TOWN’S NEW goalkeeping coach Ben Taylor has come indirectly from the handling code of amateur rugby league after a hand injury curtailed that sporting career.

It was while playing on the wing and then later at hooker for Drighlington ARLFC that he took up studying for his goalkeeping coaching grades having also had a keen interest in football.

The 29-year-old now has his own business (Taylor Made Goalkeeping LTD) and he is also the head goalkeeper coach at Leeds Beckett University where he has spent the last two years. He also spent two seasons with Huddersfield Town Ladies on a semi-professional level.

Taylor is also an ambassador for a goalkeeper glove company by the trade name of Keepz GK.

Very much a bachelor right now, he is dedicating his time to work and football with ambitions to be in the professional game in one form or another down the line.

He will be working with Town’s new experienced keep Brett Souter and any cover manager Vill Powell brings in before the season kicks off on Saturday, August 14 with a home game against Gateshead club Dunston.

His contract also sees him coaching the goalkeepers with the youth and junior sides at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium.

Dave Parker

A SECOND senior player has departed ranks at Brighouse Town AFC and joined the former Orange Army boss Paul Quinn at Tadcaster Albion.

Wide player Eddie Church has opted to leave the Yorkshire Payments Stadium to join teammate Joe Wilkinson who signed for Taddy two weeks ago.

While supporters query the lack of names to replace these players, manager Vill Powell says he has quality and quantity waiting in the wings and all will be revealed over the next couple of weeks. He is a renowned manager for keeping names close to his chest and not revealing until all, as he adds, is across the important line and the forms have been received at the League HQ.

“They have made their choice and we move on,” countered Powell.

Saturday’s home pre-season game with Matlock Town is off, to save wear and tear on the pitch, and was going to be switched to the County FA HQ at Fleet Lane but the Derbyshire side do not want to play on a 3G pitch so Town will train there instead. Next Tuesday’s game with Eccleshill United (7.30) is also being moved to Fleet Lane but Friday, July 30’s game at home to Bradford Park Avenue will be at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium.

Town’s chairman James Howard has in the meantime struck a two-year deal with Halifax-based Heffernan Utilities Ltd. The company’s MD, Luke Heffernan’s father James was a prominent player at Brighouse Town until his premature death in his fifties. The club’s clubhouse bar is named after Luke’s father, and the company employs 50 and works right across the country.

The club’s physio for the past three seasons Sinead Bowers has left the club to take up a post at Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, which she described as too good to turn down. Her replacement is Emily Harnden, who Powell says is very experienced and will do a good job.

Town have lost a Saturday home game with Stocksbridge Park Steels before a ball is kicked with having to go to Widnes on September 25 for the first round of the FA Trophy.

                               FREE PARKING at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium !!

      For tonight’s Friendly Match against Bradford City, we will be opening up our training ground at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium to allow FREE PARKING for all supporters.
Please enter the Clubs main car park and you will be directed onto the training ground by Stewards. You can pay your match entrance fee to the car park steward, so there will be no need to walk back to the turnstiles to pay after parking up, but simply walk across the training ground to the main pitch to watch the match.

Although the Government have eased restrictions recently, they have recommended that we continue to promote and encourage the practises that keep us safe, especially in crowded public areas. We have also received guidance from the FA asking us to adopt practises in line with the Government recommendations.
         Brighouse Town intend to fully adopt and follow wherever possible the guidance that will keep all Players, Coaches, Staff, Volunteers and Supporters as safe as possible when they visit the Yorkshire Payments Stadium. The Clubs full Risk Assessment can be found on the Clubs Website.
        We would advise all Visitors to the Ground to consider wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed settings to protect themselves and others. Likewise, we would encourage everyone to “check in” using the NHS App to scan the QR Code or give your details on the form provided.
           Finally, Brighouse Town Players, Coaches, Staff and Volunteers have been informed they must take a Lateral Flow Test 48hrs before any fixture at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium with the view to keeping everyone safe and restricting the potential spread of the virus.

Dave Parker
MOMENTUM IS gathering at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium home of Brighouse Town following the Emirates FA Cup and Buildbase FA Trophy draws, Harrogate Town’s visit on Tuesday night, Bradford City’s appearance next Wednesday (7.30), fixturers due out last night (Wednesday) and the appointment of a new goalkeeping coach.

The draws see Town once more on the road following last season’s visits to Runcorn in the FA Cup and then Kendal in the Trophy, this time either to the north east on August 21 to play Shildon if they beat Garforth Town in the extra preliminary round on August 7 and then to Widnes on September 25 in the Trophy.

The club’s U-18 side have a home draw in the FA Youth Cup with Farsley Celtic, with a date being sorted for that tie.

New Bradford City manager Derek Adams, the former Morecambe boss, will have in his squad midfielder Finn Cousin Dawson who was on loan from The Bantams to Town two seasons ago and looked then more than capable of holding his own in League 2 where he has now made 23 appearances.

Following the resignation of Greater Manchester-based Lewis Clemmett as goalkeeping coach, Town now have a new man at the helm, Ben Taylor who will also work with Mark Booth’s junior teams keepers.

Town were at Penistone Church last Saturday where a 38th minute headed goal from striker Laurence Sorhaindo gained them a 1-0 win. Once more manager Vill Powell was pleased with the performance of the side in which several trialists stood out.

Meanwhile, Dewsbury-based striker Joe Jagger has left the club for Silsden. He ended last season out on loan at Bradford club Campion.

There will be a bucket collection at the Bradford City game for the Highbury School, Rastrick, where on March 8, the school gates were broken and their mini bus was stolen from within the school grounds.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been recovered and with restrictions slowly easing, the amazing children that attend this Special school have no means to get out on school trips.
Since it happened the local community, who have been outraged by this callous theft, have rallied round the school to raise funds to replace a like for like vehicle.
The Highbury Hub at Copley, Halifax, held a car wash for four weeks and the school held a raffle. Friends of Highbury has opened a Just Giving page, Julie Ambler and family and Katie and Anthea Gray and their children have held successful cake sales, grandparents have raised funds at their local bingo clubs and the children at Hebble Harlequins did 100 laps of the track at Spring Hall.
The school has also received generous funding from the Lloyds Yorkshire and Humber Community Fund but there is still a long way to go.

he school has also had a generous offer from Paul Kendrick of Arrow Self Drive in Bradford of a free mini bus for a month when they can book their first outing.

If you are there on the night for the match, please give what you can.

Harrogate Town, with a 74th minute goal from Mark Beck, won an entertaining pre-season friendly over Brighouse Town on Tuesday night.

Brighouse took a while to settle but once they did they gave their League 2 visitors plenty to think about.

Both managers, Vill Powell and Simon Weaver, were pleased about the workout and once again a trialist central defender impressed for the home side.

Meanwhile, Town’s experienced defender Joe Wilkinson has left the club and signed for Paul Quinn’s Tadcaster Albion. It is also understood that wide player Eddie Church, who was also a contracted player, will not be playing for the club again and is currently doing some practical work with FC Halifax Town while he works on a physiotherapy degree.

We are delighted to be able to host Blackburn Rovers Women tomorrow evening at The Yorkshire Payments Stadium. 

Kick off will be at 8pm with gates opening at 7pm. It’s £5 for Adults and £1 for U16s with hot food and drinks available for purchase at the take-out hatch. 

If you can’t make the game, please follow @btafcwomen on Twitter for all match updates.