Brighouse Town officials are still in a state of flux as the FA ponder over spread sheets with regards a possible reprieve for them and Step 4 Southern League club Thame United.

It is understood the FA will look at Town’s Points Per Game total and that of Thame Utd -the pair of them far superior to all other relegated Step 4 clubs across the country- and then make their decisions next week. 

Already the NCEL social media platforms are not mentioning Brighouse Town as a member next season, only bottom NPL East Division club Winterton Rangers from north Lincolnshire have been named in the new look Premier Division for that League.

Rumours are rife that Town will replace the Teeside club  Marske United who resigned half way through the season but they cannot get any clarification on that from the Northern Premier League chiefs as the matter is entirely in the hands of the FA.

Town’s chairman Chris Lister commented on Monday that he is delighted with the calibre of the applicants for the new managers position, despite the current uncertainty awaiting FA confirmation of a reprieve for Town, and he is hoping to make an announcement soon on his No:1 target for the position accepting the role.

The players were as of April 30 all free agents and whoever comes in will have to build a new squad, which will be a major task.

Off the field the club is also held up pressing ahead for renewing sponsorships and also sorting out early-bird season ticket requests.

Town will not be visiting Hebburn Town next season as they have been promoted as East Division champions and Stockton Town joined them last Saturday as play-off final winners after beating Dunston on penalties after being 3-1 down at one stage.

Bishop Auckland are coming into the East Division and from West Yorkshire champions of the NCEL Premier Emley  and Garforth Town.

Less travelling for Town there should they be saved from the drop.

Tonight (Thursday) there is the last of the Halifax League finals (7.0pm) and then next Tuesday, May 14 (4.0pm) there is the Calderdale Schools U12 final and an hour later the U14 final.

The following day, again at 4pm, the U13 final will take place followed by the U15 final.

Last Thursday Brooksbank beat Trinity Academy 6-3 in the U-16 final.   

    Saturday from 1.30 there is also two finals in the West Yorkshire Fair Play League         

Brighouse Town are delighted to announce the appointments of Grant Black and Mick Norbury as the new management team at the club with immediate effect. 

Both Grant and Mick have extensive successful managerial experience and were identified very early on as the pairing that Brighouse would like to see steering the club forward over the next few years. They have been initially appointed on a two-year contact with options to extend this and we are confident that this is the start of another long-term managerial association. 

Brighouse Town AFC

Brighouse Town would like to extend a big thank you to Paul Quinn and Steve Waide for stepping into managerial and coaching roles at Brighouse Town at the end of this last season.

They agreed to take on a challenging situation to try and steer the club away from the relegation position they found themselves in. Paul and Steve immediately restored a competitive edge to the team and a renewed belief that these players could perform well at this level.

At the time, it was felt that two victories would achieve this and that is exactly what they were able to produce with a hard-earned victory away at Consett Town and a resounding home win on the last game of the season against Carlton. Brighouse currently await FA confirmation of what league they will be competing in next season. 

We wish all the best and every success with their next footballing venture – wherever that might be we are sure it will be defined by success. 

Paul commented at the end of the interim appointment:

“I’ve taken great pride in being able to return to the club to lead the team in this interim period. The players gave everything to ensure we finished the season with the points required.  I’d like to wish the football club every success in the future.”

The club will be making a further announcement regarding a new managerial appointment for next season shortly. 

Brighouse Town AFC 

Brighouse Town, despite a workmanlike 2-0 home victory on the last day of the season at home to play-off hopefuls Carlton Town, were officially relegated once they heard Bridlington Town, two points ahead of them, had drawn 1-1 at Consett and then relied on their better goal difference.

Earlier in the day on Saturday following secretary David Parker, following up on word there could be reprieves for Thame United in the south and Brighouse Town on points per game for second from bottom clubs, had communicated with NPL chairman Mark Harris, it was confirmed that was something the FA were looking at doing as they reconstructed divisions at Step 4 level from the English Channel to the border with Scotland.

Town lost out on promotion through this some five years ago after winning at Pontefract Collieries in the Play-off final but were kept down because they had not scored enough points in the regular season.

There have also been several resignations in the season and at the end, with the most prominent being Marske United and Loughborough Dynamoes, while Carlton Town have asked to play in the Central Midlands section next term, and, it is understood Grantham Town would also like to move there from Division One East.

Going into the new week it was certainly fingers crossed for Town officials and their supporters who turned out in numbers for the last game to cheer them on.

Caretaker-manager Paul Quinn would not be drawn into committing himself for next season after the game which saw him gain two vital victories-six vital points-from the remaining five games. He did reveal he was meeting a club official during the week when by then there maybe news of a reprieve.

He has certainly got the players working for him since the departure of Vill Powell and they have played some good football, including last Saturday when a neutral would have thought that Brighouse Town for the most part was the promotion chasing team.

Leading goalscorer Mohammed Qasim opened the scoring for Town in the 14th minute with a 20-yard pile driver. Carlton looked for an immediate response and they had a chance to equalise when a header from skipper Niall Davie went across goal and just inches wide of going in at the far post.

Myron Gibbons had a shot from distance easily saved by Carlton’s former Ghanaian international keeper Felix Annan before, on the half-time whistle, Jack Wilson doubled the lead with a shot into the bottom corner. Town’s players were clapped and cheered off the pitch but they still had a job to do over the next 45 minutes.

Town’s defence coped with anything that came their way in the second half, including Josh Dacre clearing his line with keeper Jamie Hassall stranded, and their attacking force had a goal disallowed for offside which would have put the game to bed.

Almost at the end of the second half Town’s Jack Normanton and Carlton’s Lamin Sisawo-Danso both saw red. Normanton had only been on the field for five minutes.

Back in the dressing rooms Quinn and his assistant Steve Waide thanked the players for their response to their five -match tenure and they were applauded in return.

Town officials will announce when their presentation night will take place. In the meantime there is a busy period of semi-finals and finals taking place.

Today (Thursday) Brooksbank School, Elland will take on Trinity College, Halifax in the Calderdale Schools Final at 4pm and following this game there will be a Halifax & District FA Cup Final at 7pm. 

Four second half goals for Pontefract Collieries condemned Brighouse Town to another heavy defeat and whatismore, with results elsewhere, plunged them into the bottom two of the Northern Premier League East Division.

Including this past Tuesday evening’s re-arranged away game at Consett, Town just had the three games to try and get some points to try and escape the drop in to the Toolstation Northern Counties East Premier League. On Saturday they travel to League leaders Stockton Town, who only need three points to take the title and gain promotion and then on Saturday week they host Nottingham club Carlton Town who are battling for a play-off place as the shock team of the season.

Ossett United and Grantham Town both had wins at the weekend and bottom club Winterton Rangers also pulled off a shock 1-0 win at home to Stockton who clearly are jittery if their past three results are anything to go by.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s game Town were two points ahead of Winterton, one point behind Grantham Town who have overhauled them and two points behind Ossett Utd.

Its a tall order but caretaker manager Paul Quinn and his charges have not thrown the towel in as clearly their first half showing against fourth-placed Pontefract showed.

In the first five minutes of the game with Pontefract, Town should have been a goal to the good as Jack Wilson put a ball right across the face of the goal but no Town attacker could get a boot to it.

Wilson on 17 minutes was brought down in the box and leading scorer and regular penalty taker Mo Qasim stepped up but he proceeded to blast the ball over the crossbar.

Myron Gibbons, Wilson and Qasim had chances to open Town’s account but failed and the two sides went in at the break drawing 0-0.

There was a bizarre start to the second half, Town’s goalkeeper Jamie Hassall was walking back to his goal when the game kicked off and Pontefract’s Connor Smythe using the brisk wind fired from the centre circle and the ball went over the Town custodian’s head and into the net for the visitors to lead1-0.

Ten minutes down the line and Pontefract were 2-0 up as they had a penalty awarded after a player had been bundled over in the penalty box. Adam Haw stepped up and sent Hassall the wrong way.

A third was soon added when Haw put the Town defence under pressure and made it easy for ball recipient Bailey Thompson to fire home.

Three minutes later there was a bizarre fourth goal when after an injury to a Pontefract player the referee, to get the game going, strongly rolled the ball at Hassall instead of dropping it for him and his resultant kick went straight to Thompson who blocked the clearance and the ball went into the net.

Town did get a consolation goal in the 87th minute when Gibbons fired in an unstoppable shot that Pontefract keeper Lloyd Allison could only watch fly past him and into the top corner of the net.

Town’s vice-captain and former Bradford City utility player Curtis Peters (ribs) declared himself fit to play at Consett and he has been sorely missed.

There will be a coach to Stockton on Saturday leaving the Dusty Miller at 11.15am.

Town have been informed by the ground grading officer at the FA that their pitch is several metres short for pyramid football and they will have to extend it ahead of the start of the new season deadline. They will do that at the quarry end of the ground and still make the Heffernan Utilities Stadium four-sided owing to spare land behind the current fence.

Life vice-president Ray McLaughlin is co-ordinating a work programme that will commence in mid-May when all the local finals for Calderdale Schools and local leagues  booked for the ground have been played.

Next Wednesday, April 24 (7.30) Wyke Wanderers will take on Littletown in the first semi-final of the West Yorkshire Amateur League at Town’s ground.

Their second semi-final will be on Wednesday, May 1 after four clubs this week have sorted out their quarter-finals. 

With the Shay being closed for football by Calderdale Council, the Halifax & District FA will play all their finals at Brighouse’s ground with details being given out next week.