Ramsbottom United manager Steve Wilkes has added to his backroom staff by appointing Lewis Hindley as the club’s new goalkeeper coach, writes Tony Cunningham.

Hindley joins the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium club from Atherton Collieries and replaces Tony Cobban who has made the reverse trip to team up again with former Rams boss David Chadwick.

As a player, Hindley turned out for a number of clubs including Atherton LR, New Mills and Ashton United, and was briefly at Ramsbottom, so he knows his way around the club.

He trained with AFC Fylde last season, but is focussed on the coaching side of the game as the Rams gears up for an assault on the North West Counties League title.

Meanwhile, preparations for life NWCL Premier Divison are well underwa with the Rams revealing their pre-season friendlies.

Ramsbottom United are absolutely delighted to announce that we will be playing against seven fantastic clubs for our 2023 pre-season.

Wilkes side will play five matches away from home and two at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium to whet the appetite of the fans before the season gets underway on Saturday, July 29.

Rammy’s first game is set to take place on Tuesday, July 4 at NWCL First Division North side Nelson and that game is a 7:30pm kick off. Next up is another away trip on Saturday, July 8 up the Fylde coast to face Thornton Cleveleys (3pm kick off).

The second week of a busy pre-season begins with the Rams on the road once again as they face Eagley on Tuesday, July 11 (7:15pm kick off).

On Saturday, July 15 a fourth successive game away but this time much closer to home as the Rams travel to local rivals Bacup Borough (3pm kick off).

The final week of pre-season concludes with three games in just seven days and the Rams kick it off with their first home game against City of Liverpool on Tuesday, July 18 (7:45pm ko).

The last away game of pre-season is at Stockport Town on Saturday, July 22 (3pm ko) before Wilkes’ men wrap things up against Radcliffe - now managed by former Rams managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley - on Tuesday, July 25 (7:45pm kick off).