Brighouse Town officials are still awaiting to hear if they have been handed a second reprieve in two consecutive seasons from relegation.
Chairman Chris Lister was in talks last Friday with a management official from the Northern Premier League but was keeping tight lipped as to any news coming his club’s way on being saved from the drop into the Northern Counties East Premier Division along with nearby Liversedge.
“We have been making plans with our manager Grant Black for next season in the NCEL and have around eight players of note wanting to sign up as they are not wanting the travel that some fixtures in the NPL Division East will bring once more,” informed Lister,
“However the situation we find ourselves in is totally out of our hands and we have to await our fate, if you can call it that,” he added.
It is known that Derbyshire club Belper Town and Nottinghamshire club Carlton Town would both like to be moved from Town’s Division One East into the NPL Midlands League to save on long trips to the north east and the costs involved with coach hire now standing at £1300 a game.
“We have been trying for three seasons now to be moved into the Midlands League and let us hope its third time lucky for us,” confirmed Carlton’s general manager and secretary Trevor Wells.
In the meantime Town’s assistant manager Darren Young has been charged by the FA for his sending off in the second half of the away game at Ashington on Saturday, February 15 as he protested at the sending off of captain Josh Grant This was Young’s second red card since he joined the club midway through the season.
Manager Black has still to await a charge from the FA for his East Monday sending off in the latter stages of the home game with Garforth Town.
Oliver Galotto, owner of the Fitness Lab Gym on Armytage Road, Brighouse, has offered to assist with the fitness of the Town squad when it is pulled together again for pre-season training towards the end of June.
“We have had some Castleford Tigers and Huddersfield Giants players in and I thought it was time I looked to help my hometown club, Brighouse Town, and that was my reason for contacting them,” revealed Mr Galotto.
Once Town know where they stand in terms of playing their football next season the manager will be introduced to the owner and then plan the sessions with him.
Town, if they are to play in the NCEL Premier will still take part in the FA Cup but will not be in the draw for the FA Trophy, their competition will be the FA Vase.
