Another Town player has in the past week departed the ranks and joined an opposing club in the Pitching In NPL East Division One.
Leeds-based centre-back Matty Nebard has re-joined his former club Pontefract Collieries after three seasons with Town. It has come as quite a shock to Town supporters who rated Nebard for his strong defensive displays. In the past two seasons he has had injury problems with a broken arm and then a knee injury but has always bounced back.
The Town squad assembled so far by manager Vill Powell resumed training on Tuesday night for the 2023-24 season with the first league game set for August 12 but the possibility there could be an Emirates FA Cup preliminary round cup-tie the week before.
Powell has brought in an additional assistant manager to work alongside his long serving No2 Stacy Reed and now confirmed as coach Zeph Thomas who took on the role for the last three months of the season. The 34-year-old former Boston United and Cowdenbeath striker was picking up injuries last term but there is a feeling he will still sign on again to cover for injuries to the strike force.
The new man on the bloc is Louis Axcell who was previously manager at NCEL club Maltby Main.
The NPL have given permission from yesterday to register players and Powell said earlier in the week he was confident of rebuilding a strong squad.
One player set to train on for trials is 19-year-old former Clifton Rangers Youth midfield player Joe Holmes who was a stand out player in Town’s U-23 season last term.
The players only have only nine days before their first pre-season home friendly with Farsley Celtic on Saturday, July 1 (3.00) and then they quickly follow this up with Eccleshill United on Tuesday, July 4 (7.30), AFC Emley on Saturday, July 8 (3.00) and then Bradford City on Tuesday, July 11 (7.30).
Admission for all those friendlies will be £7, £5 and £2 for Juniors 12-17. The Early Bird offer for season tickets ends on Friday, June 30 but those who cannot pay on line but will be attending the Farsley friendly can pick up their passes on that day
Groundsman and general manager Darren Laycock has been struggling with the pitch with the dry and hot conditions but has been more than pleased with the rain over the past weekend, Monday and then on Tuesday morning for five hours.
The club’s vibrant junior section have formed a mini-academy for Saturday mornings between 9am and 10am for children between the ages of 3-6.
The newly formed Brighouse Town Women’s team under manager and former long term player with Brighouse Town Women Cara Mahoney will be holding trials on Sunday July 2 to register more players for an initial season in the West Riding County FA Women’s League.
Mahoney was a prominent player for manager Rob Mitchell-now with his squad at FC Halifax Town-over several seasons and then looked after a second team.
Mahoney and her players will have to start lower down the pyramid again and hopefully work their way up in time towards Level 3 in the women’s game.
