Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 32
Thu 6th March 2025 | Five Things | By Jay Cooper
1. Of course, it’s the Groundhop
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few days, the NWCFL’s Groundhop weekend took place over this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For a full breakdown, see Ben Wilkinson’s excellent 2025 Groundhop Review here, but, for the cliff notes…
FC St Helens, Stockport Georgians, New Mills, Cheadle Town, West Didsbury and Chorlton, AND Droylsden all picked up important wins in the extended East Manchester region of the NWCFL, with Abbey Hey and Prestwich Heys also playing out a scoreless draw, with approximately 4,700 people in attendance over the course of the weekend. A fantastic success.
2. Shakers in Seventh Heaven
Is it finally their year? Bury capitalised on Ramsbottom United’s defeat in the Groundhop to FC St Helens in the most emphatic way possible. They hosted Litherland REMYCA at Gigg Lane on Saturday and battered their visitors 7-0, with five goals coming before the break.
They’re on the run of a lifetime right now, having won their last eight league games, and have now extended their lead on second-placed Rammy to 10 points. They are, at most, five wins from being crowned champions, with seven league games left to play.
3. Colne, the comeback kings
Not for the first time this season, Andy Harrison’s Colne side showed their fire in a game that looked lost at one point. Hosting Charnock Richard on Saturday, they were two goals behind after just 22 minutes, but fought back valiantly to eventually win 3-2, with Jak McKinlay bagging the winner two minutes from time.
With Heys dropping points in the Groundhop, and Squires Gate losing to South Liverpool, the gap between Colne and the relegation zone is now a three-point one, and they still have at least one game in hand on both of the teams below them. As manager Andy Harrison said following the game, they’ve got “eight cup finals left to go”.
4. Skem are relegated
It’s been a long time coming, but this past weekend, Skelmersdale United’s fate to be one of the three teams in the relegation zone from the First Division North was sealed. There are 21 points between themselves and Steeton in the safety places, and there are only 15 left for Skem to earn.
It has been a turbulent season for Skelmersdale United, and despite this seemingly inevitable ending, manager Tommy Lawson recently vowed that the team would “scratch and claw to the end, and hopefully surprise a few teams along the way”. If they keep their word, they might still upset the power balance in the division with their final five matches.
5. Runcorn give Winsford a hi-five
From the bottom of the North to the top of the South now, and, in one of the weekend’s surprise results, Runcorn Town had a dream afternoon against promotion-hunting Stafford Town. With Runcorn sitting in 13th when the day began, few would’ve imagined that they’d take Stafford to the cleaners, but they did.
Both Jamie Apperley and Matthew Vickers bagged braces as Runcorn ran out 5-1 winners from Evans Park. First-placed Winsford United failed to win at the same time as this game, drawing with Eccleshall, but still extended their lead at the top to six points as a result, with six games left to play. A healthy cushion, if there ever was one.
Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 32
Thu 6th March 2025 | Five Things
By Jay Cooper
1. Of course, it’s the Groundhop
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few days, the NWCFL’s Groundhop weekend took place over this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For a full breakdown, see Ben Wilkinson’s excellent 2025 Groundhop Review here, but, for the cliff notes…
FC St Helens, Stockport Georgians, New Mills, Cheadle Town, West Didsbury and Chorlton, AND Droylsden all picked up important wins in the extended East Manchester region of the NWCFL, with Abbey Hey and Prestwich Heys also playing out a scoreless draw, with approximately 4,700 people in attendance over the course of the weekend. A fantastic success.
2. Shakers in Seventh Heaven
Is it finally their year? Bury capitalised on Ramsbottom United’s defeat in the Groundhop to FC St Helens in the most emphatic way possible. They hosted Litherland REMYCA at Gigg Lane on Saturday and battered their visitors 7-0, with five goals coming before the break.
They’re on the run of a lifetime right now, having won their last eight league games, and have now extended their lead on second-placed Rammy to 10 points. They are, at most, five wins from being crowned champions, with seven league games left to play.
3. Colne, the comeback kings
Not for the first time this season, Andy Harrison’s Colne side showed their fire in a game that looked lost at one point. Hosting Charnock Richard on Saturday, they were two goals behind after just 22 minutes, but fought back valiantly to eventually win 3-2, with Jak McKinlay bagging the winner two minutes from time.
With Heys dropping points in the Groundhop, and Squires Gate losing to South Liverpool, the gap between Colne and the relegation zone is now a three-point one, and they still have at least one game in hand on both of the teams below them. As manager Andy Harrison said following the game, they’ve got “eight cup finals left to go”.
4. Skem are relegated
It’s been a long time coming, but this past weekend, Skelmersdale United’s fate to be one of the three teams in the relegation zone from the First Division North was sealed. There are 21 points between themselves and Steeton in the safety places, and there are only 15 left for Skem to earn.
It has been a turbulent season for Skelmersdale United, and despite this seemingly inevitable ending, manager Tommy Lawson recently vowed that the team would “scratch and claw to the end, and hopefully surprise a few teams along the way”. If they keep their word, they might still upset the power balance in the division with their final five matches.
5. Runcorn give Winsford a hi-five
From the bottom of the North to the top of the South now, and, in one of the weekend’s surprise results, Runcorn Town had a dream afternoon against promotion-hunting Stafford Town. With Runcorn sitting in 13th when the day began, few would’ve imagined that they’d take Stafford to the cleaners, but they did.
Both Jamie Apperley and Matthew Vickers bagged braces as Runcorn ran out 5-1 winners from Evans Park. First-placed Winsford United failed to win at the same time as this game, drawing with Eccleshall, but still extended their lead at the top to six points as a result, with six games left to play. A healthy cushion, if there ever was one.
