While Brighouse Town manager Grant Black has, he says, two warm irons in the fire for two goalkeepers, he has seen the departure in the past week of left-sided attacker Niah Payne to Pontefract Cols.

Payne,26, commenced his career at Bradford City and has since played for defunct Barnsley club Shaw Lane, Garforth Town, Goole, Bridlington Town, Scottish club Peterhead, Spennymoor Town, Hednesford Town, Stafford Rangers and Ossett United, so for him to complete two seasons at Town, many thought his travelling days were coming to an end.


Town completed another signing on Monday teatime when former Rotherham United Academy right back Bolton Makwedza put pen to paper. The 22-year-old spent last season at Bridlington Town.

Black has named his pre-season starting date for what will be a fresh-looking squad and that will be at the Heffernan Utilities Stadium on Saturday, June 28 at 1pm.

The Northern Premier League have sent out their proforma for clubs in near vicinity of each other to put forward a preference for Bank Holiday fixtures. Town have gone to newcomers Silsden for August Bank Holiday Monday and New Year’s Day and with Bradford Park Avenue for Boxing Day and Easter Monday. The fixture compilers will sort which day they play at home and then  away as fixtures leading up to those dates fall into place.

Emley have asked Town if they will play on a Friday night should a fixture come out with them for August or early September at their ground so as not to clash with a cricket match. Another new club, Hallam FC who share with a cricket club have also asked Town, should they also be paired with them in the cricket season, would they be prepared to play on a Sunday with a 2pm kick off.

The FA have been in touch with Town and other non-league clubs in the FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Vase to inform when the cup dates will be played and when the draws for the regional extra preliminary round and preliminary round will be made.

 On July 4 the Emirates FA Cup extra preliminary and preliminary round draws will be made and released with Town expected to be in the extra preliminary round draw to be played on Saturday, August 9.

The NPL East Division League season is expected to commence on Saturday, August 16.

Another Yorkshire non-league soccer club has opted to groundshare with a professional rugby league club, Bradford club Eccleshill United are moving in with Betfred League One strugglers Keighley Cougars at Cougar Park.

Brighouse Town and Wythenshawe Town are set to play Step 4 football again in the 2025-2026 season after receiving reprieves in their respective Northern Premier League divisions.

The latter club in Greater Manchester finished in the NPL West division drop zone, but remain in it owing to Farsley Celtic’s woes which has seen them dropped from the National League North to the Northern Counties East Division One.

Brighouse ended their East division campaign fourth from bottom but have been handed their lifeline by the withdrawal of Bemerton Heath Harlequins, who finished just outside the play-off places in Southern Division One South and now drop back in to the Wessex Premier.

Town will play newcomers into the division in the shape of two clubs from the town of Blyth in the north east, Blyth Spartans and Blyth Town, Redcar Athletic, Hallam and Silsden, having said farewell to promoted clubs Cleethorpes Town and Stocksbridge Park Steels.

The lateral and up and down movements are decided by the FA and then put to the respective leagues. Town will now take their place in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup in early August ahead of a 42 match league programme. 

In the meantime manager Grant Black has commenced work in vigorous fashion sorting out pre-season friendlies and also signing up players. At the last count he had seven friendlies registered with opposing managers and he has signed two players from Wakefield and Emley. They are respectively former Town player Callum Charlton, a pacy wide player and front man Nathan Curtis.

He has also snapped up the experienced and well travelled Danny Frost who will also be the club’s new player-coach.

The new captain of the side will be Josh Waldram who has re-signed on along with strikers Danny Edwards and Rhys Plater and forward of midfielder Romario Dunne.

Following the final four Calderdale Schools finals this week, the playing surface will be given its annual dressing and re-seed to prepare for a another busy eleven months.

On Sunday, May 25, the club’s annual funday will take place and officials were just keeping fingers crossed a change in weather did not put a dampener on things.    

132 – no winner

44 Jason Stoney

Brighouse Town AFC are delighted to announce that their status as a Step 4 league club has been retained. Due to resignations by, and licence issues with clubs in other parts of the country our average points per season means that we have gained an FA reprieve. It means we will once again compete in the Northern Premier East league for our eleventh consecutive season at this level. The club finished the season with 47 hard earned points and prior to the harsh 3-point deduction would not have needed to be awarded a reprieve.    

Having retained the services of Grant Black and Daz Young whatever the outcome of the league status the club now feels it is well placed to build on the results of last season. The reprieve means Grant and his team are now able to start planning in earnest for the forthcoming season with the step 4 status confirmed.

Details of pre-season friendlies, player retentions and new additions will be forthcoming as they are confirmed.

Brighouse Town AFC