Hello and welcome to this week’s
edition of the Northern Football Guide. It may be an international
week, but that doesn’t mean there is any shortage of football in
League One and below. There has however been a couple of devastating
news stories out of the non league this week. North Ferriby United
have been wound up over unpaid bills. The demise coming only four
years after their F.A. Trophy win. The finest hour of their 85-year
history was a precursor to successive relegations, numerous
relocation attempts and this ultimately sad end. I have no doubts
that a successor club will soon appear and will be back on the
Northern non-league football map in no time, hopefully without
ruinous owners.
Worrying news also from Tadcaster
Albion, whose Ings Lane ground was flooded on Sunday after the
adjacent River Wharfe burst it’s banks following persistent heavy
rain the day before. Ironically, Tadcaster’s game was one of the
few games to survive the rain in non-league this weekend. It remains
to be seen if the ground will recover in time for their next home
game in a fortnight. The club is raising funds to aid the recovery of
the ground and you can donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tafc-flood?utm_term=JeMnZ8VBV
With the top two divisions of English
football taking a break it is the perfect moment to take stock of the
top two divisions with the run in well and truly now beginning. In
the Premier League, Liverpool and Manchester City are in a toss-up to
see who will record the most points as a runner up. I realised the
other day that City are still in or have won the Premier League,
League Cup, F.A. Cup, Champion’s League, Women’s Super League,
Women’s League Cup, Women’s F.A. Cup and F.A. Youth Cup. The
Women’s Champion’s League is in fact the only noteworthy
competition they are absent from. The club is a juggernaut on all
fronts, even if that dominance is being threatened by the various
investigations into their finances and transfer dealings. Liverpool
meanwhile look a little more vulnerable in the league after a tense
win over Fulham, but will be buoyed by their impressive win over
Bayern Munich in Europe, a result which showcased their returning
might on the continental stage.
In the Championship, Sheffield United
secured a huge win over Leeds to leapfrog them into the automatic
promotion places. The real winners may well have been Norwich, who
now have breathing space at the top of the division. Meanwhile,
Rotherham will still have hope of salvaging their place in the
Championship as they look to be in a tight battle for survival.
Bolton are profoundly lost, it remains to be seen whether they can
arrest what is starting to look like a terminal spiral. Whatever
happens, there are sure to be many twists and turns over the final
weeks of the season.
With Internationals on, there is also a
noteworthy charity match taking place at Anfield between Liverpool
and AC Milan Legends. The game will provide a rare opportunity to see
the likes of Maldini, Pirlo, Gerrard and Carragher back in action
again in a rematch of the famous 2005 final! Djimi Traore and Salif
Diao will also be there.
Top Matches this week
Tuesday 19th March 2019
7.45pm Spennymoor Town v Bradford (Park
Avenue)
Spennymoor have had their irrepressible
momentum well and truly arrested. They lie in 3rd, though
without a win in three they are being left behind by Chorley and
Stockport now. Bradford on the other hand are making a mockery of
their intention to avoid promotion and have secured their play-off
position with a five game unbeaten run.
7.45pm Stocksbridge Park Steels v
Gresley
Two teams at the foot of the table just
around the edge of the relegation zone. The worry will be real for
both Stocksbridge and Gresley so this will be the definition of a
six-pointer!
7.45pm Prescot Cables v Widnes
Cup action as two Evo-Stik sides face
off in the semi-final. Prescot are looking to retain the trophy that
they won for the second successive time last year. Widnes are still
looking for their first title in the competition, though will carry
the confidence of having knocked out Everton in the last round.
Saturday 23rd March 2019
3pm Rochdale v Scunthorpe United
Two of the teams in the blockbuster
twelve-team relegation scrap in League Two. The danger is much more
acute for Dale, who occupy one of the relegation spots. With no new
manager yet in place, Scunthorpe will have to go into this one as
slight favourites.
3pm Stockport County v AFC Fylde
Huge game. After a goalless first leg
it is really quite simple, the winner goes to Wembley! Be there if
you can for a cracking atmosphere.
3pm Barrow v Harrogate Town
Barrow have won three on the spin
including the impressive scalps of promotion chasing Wrexham and
Eastleigh. Next up for them is Harrogate who are in a rich vein of
form themselves. The previously free-scoring visitors have now
conceeded once in the past five games. Before that they had not had a
clean sheet since early October!
3pm York City v Boston United
A hiccough against Alty probably
provided a reality check to any York play-off aspirations.
Expectations at Bootham Crescent are high however and they will be
hoping for a big win to leapfrog their visitors and keep their faint
hopes alive.
3pm South Shields v Hyde United
Being third in a three-horse race is
not where South Shields want to be and after a patchy run of form
they will have been disappointed to have been rained off at
Workington last weekend. With disrupted rhythm comes a vulnerability
that Hyde will be hoping to exploit.
3pm Brighouse Town v Morpeth Town
Top of the table clash. So much on the
line in this game and a big crowd will be there to cheer on the sides
in this crucial game.
3pm Clitheroe v Glossop North End
Two teams threatened by relegation have
a chance to take points off of one another here. You would have to
worry for the loser of this one so expect a lot being left on the
line!
3pm Radcliffe v Runcorn Linnets
Another table-topping clash, these
sides lie level only four points behind leaders Atherton Collieries.
It will be hard to see a way back into contention for the loser of
this one.
Sunday 24th March 2019
12.30pm Liverpool Women v Arsenal Women
It feels faintly ridiculous that this is the only game taking place across the north on Sunday but that fact will hopefully encourage a good crowd. Arsenal have to be heavy favourites following on from Liverpool's emphatic defeats to Chelsea and Manchester City last week. If you are interested, there are also a number of 3rd tier women's games taking place across the north which I have not previewed here.
The Northern Football Guide
Tuesday 19th March 2019
National League North
7.45pm Spennymoor Town v Bradford (Park
Avenue)
Where: The Brewery Field, Wood
Vue, Spennymoor DL16 6JN
Public Transport: Catch a train
to Durham on the East Coast Main Line and then catch the 6 or X21 bus
to Spennymoor (Burn Terrace stop). The ground is a 3-minute walk
away.
Tickets: Adults £12,
Concessions £9, Juniors £4, U10’s FREE (with adult)
Evo-Stik League First Division East
7.45pm Stocksbridge Park Steels v
Gresley
Public
Transport: From Sheffield, catch the Yellow Line tram out to
Middlewood. From there catch the SL1 bus to Stocksbridge.
Alternatively, the 57 bus travels more directly to Stocksbridge from
Sheffield.
Tickets: Adults:
£7, Concessions: £5, 16-10: £2.00, U10 with paying adult: FREE
Evo-Stik League First Division West
7.45pm Droylsden v Ramsbottom United
Where: The
Butchers Arms Ground, Market Street, Droylsden, Manchester M43 7AW
Public
Transport: Droylsden Tram Station is served regularly by the
Blue Line towards Ashton-under-Lyne. From there, the ground is a
5-minute walk.
Tickets: Adults:
£8, OAP, students, 16-18: £5, U16 £1.
Liverpool County FA Senior Cup Semi Final
7.45pm Prescot Cables v Widnes
Public
Transport: Prescot Station is served by half-hourly Northern
Railway services between Liverpool and Wigan. The ground is a
15-minute walk away. From Manchester, catch the train to Rainhill and
then the 10A bus towards Liverpool from Warrington Road to Church
Street.
Tickets: Adults:
£8, Senior citizens and students: £5, U16: £1
Saturday 23rd March 2019
Sky Bet League One
3pm Bradford City v Blackpool
Where: Northern Commercials
Stadium, Valley Parade, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD8 7DY
Public Transport: Bradford
Forster Square is a 10-minute walk from the stadium. More regular
services operate from Bradford Interchange which is a 30-minute walk
away, with buses usually available.
Tickets: Adults £25, Senior
Citizens/Students £15, U16 £10, U11 £5. (Adults £20 till 5pm the
day before the match) https://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/tickets/
3pm Rochdale v Scunthorpe United
Where: Crown Oil Arena,
Willbutts Ln, Rochdale OL11 5DS
Public Transport: From
Manchester Victoria, take the 1 Line tram to Bury, there catch the
468 Trax from Market Stop E to Sandy Lane, which is a short walk from
the ground.
Tickets: Adults: £17-22, 65+ &
21 and under: £12-16, 16 and under: £5, 2 and under: Free.
Sky Bet League Two
3pm Carlisle United v Cambridge United
Where: Brunton Park, Warwick Rd,
Carlisle CA1 1LL
Public Transport: Carlisle
Station is served by the West Coast Mainline, TransPennine services
from Manchester and Northern Railway services from Newcastle and
Leeds. The ground is a 20-minute walk from the station.
Tickets: Adults: £16-19, Senior
£13-16, Young Person: £10-13, Junior: £7-10, U11: £4-7, U7: FREE.
(All prices increase by £3 on matchday)
https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/tickets/
Buildbase FA Trophy Semi Final
3pm Stockport County v AFC Fylde
Where: Edgeley
Park, 16 Hardcastle Rd, Stockport SK3 9DD
Public
Transport: Stockport Station is well served by trains from
Manchester Piccadilly, along with an hourly service from Liverpool.
From the station, the ground is a 15-minute walk away.
Tickets: Adults
£15, Students £10, 65+ £10, Disabled Fans £10 6-17 £5, U5’s
FREE
National League
3pm Barrow v Harrogate Town
Where: Holker Street, Wilkie
Road, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 5UW
Public Transport: Barrow-in-Furness
Station has regular services from Preston which link to the West
Coast Mainline. There are some services to Barrow directly from
Manchester on TransPennine Express.
Tickets: Adults £15-18,
Concessions £12-14, 18-22 £8-10, 12-17 £5-8, (Tickets cheaper in
advance) https://www.barrowafc.com/the-team/tickets/
3pm FC Halifax Town v Solihull Moors
Where: MBI Shay Stadium, Shaw
Hill, Halifax, HX1 2YS.
Public Transport: Northern train
direct from Leeds, 503 bus to Huddersfield connects to Transpennine
Express services.
Tickets: Adults £20, Over 65’s
& Students £17, 12-17 £9, U12 £5, U7 £3
3pm Hartlepool United v Wrexham
Where: Super 6 Stadium (Victoria
Park), Clarence Rd, Hartlepool TS24 8BZ.
Public Transport: Direct Grand
Central trains from York. Hourly Northern services between
Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle.
Tickets: Seating: Adults £20,
60+, U19s, Students & Armed Forces £10, U16s £5. Standing:
Adults £18, 60+, U19s, Students & Armed Forces £9, U16s £5.
3pm Salford City v Barnet
Where: Peninsula Stadium, Moor
Ln, Salford M7 3PZ.
Public Transport: 96, 97, X41
Red Express & X43 Witch Way buses from central Manchester all
stop at the bottom of Moor Lane. The ground is a 5-minute walk from
the bus stop.
Tickets: Adults: £10, 60+,
Children 5-16, Students: £5, Under-5s: Free
National League North
3pm Ashton United v Blyth Spartans
Where:
Hurst
Cross Stadium, Surrey Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 8DY.
Public
Transport: Ashton-under-Lyne
is at the end of the Number 3 Tram line. The ground is a 30-minute
walk from there, alternatively 38, 39, 231, 331 & 333 go from
Ashton to the ground.
Tickets:
Adults £12, Concessions (Available With ID - (e.g. Bus Pass or
Student ID) £8, Accompanied U12’s £3.
3pm Chorley v Leamington
Where: Victory Park, Duke St,
Chorley PR7 3DU
Public Transport: The 125 bus
from Bolton to Preston stops outside the ground. Northern trains
serve Bolton and Preston is well served by the West Coast Mainline.
Tickets: Adults £12, 60+
NHS/first responders & armed services £9, Students £7, 12-16’s
£5, U11’s FREE.
3pm Curzon Ashton v FC United of
Manchester
Where: Tameside Stadium,
Richmond St, Ashton-under-Lyne OL7 9HG
Public Transport: (From
Manchester) 3 Tram to Ashton-Under-Lyne. Ashton West tram station is
a 10 minute walk from the ground.
Tickets: Adults: £12.00, Over
65s £6, Students: Pay what you can afford (When producing free
student season ticket) / £6.00 Under 16s: Free (When producing U16
free season ticket/ also allows half price adult entry)
3pm Southport v Bradford (Park Avenue)
Where: Merseyrail Community
Stadium, Haig Ave, Southport PR8 6JZ
Public Transport: (From
Liverpool) Regular Merseyrail services to Southport station, which is
a 20-minute walk from the ground.
Tickets: (Seating/Standing)
Adults £15/£13.50, Concessions (Over 65) £11/£10, 12-18’s £5
Under 11’s FREE (with paying adult)
3pm Spennymoor Town v Alfreton Town
Where: The Brewery Field, Wood
Vue, Spennymoor DL16 6JN
Public Transport: Catch a train
to Durham on the East Coast Main Line and then catch the 6 or X21 bus
to Spennymoor (Burn Terrace stop). The ground is a 3-minute walk
away.
Tickets: Adults £12,
Concessions £9, Juniors £4, U10’s FREE (with adult)
3pm York City v Boston United
Where: Bootham Crescent, York
YO30 7AJ
Public Transport: York station
is a 20-minute walk away.
Tickets: Adults £14-17,
Over-65s & 18-21s £10-12, U18 £5-6, U5 FREE
Evo-Stik League Premier Division
3pm Bamber Bridge v Farsley Celtic
Public
Transport: From Preston, there are hourly trains to Lostock
Hall which is a 15-minute walk from the ground.
Tickets: Adults
£9, 65+ & Students: £6, U11s
FREE when accompanied by a full-paying adult.
3pm Lancaster City v Hednesford Town
Where: Giant
Axe Stadium, West Rd, Lancaster LA1 5PE
Public
Transport: Lancaster Station is on the West Coast Mainline
and is served directly from Manchester, Leeds and is easily
accessible from the rest of the north west. The ground is a 5-minute
walk from the station.
Tickets: Adults:
£10, Concessions/OAP/Students: £7, Juniors (14-17): £5, Under 14s
FREE
3pm South Shields v Hyde United
Where: Mariners
Park, Shaftesbury Ave, South Shields NE34 9PH
Public
Transport: Bede Station, on the Tyne and Wear Metro is
served regularly by trains from Newcastle Central Station (to South
Shields). The ground is a 5-minute walk.
Tickets: Adults
£10, Students & +65’s £8, U16 £3. Tickets £1 cheaper when
bought online.
https://tickets.southshieldsfc.co.uk/shop/cart.pl
3pm Whitby Town v Workington
Where: The
Turnbull Ground, 70 Upgang Ln, Whitby YO21 3HZ.
Public
Transport: (From the official club website) If you managed
to get here by public transport you will be in the Town centre and
should award yourself a medal you finding a bus or train that gets to
Whitby. Get a taxi up to the ground it’ll cost about 3 quid.
If
that doesn't put you off, the 840 Coastliner bus from York (various
rail connections) via Malton (Malton station is served by
TransPennine trains heading to Scarborough) travels to Whitby.
Tickets: Adults:
£10, Concessions: £6, U18's: £3, U16's FREE with paying adult.
Evo-Stik League First Division East
3pm Brighouse Town v Morpeth Town
Public
Transport: (From Leeds) The 255 bus from Leeds to Halifax
stops at Wakefield Road St Giles Road which is a 10-minute walk from
the ground. Brighouse Station is served twice-hourly from Leeds, from
there catch the 548 to Halifax Road Harley Head Farm which is a
5-minute walk away. The ground is a 45-minute walk directly from the
station. (From Manchester) Northern services from Manchester Victoria
to Halifax Station or TransPennine Express services from Manchester
Victoria to Huddersfield Station connect to the 549 from either side
of Brighouse. The bus stops at Halifax Road Harley Head Farm which is
a 5-minute walk away from the ground.
Tickets: £8
for adults and £5 for concessions
3pm Ossett United v Wisbech Town
Where: Ingfield
Stadium, Prospect Rd, Ossett WF5 9HA
Public
Transport: Dewsbury Station is served by TransPennine
services from York, Leeds and Manchester. Ossett bus station, which
is across the road from the ground, is served directly by the 126 and
MAX 127 buses.
Tickets: Adults:
£8, OAP, Student: £5, U16: £1, U6’s: Free.
3pm Pickering Town v Stamford
Where: Recreation
Club, Mill Lane, Pickering, YO18 7DB
Public
Transport: 840 Coastliner buses serve Pickering directly
from Leeds and York. It is much quicker though to catch the hourly
TransPennine train to Malton Station and pick up the same bus from
there.
Tickets: Adults:
£7, Concessions: £5, U16's: Free
3pm Pontefract Collieries v Frickley
Athletic
Where: Beechnut
Lane, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 4QA
Public
Transport: Pontefract Tanshelf Station is served by an
hourly service from Leeds on the Pontefract Line. The ground is a
5-minute walk from the station and should be accessible from the west
via Beechnut Lane despite what Google Maps says!
Tickets:
3pm Sheffield v Lincoln United
Public
Transport: Dronfield Station is served hourly by a Northern
Railway service from Leeds and Sheffield. The ground is a 20-minute
walk from the station.
Tickets: £8
for Adults and £4 Concessions
Evo-Stik League First Division West
3pm Clitheroe v Glossop North End
Public
Transport: Clitheroe Interchange is served hourly by a
Northern Railway service from Manchester Victoria. The ground is a
10-minute walk away.
3pm Kendal Town v Trafford
Where: ST&B
Accountants Stadium, Park Side Rd, Kendal LA9 7BL
Public
Transport: Oxenholme
Station is just outside Kendal and is served by West Coast Mainline
services, as well as direct TransPennine services from Manchester.
From Oxenholme, you can take the train to Kendal station on the
Lakeland Line. Alternatively there are a numerous bus services from
Oxenholme station to the town. The ground is a 15-20 minute walk from
the town centre.
Tickets: Adults:
£9, Senior Citizens/Concessions: £5, U16s: Free.
3pm Mossley v Colne
Where: Seel
Park, Market Street, Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne OL5 0ES
Public
Transport: Mossley Station is served hourly by TransPennine
services from Manchester Piccadilly. The ground is a 10 minute walk
from the station.
Tickets: Adults:
£8, Concessions: £5, 16-17s: £2, Children: Free
3pm Radcliffe v Runcorn Linnets
Where: Stainton
Park, Colshaw Cl E, Radcliffe, Manchester M26 3PE
Public
Transport: Raddcliffe Tram Station is on the Yellow Line and
is served regularly by trams from Manchester city centre. The ground
is a 25-minute walk from the station.
Tickets:
3pm Ramsbottom United v Prescot Cables
Where: The
Harry Williams Stadium, Acrebottom, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
Public
Transport: X41 Red Express buses link Ramsbottom with
central Manchester and Accrington.
Tickets: Adults:
£8, Concessions: £4 (over 65s, under 16 years, 17-18 Students),
Children under 12 (when accompanied by an adult): £1.
3pm Skelmersdale United v Droylsden
Where: URETEK
Stadium, Volair Park, Hope Street, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 6ED
Public
Transport: The 385 bus runs through Skewlmersdale. From
Liverpool catch a Merseyrail service to Ormskirk and take the bus
from there. From Manchester, Catch a Northern Railway service to
Wigan and get the bus in the opposite direction!
Tickets: Adults
£8, Concessions £4 and U16s £1
Sunday 24th March 2019
Women’s Super League
12.30pm Liverpool Women v Arsenal Women
Where: Prenton Park, Prenton Rd
W, Birkenhead CH42 9PY
Public Transport: 423, 464, 471,
472, 487 & 2 Gold buses all go close to the ground from Liverpool
City Centre. Rock Ferry train station is a 20-minute walk away.
Tickets: Adults £5,
U16/65+/Students/Disabled £2.50, Family (2+2) £12.
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