On Saturday, Celtic make their first away trip under new boss Dave Jones to visit Padiham. Padiham are currently fourteenth on seventeen points, four places and four points behind Celtic, having played a game more.
Two wins, two draws and three losses at home in an erratic pattern has seen them bounce around the table in the early stages. Their last two games saw them beat Lower Breck 4-0, then lose 4-0 to Hanley Town. They beat Wythenshawe 5-4, but lost 5-0 to Newcastle. They’ve only had one home game since September, and they beat Breck, with their previous home over a month ago when they beat Northwich 2-0, with a loss to Newcastle and a draw with Mossley their two home games in between. There have been goals galore for Padiham fans, fifty in total, with more going in than being scored, giving them the worst goal difference outside the bottom two.
Reece Webb-Foster has scored a third of all Padiham’s goals so far this season, with six, Jack Price closest to him on four for the season until now. On average they score 1.3 goals per game, whilst conceding 2.3 goals at home (2.1 overall), keeping two of their three clean sheets at home, and failing to score three times at home and three away. They both score and concede double in the second half than they do in the first, and if they are losing at half-time, they lose the match.
We have been to Padiham before, in a friendly match three years ago, which Padiham won 3-1, Jordan Burton with Celtic’s goal, but this is our first competitive visit.
In Padiham’s last match, the 4-0 away defeat to Hanley Town, Padiham lined up as:
1. Harry Grimshaw
2. Matty Makinson
3. Lewis Rhodes
4. Kingsley Williams
5. Joe Keyworth
6. Lee Pugh
7. Jack Price
8. Oli Roberts
9. Reece Webb-Foster
10. Connor High
11. Sam Unwin
In Celtic’s last match, the 4-3 home win over Prescot Cables, Celtic lined up:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Cam Fogerty
3. Mike Koral
4. Aaron Chalmers
5. Jack Kenny
6. Charlie Doyle
7. Obua Mugalula
8. Liam Tongue
9. Lewis Rawsthorn
10. Jack Irlam
11. Andy Scarisbrick
Obua Mugalula may be unavailable after pulling up short against Prescot, further adding to Dave Jones selection headaches.
Table |
P | Pts | |
| 12 | Newcastle Town | 13 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Nantwich Town | 15 | 17 |
| 14 | Padiham FC | 15 | 17 |
| 15 | Lower Breck FC | 13 | 16 |
| 16 | Kidsgrove Athletic | 14 | 16 |
| Sat 17 Oct 2026 | Hanley Town | 0-4 |
| Sat 10 Oct 2026 | Lower Breck FC | 4-0 |
| Tue 06 Oct 2026 | Witton Albion | 1-1 |
| Sat 03 Oct 2026 | 1874 Northwich | 2-2 |
| Tue 29 Sep 2026 | Wythenshawe | 5-4 |
Goal Scorers | H | A | 1st | 2nd | Total | |
| 1 | Webb-Foster, Reece | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | Price, Jack | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Davies, Fenton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 3= | Unwin, Sam | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 3= | High, Connor | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Home win | Lower Breck FC | 4-0 | Sat 10th Oct |
| Away win | Wythenshawe | 4-5 | Tue 29th Sep |
| Home defeat | Newcastle Town | 0-5 | Sat 12th Sep |
| Away defeat | Chasetown FC | 2-0 | Tue 22nd Sep |
| Home score | Newcastle Town | 0-5 | Sat 12th Sep |
| Away score | Wythenshawe | 4-5 | Tue 29th Sep |
| Games Since... | Overall | Home | Away |
| Last Scored | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Last Conceded | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Last Won | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Last Drew | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Take the M60 to the M66, and continue up the M66 to the end and join the A56.
After 10 miles, at the roundabout with teh M65, go straight across onto the A6068.
After a mile, turn right on A67, Blackburn Road.
After a further mile, at the roundabout, take the second exit to turn left onto Holland Street.
At the end of the road, take the dogleg to continue straight, and the ground is at the end of the road.