Football Focus Issue 83 | Page 32

Ramsbottom United FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/FOOTYFOCUSMAG Images courtesy of Frank Cook Ramsbottom United FOOTBALL CLUB The east Lancashire town of Ramsbottom has seen its re-emergence from a smoky mill-town into its current status as one of the best places to live in the country with its abundance of restaurants and tourist attractions, matched by the progress made by its football club. 50 years ago, the fledgling Ramsbottom United were playing on an open field on a hard-to-access outskirt of the town. Now it plies it’s trade in an attractive town centre stadium capable of holding over 2,000 supporters. Overseeing the transformation is the Rams current Chairman Harry Williams who was instrumental in forming the 32 Issue 83 club back in 1966. From the Bury and District League, through the Bolton Combination, the Manchester League and the North West Counties League, the club now plays in non-league’s fourth tier, the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League West Division. After an indifferent start to the season, former manager Mark Fell moved on to Lancaster City, and the club appointed former player Chris Willcock as his successor. Since then the atmosphere at the now named Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, has changed dramatically, as have the team’s fortunes. Having arrived at a club in the lower half of the league table, Willcock set