Ossett United have signed another two players from Brighouse Town this week to join experienced midfielder Corey Gregory and wing-back Mohammed Ibrahim who both moved to Ingfield last month.
The biggest shock for Town fans sees former Cowdenbeath and Boston United forward Zephaniah Thomas joining United as player-coach. The 34-year-old who was appointed player-coach at Town towards the end of last season and was all due to take a coaching role this time around before leaving for Doncaster club Rossington Main, but has altered course once more and moved 13 miles down the road to Ossett. The fourth player is striker Reon Benjamin-Potts who has played for Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United and York City and will be joining Ossett for a second spell.
Town have also lost their goalkeeper Jamie Hassall who is returning to Knaresborough Town owing to work issues and the distance he travels down from North Yorkshire to Brighouse. Hassall showed a lot of promise last season and ousted experienced contracted custodian Brett Souter from the No1 jersey. It very much looked as though manager Vill Powell was going to go with Hassall for the 2023-24 season ahead.
Tomorrow night (Friday) Town travel the short distance to Manningham, Bradford to take on Lee Ashforth’s side who were promoted last term into the Northern Counties East Premier Division (7.30).
On Tuesday next they are away to Pitching-In NPL East Division champions for last season, Worksop Town (7.30).
On Saturday the players and team management are at Bradley Park Golf Club, Fixby (12.30) for a round of Footgolf, something they haven’t done in pre-season since the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
The fixtures have come out in the past week and Town open their programme on Saturday, August 12 with a mammoth trip to Ashington in the north east where the famous Charlton brothers, Jack and Bobbie, came from ahead of their international careers. Two lates late on the Monday, August 14 they entertain another new club to the East Division in North Ferriby from Humberside.
For their August Bank Holiday game Town are away to relegated Liversedge and at the Christmas and New Year games they travel on Boxing Day to Winterton Rangers, another new club in the division, and then on New Year’s Day entertain Liversedge. The Easter fixtures are Dunston away on Saturday, March 30 and then home to Winterton Rangers on the Monday, April 1.
Last season’s contracted goalkeeper Brett Souter has signed for his local club in South Yorkshire, Worsborough Bridge.
Manager Vill Powell has also brought coach Leon Wainman back into the fold to replace Thomas.
Wainman, a Sheffield-based grammar school teacher, has been over the past two seasons tied up with work and also ensuring his son followed his promising football career.
Town lost Tuesday evening’s away friendly at Penistone Church, 3-0.
Assistant manager Stacy Reed was pleased with the performance despite the score line
“We had a side with several trialists in and more towards the the last quarter of the game
It was 0-0 at half time and we had a very promising keeper in goal and will be signing him.
“We made quite a few changes for that last quarter and another keeper in goal and shipped in three goals.
From our good endeavours we just couldn’t find the back of the net.
“The players also felt legless somewhat as we had the previous evening held a tough fitness session at MP Fitness
