By Jonathan White, photos by Peter Robinson
Nantwich Town FC Women suffered a rare setback on Sunday 2nd November 2025, falling 0–7 to FC United of Manchester Women in the first round of the Alliance Design & Print Cup at the Swansway Stadium.
Manager Dan Mellor made five changes to the starting XI following the previous week’s victory, demonstrating the squad’s depth. However, the Dabbers were without key player Katie Greenwood, who served a one-match suspension.
Dabbers starting XI: 1. C. Swindell, 2. A. Mayer, 3. P. Smith, 4. J. Case, 5. H. Knight, 6. S. Cawley, 7. J. Alderman, 8. M. O’Connor, 9. J. Buckley-Ratcliff, 11. L. Bulkeley, 12. L. Lander (captain). Substitutes: S. Holden, A. Fallon, A. Hatton, L. Pearce, B. Ragdale.
Before kick-off, a moving Remembrance ceremony took place, organised by the Nantwich & District Branch of the Royal British Legion in partnership with Nantwich Town FC. The tribute honoured the service and sacrifice of military and civilian personnel in the World Wars and later conflicts.
Standard Bearer Jim Atherton, a veteran of the Blues and Royals, led players and officials onto the pitch, before team captain Levi Lander laid a poppy wreath in the centre circle. Bugler Peter Jeeves performed The Last Post and Reveille, with a perfectly observed minute’s silence in between. Nantwich players marked the occasion wearing shirts featuring a special “Lest We Forget” poppy emblem.
The Dabbers faced a tough test against opponents who sit a division higher in the North West Women’s Regional League Premier Division. FC United showed their quality early on, racing to a 4–0 lead by half-time. Despite a battling effort from Nantwich, the visitors added three more goals after the break to seal a 7–0 win.
After the match, Mellor reflected:
“We made a few changes today, but whoever’s on the pitch has to meet the standards we set as a group. We were poor all over and against strong opposition you can’t afford to switch off as they’ll punish you and that’s exactly what they did.
“We didn’t meet their intensity on or off the ball and it’s something we’ll look at. We’ll learn from it and we now need a big reaction heading back into the league fixture next week”
There’s still time to be part of the Dabbers Women’s journey for the 2025/26 season and beyond. Players interested in joining a friendly, ambitious club with excellent facilities can contact Dan Mellor on 07825 711101.
Fans can follow the team’s progress, match action and behind-the-scenes news on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NTFCLadies. Full fixture details are available at https://www.nantwichtownfc.co.uk/all-women-fixtures/.
For those inspired to get involved, Women’s Recreational Football sessions run every Tuesday (8–9pm) on the Swansway Stadium pitch. Open to anyone aged 16+, they’re perfect for fitness, fun and football. Email [email protected] for more details.