Action behind the scenes aplenty this past week at Brighouse Town AFC.
Work has commenced on extending the pitch to 100 metres as per the FA’s ground grading ruling and it will mean for the next season the Heffernan Utilities Stadium ground is a three-sided one- with FA permission. Behind the stadium perimeter fence at the Quarry End there is ample room for some terracing or even a small covered stand, but until the club’s extended lease is finalised with ground owners, iRAMA, the feeling is to go with three sides although it will mean the ground’s capacity is reduced.
Just in case the work isn’t completed by the first week of August, Town have agreed a one-off match contract with Pontefract Collieries to play a home game there in August.
Manager Grant Black is hoping he gets at least one of his pre-season friendlies at home so the players, old and new, can get a feel for the pitch ahead of the NPL East Division League start on Saturday, August 10, although with Town’s temporary relegation they could well have an extra preliminary round of the Emirates FA Cup on August 3, home or away.
In the meantime, Black has arranged another pre-season friendly away to Frickley Athletic FC on Tuesday, July 16 (7.0pm) and he is also talking with Stocksbridge Park Steels and Golcar United. He had been hoping his assistant Mick Norbury could have forged a friendly with his former club FC Halifax Town and there was contact with Sheffield Wednesday for their U-23s to meet Town, where former player Sam Reed now plays, but they are full up. His father Stacy was asking the question of Chesterfield FC’s Community team, where it all started out for Sam before he came north to join Brighouse Town. Word has also gone out to Huddersfield Town with contacts there and Bradford City are being contacted having sent their full squad when former chairman and ground sponsor James Howard of Yorkshire Payments was also a sponsor at Valley Parade and later their academy side from which Town have since loaned players.
Season tickets are now on sale and with the usual `Early Bird’ offers. With two extra fixtures this time (22 in total) and with ground admission staying the same at £10 for adults, £7 for concessions and £2 for Juniors, the price is £160.00 and the Early Bird offer to end of June is £130. Concessions are £110 and Early Bird £90.00.
Town officials are now looking to recruit some more volunteers from the Junior section-boys and girls guardians- to work on ground maintenance over the summer months and ensure all is looking pristine as they move forward with the new management team and player personnel.
Town have also signed in midweek Danny Edwards, the prolific Knaresborough Town and former Nostel MW FC striker. Former manager Vill Powell was keen to snap him up last season but the North Yorkshire club managed to hold onto him.
