Andy Welsh’s side come into Tuesday night’s pre-season friendly at Hyde United, off the back of a 3-0 win against Thackley on Saturday afternoon.
He named two separate elevens in the first & second halves yesterday to build up the player’s match minutes before the league campaign starts on July 29th.
Lewis Gilboy opened the scoring before half-time, whilst Sajjad Elhassan bagged a second-half brace.
In Opposition
Northern Premier League side Hyde United are our second pre-season opponent ahead of the 2023/24 season. They finished just outside the playoffs in the Premier Division, missing out by just two points.
The team are managed by the former Bolton & Leigh RMI player Nick Spooner, he was appointed in February 2022 after the departure of Jim Gannon.
Ewen Fields has been the home of Hyde United for over 100 years and previously hosted Manchester City EDS fixtures.
The stadium holds up to 4,250 spectators – 530 seated – in 5 covered stands, all of which are covered and raised, offering excellent views of the pitch.
Club History
Hyde FC will always be remembered for the record 26-0 FA Cup defeat suffered at the hands of Preston North End in 1887. But the club, founded two years earlier, was anything but a collection of cotton-town bumpkins. It was a highly ambitious outfit which wanted to compete with the best sides in the North.
In the 1887-88 season, Hyde had a successful run and even played a match against Newton Heath (now Manchester United) dubbed the unofficial championship of Manchester.
During the early 20th century, Hyde experienced a productive period, winning four league titles. They merged with Hyde St George’s and moved to Ewen Fields in 1906, joining the Lancashire Combination. However, in 1917, the club folded temporarily due to war-related reasons but was re-established in 1919 as Hyde United.
The inter-war years were a successful period, with Hyde winning five Manchester League championships in the 1920s. This led to their election to the Cheshire County League in 1930, and they lifted the league cup by defeating Stockport County Reserves in 1934.
In 1945-46, Hyde won the Cheshire Senior Cup for the first time and reached round one of the FA Cup in 1954. In the following years, they clinched back-to-back Cheshire League titles.
During the late 1960s, Hyde became known as the Tigers when they joined the Northern Premier League. Despite initial expectations of struggle, they finished seventh and eleventh in their first two seasons. Financial constraints led them to return to the Cheshire League in 1970.
After a decade, Hyde resurfaced as a competitive force, winning the Cheshire League in 1981-82 and gaining promotion back to the Northern Premier League. They reached the first round of the FA Cup in 1983 and made it to the FA Trophy semi-finals in 1989.
In 1986, Hyde sold Ewen Fields and laid a synthetic Baspograss pitch. They achieved success, winning trophies, and returning to the first round of the FA Cup in 1994. However, as the 21st century arrived, Hyde began to struggle, experiencing back-to-back relegations.
In 2010, Hyde struck a deal for Manchester City’s elite development squad to use Ewen Fields, securing financial stability. The decision to revert to the name Hyde FC and change the team colors divided fans. Under Gary Lowe’s management, Hyde amazed everyone by winning the Conference North in 2011-12 and securing promotion.
Despite their initial success, Hyde couldn’t sustain their performance and suffered relegations, ultimately returning to the Northern Premier League. In 2015, they returned to the name Hyde United and planned to become a supporters’ trust.
The 2016/17 season started poorly, but significant signings in late December turned their fortunes around, and they finished 10th in the table. The 2017/18 season was one of the best in recent years, with Hyde gaining automatic promotion to the EvoStik Premier Division.
The 2019/20 season began with a new manager and showed promise before being null and voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the gap between seasons, the club refurbished the ground and made additions to the squad.
Last season, was a positive one for the club after finishing just outside the play-offs, after finishing 17th & 10th in the last two seasons, respectively.
Tickets
Adults – £7
Concessions (Over 65; 17 to 18) – £5
12 to 16 – £4
Under 12 – £2
It will be CASH ONLY on the turnstiles.
On the Day
Parking: The club have a car park, which will be used on a first come first served basis.
We’ve also been advised of the adjacent leisure centre car park, which can be used but closes at 10 pm.
If you require disabled parking, please email tony@hydeunited.co.uk
Food & Drink: Hyde has two tea bars – a social club & a can bar. Both of which you can use cash or card.
#NonLeagueDogs: Dogs are welcome as long as they on a lead.
Travel
By Car:
- Leave the M60 at Junction 24 and take the M67 towards Sheffield.
- Leave the M67 at Junction 3 and at the traffic lights at the top of the slip road, turn right towards Hyde Town Centre.
- At the second set of traffic lights turn left onto Mottram Road.
- Pass Morrisons store on your left and at the first set of lights turn right onto Lumn Road.
- At the top of the road there is a T-junction where you turn left onto Walker Lane.
- The ground entrance is just past Hyde Leisure Pool.
A residents-only parking scheme operates in the vicinity of the ground, so street parking has to be away from the stadium.
By Bus: The nearest bus service to the ground is the 201, which runs from Manchester City Centre.
By Train: The nearest railway station is Newton for Hyde, which is around half a mile away from the ground. It is served by regular trains from Manchester Piccadilly. It should take around ten minutes to walk.
