BRIGHOUSE TOWN manager Vill Powell returned home last night (Wed) from a family holiday in Greece, refreshed and ready to roll up his sleeves for a sixth season with the club.
He has set Monday, June 20 as the date for pre-season training to commence at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium, and in the meantime will assess any new additions for the squad and sift through requests for trials.
One local player invited to join the squad is 18-year-old Joe Holmes from the Clifton Rangers Youth Football Club who with age cannot progress any further with the club. Son of local businessman and club sponsor Ian Holmes, the promising midfielder has been working hard at the gymnasium in readiness for the first session.
Since starting out with Clifton from junior school days, Joe has won a lot of club awards and now wants to see if he can cut the mustard at open age level with Town.
Town are also holding trials for their U-16 squad on Saturday at Calderdale College, Halifax, between 2pm and 4pm and also on the following Saturday, June 18 at the same tiime.
In the meantime, Toiwn are also looking for a new academy manager after long serving club coach Simon Ward stood down last month owing to an increased workload at Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and family matters. He was praised by all at the club for his excellent and committed service over the years.
More dates for Town’s pre-season matches have been pencilled in on the calendar. Following on from last week’s notification of Huddersfield Town at home on July 2, Guiseley on July 22 and Garforth Town on July 9, Swallownest will visit on July 12, Town go to Eccleshuill United on July 16 and host Horbury Town on July 19.
Town officials have been notified that former England player and managment official Stuart Pearce has been made an ambassador by the Pitching In Northern Premier League to lead their Volunteer Hub to encourage more people to join non-league football clubs.
All the closed season work on Town’s main pitch and second pitch has now been completed by groundsman and general manager Darren Laycock. It has included tonnes of sand, top soil, verti-draining and re-seeding and, as he says, it is now upto Mother Nature to assist in any way she can for the first pre-season game for the men and women’s teams come July.
