Irlam (H) \\\ Match Information

• Monday 1st April 2024 
• 3:00pm kickoff - gates open at 1:30pm and we advise arriving early to avoid queuing or delays
• NWCFL Premier Division, Matchday 43
• The Step Places Stadium, Brookburn Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 8FE
• Season tickets are in use, or pay on the gate with cash or card
  • £7 adults,
  • £5 students / 60+ / 16 and under
  • Free under 12s
• Dogs welcome
• Food and drink available

Live news and text commentary on Twitter @wd_cfc

Preview

West welcome Irlam to M21 on Easter Monday as we enter the final month of the 2023/24 season.

Assistant Manager Chris Adams looks set to take the reigns again on Monday afternoon in Chris Rowley’s absence and will hope to build on the 2-2 draw against Ramsbottom United on Good Friday. That point stemmed the tide of two particularly disappointing defeats over the previous fortnight and whilst Adams noted that it “wasn’t a pretty game”, it was one that West grew into in the second half and were perhaps unlucky not to nick a first win in five game during the closing stages.

Like Ramsbottom, Monday’s visitors Irlam are a team who have struggled in recent weeks and they also join West in the bottom four of the form table. They have drawn their last three matches, having lost the previous two against strugglers Squires Gate and Skelmersdale United. Irlam sit two places and two points above West in 11th, although their season has understandably tailed off since the departure of the division’s top scorer, Declan Daniels, to Bury in November.

Like West they are now playing only for pride, although they have a better record on their travels than they do on home soil - winning four of their last six aways - and will be hopeful of building on this on Monday.

One notable highlight of Friday’s home match against Ramsbottom was the reintroduction of club legend Andrew Jones to the starting XI. Adams explained that AJ may well feature again on Easter Monday as he looks to regain his match sharpness after a long spell in the treatment room. Elsewhere, Matty Cook, Darren McKnight and Zeke Eme are unlikely to feature again for West this season so the make-up of Monday's team will largely depend on who is fit to play a second match as part of this Easter weekend double-header. With the NWCFL registration window now closed for another season, both teams go with what they have.

In West's favour is that Irlam played their first of their Easter weekend matches 24 hours after West, so the extra rest in addition to another lively Bank Holiday crowd will undoubtedly help the West squad overcome any fatigue as they walk out at Brookburn Road for the penultimate time this season.

Curiously, this game is the 43rd of West's league season - a number never before reached in any season. This is, of course, by virtue of the NWCFL Premier Division hosting 24 teams this season, for the first time.

History

Irlam FC was originally established in October 1969 as Mitchell Shackleton Football Club by workers at the Mitchell, Shackleton and Company engineering firm in Patricroft. They joined the Eccles & District Amateur Football League the following year, before transferring to the Manchester Amateur League in 1972. They were Division Three champions in 1973–74 and won the Division Two title the following season. League restructuring saw them placed in the Industrial B Division. They were runners-up in 1979–80 and went on to finish second in the Industrial A Division in 1983–84, also winning the Gosling Cup.

Mitchell Shackleton were Industrial A Division runners-up again in 1985–86, before switching to Division One of the Manchester League in 1989. After finishing the 1990–91 season as Division One runners-up, they were promoted to the Premier Division. The club were subsequently Premier Division runners-up in 1994–95. In 2001 the club was renamed Irlam Mitchell Shackleton, and the 2002–03 season saw them win the Premier Division title. This was also their first season at the Silver Street ground, which had been vacated following the demise of Irlam Town seven years earlier.

They won the Manchester Challenge Cup in 2003–04, and were Premier Division runners-up in 2004–05. After winning the Challenge Cup again in 2005–06, the club adopted its current name.

Despite only finishing eighth in 2007–08, Irlam were promoted to Division One of the North West Counties League. The club won the Manchester Charter Standard Cup in 2009–10, defeating Wythenshawe Town 3–2 in the final. They were Division One runners-up in 2015–16, earning promotion to the Premier Division where they have remained since.

Form Guide

West Didsbury & Chorlton
Position: 13th
Form position: 21st
Last six overall: DLLDDW
Last six home: DLDWWL

Irlam
Position: 11th
Form position: 20th
Last six overall: DDDLLW
Last six away: LWWDWW

Last Meeting

Tuesday 26th December 2023
NWCFL Premier Division
Irlam 2 West 1
West scorers: Ben Hampson 90+3
Attendance: 380

Recent Meetings

Irlam have been in the NWCFL Premier Division since 2017/18 and have generally found themselves finishing towards the right end of the mid-table spaces. Both matches last season ended in 1-1 draws and, looking back further, Irlam have achieved five wins compared to West’s three over the course of the 11 meetings in the Counties era.

The most recent meeting was of course on Boxing Day of this season at Silver Street, which Irlam won 2-1 to compound West’s miserable festive period. The away goal that afternoon was a 93rd minute consolation from Ben Hampson. West are now looking for a first win against Irlam since a 3-2 win at Silver Street in April 2019 that was a rare glimmer of hope towards the end of a campaign that ultimately ended in relegation from the Premier Division.

Head to Head

Overall:
P11 W3 D3 L5 F20 A20

At The Step Places Stadium:
P5 W1 D1 L3 F8 A11

Quick Info

Home colours: All blue
Change colours: All red
Travelling distance: 9 miles
Last season's position: 17th, NWCFL Premier
Last season's average attendance: 159

Directions

We encourage supporters to use public transport, cycle or walk if possible. 

By car:

There is no parking available at the ground for supporters, except for pre-booked disability access.

Please instead use Hardy Farm, M21 8DP.

Disability spaces must be accessed no later than one hour before kickoff and all vehicles will be unable to exit until 15 minutes after the final whistle to ensure the safety of all supporters leaving the stadium.

There is additional public car parking on Chorlton Ees opposite The Bowling Green pub, who are also allowing supporters to use the pub car park, but there is little other on-street parking.

Please also note that there is no parking available on Brookburn Road itself, nor the surrounding Chorltonville area, as they are privately maintained, exclusively for the use of residents.

By public transport:

The Step Places Stadium is one mile from Chorlton Metrolink station, on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines. Follow Google Maps directions to find your way to the ground.

If you are travelling from outside the Greater Manchester area, the Metrolink network can be accessed from any of Manchester’s central train stations. Visit the Transport for Greater Manchester website for tram times and more information.

By cycle:

The Step Places Stadium is a perfect location for those who cycle, being located next to the River Mersey, Sale Ees and only a few minutes away from the Fallowfield Cycle Loop. We have secure bicycle racks inside the ground to lock up your bike throughout the game. Please ask a volunteer if you need assistance.

Prohibited items

Bringing pyrotechnics and/or alcohol into the ground is prohibited. It is a criminal offence to bring pyrotechnics into any stadium. Stewards may conduct bag searches for prohibited items upon entrance to the stadium. Bag searches are a condition of entry and your co-operation is greatly appreciated. Spectators who break these rules may be banned from the ground and any pyrotechnics and/or alcohol will be confiscated.

Bank Holiday fixtures
NWCFL Premier Division
Monday 1st April 2024
AFC Liverpool (14th) v Litherland REMYCA (10th)
Barnoldswick Town (17th) v Colne (15th)
Charnock Richard (9th) v Kendal Town (7th)
FC Isle of Man (12th) v Chadderton (4th) (6pm)
Glossop North End (19th) v Cheadle Town (16th)
Longridge Town (20th) v Squires Gate (22nd)
Lower Breck (8th) v Pilkington (21st) (12pm)
Prestwich Heys (6th) v Bury (3rd)
Ramsbottom United (18th) v Padiham (5th)
Skelmersdale United (24th) v Burscough (23rd)
Wythenshawe Town (1st) v Wythenshawe (2nd)

Pictures by Simon Cook & Chris Michell