All at Atherton Collieries would like to wish the best of luck to departing defender Niall Battersby, who has accepted an offer to ply his trade in a higher division.
Niall departs with the best wishes and thanks of us all at the club, having now reached 101 appearances in his hometown’s Black & White, alongside three goals this season, namely two trademark headers and a fantastic overhead kick.
Speaking to the club, Niall added:
“I just want to say a massive thanks to everyone at Colls; the fans, players and staff who have been brilliant with me since I arrived.
It was nice to come back to so many familiar faces and be a part of the Colls family again. Last season didn’t go quite as planned, but I’ll be keeping an eye on results and I’m sure the lads can pull through and bring the club back to where we deserve to be!”
The Colls would also like to wish the best of luck to Harry Showman, Sonny Reeves, Andrew Buah and Luca Jackson, who have returned to their respective parent clubs following the conclusion of their loans to the Dreams2Reality.co.uk Stadium.
Daniel Lafferty has so far announced the retention of five members of last season’s squad, with more to be announced imminently, alongside the first new signings for our landmark tenth successive season in the Northern Premier League.
Rodney Ajayi and Ben Rydel, who together topped both the appearance and assist charts for the club in 2025/26, alongside earning the Players’ and Committee’s player of the season awards, have both confirmed their commitment to the club, alongside top goalscorer Chinedu Uche and captain Sam Sheridan.
On Wednesday, defender Sam Olawumi was the latest announcement, after an impressive first six months in the Stripes.
