Burscough v West Didsbury & Chorlton

• Saturday 27th January 2024 
• 3:00pm kickoff
• NWCFL Premier Division, Matchday 32
• The Community Ground, Bobby Langton Way, Burscough, L40 0SW
• Cash or card - £7 adults / £5 concessions / £3 under 16s
• Dogs welcome

Live text commentary on Twitter @wd_cfc

There are pre and post-match bar facilities at The Bridge in Burscough, adjacent to Tesco. Food and drink is available inside the ground. Burscough's on-site cafe is now open, located to the right as you enter through the turnstiles, opening at 12:30pm and serving hot food from 2pm. There is also a foodbank in operation at the ground and West fans are encouraged to bring along any donations they can to the match.

Preview

West travel to Burscough on Saturday afternoon looking to build on the win against Barnoldswick Town a fortnight ago and earn back-to-back Ws for only the second time this season.

That win was the club’s first in eight games and moved West up to tenth in the division and off the bottom of the form table. Whilst the dying embers of any lingering playoff ambitions all but extinguished over the festive period, West manager Chris Rowley will still be hoping to see a sustained upturn in form to coincide with the introduction of some encouraging new signings.

Opponents Burscough - sitting in 23rd place at kickoff - still have much to play for and are propped up at the foot of the table only by their tenants, Skelmersdale United. Coincidentally, the Linnets also found themselves second-bottom at the end of the 2022/23 season, with relegation reprieved only as a result of a late run of form. This meant one of three step 5 places - vacated due to resignations in other regions, and awarded to the trio clubs with the best points-per-game recordsin their respective drop zones - was secured.

With only one relegation spot to avoid this season, Burscough will be hoping that the nine point cushion they currently have over their lodgers will mean they don’t have to look too cautiously over their shoulder between now and April.

Like West, Burscough have managed only one win in their last eight games and they will certainly have noticed that Skelmersdale’s form has steadily improved over the same period.

Unlike West, the one area that Burscough consistently do impress is in front of goal. Despite their top scorer Tom Lawless departing for Glossop North End earlier this season, they have still managed to score an average of 2.5 goals per game since mid-December. Since then, midfielder Stephen Rigby has enjoyed a prolific run of form following his arrival from Pilkington, finding the net five times in his last six appearances.

Given Burscough’s league position, it's not surprising that such an impressive goalscoring record is not matched at the other end of the pitch. The Linnets haven't conceded fewer than two goals in a game since a 5-0 win at AFC Liverpool eight matches ago.

West have no new injury updates of note although Darren McKnight signed dual-registration papers with Avro last week, which represents a significant loss and is likely to at least rule him out of weekend fixtures for the remainder of the season. New signings Daz Thornton, Tyrese Beaumont and Hal McHugh all played a part in Monday’s friendly at Stockport Town and are available again this Saturday.

This is a fixture that tends to produce goals, and the travelling West fans will have good reason to be optimistic about seeing an entertaining match.

History

The first Burscough Association Football Club was formed in 1880 but their existence was short-lived and the club folded in 1900. Five years later Burscough Rangers were established and continued to operate as the town’s football club until the start of the Second World War.

In 1946, Burscough FC were founded, and they have continued to operate across the non-league pyramid ever since. They are founding members of the North West Counties Football League and hold the honour of being the league’s first ever champions in 1981.

Burscough’s most successful spell arguably came at the turn of the current millennium, and their greatest day came in 2003 when they beat Tamworth to lift the FA Trophy at Villa Park. Two years later they had a similarly impressive cup campaign, reaching the Second Round of the FA Cup. This run included a win against against League One Gillingham before bowing out 4-1 to Burton Albion, falling 90 minutes short of a third-round tie at home to Manchester United.

Any disappointment was short-lived though when they won a treble the following season. That treble included winning the Northern Premier League title on goal difference, to go within two divisions of the Football League. Such successes have not been sustained in the intervening 15 years and they returned to the North West Counties Premier Division in 2017/18.

Burscough were also the first team to ever eliminate West from the FA Cup with a win at Brookburn Road in 2013.

Famous former Linnets players include Lee Trundle, Craig Noone and current Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe.

Form Guide

Burscough
Position: 23rd
Form position: 18th
Last six overall: DLLWLL
Last six home: LLWDLL

West
Position: 10th
Form position: 23rd
Last six overall: LLLLLW
Last six away: LWLLLL

Head to Head

Overall:
P8 W5 D0 L3 F22 A20

At Burscough
P3 W2 D0 L1 F11 A8

Last Meeting

Saturday 12th August 2023, NWCFL Premier
West 3 Burscough 1
West goals: Rhain Davis 35, Lewis Billingsley 42, Lee Grimshaw 45+3
Attendance: 489

This season undoubtedly looked a lot more optimistic for both sides when they met at Brookburn Road in August. Burscough travelled to South Manchester that afternoon having recorded three wins from their opening three matches, sitting joint top of the league alongside Bury, Kendal Town and Wythenshawe.

West, on the other hand, had picked up three points from their opening two league matches and had also managed to dispatch Northern Premier League side Vauxhall Motors in the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round.

West ended up comfortable winners that day, earning a straightforward 3-1 win thanks to goals from Rhain Davis, Lewis Billingsley and Lee Grimshaw. This was a repeat of the scoreline from the meeting at Brookburn last season, completing a league double for West following a resounding 6-1 away win in the reverse fixture, a game in which Ben Elliott helped himself to four goals.

Quick Info

Travelling distance: 38 miles
West away 23/24 round trip: 804 miles
Pitch: Artificial
Last season's position: 21st, NWCFL Premier
Last season's average attendance: 96
Home colours: All green
Change colours: All purple

Travel Guide

Railway: Burscough Junction (13 minutes walk, 0.6 miles)

Bus: There are regular bus services into the town centre from all local locations. Visit moovitapp.com for details of times.

Car parking: No parking at ground, however parking is available at the Tesco Superstore adjacent to the ground. We politely ask not to park on the streets surrounding the ground to respect local residents.

Other weekend fixtures
NWCFL Premier Division
Saturday 27th January 2024 - 3pm kickoff unless stated
Bury (2) v Skelmersdale United (24)
Charnock Richard (14) v AFC Liverpool (17)
FC Isle of Man (13) v Irlam (18) (6pm)
Kendal Town (6) v Wythenshawe (3)
Litherland REMYCA (11) v Padiham (7)
Longridge Town (19) v Lower Breck (8)
Pilkington (16) v Chadderton (4)
Prestwich Heys (5) v Barnoldswick Town (12)
Squires Gate (22) v Glossop North End (20)
Wythenshawe Town (1) v Cheadle Town (21)

Pictures by Simon Cook & Chris Michell