It was disappointment in Burscough for The Shakers on Saturday, falling to defeat to bottom of the table Skelmersdale United.
On day where it just didn’t seem to click for Dave McNabbs men, Pascal Chimbonda’s Skelmersdale side made sure that they took their chances and were fortunate enough to gain a goal courtesy of a rare Harry Wright error.
Skem Chairman Frank Hughes described to us on Playing Away how there was a False bottom in our Division and his team showcased why they perhaps should not be written off as relegation fodder.
Dave McNabb had a message for all the fans as he spoke to our Match Reporter Adam Clark following Saturday’s game, he also took to x.com to show his appreciation for the support shown to the team. You can see his post match interview below.
Massively disappointing performance and result today and as the manager I take full accountability for it.
— David McNabb (@davidmcnabb82) November 25, 2023
We let the fans down who were excellent again and absolutely deserved better all round
I know it’s frustrating but stick with us. 23 cup finals to go
We however can’t dwell on the defeat for too long, as we are straight back into league action this coming Tuesday for our re-arranged fixture against newly promoted Pilkington FC.
After a strong start to life in the NWCFL Premier Division following promotion from the Division One North as champions last term, Pilkington have struggled in recent weeks with four losses , one win and a single draw in their last six outings.
A 4-3 win at the Acroframe Stadium against Skelmersdale being the only victory in that spell, Pilks were defeated by Chadderton over the weekend and they sit 16th going into the game, on 29 points from 23 games.
The full match information pack can be found below.
In Opposition – Pilkington
The club was established in 1938 and joined both the Liverpool Business Houses League and the St Helens Combination. The name originates from the Pilkington glass factory in St. Helens. They later became members of the Liverpool County Football Combination. In 1980 the club joined Division Two of the Mid-Cheshire League. When Division Two was abolished in 1983, they became part of the league’s single division. The club finished bottom of the league in 1986–87.
A new second division of the Mid-Cheshire League was formed in 1987 and Pilkington became members of Division One. However, after finishing bottom of the league in 1988–89 and 1990–91, they were relegated to Division Two. The club were Division Two runners-up in 1997–98, resulting in promotion to Division One. They finished bottom of the division in 1999–2000, but were reprieved from relegation after another team left the league. The following season saw the club win the Liverpool Junior Cup, a trophy the club won again in 2004–05.
In 2010–11 Pilkington were runners-up in Division One, missing out on the title on goal difference. The division was renamed the Premier Division in 2014. The club finished bottom of the Premier Division in 2014–15 and were relegated to Division One. They won the league’s Presidents Cup in 2016–17, and after finishing as runners-up in Division One in 2017–18, the club were promoted back to the Premier Division. The following season saw them win the Premier Division title, resulting in promotion to Division One North of the North West Counties League. They were Division One North champions in 2022–23 and were promoted to the Premier Division.
The club originally played at Crossley Road, before moving to Ruskin Drive at the beginning of the 1948–49 season. Their home ever since, the complex was redeveloped from 2016 to incorporate an astro-turf pitch amongst additional upgraded facilites to cater for all sports including space for other local football clubs, as well as rugby, cricket and tennis. The ground is shared with other local side, St Helen’s Town AFC.
Tickets & Admission
General sale tickets are available online HERE, which includes hospitality tickets in the Main Stand.
We recommend purchasing a ticket ahead of the game to allow us to plan appropriately in the ground.
Please follow requests from volunteers and stewards for directions if unsure.
Prices*: £10 adult, £5 16-18, £3 Under 16s & Free for Under 5s.
1885 Suite: £40* per ticket
* plus booking fees
Pay on the Gate: Whilst encouraging supporters to buy online ahead of the game, turnstiles will be available to take cash & card payments.
Season Ticket Holders: We have recognised the requests from some season ticket holders who wish to be sat in the Main Stand, instead of the currently allocated South Stand. General sale tickets for the Main Stand are not available on Tuesday evening and the first 250 season ticket holders who wish to watch from the Main Stand, can do so by admission of the turnstile.
Please arrive early to secure your seat, with allocations made on a first-come, first-served basis.
Click here to purchase online tickets. Read here on how to access your tickets digitally.
On the Day & In the Ground
Travel: Gigg Lane is accessible by car and is well served by public transport, please see our page on the TfGM website, which advises the best travel routes to the stadium. Directions can be sourced via Google Maps below.
SatNav Postcode: BL9 9HR
WhatThreeWords: ///issues.skins.span
Parking: Our new car-park policy for the upcoming season is now in force.
Due to the limited space within the car park at Gigg Lane, it is reserved for the following:
- Team Playing Staff and Management
- Match and Competition Officials
- Club Staff and volunteers transporting matchday equipment
- Members of the 1885 Suite
- Sponsors
- Blue Badge Holders
If you have a blue badge or mobility issues please email the club secretary at secretary@buryfc.co.uk at least TWO days before the game. Blue Badge holders shall be prioritised for a parking space.
Entrance to the car park is strictly controlled and includes the areas within and in front of the fenced area. Please contact the Club Secretary with any other related queries.
There is on-street parking in the residential areas surrounding Gigg Lane, with supporters reminded to be respectful and considerate of the local residents at all times, as well as being mindful of and adhering to the parking permit measures in place in close proximity to the ground.
Stadium Entry: Gates will open at 6:30pm.
Our matchday volunteers will be on hand, both outside the turnstiles and inside the ground, to guide supporters to where they need to be. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask those who are there to help the day.
Matchday Programme: You can purchase a programme online now, to collect at the merchandise stall tomorrow afternoon or head to the sellers in and around the ground ahead of the game at the price of £3.
Pound for the Ground: Our ‘Pound for the Ground’ half-time raffle tickets will be on sale in and around the ground, £1 per entry. Sellers accept cash or card, with 40% of the total pot going to the winning ticket with results announced over the PA system and on the scoreboard.
Food / Drink: Our new catering partner, Quirky Catering, will be operating the kiosks this weekend and throughout the season, and are accessible for supporters under the stands. A selection of hot and cold snacks will be available. Alcohol will be sold, and can be consumed anywhere in the stand. Please respect the advice from stewards on managing this process on the day.
Keep #GiggGleaming: With so much work gone into Gigg Lane to get us to this point, we want to keep it that way and a lot of work goes into turning the ground around between games each weekend. We have a team of volunteers lined up to clean the stands following the game.
With this in mind, we urge all supporters to make sure any rubbish is processed in the correct manner, using the available bins where necessary, or if possible please take any rubbish away with you.
Designated Smoking Areas: Supporters are not allowed to smoke / vape anywhere within the stands at Gigg Lane. Designated areas are set aside to do this, follow guidance from stewards on this and only smoke / vape within these areas.
#NonLeagueDogs: For now, dogs are NOT permitted in the ground.
Match Coverage & Live Stream
If you are unable to make it to the action at Gigg Lane, we’ll have all the live coverage across our media platforms.
Live Stream: A live stream of tonight’s game is available via Bury FC TV by clicking on the image below! Season ticket holders will be informed by email before 7pm on how to access the game for FREE.
Keep up-to-date with all our video content via the club’s YouTube Channel. Click to subscribe and never miss highlights and match reaction across the season.
Audio Commentary: Roch Valley Radio will be providing commentary for this game. Join the team from the press box at Gigg Lane. Click here ahead of kick-off to listen live. Audio commentary will be provided for every game of the season, so you will never miss a piece of the action.
Social Media: Our team will also bring you in-depth text commentary via the club ‘MatchDay Live‘ Twitter feed, with team news and score-line updates available also on Facebook and feel like you are there with our match galleries and imagery available over on Instagram.
Whatever the weather, wherever you are across the globe, we have you covered.
Up the Shakers!
