Putting the spotlight on a newcomer to the Northern Premier League West Division next season.
Atherton Collieries
Greater Manchester side Atherton Collieries enter into our division after dropping out of the Northern Premier League Division Premier after a 1-0 defeat on their home turf to Macclesfield back in April confirmed their relegation.
Brief History:
The club was established in 1916 by miners from the six pits in Atherton Urban District with the aim of raising money for locals involved in the war effort. After World War I the club joined the Bolton Combination, winning the title in their first season. The season also saw them win the Lancashire FA Amateur Shield, beating Dumers Lane 3–2 after extra time. They joined the Lancashire Alliance in 1921, and won the Shield again in 1923 with a 4–1 against Barnoldswick Town. The club later returned to the Bolton Combination, winning the league in 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39 and 1940–41, followed by another Lancashire FA Amateur Shield in 1942 after Royal Engineers were beaten 3–2. Another title came in 1944–45, after which the club joined the Manchester League in the 1945–46 season.
Their first season in the new league saw them finish third and win the Shield for a fourth time with a 3–2 win over Moss Rovers in 1948 the club joined the West Lancashire League in which they spent two seasons before joining Division Two of the Lancashire Combination in 1950. However, after finishing sixteenth (out of 22) in 1950–51 and second-from-bottom in 1951–52 they left the league to rejoin the Bolton Combination. Back in the local league, they won the league title again in 1956–57 (also winning the Shield, beating Burnley Albion 3–2 after extra time), 1958–59, 1960–61 and 1964–65 (combined with another Shield win, this time by beating Breightmet United 6–1).
In 1971 they rejoined the Lancashire Combination, which was now a single division. Following their only top-half finish in the league in 1977–78, the club switched to the new Division Two of the Cheshire County League, where they failed to break into the top half of the table during their four years in the league. At the end of the 1981–82 season the league merged with the Lancashire Combination to form the North West Counties League, with Atherton placed in Division Three. This started a spell of relative success for the club, who finished in the top half of the table for four successive seasons, before winning the title in 1986/87 and earning promotion to Division Two.
After nine seasons in Division Two, Atherton were runners-up in 1995/96 season resulting in promotion to Division One. In 2001–02 they won the Goldline Trophy with a 1–0 win against Charnock Richard at the Reebok Stadium. Division One was renamed the Premier Division in 2008, but the following season the club finish bottom of the Division, leading to relegation to Division One. Following their demotion, the club consistently finished in the top six in the division and won the Division One Trophy in 2010–11.
After winning the division in 2014/15 season they were promoted back to the Premier Division. In 2015–16 they won the League Cup, beating Colne 5-1 in the final. The following season seen the club win the Premier Division, earning promotion to Division One North of the Northern Premier League. They won the League Challenge Cup in 2017/18, beating Coalville Town 2–1 in the final.
The 2018/19 saw Atherton placed in Division One West as the Northern Premier League's second tier was reorganised on an east–west basis. They went on to win the division, earning promotion to the Premier Division. The 2023/24 season saw the club finish bottom of the Premier Division, resulting in relegation back to Division One West.
The Manager:
David Chadwick has been at the helm for The Colls since May 2023. However, it’s safe to say his first season at Alder House wasn’t far off underwhelming after finishing bottom of the table and faced relegation last April. A strong season to life in their new division could be somewhat a redemption season for both Chadwick and Atherton Collieries.
The Ground:
The club have played at Alder House since their establishment, and it is currently known as 'The Skuna Stadium' for sponsorship purposes. At some point during their tenure, the pitch was rotated 90º, and floodlights were installed in 1994. One stand was described "leaning forward as if in prayer for its continued survival", before it was demolished in 2007.
Following ground works crowdfunded by supporters in 2020, the ground currently has two stands with covered seating, with two more covered stands for standing spectators, one of which has been expanded to provide cover for disabled spectators. Alongside the clubhouse, the ground has an additional two outdoors refreshment facilities. Atherton is roughly 28 miles from the Berry Street Garage Stadium, taking around 45 minutes for the Bucks to travel.