A second drawn home game last Saturday with Ossett United following on from the 1-1 draw with Bridlington Town last Wednesday but there were no goals on this occasion.

Town were robbed of a victory in the Bridlington game when assistant referee Majid Ali waved no goal into the second half when the ball had clearly crossed the line only to be scooped out by the Seasiders’ keeper Seb Malkowski. Town fans and neutrals in the area of the goal all said it had gone over by at least a foot from a Jack Normanton corner.

Town had taken the lead in the 45th minute through Danny Edwards, only for it to be cancelled out in the 62nd minute by experienced striker Michael Coulson.

Play was end-to-end and another goal always looked on the cards from either side but it was stalemate on 97 minutes when referee Matthew Moss called time.

On Saturday it was a game of few chances and when strikers did get through both Town’s Kyle Trenerry and United’s Ally Hughes dealt with what was aimed on goal.

Hughes denied Town’s Niah Payne when he tipped over in the first half  and Town’s former player Eddie Church went close into the second half. As the game drew to a close Town’s Spencer Harris had a great chance but headed over and was annoyed with himself.

Town go again on Saturday at home to Sheffield FC (3pm) following on from their midweek 1-1 draw on Tuesday night away to Bradford Park Avenue who lost their home Emirates FA Cup preliminary round tie last Saturday at home to Stocksbridge PS, 3-2. Town officials had been watching the tie unfurl as a draw would have ruled out Tuesday’s game with a replay down in south Yorkshire.

Town officials were also on Tuesday night watching the outcome of the Ashington v Bishop Auckland replay as the first round proper takes place on August 31 when Bishop Auckland are the visitors to the Heffernan Utilities Stadium.

Town are expecting their average gate to swell on Saturday with the visit of Sheffield and the game being entitled the Ellis Aked Day in celebration of their former committeeman and ground maintenance worker who passed away at the end of July. The club will also be well represented at his funeral tomorrow (Friday) at Park Wood Crematorium (12 noon).

There will be a minute’s applause ahead of kick-off.

In the meantime Town’s midfielder Sam Drake has left the club and joined Liversedge, while defender Jake Hemingway has joined Town from Frickley Athletic.

On Bank Holiday Monday Town make another short journey this time to the Welfare Ground (3pm), home to Emley who were promoted from the NCEL Premier Division last year, with former Town midfield and captain Tom Haigh a vital cog for them. He has since left and now joined Golcar United as with his hairdressing business in Holmfirth he doesn’t want a lot of travelling.

Brighouse Town have not got off to the start they wanted after two defeats in the past week in the FA Cup extra preliminary round tie and the East Division of the NPL.

They lost on penalties after extra time at home to Barnoldswick Town last Wednesday and then 5-1 away to Cleethorpes Town in their first league game last Saturday on the Lincolnshire coast.

Against Barnoldswick they came back from losing 2-0 at the break to level matters early in the second half thanks to a brace from Myron Gibbons. And they then nearly had a winning goal with five minutes to spare as of all people, Barnoldswick-based wide player Ezio de Santis whipped in a great shot from 18 yards out which visiting keeper Callum Jakouleus just parried wide of his right hand post.

Barnoldswick looked to be out on their feet but they then saw off 30 minutes of added time before the penalty shoot-out which with won 5-3 to progress to see them on Saturday entertaining Northwich Victoria.

On Saturday Town, still missing experienced players Jack Normanton, serving his last match of a three-match suspension held over from last season, centre-back Matt Nebard (holiday) and Curtis Peters (back) plus skipper Josh Grant (holiday), were 2-0 down at half-time to Cleethorpes who have seen a huge financial injection over the closed season to aid recruitment.

Town came back in the 59th minute thanks to a powerful header from Danny Edwards but Cleethorpes then sealed the game with three more goals.

Town manager Grant Black post- match bemoaned cover from his central defence and would have been hoping to put that right against Bridlington Town last night.

Wakefield have come in for experienced defender Jamie Allsop. And, in the meantime, reserve keeper Jamie Hassall has gone out on dual registration to Doncaster club Rossington.

Town have re-arranged a game for this Saturday at the Heffernan Utilities Stadium when they will entertain Ossett United (3.00) who they were due to play on Wednesday, October 9. Ossett were delighted to agree to save playing midweek as autumn draws in.

Next Tuesday, August 20, Town are away to Bradford Park Avenue (7.45) at the Horsfall Stadium, before entertaining Sheffield FC on the Saturday (3.0).

Town’s late signing from Campion, Jack McGahan, was having a scan this week for a possible medial ligament injury received at Barnoldswick just seconds after coming on to the pitch.  

   

Brighouse Town were last night replaying their Extra Preliminary round tie in the Emirates FA Cup with Barnoldswick after drawing with them on Saturday 0-0 at the Silent Night Stadium.

It was a game of few chances and good defensive work by both teams, although Town had one great chance in the first half when Danny Edwards was one-on-one with the home keeper, Callum Jakouleus and his flicked-shot went a yard wide of the post.

In the second half towards the end Niah Payne beat his man at the by-line and his shot-cum-cross was only just saved by a backward falling Jakouleus.

Town manager Grant Black was pleased with his defence and midfield but not too happy with his attack and was wanting more effort from them last night in the replay.

Town’s experienced midfielder Curtis Peters missed the tie with a back injury and the guile and skill of the ex-Bradford City player was badly missed.

Town on Saturday for their first league game travel to Cleethorpes Town who have invested heavily in the closed season and last Saturday in their tie they won 7-0 at Kimberley Miners Welfare in the East Midlands.

A coach will leave the Dusty Miller at 11.15am on Saturday.

In the meantime Town have signed midfielder Jack McGahan from Campion and allowed left sided midfielder Rhys Plater to go on loan to Sheffield club Parkgate. Defender Jamie Allsopp can also be free to fix himself up with a dual registration. 

Next Wednesday Town will entertain Bridlington Town (7.45) as the season gathers pace and they play three games a week. If they have seen off Barnoldswick last night then they will entertain Northwich Victoria on Saturday, August 17 (3pm) in the preliminary round of the Emirates FA C up after the Cheshire club saw off Blackpool club Squires Gate 3-2 last Saturday.

Town have lost a most valuable member of their supporters club and a former committeeman who also worked tirelessly on the stadium and running the 200 Club and on match days the club shop. Ellis Aked passed away at the end of July in Calderdale Hospital at the age of 75.

Ellis was also a former secretary, fixture secretary and player in the Mac Financial Brighouse and District Snooker League, one of the strongest in the country. He was also a former local soccer player of note and he also liked playing table tennis with his late wife Ann at Waring Green Community Centre in Brighouse.

Town are devoting the Saturday home game with Sheffield FC on August 24 to celebrating Ellis’s life and his family will be in attendance when the players, match officials and spectators hold a minute’s applause.           

His funeral will have taken place the day before at Park Wood Crematorium, Elland (12 noon) and followed by a wake at his former club Thornhill Briggs WMC.  

 

The pre-season work is over and the 2024-25 season for Brighouse Town opens on Saturday at the Silent Night Stadium in Barnoldswick on the North West Yorkshire and Lancashire border (3pm).

Town, with their relegation before being reprieved, join 441 other clubs now having to take part in the Extra Preliminary round of the Emirates FA Cup and Barnoldswick from Step 5 and the North West Counties Premier Division will be no pushover for the Step 4 club. A victory for Brighouse will see them entertain the winners of the Squires Gate v Northwich Victoria tie on Saturday, August 17.

Barnoldswick made last season’s play-offs and they opened their season last Saturday with a late equaliser in a 3-3 draw with Lower Breck from Merseyside.

On Tuesday night they had a derby game at Colne and manager Grant Black sent in scouts Darrell Hadala and Will Armitage to take a look at them and also their star man Andrew Hill who bagged a brace including the all important third goal.

In the past week Town wrapped up the friendlies with a 5-1 away win at Huddersfield and District side Hepworth on the Tuesday night and then a 0-0 draw at home to Stocksbridge Park Steels last Saturday.

The scorers at Hepworth were Danny Edwards with two, Harrison Beeden, Rafa Ferreira and Wayne Gibbons, with Sam Thompson getting a consolation goal for the hosts.

Both managers for the Stocksbrige game used their squads in what was a particularly entertaining second half in which both could have snatched a winner. Multiple shots at both ends were either blocked or saved and the well attended game saw spectators across lunchtime having their moneysworth.

Town went in to the Stocksbridge game without their former Marske United centre-back Jorge Sikora who has left to sign for NPL Premier Division club Lancaster City.

The club’s former Rotherham United academy centre-back Harrison Beeden, a goalscorer at Hepworth, was expected to re-sign for Town after his 18 months at Whitby Town, but after also trialling at Buxton, Worksop Town and Gainsborough Trinity, withdrew from signing at the Heffernan Utilities Stadium again and went off to train with an unnamed club.

Town’s faithful felt after seeing the squad against Stocksbridge that they looked fitter, sharper and certainly more pacey than last season. All with be revealed at around 4.50pm on Saturday afternoon unless the sides are locked in a draw and if so the replay will be on Wednesday night (7.45). 

The coach will leave the Dusty Miller at 12 noon on Saturday.

Town have made two more signings this week in Stocksbridge PS winger Basile Zottos and Campion defender Jack McGahan, while allowing left sided defender Rhys Plater to go out on dual registration to Parkgate.

Brighouse Town AFC are delighted to welcome a new sponsor on board for the forthcoming
season.

Nexus People, a leading recruitment and workforce management solution have come aboard as the sponsor of the back sections of both home and away kits. Headquartered in Brighouse, Nexus People specialise in recruiting for Logistics and Warehouse roles, both temporary and permanent. If you’re currently looking for a role in this area, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with them.

The Nexus team visited the ground this week to see the shirts for the first time and have a
look at the set up at The Heffernan Utilities Stadium. They were delighted with the logos on the back of both kits and impressed also with the stadium, club set up and are keen to look at additional sponsorship opportunities.

Jon Taylor, CEO of Nexus People commented “We are delighted to be sponsoring Brighouse Town AFC. The club has a fantastic community feel, and represents all aspects of inclusivity in football. We are looking forward to forging a strong relationship and becoming a welcome part of the local community.”

Charlie Tolley the clubs Vice Chairperson was on hand to welcome them and said of the new
relationship ‘We are very pleased to welcome Nexus People on board as a new sponsor at Brighouse Town and look forward to developing a long-lasting relationship with them. They have a growing presence within the town, and we hope we can provide them with an additional platform to help them achieve further growth.’

Brighouse Town completed a double in the past seven days with victories in pre-season friendlies at Frickley Athletic and Wombwell Town.

They came from 2-1 down against former NPL club Frickley to win 4-2 and from 1-0 down at half-time at Wombwell to win 2-1.

At the former colliery town of Frickley near Doncaster, Cameron Bedford put them ahead in the 17th minute from a Curtis Peters corner which had been flicked on by Cole Wildin and Bedford finished in the bottom left corner. Frickley then score two in two minutes, the first from a penalty after a foul by centre-back Spencer Harris and the second from an inswinging corner.

Myron Gibbons then scored in the 70th minute after a ball over the top from Matty Nebard found Darius Smith and he crossed for Gibbons to sweep home.

Town’s third came from Jack Normanton in the 83rd minute after Clark Greaves, the former Stocksbridge and Barton defender was played in behind the defence for Normanton to tap into an empty net.

Gibbons bagged his brace in the 89th minute after a Danny Edwards half volley was parried by the keeper into the path of Gibbons who then tapped into the net.

Town’s goals at Wombwell came from Normanton with the equaliser and then Greaves bagged the winner.

On Tuesday evening Town were playing a hastily arranged friendly at Huddersfield club Hepworth ahead of this Saturday’s first and last pre-season friendly at home to north Sheffield club Stocksbridge Park Steels (1pm).

The fixtures for the Pitching-In Northern Premier League East Division season were released last Thursday evening and will see Town’s first game of the 2024-25 season away to Cleethorpes Town on Saturday, August 10, who have been heavily recruiting in the close season.

Their first home league game is on Wednesday, August 14 at home to another seaside town in Bridlington Town (7.45).

On August Bank Holiday Monday they will be locked in a derby game at with Emley (3.0) who will then return to the Heffernan Utilities Stadium on Boxing Day. Town’s opponents on New Year’s Day will be another new club to the division in Garforth Town and on Easter Monday Town will entertain them.

Town’s additional floodlights and the whole range across the newly extended pitch passed their Lux test with a 9.30pm inspection last Wednesday evening and groundsman Wally Hemingway is pleased with the way the turf on the extended pitch has settled down.