The Pitching In Northern Premier League chiefs worked quickly last Saturday once they knew their entire East Division programme was wiped out by frost and snow and re-arranged the entire list for Saturday, February 10, a free date they had put aside.
Brighouse Town officials had been contemplating a Tuesday night match in January to play the away game at Hebburn Town in north Newcastle and not looking forward to that with long trips that month to Grantham, Grimsby and Belper, only eight miles from Derby.
Second in the table Hebburn had been keeping Town officials updated as they were very keen to beat the weather and play, but two inches of snow on the Friday on top of a keen overnight frost saw the qualified official in their area call the game off at 8.30 on Saturday morning.
Town’s groundsman Wally Hemingway will now prepare his pitch in time for this Friday evening’s game with bottom of the table Sheffield FC at the Heffernan Utilities Stadium (7.45).
Hemingway had hoped to get the Brighouse Women’s home cup tie with Eccleshill United on this past Sunday but the ground conditions and then more snow on Sunday afternoon ruled that out and Cara Mahoney’s team will go again this Sunday with that tie at 2pm.
In the meantime Town have allowed goalkeeper Harry Garman who started the 2023-24 campaign as No1 custodian to go out on dual-registration to Maltby Main. Town had taken Isaac Khan from Eccleshill United as his No2 but he has since gone back to the Bradford club on a dual registration and Jamie Hassall, who was beginning to impress last season, has come back from Knaresborough Town to take hold of the No1 jersey.
Following his outstanding performance at Ossett United some sixteen days ago left wing back Brandon Webster has been subject to an approach via Town’s secretary from Sheffield club Hallam, a level below his current club.
Webster, 23, who has played for Scunthorpe United, Loughborough Dynamo and Ossett United, was also Town’s goalscorer on the night at Ingfield against his former club.
Manager Vill Powell said he would be talking to the non-contract player this week to hopefully sought out his name being retained in Town’s squad.
Last week the manager gave the players a week off training to let them have a break from the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday merryground of travelling and training and hopefully, in his words, refresh them to go again.
Town go to North Ferriby on Saturday week, December 16 (3.pm) in the League and then on the following Tuesday night, December 19 entertain Northern Counties East Premier Division club Campion in the second round of the West Riding County FA Senior Cup (7.45).
Former successful Brighouse Town manager and Brooksbank, Elland, schoolmaster, Paul Quinn, who since leaving Town has set up a coaching academy and also coached at Sheffield United, has revealed to Town officials he is looking to get back into non-league football either side of the Pennines.
