AFC Liverpool v West Didsbury & Chorlton

• Tuesday 6th February 2024 
• 8:00pm kickoff
• NWCFL Premier Division, Matchday 34
• The Marine Travel Arena, College Road, Crosby, Liverpool, L23 3AS
• Cash or card - £6 Adults, £4 Concessions, £2 Under 18s

Live text commentary on Twitter @wd_cfc

Preview

West travel to Merseyside on Tuesday night with the opportunity to pick up a fourth consecutive league win for the first time since their return to the North West Counties Premier Division in 2022.

West will be buoyed by their recent revival and should be confident going into a match against opponents who are struggling to find any form themselves. AFC Liverpool have only picked up four points from their last 10 matches, with the single high-point in that run being a 6-2 drubbing of Barnoldswick Town. Despite a strong start to the season, the Little Reds now find themselves in 17th and only have a goal difference better than the bottom two sides in the division.

Like West, Liverpool have played 33 games and scored 57 goals. Only bottom club Skelmersdale United have conceded more goals however, and their solitary clean sheet this season came back in August against Preswich Heys. Since then, Liverpool have conceded an average of 2.5 goals per game. This isn’t helped by the fact that their top scorer, Tom Croughan, has only managed three goals in his last 18 appearances.

West, on the other hand, have looked a far stronger prospect all over the pitch in recent weeks. The introduction of Darren Thornton and Charlie Whiteoak have added some real quality in the spine of the team and Ben Elliott’s brace against Cheadle Town on Saturday will give him a much-needed confidence boost.

New signing Astley Mulholland is available on Tuesday night following his move from Wythenshawe Town, but manager Chris Rowley will be hopeful that this additional experience will add another dimension to West’s attacking options.

History

Affordable Football Club Liverpool were formed in 2008 by folk musician Alun Parry as an alternative option for Liverpool FC fans who could not afford or could no longer access tickets at Anfield.

The idea seemed to resonate in particular with Liverpool fans that had grown disillusioned by their club’s ownership, and AFC Liverpool had over 1000 paid members within the first year of establishing themselves in the North West Counties Division Two.

That said, its founders were clear that the club was not a protest vehicle akin to neighbours FC United of Manchester, and that made it clear that they hoped to maintain positive links with Liverpool FC.

AFC Liverpool initially ground-shared with Prescott Cables at Valerie Park and moved in with Marine FC at the Marine Travel Arena for the start of the 2014/15 season. They have played at this stadium ever since and have been in the North West Counties Premier Division since their promotion in 2021.

Form Guide

AFC Liverpool
Position: 17th
Form position: 19th
Last six overall: LWLLDL
Last six home: LWLDLL

West
Position: 10th
Form position: 12th
Last six overall: WWWLLL
Last six away: WLLLLW

Head to Head

Overall:
P16 W3 D3 L10 F29 A39

At AFC Liverpool:
P7 W2 D1 L4 F17 A18

Last Meeting

Saturday 9th September 2023, NWCFL Premier
West 2 AFC Liverpool 3
West goals: Own goal 59, Lee Grimshaw 86
Attendance: 1,159

The sides last met in September on a blisteringly hot afternoon at Brookburn Road.

Liverpool came out as 3-2 winners on the day, but the match was unfortunately overshadowed by an extremely serious injury to visiting winger Dan Shearwood in the opening minute of the match. That injury caused a delay of over 40 minutes whilst attempts were made to arrange urgent medical attention. In the end, both Shearwood and his brother Bradley had to be substituted, and Dan Shearwood has not yet returned to action. Everyone at West continues to wish him well.

When the match was able to restart, Liverpool came away as comfortable winners. They took an ‘early’ lead in the 3rd minute and, despite West drawing level through an own goal shortly after half-time, the visitors managed to recover their composure and find themselves 3-1 up going into the final ten minutes.

Lee Grimshaw did give West a lifeline when he scored in the 86 th minute, but in the end the away side were deserved winners on what must have been an exhausting afternoon all round. Both encounters between the sides last season also proved to be entertaining matches, with West winning 3-0 at Brookburn Road in February after falling to a 5-3 defeat at the Marine Travel Arena the previous month.

Pictures by Simon Cook & Chris Michell