On Saturday, Celtic make one of their longest trips of the season when we visit Hanley Town. Kick off is 3pm. There is a supporter’s coach to this match.

Last season, Hanley avoided the relegation play offs on goal difference, finishing on forty-four points, level with Widnes, but with a better goal ratio. 

They avoided automatic relegation by seven points. In total, they won eleven, drew eleven and lost sixteen of their thirty-eight matches. They played better away from home, winning eight and drawing two on the road, whilst winning three and drawing nine at home. 

Nobody drew more home matches than Hanley last season. Their three home wins came against Northwich (who we play on Tuesday), Bootle (our second home game), and Glossop (who were relegated). 

They scored twenty-three of their fifty league goals at home, whilst conceding twenty-five of their sixty-one conceded goals at home.

Hanley have already played two competitive matches this season, having drawn the short straw for a FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round match. Last Saturday, they were away at Hereford Pegasus, a game they drew 1-1, thanks to a stoppage time penalty. That took the game back to Hanley, where they beat Pegasus 2-1. All three goals in these two matches were scored by Tyrone Ofori.

There is no record of Celtic ever playing Hanley in the website database.

Hanley’s last match, the 2-1 home win over Hereford Pegasus in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay, saw them line up as:

1. Adam Whitehouse
2. Josh Green
3. Alex Morris
4. Matty Bell
5. Joel Stair
6. James Askey
7. Jeanny Leblanc-Akpo
8. Kyle Blake
9. Kieran Brown
10. Tyrone Ofori
11. Charlie Walford

This is Celtic’s first competitive match, with a completely new team.

Former Celtic players at Hanley are Josh Green, who played for Celtic sixteen times at the start of 2014. Hanley have strengthened their defence over the close season, bringing in James Askey from Newcastle Town, partnering with former Nantwich Town defender, Joel Stair.

It’s a blank slate for James Kinney’s team, with Celtic going into the unknown. Hopefully, they can hit the ground running against a team who’ve already had two competitive matches.