Chaos across the North West as two pre-season friendlies go off the rails

Last night's pre-season schedule threw up its usual mix of goals and squad rotation — but two fixtures ended up making headlines for very different reasons.

Crewe's trip to Prescot Cables called off before kick-off

Crewe Alexandra's scheduled friendly at Prescot Cables' Joseph Russell Stadium was cancelled altogether, with the club confirming via their official site that the match "will not go ahead" after the pitch was deemed unplayable. The Railwaymen had been due to make the trip across to Merseyside as part of Lee Bell's pre-season programme, which continues with a trip to Telford next Tuesday.

Manager Lee Bell said:

"We wanted the game and we were looking forward to it. The players were immediately concerned about the pitch and our medical staff agreed the risk was clear."

No word yet on whether the fixture will be rearranged before the League Two campaign kicks off next month.

Altrincham's friendly at Wythenshawe Town abandoned before half-time

Down the road, things took a darker turn at Ericstan Park. Altrincham's second pre-season friendly, away at Wythenshawe Town, was called off shortly before the interval following what the club described as an on-field incident.

In an official statement, Altrincham FC said:

"Tonight's pre-season friendly against Wythenshawe Town was abandoned shortly before half-time following an on-field incident. The decision to abandon the match was made out of concern for the safety and welfare of both sets of players after the situation escalated. The match officials will submit their reports to the relevant authorities, and it would be inappropriate for the club to comment further until that process has been completed."

With both clubs staying tight-lipped pending the officials' reports, expect more to emerge over the coming days — particularly if any disciplinary action follows.

This thread here depicts some of the incident.

⚽️WYTHY TOWN v ALTY PHOTOS⚽️

Alty's away pre-season 'friendly' at local neighbours Wythenshawe Town was abandoned last night just before half time

The match had plenty of strong challenges & two Alty players (Liam Humbles & Owen German) were substituted injured in the 1st half

— Inter Alty FC! (@Inter_Alty1977) July 15, 2026