Witton Albion: wearing the red and white with pride

Witton Albion’s Non-League Day fixture sees them face Avro FC at Wincham Park on Saturday March 22 at 15:00 GMT.

‘Albion’ are based in the northwest market town of Northwich, almost equidistant between Liverpool and Manchester.

The Wittoners compete in the Northern Premier League West Division (tier 8 of the English football pyramid), where they are 13th with 47 points after 35 fixtures.

Since 1989, they’ve played their home matches at Wincham Park, now known as the U Lock It Stadium for sponsorship reasons, which has a maximum capacity of 4,800 spectators, including 600 seats.

There are direct trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Northwich Station, taking about 1 hour and 15 minutes to arrive, while Chester is 30 minutes away by rail. Wincham Park is a 30-minute walk from Northwich Station.

Match tickets cost £12 for adults, £6 for concessions, £5 for 18 to 21-year-olds and £3 for under-18s, while junior members and under-5s can enter for free.

Raffle tickets will cost £1 each with three potential winners, with the prizes being the two Athletic Club tops and a framed Witton Albion photo collage. Tickets will be available at the turnstiles throughout the day with the winners being announced at Albion's club house later on that day.

Witton will also hold a networking event in their Stelfox Lounge so that local residents and business can learn more about the club.

As with all the other teams taking part in this initiative, Albion invites Athletic Club fans to wear their Zurigorri strip as we look to celebrate our colours together.

 

Witton Albion History

Another centurion club, Witton were formed in 1887 when a group of players, officials and supporters broke away from Northwich Victoria to protest the Vics’ decision to turn professional.

Witton have been a staple of non-league football in northwest England ever since. For most of the club’s early existence, Albion competed in regional competitions such as the Cheshire League, Manchester League and Lancashire Combination.

By 1991, Witton had reached the National League (England’s top non-league division), where they stayed for three seasons before suffering relegation.

In that period, Albion even made it to the final of the 1992 FA Trophy, losing it 3-1 to Colchester United at Wembley. 

Curiously, an Athletic Club director visited Wincham Park to watch a match in the late ‘80s before the Lions’ clash with Everton FC at Goodison Park – it’s said our director was fascinated with how similar Witton’s kit is to Athletic’s.

 

Witton Albion in The Community

Albion are dedicated to being a 'community club' in every sense of the term. One of their major objectives is ensuring that all visitors have a “safe, fun match-day experience”.

The club offers free admission to under-18s who are part of their ‘junior membership scheme’ and they’re also the only non-league club in England with its own museum, which is run by volunteers, free to enter and always open on match days. 

They also run a community partnership programme called ‘Witton Albion in The Community’ (WAITC).

WAITC sees Albion participate in “community engagement projects” in which football helps “young people to develop skills, capacities and capabilities” while being used a tool for social wellbeing by “advancing education, relieve unemployment and providing recreational and leisure activities for local people disadvantaged by age, infirmity or disability, poverty or social and economic circumstances”.

A celebration of our colours

In the week leading up to Non-League Day 2025, Athletic Club will publish a series of articles about each of the clubs involved in this initiative with information about their respective histories, their kits and further details about their NLD matches.

Monday March 17 - Altrincham FC
Tuesday March 18 - Bromsgrove Sporting
Wednesday March 19 - Evesham United
Thursday March 20 - Sheppey United
Friday March 21 (morning) - Steyning Town
Friday March 21 (afternoon) - Witton Albion

Below are the details of their Non-League Day fixtures. If you’re an Athleticzale in England that weekend, we encourage you to attend one of these matches.

Altrincham FC vs Barnet FC. March 22, 17:30 GMT. J Davidson Stadium.
Bromsgrove Sporting vs Banbury United. March 22, 15:00 GMT. The Victoria Ground.
Evesham United vs Cribbs. March 22, 15:00 GMT. The Spiers & Hartwell Stadium.
Sheppey United vs Deal Town. March 22, 15:00 GMT. Holm Park.
Steyning Town vs Margate. March 22, 15:00 GMT. The Shooting Field.
Witton Albion vs Avro. March 22, 15:00 GMT. Wincham Park.

 

About Euskal Non-League Day

Inspired by the British movement, started by James Doe in 2010, Athletic Club Foundation is preparing a third edition of Euskal Non-League Day for the weekend of March 22-23.

Non-League Day is an initiative that connects directly with Athletic Club’s identity. Besides playing a crucial role in local communities, grassroots football is a fundamental part of the club’s youth development strategy and Athletic has affiliate agreements with close to 170 clubs across the Basque Country.

Athletic Club is the only side in LaLiga that organises such an event with the purpose of celebrating non-professional football and encouraging attendance at local grounds during the March international break.

Check out the Athletic Club Foundation’s website for more information about Euskal Non-League Day and all their other projects across the Basque Country.