SADDLEWORTH is now home to a club in football’s non-league pyramid after Uppermill FC were promoted.
Now more hard work begins after years of it got them to this position.
The runners-up of the Manchester League have been elected into the North West Counties League First Division North for season 2026/27.
It is the culmination of years of hard work for the club, which will play its first team matches at Mossley AFC’s Seel Park.
And jubilant chief executive Steve Southern told how the effort in turning it around has paid off.
He said; “It feels like the culmination of a lot of hard work from a very low base only four or five years ago, when we were shrinking rapidly and going nowhere.
“But it also feels like the start of another journey. We’ve got to the top of the grassroots system and now we’re entering the National League system which is a similar world but a very different one.
“It’s much more serious than we will have experienced before.
“Five years ago, we were smaller. It felt like it would have been several teams playing in the same colours but not really connected in any way. We had a senior section that was rapidly shrinking.
“Now it feels like we are one club and one of the main reasons is the energy and the zeal of our first team manager, Mark Howard.
“His energy is boundless when it comes to pushing the team forward, pushing the squad forward, pushing people like me as well to do all the off-field stuff.
“He really has captured the ambition of the top end of the club, and I’d like to think he’s brought the best out of the rest of us in terms of seeing there’s another horizon to aim for that we’d never dreamed of being realistic.”
Despite playing at Mossley, Uppermill FC still has roots in Saddleworth as every other side than its first team plays at Churchill Playing Fields.
But the move of matches to Seel Park was designed to back an application to be promoted – and the effects have been huge away from the pitch.
And Mr Southern believes promotion can make an impact on it as it is huge for football on this side of Oldham.
He added: “We’re now a limited company and have seven directors on the board who are all trying to bring out the best of the club but in a more systematic, organised sort of way than we’ve ever had.
“When we were a lot smaller, we could operate as a bit of a cottage industry.
“We couldn’t achieve eligibility for North West Counties League without the groundshare that we have with Mossley.
“We’ll be, eternally grateful for that, but also for the many and varied ways we’ve learned so much from them.
“It’s things like how do you run match day? How do you run a bar at the place? You know, how do you make sure it’s properly stewarded?
“They’ve been very, very patient in helping us, educating us and picking us up when we fall down.
“And this side of Oldham is a multi-sport area. There are very successful rugby teams in Saddleworth Rangers and Waterhead and a multitude of successful cricket teams.
“Football has maybe been the third sport in the area. I think it’s time that Saddleworth had its own club at that level of football.
“It’s not just about us, though. Diggle FC are thriving, Saddleworth 3Ds are thriving, as are many others.
“That’s great for the whole community, not just us.”
Now promotion has been earned, do not think Uppermill FC are aiming to storm through the levels rapidly. This is about being sustainable.
And now they have made it into the pyramid, expect many more lessons.
Mr Southern told Saddleworth Independent: “We’ve got to make sure we run the club properly.
“We’re on a big learning curve and we’ll undoubtedly make some mistakes along the way, but we’ve got to make sure we’re financially responsible.
“This elevation is about the club, not just the first team. We’ve got to make sure that we use this opportunity to benefit everybody up and down the club, regardless of age and whether it’s boys or girls.”
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