The battle to stay in the Northern Premier League West
It has to all be decided when April ends
As we wave goodbye to March and welcome in April, it can mean only one thing. The final month of the non-league season is here.
It feels like it was only yesterday when the season got underway, but in a blink of an eye, the season is fast approaching its conclusion. However, there is still so much to sort out.
Numerous people have spoken about the battle for promotion in the National League South and, indeed, in the National League North; therefore, I will not focus on that. Instead, we will turn our attention to the relegation battle in the Pitching In Northern Premier League West Division.
Two clubs have already been relegated in City of Liverpool (down as we entered March) and Hanley Town (went down on Non-League Day). However, two spaces remain open, which could be a battle between several teams to avoid the drop.
Now, before we start, some people might say that Witton Albion and Atherton Collieries should be included in this list as they both sit just a point above Mossley in the Northern Premier League West table.
However, I feel that the sides managed by Ben Harrison and Michael Clegg respectively, have done enough to get themselves away from the drop zone which is impressive considering Harrison was thrown in at the deep end just a couple of weeks before the season started at Witton and Clegg came in just a few months into the season with Colls in deep trouble.
Mossley Current points 49 Possible final points 64
Mossley are probably safe as they are nine points clear of 19th spot with five games to go.
However, the Tameside club have lost four of their last five games, including a defeat at Kidsgrove Athletic at the weekend. They have a tough few fixtures to close the season with Bootle (fighting to stay up) to come this weekend as well as playing Widnes and Hednesford Town, who are aiming for promotion.
Already relegated, Hanley Town host them on the final day of the season. The Stoke-on-Trent side just have pride to play for now, which could help Mossley, but if truth be told, they should be safe by the time they visit Staffordshire.
Stafford Rangers Current points 49 Possible final points 64
For the majority of the season, it has looked like Stafford Rangers were going to suffer back-to-back relegations, first under Dave Cooke and then former Tamworth manager Dale Belford.
However, they have appeared to have struck gold when they reappointed Neil Kitching in late January, seven years after he left the club.
Since his return, Stafford have won at Kidsgrove Athletic, Nantwich Town and Witton Albion to pull them away from the bottom four and look set to survive.
Their remaining fixtures include City of Liverpool, Congleton Town and Hednesford Town.
Bootle Current points 48 Possible final points 63
Last season’s playoff semi-finalists Bootle have been disappointing this season, so much so they parted company with manager Mick McGraa a fortnight ago following a 1-0 defeat to Hanley Town.
Inconsistency seems to be the reason for Bootle this season as they have had some good wins away at Hednesford Town and Vauxhall Motors but shipped six goals at home to Vauxhall Motors and conceded five at Clitheroe.
Four of Bootle’s last five games are against teams around them in the table, so they are the proverbial six-pointers for the side now managed by Alan Morgan. However, you expect the Merseyside club to pick up points in most of them.
Newcastle Town Current points 46 Final possible points 61
For the majority of the season, Neil Bakers' men looked more than certain to be finishing higher up the table. A decent start to the season, which included an FA Cup run where they took Scunthorpe United to a replay, did not indicate how this season might end for the Newcastle-under-lyme outfit.
Also, the signing of Leek Town legend Tim Grice brought even more belief that Castle were going to be pushing for a top 10 finish.
However, one win in eight (which relegated City of Liverpool in the process) has potentially them get dragged into the fight. However, if they played like they did against National League North side Rushall in midweek, then they will be fine.
Their last two fixtures see them visit local rivals Kidsgrove Athletic on Easter Monday before hosting Wythenshawe Town on the final day of the season.
Kidsgrove Athletic Current points 44 Possible final points 59
A season of two halves will be the best way to sum up Kidsgrove Athletic’s season.
Grove were 11th on Boxing Day, eight points clear of Wythenshawe FC, who occupied 19th spot at the time. However, three wins and a couple of interim managers in 2025 have seen Kidsgrove plummet.
That 1-0 win over Mossley at the weekend, which not many pundits saw coming, could be a big moment that turns the season’s in Kidsgrove’s favour, and they might need it with their last three games being against sides around them in the table.
Wythenshawe Town Current points 43 Final possible points 58
At the weekend, Wythenshawe Town dropped into the bottom four for the first time since late November, thanks to a late defeat at Congleton Town.
Despite this being Wythenshawe Town’s first season at step four, they have certainly scored goals- 53 in the league, which is 3rd highest amongst the sides mentioned in this article- only Bootle and Stafford Rangers have netted more.
They host Hednesford Town this weekend before playing Bootle, Wythenshawe and Newcastle Town in their last three fixtures.
Wythenshawe FC Current points 43 Final possible points 58
Nine points from safety, the other Wythenshawe club have a fight on their hands to retain their Northern Premier League status.
It has been a torrid season for them with one win in their last 10 games, which came away at Mossley. Although across the whole season they have won nine games, including victories over Nantwich Town and Congleton Town.
Their final fixtures include City of Liverpool, Kidsgrove Athletic and neighbours Wythenshawe Town. They must win those three games to have any hope of safety.
That is how the battle to stay up looks on the pitch. Points per game could well come into the equation, as could any possible ground grading. Hopefully, it does not come to that, and the relegation battle is decided on the pitch and not by boardroom decisions.
Who do you think will beat the drop? Comment below or on social media, you can find me on Twitter/X on @richscottmedia.