Saturday's Opponents: Atherton Collieries

Cup Month, chapter three: Atherton Collieries at their place (Alder Street) in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.

Atherton Collieries have been knocking around since 1916 when they were formed - as their moniker would suggest - by local miners from the six local pits. Up to the mid-1960s they earned themselves a bit of a decent reputation and had picked up the Lancashire Junior Shield six times...a record that still stands to this day.

Like Cheadle, they were founder members of the NWCFL back in 1982, finally winning promotion from Div 2 in 1995-1996 when they were runners-up. They have been in Div 1 ever since, albeit with bottom-half finishes in each season. Their start to Div 1 life this season has been decent - we find them in 12th place with just one defeat to their name.

They knocked out Rossington Main after a replay (which they won 5-0!) in the Extra Preliminary Round and then turfed out Div 1 bedfellows Bacup Borough 3-1, also at Alder Street. And now they've got us, a team that won't roll over as easily as Rossington appeared to. God, I sincerely hope I'm not made to eat those words.

We've got a bit of a cup score to settle with Atherton Collieries where FA competitions are concerned. We've copped for them twice in the FA Vase (1985-86 and 2002-03) and on both occasions they have put us out. We've got our own back on Ashton Town already; can we exact some sort of revenge on Atherton Colls?

Come on Cheadle!