Uppermill to groundshare with Mossley during the 2024/25 season

Reigning Manchester Premier League champions Uppermill will play their home games for the 2024/25 season at Mossley’s Seel Park. 

Despite winning the league title by four points ahead of Dukinfield Town and Moorside Rangers, their ground on Churchill Playing Fields in Greenfield isn’t up to North West Counties League (NWCFL) standards. 

This denied the ambitious club a first promotion to the semi-pro ranks, where they would look to follow recent Manchester League clubs such as Avro, Prestwich Heys, Wythenshawe FC and Wythenshawe Town up the football pyramid. 

“As a football club, we are fully aware of how difficult it can be to progress in non-league football, each step comes with its own hurdles that provide boards and committees with lots of challenges,” Mossley Chair Stephen Porter told the club’s website. “When we were approached by Uppermill, we did not hesitate; football is one big family, and we are always keen to support local clubs in their ambition to grow.  

“This partnership is so much more than just a groundshare agreement; we believe it will provide young footballers from our local communities with a clear pathway into open-age football.” 

His counterpart at Uppermill, Steve Southern, echoed the sentiment. 

“The fact that a club of the stature of Mossley AFC wish to form a progressive partnership with Uppermill FC is a sign of just how far our club has come in a very short space of time. This is testament to the credible reputation we are building on and off the football pitch. 

“Both clubs treasure the community in which their clubs live and both of us wish to provide the widest possible opportunity for local footballing talent to thrive. We have high hopes for our partnership.”  

It won’t be the first time Uppermill have played home fixtures at Seel Park.  

They attracted a healthy crowd to the ground when they hosted Springhead there in the Saddleworth derby. 

Although the fixtures for the defence of their title haven’t yet been announced, Uppermill’s first game at Seel Park under the new arrangement will be a 7:30pm kick-off on Friday, August 2, against Rochdale Sacred Heart in the Norman Norden Cup.