Next season’s opponents

The FA’s Alliance Committee has issued the provisional Step 4 allocations for the 2022-23 season with Reds set to face Witton Albion, Macclesfield, Skelmersdale United and Hanley Town in Northern Premier League West.

Those four teams take the places of promoted duo Warrington Rylands and Marine and the relegated pair of Kendal Town and Market Drayton Town.

Glossop North End and Prescot Cables avoided a potential re-shuffle and take their place along with Reds and the other thirteen clubs.

Reds will be reacquainted with relegated Witton Albion, meet the re-formed Macclesfield club for the first time but will return to a much better Moss Rose stadium than in the past, welcome back Skelmersdale United and come up against Hanley Town for the first time.

The trip to Hanley (Stoke-on-Trent) will be one of the longest journeys at 173 miles.

The allocations, below, will be ratified at the AGM in Birmingham next month:

1874 Northwich
Bootle
City of Liverpool
Clitheroe
Colne
Glossop North End
Hanley Town
Kidsgrove Athletic
Leek Town
Macclesfield
Mossley
Newcastle Town
Prescot Cables
Ramsbottom United
Runcorn Linnets
Skelmersdale United
Trafford
Widnes
Witton Albion
Workington