With an international break ongoing in men’s football, Saturday 22 March 2025 sees the return of Non-League Day.

An annual celebration of the lower echelons of the pyramid that make English football revered around the world, Non-League Day is a drive to get yet more fans out to support a local side and soak up a different atmosphere.

While nothing compares to a day at the Etihad or the Joie, there’s so much to enjoy when taking in a game at a smaller venue.

There’s no Premier League to watch and Nick Cushing’s Barclays Women’s Super League team are not in action until Sunday, so what better time to pop to a local ground?

Here we detail all the games taking place in Greater Manchester from the National League down to the North West Counties First Division (the tenth tier of the pyramid).

National League

Oldham Athletic v Halifax Town – 15:00 (UK)

Currently in the play-off places as the season enters the final straight, Oldham will be looking to solidify their top-seven position here.

They’ll face stiff competition from fellow promotion chasers Halifax Town though – making this one of the standout fixtures of the weekend.

Altrincham v Barnet – 17:30 (UK)

Another clash that could go a long way to deciding who goes up into League Two, Altrincham need to turn their form around to get back in the play-offs.

North London-based Barnet appear comfortable at the top of the table and set for a return to the fourth tier.

Rochdale are away from home this weekend.

National League North

Radcliffe v Brackley Town – 15:00 (UK)

Having climbed out of the relegation zone in the second half of the season, Radcliffe – to the north of the city centre – will be hoping to spring an upset against promotion chasing Brackley.

Radcliffe’s squad includes former City youngster George Glendon.

Curzon Ashton are away from home this weekend.

Northern Premier League Premier Division

Hyde United v Prescot Cables – 15:00 (UK)

10th-placed Hyde – to the east of the Etihad Stadium – will be looking to keep slim play-off hopes alive against Prescot Cables, who are a few places behind them.

Jack Redshaw, an experienced goalscorer who was part of our academy, is one of their star men.

Ashton United are away from home this weekend.

Northern Premier League West Division

Mossley v Wythenshawe – 15:00 (UK)

In the foothills of the Pennines, Mossley is a picturesque setting for this Greater Manchester derby.

Mossley themselves are comfortable in mid-table but for Wythenshawe, points are needed to avoid the drop.

Trafford v Stafford Rangers – 15:00 (UK)

Two mid-table sides, one looking up and one over their shoulder.

Trafford’s brief will be to keep picking up points and see where that gets them, while Stafford want to make sure they aren’t dragged into anything sinister below them.

Wythenshawe Town v Atherton Colleries – 15:00 (UK)

Another Greater Manchester derby, this game is a lower half battle.

Both teams know that they can’t quite rest yet, with another couple of victories needed just to guarantee their status in this division for next season.

Stalybridge Celtic and Avro are away this weekend.

North West Counties Premier Division

Abbey Hey v Cheadle Town – 15:00 (UK)

Based in Gorton - little more than a stone’s throw from the CFA - Abbey Hey are ensconced in mid-table, as are their opponents in this one.

Ramsbottom United v West Didsbury & Chorlton – 15:00 (UK)

In the far north of Greater Manchester, on its border with Lancashire, Ramsbottom are chasing promotion.

They host fellow Mancs West Didsbury and Chorlton here, who are also in the play-off spots.

Stockport Town v Lower Breck – 15:00 (UK)

Mid-table Stockport host second placed Lower Breck in another game that could go either way.

Chadderton v Barnoldswick Town – 16:00 (UK)

Chadderton need to put a winning run together in the final weeks of the campaign to reach the play-offs.

Irlam, Prestwich Heys and Bury are all away from home this weekend.

North West Counties First Division North

Ashton Athletic v Droylsden – 15:00 (UK)

Another side close to the Etihad, Ashton Athletic are safe in mid-table but they will be hoping to scupper Droylsden’s promotion bid in this local derby.

Atherton LR v Skelmersdale United – 15:00 (UK)

On the far west of Greater Manchester, Atherton are guaranteed play-offs but hold out slim hopes of going up automatically.

Daisy Hill, Ashton Town and Maine Road are all away from home this weekend.

Further reading

"We must try to take action now"

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Part of Stockport could become a ‘banking desert’ unless urgent action is taken, a councillor has warned.

The comments were made in a council meeting last week over NatWest's plan to close its site at 44 Heaton Moor Road on June 3, alongside more than 50 other high street branches.

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Heatons North Coun David Sedgwick said the move will leave Stockport residents north of the town centre without anywhere local for in-person banking services.

“This is a huge loss for residents and businesses who rely on in-person banking and face-to-face financial services,” Coun Sedgwick said at a town hall meeting on April 3.

“We cannot allow financial exclusion in our communities, so we must try to take action now.”

Councillors in Stockport urged NatWest to rethink its decision, saying closing the branch would impact areas with ‘significant deprivation’ and people who ‘rely on in-person banking services’.

NatWest said it is planning to move ahead with the closure despite the concerns, but did not comment further.

The bank has advised its customers who use the Heaton Moor Road branch that the nearest alternative can be found in Stockport town centre, more than two miles away, as well as branches in Didsbury and Chorlton.

Reddish North Coun Holly McCormack seconded the motion on banking during Thursday’s meeting at Stockport town hall, saying the Heaton Moor Road NatWest branch is a vital service for many in the neighbourhood.

“We have a lot of elderly people in Reddish and that was a lifeline for them, losing our last bank is something that we don’t want to see happening,” she added.

NatWest’s branch in Hazel Grove is also set to shut its doors on June 19 as part of the closures.

As part of the motion debated by Stockport councillors last week, the council agreed to write to NatWest, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the government, with concerns over the bank’s decision to close the Heaton Moor Road branch.

The council also committed to speaking to other banking providers about the possibility of setting up a banking hub in northern Stockport.

A banking hub was opened in the Village Square in Bramhall last year, offering 'customers of all major banks and building societies access [to] cash services from the Post Office counter service'.

"It is about Reddish, the Heatons, and Marple, Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme, Bramhall, all of those places that make us the great borough that we are"

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Updated 06:57, 20 Mar 2025

Empty shops along once bustling high streets have become a familiar sight across the country.

With shopping trends changing and prices for many products going up, some high streets and local centres have faced an uphill battle to keep customers coming back.

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But in part of Greater Manchester plans are being made to give high streets a boost, which could help to keep shops full and streets busy.

A review on the future of district and local centres in Stockport, led by Reddish South Coun James Frizzell, has put forward a number of ideas for improvement.

Visits to areas across the borough revealed that traders wanted access to more information about local events and roadworks in their community, as well as developing better relationships with landlords to reduce the number of empty shops.

The review highlighted that some felt high streets are dominated by similar types of businesses, and needed more variety, and that schemes such as local markets and street art are important to keep shoppers coming back.

It also suggested setting up a new online information portal to act as a ‘one stop shop’ for businesses, with updates on local events, services and advice offered by the council, and support for new traders.

During a meeting on March 18, Stockport’s council leader and cabinet team agreed that the council should look into the suggestions and discuss the findings at a future meeting.

Coun Frizzell explained that the suggestions would not be “a quick and easy fix” for all the problems facing high streets, and would need “deep partnerships” to form between businesses, local groups, residents, and the council, to make progress.

He added: “The importance of business collaboration was highlighted throughout the review, and suggestion that consideration be given to local vision meetings across the borough.”

Much of Stockport’s regeneration efforts has taken place around the town centre in recent years, where a £1bn project is ongoing to transform the area.

But council leader Mark Hunter said the town hall is focusing on all corners of the borough.

“So much of how Stockport has made its name in recent years is about our town centre transformation, we are extremely proud of that,” he added.

“But I’ve said many times, Stockport is greater than the sum of its parts, and it is so important that we never think Stockport is just about the traditional town of Stockport.

“It is about Reddish, the Heatons, and Marple, Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme, Bramhall, all of those places that make us the great borough that we are.”

Outside Stockport town centre, projects are taking place to improve communities, such as the £20m Marple Hub development, supported by a grant from the capital levelling up fund.

This will give the town a 25-metre, five-lane swimming pool, with a spectator seating area and a changing village, as well as a 60-station fitness suite and two multi-purpose fitness studios.

The work includes a replacement library and health clinic facility, a community room, café, and meeting spaces.

Stockport council's work to support local businesses and communities is supported by two district centre managers, who work to help with organising local events and initiatives.

Coun Hunter added: “Compared to some others, we are frankly not doing too badly.

“If you look around some of our district centres and the number of empty units, there are other districts not very far away where there’s a whole lot more empty shop units, so it is something that we need to keep on top of.”

Two towns in Greater Manchester can lay claim to the cheapest average pints of Guinness

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Two boroughs in Greater Manchester have been named as some of the cheapest places for a pint of Guinness in the country.

With St Patrick’s Day celebrations now in full swing ahead of the big day on Monday (March 17), it is undoubtedly set to be one of the biggest weeks for Guinness. In fact, it’s estimated that 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed worldwide just on the day itself.

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But with the average price of a pint of the Black Stuff now increasing by around 5% from last year, people will be looking to make a few savings when they can. And it turns out, we won’t need to look very far if we want to get the most bang for our buck.

A new survey has identified both the cheapest and most expensive cities and towns to grab a pint of Guinness - with the average cost across UK pubs being around £4.78. According to the survey, the cheapest place in the country, based on average prices, for Guinness is Bolton.

The survey, based on data from hundreds of pubs compiled by UK Debt Expert, found that the average cost of a pint of Guinness in Bolton is at £4.17. And over on TripAdvisor, one punter has pointed out that the ‘best Guinness in Bolton’ can, apparently, be found over at The Poacher on Scot Lane.

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(Image: The Blarney Stone)

According to the reviewer, ‘The Guinness [t]here is top drawer’. The town is also home to new town centre venue The Blarney Stone, which recently opened in the former Prince Billy pub on Bradshawgate. The pub's namesake is a historic limestone block located at Blarney Castle in Cork.

Hailed as Bolton’s only Irish pub, the venue screens a number of live sports, as well as regularly hosting evenings with live music and entertainment. And, of course, Guinness on tap. Elsewhere in Bolton, there's also the likes of Ye Olde Man & Scythe, on Churchgate, The Dragonfly Pub, on Nelson Square, and Hogarths, also on Churchgate, who are known for their pints of Guinness.

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The second cheapest city or town for a pint of Guinness remains in Greater Manchester with the title claimed by Stockport where an average pint costs around £4.27 (10p more than Bolton’s average).

Stockport is home to Irish bar The Banshee, which opened last year in the former The Glass Spider spot on Vernon Street, just yards from Stockport’s historic market hall. The Victorian-style venue has become known for its ‘friendly’ and ‘cosy’ Irish pub vibe. Alongside Guinness, it also serves Murphy’s Irish Stout and Galway Hooker beers too.

Other popular Guinness drinking spots in Stockport include Puss In Boots, on Nangreave Road, and the Jolly Sailor, on Bramhall Lane, which both proudly serve the cold stout on draft.

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In terms of the other cheapest spots in the UK for a pint of the drink, Swindon (£4.28), Gloucester (£4.30) and Derby (£4.35) round up the rest of the top five.

When it comes to the most expensive, it’s perhaps no surprise that London, at an average £6.42 a pint, is the most pricey. The capital is then followed by Edinburgh (£5.66), York (£5.43), Cambridge (£5.36), Oxford (£5.08) and Reading (£5.05).

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Speaking about the research, Maxine McCreadie, personal finance expert at UK Debt Expert, said: “It’s easy for St Patrick’s Day celebrations, famously centred around eating and drinking, to rack up a big bill, especially as people can quickly get through a number of pints trying to ‘split the G’ across the country.

“It can be easy to dip into your overdraft or pull out a credit card to fund another round, but it’s important to budget properly for social activities and be mindful of how much you’re spending this St Patrick’s Day - especially if you’re celebrating it in one of the more expensive cities.”

“Drinker or not, many are feeling the pinch of the cost of living when socialising, with alcohol-free alternatives costing more than the alcoholic option in some areas. If you’re finding it difficult to get on track financially there is help available to navigate this transition smoothly.”

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And, of course, always drink responsibly. Whilst you're here, why not let us know your favourite spots across the whole of Greater Manchester for a pint of Guinness - fill out your suggestions here and we'll be sharing the results soon.

More than 500 jobs are set to go

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An MP says he is 'extremely concerned' after Sky announced plans to shut their call centre in Stockport at the cost of more than 500 jobs.

The media company, which is owned by US giant Comcast, has said it plans to shut three of its ten call centres in the country, in Stockport town centre, Sheffield and central Leeds.

Some roles are also set to be affected at their Dunfermline and Newcastle sites, with up to 2,000 jobs at risk in total.

The company say they are making a 'multimillion-pound investment' in their site in Livingston, Scotland, to establish a 'centre of excellence.'

They insist the changes will 'create a faster, smarter and more responsive experience' for customers.

However, the Stockport MP, Labour's Navendu Mishra, said the loss of so many valued jobs would have a 'significant impact' on the town.

"I am extremely concerned by the announcement from Sky regarding the closure of three of its customer service centres- including the centre in Stockport" he said in a statement.

"Sky has a significant presence in Stockport constituency and employs a large number of people here. While there is a consultation taking place, the decision to close the Stockport site will lead to the loss of 545 jobs; I understand the significant impact this will have on the families and workers affected."

Mr Mishra added: "I have already requested an urgent meeting with Sky and I will also be raising this matter with the Government to ensure that the necessary support is provided for those who are affected, and to address the wider implications of job losses in our region.

"I remain committed to standing up for Stockport and will continue to do everything I can to support families in our town during this challenging time."

Announcing the plans, a spokesman for the company said: “We’re transforming our business to deliver quicker, simpler and more digital customer service.

“Our customers increasingly want choice, to speak to us on the phone when they need us most and the ease of managing everyday tasks digitally.

“We’re investing in a new centre of excellence for customer service, alongside cutting-edge digital technology to make our service seamless, reliable, and available 24/7.”

“This is about building a future-ready Sky that continues to put our customers and their needs first.”