After a seventh placed finish, the 2022/23 season was the most successful in the club’s history. Therefore, there was a lot of optimism going into the new season as Lee O’Brien and James Hampson began their second season in charge.

However, things didn’t go to plan on the opening day of the league season as Prestwich went down 3-1 at home to Burscough in a repeat of the previous season’s opener where on that occasion, Heys won 3-0.

Things were much better at the first midweek fixture of the season as Prestwich hosted newly promoted Pilkington, picking up a comfortable 3-0 victory with confidence growing further as the FA Cup campaign got underway with a 3-1 extra preliminary round win over Northern Premier League Division One West side, Bootle.

Although progress was made in the FA Cup and FA Vase during the remainder of August, getting to the first qualifying round of the FA Cup for a trip to former Football League side Workington, the league saw a mixed bag of results leaving Heys sixteenth in the table going into September.

September saw a huge change in fortunes, winning five out of five in the league with the only blemish being a shock 2-1 defeat to Parkgate in the FA Vase. The game against newly promoted Chadderton saw the returning Connor Berry score the winner and three days later, the first of many postponements due to the weather would become a talking point for fans across the league as the season progressed. Goalkeeper Jordan Hadlow was named the league's goalkeeper of the month.

Twenty-two goals were scored altogether in the five games played in October as Prestwich continued their unbeaten run in the league with two wins and three draws, including a 3-3 draw at Barnoldswick Town. Heys thought they won it with a ninety-second minute goal to go 3-2 from Connor Berry but a controversial goal from Barlick’s Ryan Moore in the ninety-fifth minute meant the five-game winning run didn’t turn into six. At the end of the month, the second game succumbed to the weather as the home fixture against Cheadle Town was postponed.

If you wanted entertainment, Prestwich Heys were the team to watch! In October and November, you were guaranteed a minimum of three goals a game. November started with a 3-2 loss at Litherland REMCYA which was followed by a seven-goal thriller as Heys won 4-3 at Colne, returning to Aide Moran Park a week later as Squires Gate fell 4-2 to the home side as Clegg and Daniels scored a brace each. Defeats at eventual champions, Wythenshawe, and at the Giant Axe against Lancaster City in the Lancashire Shield were followed by two home wins, 5-2 and 2-1 against Litherland and Cheadle Town respectively to end the month.

December was seriously hit by the poor winter conditions which meant only three games were played. Heys progressed in the Macron Cup with a 7-6 penalty shootout win against Wythenshawe after a 2-2 draw before a 2-1 victory against Lower Breck. Prestwich suddenly found themselves third in the table and looking up at that top spot being just three points behind.

The next game was at local and fellow promotion rivals, Bury FC, at Gigg Lane on Boxing Day. Victory for Heys would see them leapfrog the Shakers into second place. Gabriel Mooney-Munoz made his debut in front of a record NW Counties League game of 4,833 but unfortunately it wasn’t to be as the home side came away with a 2-0 victory.

Ten days later, Prestwich took to the field for the first time in 2024 with a visit to Wythenshawe and a lob from Matt Davies from twenty yards out gave the visitors all three points to put their promotion hunt back on track. At this point, Heys were eight points behind leaders Bury with three games in hand.

The good form continued throughout January, back-to-back games against Irlam saw Prestwich progress in the Macron Cup and pick up a league points.

On January 23rd, there was the shock news that chairman, Neil Gilmore, and trustee, Nick Kingston, were to leave the club with immediate effect. Under Neils chairmanship, Heys went from the Manchester League up to the much extra demands of the North West Counties League and his contribution to the club will always be remembered. In the immediate aftermath, fans feared the worst for the club, including not being able to fulfill the next fixture. These fears were quickly laid to rest with former player, former manager, barman, grounds man, everything else you can think of and all round club legend, Jon Lyons taking the reins.

That Saturday, Prestwich hosted Barnoldswick Town in an emotionally charged game on and off the pitch in front of 251 fans, coming from a goal down at half time to win 3-1.

Heys ended the month with a 3-2 home victory over Glossop North End where Nathan Emery scored the goal of the season with a superb forty-yard effort over the Glossop keeper. 192 were in attendance, which for a cold January midweek game, was pretty impressive!

Form took a drastic downturn in February as Prestwich failed to get a win, defeats against Padiham and Isle of Man (which was followed by a successful race night!) were followed by a penalty shootout loss to Alsager Town in the quarter final of the Macron Cup. Only two points were picked up in the three games after the cup loss now saw Heys outside the playoff positions as we entered March. The loss of Greg Daniels to injury and the unavailability of Rio Clegg was starting to show as Heys struggled up front.

There were hints of change as March continued as Prestwich won their first game in seven. Despite an early red card, Dylan Fitzgerald scored the only goal of the game not long after returning to the club. A short trip to Ramsbottom followed which Heys won 4-2 which started a remarkable run which lasted the remainder of the season where every victory was followed by a defeat and every defeat was followed by a victory!

Due to all the postponements due to the weather, the games were now coming thick and fast with no fewer than thirteen fixtures from the beginning of March to April 20th.

Prestwich completed March with two wins and two defeats, victories over Longridge Town and Colne followed defeats to promotion chasing Wythenshawe Town and Pascal Chimbonda’s lowly Skelmersdale United.

Easter Monday saw a record break as Heys hosted Bury FC at Aide Moran Park with a sellout crowd of 1000. Despite Kieron Malloy giving Prestwich a fourth minute lead, the Shakers came back to win 2-1 in the poor weather conditions.

The poor weather continued as to some people, the following game against Chadderton went ahead as the fight for the playoffs heated up. Despite going behind, Heys hit back with five unanswered goals in the mud before Chadderton scored a consolation. With three games left, Prestwich were in sixth place, behind Padiham on goal difference, ahead of Chadderton on goal difference and two points behind Kendal Town who only had two games remaining. Charnock Richard also had an outside chance. They were fifteen points off the playoff places but still had seven games to play but surely they couldn’t catch up, right?

After a defeat at Irlam (who for most of the game had an outfield player in goal) and a home victory against West Didsbury and Chorlton, Heys had the chance to go into the final day of the season in pole position when it came to the playoffs as they hosted Charnock Richard but in a rare Thursday game to forget, Charnock hit Heys for six, seriously denting the goal difference and having to rely on other results on the final day for any chance of finishing in the top five.

Heys travelled to Pilkington for the final game but the day before it was announced that James Hampson and Lee O’Brien will be stepping down as joint-managers at the end of the season. James and Lee have been at the club, overseeing the most successful period and will always be welcomed back by the Heys faithful in whatever capacity that may be.

It was highly unlikely that Prestwich would make the playoffs and after 25 minutes, were 2-0 down, it now seemed near impossible. However, two goals before half time and another on 65 minutes saw Heys ahead and for about five or ten minutes, results were going exactly how they needed to go! It wasn’t to be though as although Heys hung on for victory, other results didn’t go as planned meaning Padiham and Kendal Town took those final playoff positions.

Or so we thought. Due to the amount of games Charnock Richard had to play, their season was extended by a week so those fixtures could be fulfilled. They still had four games in six days to play and had to win them all to get into the playoffs and they only went and did it!

Unfortunately for them, the Bury game in the playoff semi-final was a game too far and Bury lost on penalties in the final to Wythenshawe Town who joined their local rivals and champions, Wythenshawe, in the Northern Premier League.

As for Heys, it was an eighth placed finish, one place lower than the previous season but fourteen points better off. It was a rollercoaster of a season, the weather played a massive role more than ever but one nobody will forget in a hurry.