News: Colls to face Atherton Cricket Club

Atherton Collieries Football Club and Atherton Cricket Club are delighted to announce that they will face each other in a charity Twenty20 cricket match on the evening of Friday 21st July. Historically, the football and cricket club were both part of the Atherton Collieries Joint Association during the early 20th Century. While there are no records of the cricket club facing off against the football club before there are certainly enough cases of individuals playing for both Colls and the cricket club over the years. Colls will field a side of current first team players as well as a few familiar faces from previous seasons in an attempt to at least post a respectable score. The cricket club have said that they will field a side made of their players as well as a few familiar faces who make up the Colls crowd on a matchday. All money raised through this event will go to Combat Stress, a charity which Colls supported substantially last season. The charity is the UK's leading veteran's mental health support organisation. It was founded after the First World War and has supported more than 100,000 ex-servicemen and women. Their work is as vital today as it was after the First World War. As well as raising a lot of money for our chosen charity it is also hoped that this event will help strengthen ties between the cricket club and the football club. Fans of both clubs have started to watch matches at both grounds together and it is expected that this spirit will help bring the local sporting community further together. The bar will be open to allow for some drinks and it promises to be an entertaining occasion. There will be a BBQ outside the bar area and entertainment for children including a bouncy castle. The evening will also consist of the highly anticipated prize draw for the Wigan & Leigh Hospice fundraiser which the cricket club have been working on over the last couple of months. We just hope there aren't too many sore heads or bruised egos as we host Warrington Town at home in a pre-season friendly the following day. Further information will be released closer to the time.