The Atherton Collieries FC story.

[Potted Shrimp]

I just thought I would make a post about a club local to my hometown that are on the up.....

I grew up as a Manchester United fan and rightly so as they are the local club that my family are from and support and were team I grew up watching at Old Trafford and supporting as a youngster.

However, I always supported my local team and that was Horwich RMI whom laterally became Leigh RMI who subsequently had a meteoric rise to the Conference and fared fairly well into the early 00's. However the club ultimately located in a rugby town with minimal support they were not self-sufficient enough to survive, they had the lowest average attendances in the Conference and they untimely were relegated again and again and quite then literally disappeared off the face off the earth so I decided to follow Atherton Collieries FC.

Athertn Collieries FC, it is fair to say have had a meteoric rise over the last 4 years, since 2015 they have gone from NW counties league 1 to Evo Stik Premier league (after winning the league this season), jumping 4 divisions in 4 years. Crowds comfortably average around 200-300 for an average game - incredible given that 5 years ago an average crowd was around 50. They have achieved this on the back of no 'sugar daddy' chairman, just a fantastic manager, great backroom staff, well run boardroom/club secretaries, excellent player morale and ever growing support. Atherton Collieries are a progressive, family club, and the majority of football I have watched over the last few seasons has been between Atherton and Morecambe.

Next season they will be in the same league as Lancaster and two leagues from the National league (I still call it 'The Conference)!...anyway.... I thought I would give them a mention.....

[Seasider9601]

Two things spring immediately to mind when I hear Atherton Collieries FC.

1) An ATS Challenge Trophy tie at Christie Park in the 1987/88 season when we were top of the Northern Premier League and struggled to beat the then North West Counties League Second Division side 2-1....

2) Our former player Andy Heald is currently at the club and loving life with them.

[Freez]

Andy Heald, I remember an away day at Welling in the Conference, (San Siro of the south anyone??) we drew 2-2, he played left mid, did very well. It didn’t really happen for him but he was solid enough.
The home end you could stand at the top of the terrace and be at the same level as the top deck of the London bus that stopped right outside the ground. Lads would be opening the window to ask what score it was!!
Memories!!