Week 21: Preview
Fri 12th December 2025 | Match Previews | By Jay Cooper
We're re-focusing on the league, with plenty of games accross all three divisions! Let's see who is facing whom this weekend...
Friday:
Premier Division:
League action takes centre stage this weekend, and there’s a whopping three games to bring you from Friday night under the lights. Two games will see sides from inside the play-off places go toe to toe with teams that are closer to the bottom of the table than they’d like to be – second-bottom Abbey Hey will welcome fourth placed West Didsbury & Chorlton; and third placed Ramsbottom United can temporarily go top with a home win over fifth-bottom Euxton Villa.
Elsewhere, there’s a mid-table clash between Cheadle Town and Stockport Town, in the reverse fixture of a 2-1 win for the latter back in mid-August.
Saturday:
Isuzu FA Vase, 3rd Round:
Just one rescheduled game from last weekend’s FA Vase clashes to bring to you this time around. Following a waterlogged pitch, Premier Division Prestwich Heys’ clash with last season’s First Division South champions, Winsford United, will instead be played this coming Saturday for a place in Round Four.
Premier Division:
Prestwich’s rearranged Vase game to one side, there’s a full fixture list of Prem games to be completed on Saturday.
With Wythenshawe out of action this weekend, Padiham can assert their place at the top of the tree if they take maximum points from an away game against struggling City of Liverpool, who know a worser result for them than Abbey Hey on Friday will see them drop into the bottom two, FC St Helens will stay in the top five regardless of results this weekend, but they still face an unenviable task in trying to score an away win over seventh placed Irlam, who are just five points behind them.
Hoping to gain ground on FC St Helens from currently being four points behind are sixth placed Chadderton, who will welcome Glossop North End to the Emplas Commercial North Stadium, with the remainder of the top 10 also in action. Eight placed Burscough are on the road to meet Charnock Richard, and, right behind them, Atherton LR will also be on their travels to battle Pilkington.
Bottom club Litherland REMYCA had their reprieve victory over Cheadle a week and a half ago extinguished by Glossop last weekend but still have the chance to make it two wins in three when they entertain Longridge Town. Three places up from REMY are FC Isle of Man, who can leapfrog this weekend’s opponents in AFC Liverpool by taking maximum points from this evening kick-off at the Bowl.
Last but not least, Barnoldswick Town will go head-to-head with South Liverpool at the Silientnight Stadium, with the hosts only two weeks removed from a 7-0 demolition of their local rivals City of Liverpool at the same location.
First Division North:
All change at the top of the First Division North after last weekend’s fixtures, with new league leaders Ashton Town hoping to expand on their fragile one-point lead over the chasing pack by taking three from Colne. The visitors are 15th, but they could drop into the relegation places if results don’t go their way.
They’ll be closely monitoring the outcome of Maine Road and Squires Gate, knowing how it could affect their status in the table, whilst Ashton’s spot is under serious threat from Darwen FC, who are in action at home to Holker Old Boys.
Nelson and Droylsden make up the rest of the play-off places as of right now, and they will battle one another at the former’s Little Wembley on Saturday. If there is a team that loses that game, their spot in the top five is unlikely to be maintained, given that all the teams right down to 12th in the table could climb into the fight for promotion with the right results this weekend.
Those teams include Bacup Borough, away at bottom side Garstang - who know that bettering Ashton Athletic’s result away at MSB Woolton would see them climb off the foot of the division. There’s also Thornton Cleveleys and AFC Blackpool in the mix, who will meet one another on Saturday at the latter’s Mechanics Ground.
Completing this stretch of clubs, and this weekend’s fixture list, are the aforementioned Squires Gate and Holker Old Boys, as well as eighth placed Fulwood Amateurs and 12th placed Daisy Hill, who go face to face on Saturday at Daisy’s Ginge Power Stadium.
First Division South:
Like the North, there are eight games coming on Saturday from the First Division South, but unlike the North, the table toppers in the South are the same as they were last weekend. Runcorn Town won their second game on the spin last time out, but face perhaps their toughest test yet this weekend – second placed Eccleshall. If the visitors win, the gap between the two sides is narrowed to just three points, and the title race is blown wide open.
The play-off race is a much tighter competition right now, Just three points separate third from fifth, with Stafford Town in the best position for themselves going into Saturday’s visit to Ashville. Fourth placed Barnton will feature in the early kick-off at home to New Mills, and Telford Town, who maintain their top five spot despite falling away from the top of the table in the last month or so, will visit fellow newly promoted side Haughmond at Sundorne Sports Village.
The best of the rest are currently Stockport Georgians, who face a banana skin fixture on Saturday when they host two-game winning streak owners Cammell Laird 1907. Also circling the play-off picture, level on points with Georgians, are Sandbach United, who will be on the road this weekend, to meet mid-table Allscott Heath, fresh off a 4-1 win last time out.
Foley Meir, in ninth, are also just three points behind the top five, which means they could level their points total to that of Telford if all results go their way this weekend, and if they can overcome Alsager Town away from home. The hosts are just a place above the bottom three at the time of writing, but level on points with Wolves Casuals, who will also take to the field this weekend when they welcome Market Drayton Town to Brinsford Stadium.
Week 21: Preview
Fri 12th December 2025 | Match Previews
By Jay Cooper
We're re-focusing on the league, with plenty of games accross all three divisions! Let's see who is facing whom this weekend...
Friday:
Premier Division:
League action takes centre stage this weekend, and there’s a whopping three games to bring you from Friday night under the lights. Two games will see sides from inside the play-off places go toe to toe with teams that are closer to the bottom of the table than they’d like to be – second-bottom Abbey Hey will welcome fourth placed West Didsbury & Chorlton; and third placed Ramsbottom United can temporarily go top with a home win over fifth-bottom Euxton Villa.
Elsewhere, there’s a mid-table clash between Cheadle Town and Stockport Town, in the reverse fixture of a 2-1 win for the latter back in mid-August.
Saturday:
Isuzu FA Vase, 3rd Round:
Just one rescheduled game from last weekend’s FA Vase clashes to bring to you this time around. Following a waterlogged pitch, Premier Division Prestwich Heys’ clash with last season’s First Division South champions, Winsford United, will instead be played this coming Saturday for a place in Round Four.
Premier Division:
Prestwich’s rearranged Vase game to one side, there’s a full fixture list of Prem games to be completed on Saturday.
With Wythenshawe out of action this weekend, Padiham can assert their place at the top of the tree if they take maximum points from an away game against struggling City of Liverpool, who know a worser result for them than Abbey Hey on Friday will see them drop into the bottom two, FC St Helens will stay in the top five regardless of results this weekend, but they still face an unenviable task in trying to score an away win over seventh placed Irlam, who are just five points behind them.
Hoping to gain ground on FC St Helens from currently being four points behind are sixth placed Chadderton, who will welcome Glossop North End to the Emplas Commercial North Stadium, with the remainder of the top 10 also in action. Eight placed Burscough are on the road to meet Charnock Richard, and, right behind them, Atherton LR will also be on their travels to battle Pilkington.
Bottom club Litherland REMYCA had their reprieve victory over Cheadle a week and a half ago extinguished by Glossop last weekend but still have the chance to make it two wins in three when they entertain Longridge Town. Three places up from REMY are FC Isle of Man, who can leapfrog this weekend’s opponents in AFC Liverpool by taking maximum points from this evening kick-off at the Bowl.
Last but not least, Barnoldswick Town will go head-to-head with South Liverpool at the Silientnight Stadium, with the hosts only two weeks removed from a 7-0 demolition of their local rivals City of Liverpool at the same location.
First Division North:
All change at the top of the First Division North after last weekend’s fixtures, with new league leaders Ashton Town hoping to expand on their fragile one-point lead over the chasing pack by taking three from Colne. The visitors are 15th, but they could drop into the relegation places if results don’t go their way.
They’ll be closely monitoring the outcome of Maine Road and Squires Gate, knowing how it could affect their status in the table, whilst Ashton’s spot is under serious threat from Darwen FC, who are in action at home to Holker Old Boys.
Nelson and Droylsden make up the rest of the play-off places as of right now, and they will battle one another at the former’s Little Wembley on Saturday. If there is a team that loses that game, their spot in the top five is unlikely to be maintained, given that all the teams right down to 12th in the table could climb into the fight for promotion with the right results this weekend.
Those teams include Bacup Borough, away at bottom side Garstang - who know that bettering Ashton Athletic’s result away at MSB Woolton would see them climb off the foot of the division. There’s also Thornton Cleveleys and AFC Blackpool in the mix, who will meet one another on Saturday at the latter’s Mechanics Ground.
Completing this stretch of clubs, and this weekend’s fixture list, are the aforementioned Squires Gate and Holker Old Boys, as well as eighth placed Fulwood Amateurs and 12th placed Daisy Hill, who go face to face on Saturday at Daisy’s Ginge Power Stadium.
First Division South:
Like the North, there are eight games coming on Saturday from the First Division South, but unlike the North, the table toppers in the South are the same as they were last weekend. Runcorn Town won their second game on the spin last time out, but face perhaps their toughest test yet this weekend – second placed Eccleshall. If the visitors win, the gap between the two sides is narrowed to just three points, and the title race is blown wide open.
The play-off race is a much tighter competition right now, Just three points separate third from fifth, with Stafford Town in the best position for themselves going into Saturday’s visit to Ashville. Fourth placed Barnton will feature in the early kick-off at home to New Mills, and Telford Town, who maintain their top five spot despite falling away from the top of the table in the last month or so, will visit fellow newly promoted side Haughmond at Sundorne Sports Village.
The best of the rest are currently Stockport Georgians, who face a banana skin fixture on Saturday when they host two-game winning streak owners Cammell Laird 1907. Also circling the play-off picture, level on points with Georgians, are Sandbach United, who will be on the road this weekend, to meet mid-table Allscott Heath, fresh off a 4-1 win last time out.
Foley Meir, in ninth, are also just three points behind the top five, which means they could level their points total to that of Telford if all results go their way this weekend, and if they can overcome Alsager Town away from home. The hosts are just a place above the bottom three at the time of writing, but level on points with Wolves Casuals, who will also take to the field this weekend when they welcome Market Drayton Town to Brinsford Stadium.
