MATCH PREVIEW: Let’s go to Avro
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Reds will play in Oldham on Wednesday, fifty-one years since their last visit, but they won’t be making their way to Boundary Park like they did in the mid-seventies!
Instead, they will be heading four miles down the road to The Vestacare Stadium and a first-ever meeting against Avro.
The wonderfully named Avro, derived from the British aircraft manufacturer of the same name, have just started their fourth season in the NPL and their opening day win over Quorn was their sixtieth since August 2023.
They followed that up with an amazing 6-1 success at Bamber Bridge, so their historic first season at Step 3 is definitely up and running.
Avro were promoted, via the play-offs, last season after finishing runners-up to Bury in First Division West. In their very short time as members of the league, they have amassed 216 points and scored 204 goals – a team brimming with confidence.
After overcoming Lower Breck in the semi, they secured promotion after overcoming Stalybridge Celtic, 4-2 in the final.
They had previously spent five seasons, including the two interrupted by Covid, in the North West Counties League but much of their existence has been as members of the Manchester League, before leaving that organisation in 2018…..as champions!
The small, but perfectly formed, Whitebank Stadium can accommodate 1,500 fans, although their opening day attendance was about the 300 mark. It will be a new venue for us, and the first-ever encounter between the clubs, with Avro becoming the 138th different opponent we have met under the Northern Premier League banner.
Manager Billy Barr will have to make at least one change to the squad with Kai Nugent serving his one match suspension, although two others will be assessed, fitness-wise, before kick-off.
Venue: The Vestacare Stadium, Whitebank, Oldham
Postcode: OL8 3JH
Mileage: 141
Kick-off: 7.45pm
