Glossop North End (H) \\\ Matchday Info

• Saturday 27th July 2024 
• 3:00pm kickoff - gates open at 1:30pm and we advise arriving early to avoid queuing or delays
• NWCFL Premier Division, Matchday 1
• The Step Places Stadium, Brookburn Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 8FE
• Season tickets are in use, pay on the gate with cash or card or buy in advance via Shocal
  • £7 adults,
  • £5 students / 60+ / 16 and under
  • Under 12s free
• Dogs welcome
• Food and drink available throughout the ground
• Burritos from WrapScallion

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Live radio commentary on Westlive

Preview

Saturday marks the dawning of a new era at Brookburn Road as West play their first competitive fixture under the stewardship of new manager Paul Marshall.

It comes exactly ten weeks after West wrapped up a tepid 2023/24 campaign with a 3-1 defeat at Chadderton. With some notable exceptions, the lineup Marshall will select to play Glossop North End on Saturday will be unrecognisable to the one that exited the pitch at Chadderton back in April. West’s goalscorer that afternoon was Lewis Billingsley, but he is one of only four players from last season’s squad who now remain at the club. Billingsley is joined by the Men’s Player of the Season and club legend Billy Matthews, as well as fans’ favourites Charlie Whiteoak and Lee Grimshaw. The rest of West’s playing squad is comprised of individuals carefully identified by Marshall and his staff as those who have the quality and know-how to support a meaningful promotion push following last season’s rudderless mid-table finish.

Moulding a cohesive team from such a large group of unfamiliar players will be one of Marshall’s first challenges, but the early signs have certainly been positive. Despite trailing New Mills 3-0 within the opening half an hour of pre-season, West have gone on to win four of their six friendly matches.

Fans who travelled to Cheadle Heath Nomads and Stockport Georgians enjoyed watching dominant 4-1 and 6-1 wins respectively and these results have been complemented further with victories over Step 3’s Prescot Cables and local rivals Maine Road. West have scored 16 goals in those six matches, with the names of prolific forwards Victor Abadaki and Jorden Lazenbury already ringing around the terraces. While the impressive goalscoring records of Abadaki and Lazenbury have understandably created the biggest buzz, the leadership and guile seen across all areas of the pitch is something that has not gone unnoticed in comparison with previous squads. This has been especially evident from captain Jimmy Moore, Chris Rowney and Tom Murray, who all have experience of winning the NWCFL or playing at a higher level. Elsewhere, there have been welcome returns to M21 for Kris Holt and Jake Kenny. These are only a handful of the players who have impressed in pre-season and there is good cause for West fans to be cautiously optimistic for the campaign ahead.

It is often said that pre-season is not all about the results you pick up, and Saturday’s opponents Glossop North End will undoubtedly be reminding themselves of this when they travel to South Manchester on Saturday morning. While the Hillmen started their pre-season schedule with a 3-0 win at home to NWCFL Division One North side Steeton, they have lost all five of their subsequent friendlies, a run that included defeats to fellow NWCFL Premier Division sides Prestwich Heys and Abbey Hey.

Glossop are managed by the irrepressible Richard Brodie and he recently gave a characteristically honest appraisal of his squad’s pre-season performance following a defeat to Newcastle Town. While Brodie said he is happy with the position his side are in, he did have some choice words about certain members of his squad, explaining that there are “only so many opportunities that you can give [some of the players]. Either they’re not listening or they don’t want to listen. They know who they are and I was actually embarrassed after that”. Glossop’s squad doesn’t appear to have too many new additions to the one that finished 21st last season, and - like a number of other clubs - includes manager Brodie himself, although he has explained that he will look to bring in new players when the divisions above start playing in August and fringe players from those squads become available.

History

Glossop is famously the smallest town in England to have had a team in the top-flight of English football.

Younger readers may not recall too many details of Glossop’s 1899/1900 campaign and their single season at the top table was not a successful one. They were promoted to the top-flight alongside current champions Manchester City, but they struggled to adapt to life at the summit of English football and ultimately finished bottom of the league. They picked up only four wins that season,against Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa. While a quick return to the big time wasn't on the cards, they did make it to the quarter-final of the 1908 FA Cup, bowing out to Bristol City after a replay.

The club’s chairman during this period was cricketer, baronet, businessman and Conservative politician Sir Samuel Hill-Wood and it was his stewardship of the club during such a successful spell that led to the club being nicknamed the Hillmen ever since.

The club have played at their current home at Surrey Street since 1955, and became founder members of the North West Counties Football League in 1982. They are, by all accounts, a ‘sister’ club of Arsenal, and they celebrated their centenary in 1986 with a testimonial match against the Gunners. That link exists after Hill-Wood moved to London in the 1920s and became the Arsenal chairman, a role that he passed down to his son and later his grandson.

Glossop were given permission to train at Arsenal’s Colney training ground ahead of their 2009 FA Vase final defeat to Whitley Bay, which is the first of their two appearances in that competition’s final. Six years later they once again were playing under the Wembley arch but on that occasion their road to glory - which coincidentally began at the true home of football (Brookburn Road) - was ended by North Shields. In April 2023 Glossop returned to the NWCFL after eight years in the Northern Premier League divisions. They finished 21st and will be looking for an improved performance this season.

Last Meeting

Saturday 16th March 2024
NWCFL Premier Division
West 1 Glossop North End 2
West scorer: Matt Smyth 30
Attendance: 851

West and Glossop last met at Brookburn Road as recently as March. Defender Matt Smyth gave West the lead on the half-hour mark but the Hillmen who took all three points back to Derbyshire with second-half goals from Conal Gallagher and Lee Rick.

It was a match that typified the rut that West had found themselves in during the latter stages of last season. Glossop arrived for that match with only one win in their eight previous matches, but coasted to victory against a directionless West side that had no response to going behind with 20 minutes to go.

That was Glossop’s final win of the season and they only went on to pick up two more points in their remaining seven matches.

Head to Head

Overall:
P9 W2 D0 L7 F11 A20

At The Step Places Stadium:
P4 W0 D0 L4 F3 A8

Quick Info

Home colours: Black & white / black / black
Change colours: All orange
Travelling distance: 20 miles
Last season's position: 21st, NWCFL Premier
Last season's average attendance: 294

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, drums/instruments 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.

Weekend fixtures
NWCFL Premier Division
Friday 26th July 2024
Colne 1 AFC Liverpool 2
Saturday 27th July 2024
Barnoldswick Town v Lower Breck
Cheadle Town v Prestwich Heys
FC Isle of Man v Chadderton (6pm)
FC St Helens v Abbey Hey
Irlam v Stockport Town
Longridge Town v Burscough
Padiham v Litherland REMYCA
Pilkington v Ramsbottom United
South Liverpool v Charnock Richard
Squires Gate v Bury

Pictures by Chris Michell