Last time out saw the Ravens succumb to a disappointing defeat as Colne Football Club scored twice at the Bowl in the North West Counties Football League. We spoke to Manager Paul Jones for his reaction post match.
The squad, management and fans were looking forward to the first away game (vs Chadderton) since the 1-1 draw with Lower Breck on November 9th however Storm Gerrit unfortunately got the better of the fixture with the game being called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
Turning our attentions to the game on Saturday, we have of course played our opposition (Burscough) a number of times. Last season it was an away win for both sides, and once again this season the Ravens took the win at Burscough, a 2-3 victory. The Ravens currently sit in 15th place in the table on 33 points having played 25 games, whereas our opposition have 23 points & are 23rd place in the table having played two more games than the Ravens.
Squad News
Ravens fans will be pleased to hear that keeper Ben Wilkinson has recovered well after being withdrawn in the warm up last week as a precaution, he is therefore once again named in the squad.
- Ben Wilkinson
- Jamie Corlett
- Tom Creer
- Jacob Crook
- Sean Doyle
- Tiernan Garvey
- Danny Gerrard
- Blake Henwood
- Charlie Higgins
- Jack Higgins
- Frank Jones
- Phil Kelly
- Al Maitland
- Jack McVey
- Dean Pinnington
- Kyle Watson
The history of our opposition (Burscough FC)
Following the Second World War the present Burscough club was founded in 1946, starting life in the Liverpool County Combination. In only their second season, 1946/47, they achieved a unique treble, winning the Lancashire Junior Cup, George Mahon Cup and the Liverpool Challenge Cup.
In 1982 the Club became founder members of the North West Counties Football League and had the distinction of becoming the Leagues first ever Champions under Bryan Griffiths.
In 1989/90 season Burscough suffered their first ever relegation, however, the appointment of Russ Perkins as manager in 1991 was to bring about a change in the club’s fortunes as Burscough reached the League Cup Final and gained promotion back to Division One.
Following the resignation of John Davison the club appointed Shaun Teale as player/manager in May 2002 and the ex-Aston Villa defender went on to sensationally lead the club to its greatest ever achievement as Burscough became the smallest club to ever win the FA Trophy following a tremendous 2-1 victory over Tamworth at Villa Park on Sunday 18th May 2003 in front of a crowd of 14,296 spectators and televised live on Sky. There were incredible scenes as almost 2,000 fans welcomed the team home to Victoria Park that evening
Read more about the history of Burscough FC in our matchday programme.
Game Day
If it is your first time watching the Ravens or you have have travelled to the Island to watch the game this evening (welcome!), we have everything covered below in terms of the game day details!
FC Isle of Man’s home stadium “The Bowl” is based in our capital Douglas.
The pitch is a 3G surface and there are seats for up to 3,500 spectators, including a viewing platform for disabled users.
Getting here
Just a twenty minute walk from central Douglas, there is car parking on site and many bus services drop off on Peel Road, just a minute’s walk from the ground.
Address
The Bowl
Peel Road
Douglas
Isle of Man
IM2 1AD
What 3 Words
///rates.bunks.spine
Gates to the ground will open at 5:00pm ahead of the 6:00pm kick off. We have two entrances, one at the main car park (Gate A) and another at the National Sports Centre end of the ground (Gate B).
We operate a strict no alcohol policy at The Bowl. If you are looking to meet up with fellow fans pre-match a number of supporters usually head to The Pinewood Social Club. This is open to both home and away fans.
Tickets
Tickets are available from TicketCo here and will also be available at the ground where cash or card is accepted. We do encourage purchasing your tickets online to avoid any delays getting into the ground.
| General Admission | £10.00 |
| Concession (Ages 12-16, Students / Over 60s / Disabled) | £5.00 |
| Junior (Ages 5-11) | £3.00 |
| Child (Under 5) | Free |
Matchday Hospitality
In partnership with local business The Food Cellar, FC Isle of Man are pleased to be able to offer matchday hospitality to all match going fans (home or away). Recently opened on the doorstep of The Bowl, The Food Cellar is the newest café, deli and events space on the Island bringing you a place to relax, unwind and enjoy yourself before heading into The Bowl to cheer on the Ravens.
The hospitality package is priced at £45 and includes:
- Festive Sandwich
- 2 beers or 2 glasses of wine
- Matchday Programme
- Team Sheet
- Match Ticket
- Priority Seating (half way line)
- Complementary tea or coffee at half time
We are also pleased to be able to offer Ravens season ticket holders a discount of 20%. If you wish to use the discount please send us an email.
Matchday Programme
Our brilliant programme editor Manuela Swiatek along with The Ravens 12th Man put in a lot of work each week to deliver a high standard match day programme. The programmes printed locally by BHW Printgroup and are priced at just £2. They are available from both entrances as well as The Pinewood Social Club and this week in the programme we cover:
- A welcome from Gillian Christian
- Thoughts from manager Paul Jones
- History of Burscough FC
- Famous Visitors to The Bowl
- Frank Jones, Player Profile
- IFGL Quiz
- and much more
You can of course receive a FREE digital programme each week by becoming a Ravens Official Supporter. More details on that can be found here.
A pound for the ground & golden goal
To help raise money for the club we run two competitions on game day and it is your chance to support the club whilst being in with the chance of winning some money! Cash or card is taken for both and tickets can be purchased from the merchandise table.
Golden Goal
Each ticket for golden goal costs just £2 and contains a concealed minute, if the goal is scored in the minute you have then you have won! The winner will be announced over the PA when the first goal of the game is scored. The winner will receive £90!
A Pound for the Ground
New to FC Isle of Man and currently on a trial basis is a pound for the ground! The tickets are just £1 each and the winner takes 40% of sales. This operates like a tombola, where for each £1 you get a ticket with a unique number on. It is then drawn from the Ravens tombola box at half time.
Catering
We will have both Douglas Pizza Company and Prep Fresh at the ground on Saturday to keep you watered and fed! Douglas Pizza Company will be offering hot dogs, tea, coffee and confectionary. Prep Fresh will be offering brisket baps, tea, coffee and confectionary.
Please do support them.
Staying up to date with the game
We would love to welcome you to The Bowl but if you can’t make it due to other commitments or not being on the Island, don’t worry we have you covered!
Live Stream
Our live stream is available to purchase for just £6 or £4 if you are an Official Supporter. That can be purchased here.
Social Media
Our media team will also have you covered with a running text commentary on X with the half time & full time score also being published on Facebook & Instagram. They will also have a pre-match interview with Paul Jones & a player followed by a post-match interview with Paul Jones. These can all be watched on YouTube, make sure to subscribe to the official FC Isle of Man channel to be notified on all new videos!
We look forward to welcome you to The Bowl on Saturday.
