Gladiators Northern Premier League 20/21 fixtures announced!
Matlock Town will begin the delayed NPL Premier Division season away at Bamber Bridge, a direct reversal of their opening league clash of 2019/20 which they won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Marcus Marshall.
The Gladiators will travel to Irongate on Saturday 19 September looking for a repeat of the result there last December when they won 2-1, Marshall scoring again before Dan Bramall grabbed the winner, to earn their only league double of the truncated campaign.
The first visitors to the Proctor Cars Stadium are Stafford Rangers on Saturday 26 September with Marshall, along with James Tague, making an early return to their old club with Basford United providing the opposition for Matlock’s first home midweek fixture three days later on Tuesday 29 September.
Matlock’s six opening league games are completed with a trip to Witton Albion on Saturday 3 October, a home meeting with one of manager Paul Phillips’ old clubs, Ashton United on Saturday 10 October before a tough trip to South Shields seven days later.
The Gladiators are on their travels on Boxing Day with the traditional A6 derby against Buxton, the reverse fixture against the Bucks taking place on Easter Monday, 5 April. They will face Gainsborough Trinity at home on New Years Day, with the reverse fixture in Lincolnshire also occupying a Bank Holiday slot of Monday 3 May, this being their final away trip of the campaign.
A late start to the season also means a later finish, with the Gladiators hosting Witton Albion on the final day, Saturday 8 May.
Other attractive looking matches see FC United of Manchester and South Shields come to the Proctor Cars Stadium on Saturday 16 January and Saturday 6 March respectively.
The FA Cup dominates the early season fixture list for NPL Premier Division clubs. Matlock begin their competitive campaign earlier than most Step 3 sides with a Preliminary Round clash at either Bewdley Town or OJM Black Country, both members of the West Midlands Regional League on Saturday 12 September. The next two rounds are set for week commencing 22 September and Saturday 3 October. Should Matlock progress through the opening two rounds, the trip to Witton would require a new date.
MATLOCK TOWN FC FIXTURE LIST 2020/21
SEPTEMBER
Sat 12 Bewdley Town/OJM Black Country (A) FA Cup Preliminary Round
Sat 19 Bamber Bridge (A)
Tue 22 FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round
Sat 26 STAFFORD RANGERS (H)
Tue 29 BASFORD UNITED (H)
OCTOBER
Sat 3 Witton Albion (A) or FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round
Sat 10 ASHTON UNITED (H)
Tue 13 FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round
Sat 17 South Shields (A)
Tue 20 Grantham Town (A_
Sat 24 SCARBOROUGH ATHLETIC (H) or FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
Tue 27 NANTWICH TOWN (H)
Sat 31 FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round
NOVEMBER
Tue 3 Atherton Colleries (A)
Sat 7 WHITBY TOWN (H)
Sat 14 Morpeth Town (A) or FA Trophy 1st Round
Tue 17 HYDE UNITED (H)
Sat 21 Mickleover FC (A)
Sat 28 RADCLIFFE (H)
DECEMBER
Sat 5 Warrington Town (A) of FA Trophy 2nd Round
Sat 12 LANCASTER CITY (H)
Sat 19 Stalybridge Celtic (A) or FA Trophy 3rd Round
Sat 26 Buxton (A)
JANUARY
Fri 1 GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY (H)
Sat 9 Stafford Rangers (A)
Sat 16 FC UNITED MANCHESTER (H)
Sat 23 Whitby Town (A)
Sat 30 ATHERTON COLLERIES (H)
FEBRUARY
Sat 6 Nantwich Town (A)
Sat 13 MORPETH TOWN (H)
Sat 20 GRANTHAM TOWN (H)
Tue 23 Scarborough Athletic (A)
Sat 27 Ashton United (A)
MARCH
Sat 6 SOUTH SHIELDS (H)
Sat 13 Hyde United (A)
Sat 20 MICKLEOVER FC (H)
Tue 23 WARRINGTON TOWN (H)
Sat 27 Radcliffe (A)
APRIL
Sat 3 Basford United (A)
Mon 5 BUXTON (H)
Sat 10 FC United Manchester (A)
Sat 17 BAMBER BRIDGE (H)
Sat 24 Lancaster City (A)
MAY
Sat 1 STALYBRIDGE CELTIC (H)
Mon 3 Gainsborough Trinity (A)
Sat 8 WITTON ALBION (H)
Ian Richardson