New faces, more miles

Reds will renew acquaintances with several teams they haven’t played for a while and come up against Cleethorpes Town for the first time ever next season.

The FA has released the pyramid allocations for the 2025-26 season and Borough Park will welcome Cleethorpes Town, Hednesford Town, Rushall Olympic, Stocksbridge Park Steels, Warrington Town and Widnes next term.  They will replace the promoted duo of Macclesfield and Worksop Town plus the relegated quartet of Matlock Town, Mickleover, Basford United and Blyth Spartans

The one new ground for Workington supporters to visit will be the Myenergi Stadium, which will also become the longest journey (207 miles) of the new season, for the clash with last season’s NPL East Division champions, Cleethorpes Town.

There will be lengthy trips to Rushall Olympic, Walsall (202) and Hednesford Town (199) with less daunting journeys to Warrington Town and Widnes.

And Reds will cross swords with Stocksbridge Park Steels again, twenty-one years since the previous ‘steel-towns’ encounters.

The aggregate mileage will show a slight increase on last season with Cleethorpes, Ilkeston Town, Rushall Olympic and Hednesford Town falling into the ‘400 miles’ round-trip category.

The allocations are subject to appeal and will be ratified at the AGM in Blackpool next month.

‘Newcomers’