By Liam Price, photo by Peter Robinson
The Dabbers’ 4th straight season in the Pitching In NPL West starts on Saturday (3pm kick-off) as we welcome Prescot Cables to the Swansway Stadium.
Cable Ties
After 2 seasons in the NPL Premier, Prescot have returned to Step 4 after finishing 19th in the table in 2025/26, only a point and a place from safety. With an experienced squad and the same manager in Ste Daley, they’ll be looking to bounce straight back up and a lot of observers would not bet against them doing so.
They’ve begun life back in the NPL West with a pair of 1-1 draws at home, against Vauxhall on the opening day and against newly promoted Padiham in midweek.
This game is the first of 4 away in a row for Cables, with them then having to face Vauxhall at home again at the end of August in the FA Trophy.
Last Time We Met
The last couple of meetings have been pre-season friendlies where the 1884 Cup has been on the line, a trophy created to commemorate both clubs being formed in the same year.
For the last competitive game we have to go back to January 2024, where Prescot won 1-0 at home to continue their push that would eventually result in promotion through the play-offs that season. Only 3 Dabbers from that day are at the club now in Perry Bircumshaw, Joe Piggott and Callum Saunders.
Players to Watch
One who was in Prescot’s squad that day and is also still with them is Tony Donaldson. He scored their goal midweek against Padiham. Jack Loughran is their other scorer thus far.
Tony Thompson, a mainstay in Bootle’s goal for the last few years, joined Cables in the summer and will be between the sticks on Saturday.
Frazer Cookson, who once had a brief loan spell with Nantwich, signed for Prescot in the summer from Lower Breck.
And Peter Clarke, who received regional news coverage last season for joining a very exclusive club of players to have made 1,000 career appearances, is still going strong at 44 having started Prescot’s first game and come off the bench in the other. According to Wikipedia, he is 50th in the all time list of most appearances in men’s football, just behind Andres Iniesta and Frank Lampard and having just overtaken Sergio Busquets. However, he is still behind the other evergreen star in this division in Vauxhall’s Kevin Ellison.
Match Information
Tickets are available online HERE or with card or cash on the gate.
Please be careful with parking and avoid parking on the road that leads into the housing estate next to the stadium as it causes bad traffic issues.
Dogs are allowed as long as they are kept on a lead.
A reminder that the Green Rock Group Fan Zone bar now only serves canned and bottled drinks, for draught drinks please use the upstairs bar in the Atherton & Associates Lounge.