Ramsbottom United F.C.

We are a football club based in Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England. In the 2003-04 season, we reached the third round of the FA Vase. We are currently members of the Bet Victor Northern Premier League Division One North and our home is the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium. Our nickname is The Rams. Foundation Ramsbottom United was founded in 1966, and one of the founders, Harry Williams, is still, to this day, Chairman, almost 60 years later! Harry has overseen the club progress from a parks pitch on the outskirts to a well-appointed stadium in the centre of the east Lancashire town, adjacent to Ramsbottom Cricket Club, the East Lancashire Railway and the River Irwell, capable of holding 2,000 supporters. The early days were spent in the local Bury Amateur League, before the move to the Bolton Combination in 1970. The Rams clinched the Championship of Division One in 1973, following that up with the Premier Division title four years later. These were just two of the many honours picked up in League and Cup competitions whilst Harry was manager between 1966 and 1985. During that time, the club moved from the unsuitable and difficult to access Chatterton ground to the current Riverside base in 1980. The next progression on the pitch was to the wider-based Manchester League in 1989. In 1991, the double of Champions and Cup Winners in Division One was achieved, and with it promotion to the top division. Also, rather strangely, the club were runners-up in the Yorkshire Cup in 1994, by which time a strong Junior base had been created. As well as the first team, many honours were collected by the youngsters including League titles and Cup victories, as the club developed very much into a community organisation. The move into the ‘Football Pyramid’ In 1995 an application to join the football pyramid at North West Counties League level was approved, and after much hard work on the ground, a grading was received to allow access to the second tier of the regional league. Despite finishing 12th in the inaugural season, the Rams lifted the Divisional Trophy beating Cheadle Town at Darwen’s Anchor Ground – the first of a number of successes at semi-professional level. At the end of the 1996/97 season, the club installed floodlights for the first time – acquiring a set from the soon-to-be-demolished Watersheddings ground of Oldham Rugby League Club. These were in place in time for the club to move up to the top Division, having won the championship of Division Two in only their second season. At that time, the club also ran a Reserve team, and it, too, brought home a number of trophies, including the Reserve Division cup in 1998 and the title twelve months later. Having entered the FA Vase a couple of years earlier, the club’s first taste of FA Cup action took place in 1998, and they progressed to the 3rd qualifying round before losing at home to Conference side Southport in front of a then-record 829 home gate (easily beating the previous figure of 464 for the local derby with Haslingden). Third place in the Premier Division was attained in season 1999/2000. The following season brought many high spots, especially the 3-0 home derby win against top-of-the-table Rossendale United. When the return fixture was played and won at Dark Lane at Easter, the Rams were just six points behind the leaders with four games in hand. Hopes were high that the championship could be clinched. Alas a late dip in form saw those hopes dashed, but high standards had been set. Tragedy struck in 2001, as successful manager Ken Bridge collapsed and died following a home game against Cheadle Town, but he is remembered with the gates at the entrance of the ground being named in his honour. The next few seasons brought little in the way of success, with the local Bolton Hospital Cup victories producing the only trophies on three occasions. The only bright spot was the appointment of Derek Egan as manager in the summer of 2004 reigniting hopes of a tilt at the t