Dave Parker
BRIGHOUSE TOWN voted last night (Wednesday) to continue with the current pause to the Pitching-In NPL North West Division season while spectators are not allowed in.
This follows a Zoom meeting of all clubs in Steps 3 and 4 on Tuesday evening at which the club was represented by their chairman James Howard. Following the meeting the League’s General Manager Angie Firth issued the following statement from the League:`Please vote before midnight on Wednesday night, December 2 that you agree or disagree to continue with the current pause in the season with a regular review in the light of changes to the current Tier criteria and/or Grants becoming available.’
Town are of the opinion like most clubs sat in Tier 3, especially from today that they cannot play on, especially when you also have to take into consideration those supporters who have purchased season tickets and the match day revenue streams have dried up.
Town were in talks last night with Bradford club Thackley as to whether they would play their arranged warm up friendly behind closed doors on Saturday at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium, which now goes ahead with a 2pm kick off. Their resuming fixture next Tuesday, December 8 at Trafford FC looks unlikely to go ahead now as there are more clubs in Tier 3 than Tier 2 which should guarantee the continuation of the pause. All the Merseyside clubs are in Tier 2 and can have a percentage of spectators in but spectators are not allowed to travel between tiers. Marine had asked Town to travel to their Marine Travel Arena in Crosby on Saturday for their outstanding league game but this was rejected by Town officials ahead of this past Tuesday evening’s meeting and they had the backing of the League. Although their Emirates FA Cup Third Round tie at home to Tottenham Hotspur is not while the first weekend in January, the club’s manager Neil Young is keen to keep the players in action. In the meantime their seven match winning run in the cup will now net them around £150,000 plus by the time the final whistle goes in the game with Spurs and additional £250,000. They are guaranteed a television game and secretary Richard Cross had advertising agencies on Tuesday morning looking to ensure they cashed in on top of the six figure TV fee.
Town officials are hoping that the promised review on the R number in the tiered regions by the Government on December 16 could see West Yorkshire and as a result themselves lowered into Tier 2 so that the money spinning and attractive home games with Workington on Saturday, December 19 and Tadcaster Albion on Boxing Day could go ahead. Both teams would be allowed to travel and their supporters, but it’s a waiting game for all concerned.
Manager Vill Powell says, even if there were grants offered rather than loans to get us playing again behind closed doors I would not want this scenario with the keen supporters we have and the 100 season ticket holders barred. “It has to be back down to Tier 2 and even with its restrictions we had it all covered for the last game with Buxton in the FA Trophy thanks to our Covid officers Andy Eccles and Ray McLaughlin.
“All the coaching staff and the players can do is keep the `engine’ ticking over and be ready for when we do get the call.”
Powell was hoping to get his players in to the Leeds-based West Riding County FA for a few training sessions over the next seven days on top of their own individual work they have carried on with over the month of November.
The club’s media manager Damian Wales, along with his chairman, has launched the club shop on line via the club’s website and Twitter account in time for Christmas and there has been a real surge of interest and purchases.
