, as in three of the last four fixtures between these two sides, Georgians have scored deep into stoppage time!
Sandbach United have been impressive since coming into the NWCFL in 2016 but promotion remains elusive for them. In three of the last four seasons they have finished in third place, a postition that they occupy coming into this game. They have won six of their last eight games, with their only loss in that sequence coming at the hands of Northern Premier League side Hyde United.
Last month saw Sandbach United win a clean sweep of the NWCFL Awards, with Joe Bevan and Ben Greenop scoring 49 goals between them this season. Their away form this season is actually better than their home, with 13 wins from 19 games, and a win here for them would put pressure on Stafford and Winsford above them who play later in the day.
One last thing, if you are heading here, then do get there early as I believe bacon and sausage butties are on the menu to get everybody set up for the day!
STOCKPORT TOWN v CHEADLE TOWN
SAT 01 MARCH 1.45pm
We then travel across town to Stockport Town, who are next up with a home game against Cheadle Town. It's something of a local derby this with just 6.5 miles between the two grounds, and could be a close game. Just one point separates them in the Premier Division at present, and of the 18 games they have played before this season, they had won seven games each.
Stockport Town were promoted last season to the Premier Division based on their PPG by the FA, and are 10th in the table with 17 wins this season in the league. It has been their home form though that has let them down with just five wins in the league at Stockport Sports Village, and they have not won at home in their last five games stretching back to November.
They come into this game with just one win in their last six games, although their resiliance is obvious in the fact that they are four games unbeaten. Tobias Green has scored three times in the last four games, and has also picked up Man of the Match in those games too.
Cheadle Town were long time members in the First Division of the league before finally achieving promotion two seasons ago. They consolidated with a 15th place finish last time and have kicked on this season, coming into this game in 11th place.
Their form is good, with just one defeat in their last eight games coming at the hands of 1874 Northwich. This puts them second in the form table behind Bury, and they are unbeaten in their last four games with three wins and one draw.
NEW MILLS v CHEADLE HEATH NOMADS
SAT 01 MARCH 4.45pm
The third game on Saturday is a mere 8.4 miles away from Stockport Town, as we head into Derbyshire to visit New Mills for their clash against Cheadle Heath Nomads. Its another intruiging clash with the Millers looking to finish as high as possible whilst Nomads looking to further cement their place in the Play-Offs.
New Mills are in their eighth season in the First Division South after successive relegations from the Northern Premier League. They have achieved top half finishes since Covid apart from last season when they finished 16th, that after a late surge away from the bottom, so this season was always about consolidation for them. They have a good fanbase and will be looking to finish the season strong in order to give it a go next season.
Form wise New Mills are fourth from bottom based on the last six games, and have failed to win in their last five matches. Like Stockport Town it is their home form that is letting them down as they have won just four of the 16 games they have played at Church Road this season. Goals have been hard to come by with 22 games this season, failing to score in a third of their games, with William Shawcross their leading goalscorer with eight goals.
Cheadle Heath Nomads are in the final play-off position in the First Division South coming into the game, but they are below New Mills in the form table with no wins in their last six games. Their last win came on Boxing Day. They play three of the current top six in their last six games of the season, so will be very much looking for a win here to try and finish in those play-off positions.
Thankfully for Cheadle their away form is good, with 10 wins coming on the road from 18 games played this season. They've also scored 37 goals away from home, 14 more than they have managed at home this season, with Alex May their leading goalscorer on 14 goals.
GLOSSOP NORTH END v WEST DIDSBURY & CHORLTON
SAT 01 MARCH 7.30pm
The final game on the Saturday is quite often the special game on the Goundhops and this season sees Glossop North End taking on West Didsbury & Chorlton. Both teams have great backing and should the West faithful make the short journey to Glossop in numbers, it could be a great atmosphere at the Asgard Engineering Stadium.
Glossop won the NWCFL in 2014/15 and played in the Northern Premier League until 2023/24 when they were relegated back to us. Last season saw then finish 21st, but they survived in the Premier Division and this season sees them in 16th place as they look to bring the glory days back.
Home form has been a problem this season for Glossop with 11 losses at home, this caused by a lack of goals with just 30 registered in 21 games. They do though have goals in their squad with Lewis Reilly on 19 this season and Tom Lawless on 16, so a good defensive performance could see them win here.
West are in 5th place in the table and will be looking add points to further cement their place in the play-off's. They have won on their last two visits to Glossop and come into this game having won four of their last eight games with just one loss in their last four.
They certainly have the firepower to see them home, with just four games this season in which they have failed to score. Jordan Lazenbury has been key for them with 26 goals this season including scoring in three of West's last four games, with Victor Abadaki on 21 goals and Andrew Briggs on 10.
ABBEY HEY v PRESTWICH HEYS
SUN 02 MARCH 11.30am
Prestwich Heys make the 14 mile journey to Abbey Hey on Sunday morning to kick off day three of the Groundhop, with both teams looking for points for different reasons.
Abbey Hey were promoted to the Premier Division last season as First Division South Play-Off winners, and they have had a terrific first season back in the top flight, coming into this game in 14th place. The middle of the table is that congested though that they are just four points off 8th, so a win here could see them move up into the top half of the table.
Ten of their 16 wins this season have come at home this season, with 49 goals scored being the reason for this. They come into this game in the middle of the form table, with three wins and three losses in their last six, but crucially they have won their last three games, scoring 11 goals in the process. The evergreen Saul Henderson is leading scorer, with Joel Ankers and and Rhys Clooney also on double figures.
Prestwich looked nailed on for relegation a few weeks ago, but five wins since the middle of December have given them a fighting chance. They are off the bottom of the table now, and despite winning just one of their last five games, have started to find the net more than the early part of the season.
They will though have to improve their away form which has seen them win just one of their last nine on the road, although that was a belting 3-1 win at West Didsbury & Chorlton at the start of February. Max Bardsley-Rowe will be key here, the striker netting in three of Heys' last five games.
Interestingly this is Prestwich's first visit to Abbey Hey since the 1997/98 season when both clubs were members of the Manchester League.
DROYLSDEN v DARWEN
SUN 02 MARCH 2.30pm
The last game of the Groundhop comes on Sunday afternoon as Droylsden host Darwen. The Bloods returned from their post-Covid hiatus last season with a 5th place finish in the First Division South, but were laterally moved to the North division by the FA in the summer. The switch doesn't seem to have affected them though too much, and they come into this game in third place in the league table, eight points behind leaders Nelson but with two games in hand.
Its Droylsden's first home game since Boxing Day, with their last six games all on the road bringing four wins and a draw. Home form is excellent, with 12 wins from 17 games, this coming from 47 goals scored which is almost 2.5 per game. They are also tight at the back, with almost three quarters of Droylsden's games seeing them keep a clean sheet or concede just the one goal.
George Kattah has been a revelation for them with 15 goals scored in just 16 games. He picked up the NWCFL Player of the Month for November, and with this being a rare home game for them, he will finally be presented with that award on Sunday.
Darwen have incentive of their own though, as they sit just one place and five points below the play-offs at the time of writing. Like Droylsden though, success has been built on the back of their home form and they have won just six of their 16 games on the road this season, scoring 28 goals. A lot of those losses were early on though, and they have won five of their last seven away games.
Form is good for Darwen, with just one loss in their last five games. Connor Hughes has been in great form for them, scoring 14 goals and winning the NWCFL Player of the Month for December. He netted a stoppage time winner for Darwen in the last game, so make sure you stay til the end!
POSTCODES
Here are the postcodes of the grounds to make it easier for any Groundhoppers going along to games this weekend:
Ramsbottom United. Harry Williams Riverside Stadium. BL0 0BS.
Stockport Georgians. Cromley Road. SK2 7DT.
Stockport Town. Stockport Sports Village. SK6 1QX.
New Mills. Church Lane. SK22 4NP
Glossop North End. The Asgard Engineering Stadium. SK13 7AJ.
Abbey Hey. The Abbey Stadium. M18 7HD.
Droylsden. The Butchers Arms. M43 7AY.
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