Rams recognition
‘We’ve put Ramsbottom United on the map. It’s raised the profile of the club’
RAMS BOTTOM United continued their remarkable run in the FA Trophy as they advanced into the last 16 after seeing off second round opponents Weymouth 3-1 in Tuesday night’s replay.
Underdogs Rammy made the 550-mile round trip to face a side sitting third in the Evo-Stik Premier Division South after their 2-2 draw at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The second round fixture was the furthest the club had ever reached in the competition – a record that has now been extended with the Rams set to face AFC Fylde in the next stage of the competition.
First team manager Chris Willcock was overjoyed with his side’s performance on Tuesday.
“We’re really proud of our achievements. We’ve now beat another step three side who are going very well in their league, in their own back yard, in front of a really good crowd tonight. Their supporters clapped us off and wished us all the best so I think that just shows the performance of my players and how much we deserved it.
“We created so many chances in the game, we missed a penalty right at the end so it could’ve been a bigger scoreline.
“Invariably it has to be a collective effort to pull a run together. I think it’s now 10 cup games on the bounce – so it’s been a massive effort from us.
“In the four months that I’ve been at the club we’ve been working on team spirit and togetherness, and I think that even though we’ve travelled many distances in the trophy run, the times that we’ve travelled together on the coach has brought us closer together as a group and we’re becoming really tight knit.”
Ramsbottom will host National League side Fylde in the third round of the competition, a tough match for the home side.
It’s a mouth-watering prospect for Willcock and his players.
“Fylde are a professional outfit really,” he said.
“Even though they’re in the conference they’re looking to get promoted to the football league.
“But it’s a local derby, we’re not too far away from each other, I’m sure there’ll be a crowd out and the lads will go out and do themselves proud and we’ll see where it takes us. What we’ve done is put Ramsbottom United on the map. With us achieving what we’ve done in such a national competition, it’s not very often that a step three side gets to the latter stages of the competition.
“So I think it’s raised the profile of the football club, and the win we dedicate to everybody who’s supported us since we’ve arrived at the football club, the fans; the volunteers; the committee; the chairman; and everybody who’s associated with the junior section.”