Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 36
Thu 3rd April 2025 | Five Things | By Jay Cooper
1. Winsford are CHAMPIONS!
Tuesday night saw a crucial game in the fight for promotion in the First Division South – title chasing Winsford United hosted play-off hopefuls Cheadle Heath Nomads in a match that would’ve seen Winsford be crowned league champions with maximum points. You’ve read the title of this entry – what do you think happened next?
Goals by Matty Birchall (2), Ollie Pope and captain Steve Jenyons saw Dean Jones and Dom Johnson’s men blow their opponents away and officially get out of sight of second-placed Stafford Town. It’s been a rough two years for Winsford, having had to accept voluntary relegation at the end of 2022/23 in order to preserve their NWCFL status, but now, they’re back where they belong. Congratulations to all involved at the club!
2. The Macron Cup final is decided
Stafford Town need not fret – they’re still in the most favourable position of anyone going into the pay-off places in the South, and now, to go along with their upcoming Edward Case Cup final appearance, they are Macron Cup finalists too! They travelled to and defeated AFC Blackpool at the weekend to set up a date with Premier Division Charnock Richard in a month’s time.
Charnock confirmed their own status as finalists on Saturday too, when they hosted underdogs Barnton at Mossie Park. A sole goal by Nathan Nickeas with just over 20 minutes to play was enough for Ryan Donnellan’s tea to make it over the final hurdle between themselves and a visit to Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium, where the final will be held on May 5th .
3. 100-point Bury!
It had been coming, and now it has finally happened – Dave McNabb’s Bury have broken the 100-point barrier in the 2024/25 Premier Division season! Faced with bottom club Squires Gate at the weekend, a win would’ve seen them not only strengthen their grip on top spot, but also clear a ton for the campaign.
They did just what they needed to do, with goals by Rustam Stepans (2) and Bryan Ly ensuring that the Shakers would be in the three-figure points club. There is still a chance that they could be joined by both Lower Breck and Ramsbottom United before the season is out but it’s in Bury ‘s hands to win the title this season.
4. AFC Liverpool’s new home
Two weeks ago, in this very list, I made mention of an announcement put out by Marine AFC, that their groundshare with Prem side AFC Liverpool would be coming to an end going into 2025/26. Since then, First Division North bottom side Skelmersdale United have struck up an agreement with Marine to fill AFC’s shoes, but there was no word from AFC themselves until this past week.
It has since been put out, in a club statement, that they will be moving from one groundshare agreement to another. As of the 2025/26 campaign, AFC Liverpool will play their home game sat Bootle FC’s Berry Street Garage Stadium. It’s a ground with an estimated 2,000 capacity – a numberthat could well be hit if both teams were to play against one another in a cup competition next season.
5. Route One Relegated
Route One Rovers have had a topsy-turvy two-season stint in the NWCFL. Last season, you couldn’t watch a game they’d be playing for longer than 10 minutes without seeing a goal, but in 2024/25, that hasn’t been the case. Second season syndrome has hit the West Yorkshire side hard, and now they are frighteningly close to relegation.
Following last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Maghull and Steeton’s simultaneous 1-0 win over Bacup Borough, Route One now have no mathematical way to escape the drop zone in the First Division North. It might not matter - of all the teams in that drop zone, they would be the likeliest to receive a reprieve based on their PPG average, and their Tuesday night victory over promotion hopefuls Euxton Villa will go a long way towards that, but it’s still an unfortunate position to be in for last season’s team to watch.
Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 36
Thu 3rd April 2025 | Five Things
By Jay Cooper
1. Winsford are CHAMPIONS!
Tuesday night saw a crucial game in the fight for promotion in the First Division South – title chasing Winsford United hosted play-off hopefuls Cheadle Heath Nomads in a match that would’ve seen Winsford be crowned league champions with maximum points. You’ve read the title of this entry – what do you think happened next?
Goals by Matty Birchall (2), Ollie Pope and captain Steve Jenyons saw Dean Jones and Dom Johnson’s men blow their opponents away and officially get out of sight of second-placed Stafford Town. It’s been a rough two years for Winsford, having had to accept voluntary relegation at the end of 2022/23 in order to preserve their NWCFL status, but now, they’re back where they belong. Congratulations to all involved at the club!
2. The Macron Cup final is decided
Stafford Town need not fret – they’re still in the most favourable position of anyone going into the pay-off places in the South, and now, to go along with their upcoming Edward Case Cup final appearance, they are Macron Cup finalists too! They travelled to and defeated AFC Blackpool at the weekend to set up a date with Premier Division Charnock Richard in a month’s time.
Charnock confirmed their own status as finalists on Saturday too, when they hosted underdogs Barnton at Mossie Park. A sole goal by Nathan Nickeas with just over 20 minutes to play was enough for Ryan Donnellan’s tea to make it over the final hurdle between themselves and a visit to Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium, where the final will be held on May 5th .
3. 100-point Bury!
It had been coming, and now it has finally happened – Dave McNabb’s Bury have broken the 100-point barrier in the 2024/25 Premier Division season! Faced with bottom club Squires Gate at the weekend, a win would’ve seen them not only strengthen their grip on top spot, but also clear a ton for the campaign.
They did just what they needed to do, with goals by Rustam Stepans (2) and Bryan Ly ensuring that the Shakers would be in the three-figure points club. There is still a chance that they could be joined by both Lower Breck and Ramsbottom United before the season is out but it’s in Bury ‘s hands to win the title this season.
4. AFC Liverpool’s new home
Two weeks ago, in this very list, I made mention of an announcement put out by Marine AFC, that their groundshare with Prem side AFC Liverpool would be coming to an end going into 2025/26. Since then, First Division North bottom side Skelmersdale United have struck up an agreement with Marine to fill AFC’s shoes, but there was no word from AFC themselves until this past week.
It has since been put out, in a club statement, that they will be moving from one groundshare agreement to another. As of the 2025/26 campaign, AFC Liverpool will play their home game sat Bootle FC’s Berry Street Garage Stadium. It’s a ground with an estimated 2,000 capacity – a numberthat could well be hit if both teams were to play against one another in a cup competition next season.
5. Route One Relegated
Route One Rovers have had a topsy-turvy two-season stint in the NWCFL. Last season, you couldn’t watch a game they’d be playing for longer than 10 minutes without seeing a goal, but in 2024/25, that hasn’t been the case. Second season syndrome has hit the West Yorkshire side hard, and now they are frighteningly close to relegation.
Following last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Maghull and Steeton’s simultaneous 1-0 win over Bacup Borough, Route One now have no mathematical way to escape the drop zone in the First Division North. It might not matter - of all the teams in that drop zone, they would be the likeliest to receive a reprieve based on their PPG average, and their Tuesday night victory over promotion hopefuls Euxton Villa will go a long way towards that, but it’s still an unfortunate position to be in for last season’s team to watch.
