West make a long-awaited return to competitive action as the NWCFL season gets underway at Alsager Town.

Key details

Saturday 31st July, 3pm
Wood Park, Alsager, ST7 2BS
NWCFL First Division South
� Pay on the gate. £6 adults / £3 concessions / free for under-16s and NHS workers (cash only)

Preview

When West take the field at Wood Park, exactly nine months will have passed since the 1-0 win at Wythenshawe Amateurs which ultimately lowered the curtain on the 2020/21 season.

Last term’s curtailment came at a particularly frustrating time for Chris Rowley’s side, who were beginning to build up a head of steam. Further irritation was to follow when West narrowly missed out on upward movement to step 5 in the close-season non-league restructure.

The form book is now out of print, but West boss Rowley will expect his side to pick up where they left off and ensure promotion is secured on the pitch this time around, with this season’s champions going up automatically and an additional berth on offer to a play-off winner.

Alsager may be glad for the fresh start after a difficult couple of years on the pitch – they won two of their seven games before last season’s curtailment, and only St Martins prevented them from propping up the First Division South when the 2019/20 season ended.

The Bullets have been busy recruiting new players in recent weeks, and boss Brian Wilson will look to change the tune with his eye on a top-five finish. Wilson, formerly a defender with Stoke City and Bristol City, is set to take charge of his side for the first time competitively since his appointment in February.

Last time we met

Saturday 24th October 2020, West 7-0 Alsager Town: West lit up a sodden Brookburn Road as they hit Alsager Town for seven to register their biggest-ever NWCFL win.

West line-up: Jones, Sheridan, Hancock, Delaney, Dibble, Heathcote, Matthews (Swift 69), Taylor (Ryan 65), Elliott, Davis, Gabidon (Grewal 59). Not used: Gavin, Clarke.

Scorers: Gabidon 31, Davis 39, Matthews 43, Delaney 45+1, Greenwood og 50, Heathcote 60, Elliott 88.

Getting to Wood Park

By road: Use Woodland Court, ST7 2BS for sat-navs. Parking is on surrounding streets as on-site parking is usually taken by players and committees.

By rail: Alsager station is 0.7 miles from Wood Park. Go from Manchester Piccadilly or Stockport and change at Crewe for Alsager. Check Trainline for train times.

Other fixtures

Maine Road v FC Isle of Man (2pm)
Abbey Hey v Stockport Town
Barnton v Wythenshawe Amateurs
Cammell Laird 1907 v Cheadle Heath Nomads
Cheadle Town v New Mills
Rocester v Eccleshall
Sandbach United v Brocton
St Martins v Abbey Hulton United
Stafford Town v Ellesmere Rangers