Another postponement last Saturday at home to Sheffield through a frozen pitch has heaped more pressure on the Brighouse Town fixture list.

It means now the team will be playing from this Saturday at Lincoln United (3.0) four games in 10 days with three of those away from home.

They follow it up with Tuesday night’s visit to Hebburn Town after the December postponement, followed by a home game on the Saturday with North Shields and then the following Tuesday a trip to the outskirts of Nottingham to take on Carlton Town.

This is, again, all assuming the weather doesn’t turn once more to a frosty scenario and cause more havoc for Town and all other non-league clubs across the country.

The large reunion sponsorship day to celebrate the life of former Town player Peter Gill that also had to to be cancelled with the postponement last Saturday is now being aimed for the last home game of the season against Consett on Saturday, April 15.

Town’s re-arranged away game with Shildon following the controversial postponement last Saturday week by the match referee after Vill Powell’s men were told to travel after a 10am inspection has been causing problems for finalising a date. Before leaving the ground of the Railwaymen, both secretaries had gone for the Saturday, March 11 vacant date set by the Northern Premier League but the league are saying it is now outside the 42-day time for re-arrangements to be made. Town wanted to travel up on a Saturday and cut out another night game, but it looks very much as though they will now have to travel up on Tuesday, February 21.

Town are out of the West Riding County FA Senior Cup at the third round stage after losing 4-2 on Tuesday night to Manningham-based club Campion.

There was also a tragic injury after just eight minutes when Town’s Bradford City loanee winger Jack Wilson was stretchered off with a serious ankle problem. Town’s medical team, tending to him in the dressing room, were informed that no ambulance would be sent for him at the ground owing to the current dispute over pay and so trainee physio Charlotte Biggs and her father Trevor prepared their car to take him at his request to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield. His parents were at the ground and it turned out his mother’s sister -his auntie-was actually on the A&E unit at Pinderfields at the time he was taken into the hospital.

Bradford City had a representative at the game and their officials at Edgeley Park for the away game at Stockport County were informed immediately.

Sam Drake replaced Wilson on 12 minutes and against a very sharp looking Bradford side who are currently runaway leaders of the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Division One. Town’s players looked shocked and lethargic and were soon a goal down after 17 minutes when their former centre half Daniel Illingworth sent in a looping header which keeper Brett Souter was always chasing backwards across the face of goal.

Campion were 2-0 up after 31 minutes when another former Town player Aidan Kirby found the back of the net.

Town were then awarded a penalty after Jack Boyle was upended in the box, but the normally reliable striker had his spot kick saved by Bradley Emmerson. Five minutes before half-time Boyle did have the ball in the net but he was given offside.

Laurence Sorhaindo, making a comeback after six weeks out, was replaced at half-time by Joshua Dacre, and the Town side after just a few minutes looked more lively.

Myron Gibbons, now leading the line, reduced the deficit in the 58th minute and Aiden Walker levelled the scores in the 71st minute when his shot was adjudged by the assistant referee James Smith to have gone over the line in the hands of keeper Emmerson.

Town should have gone 3-2 up seven minutes later when a ball into the box had Walker and Corey Gregory with only needing to chest or knee the ball home with Emmerson grounded. It had been all Town as Mohammed Ibrahim, moved forward to his best position as a right winger, gave the visiting defence some real grief.

However, it was Campion who took the spoils when substitute Mark Ferguson scored goals in the 83rd and 85th minutes to make the score 4-2 to the delight of their travelling support. Both goals were handed to them on a plate through bad defending.

With Wilson now out for the season and Town losing Jack Normanton back to his former club Silsden in the past week, they now have to look at Mohammad Qasim filling the right wing berth unless Vill Powell saw enough to keep Ibrahim there on Saturday.

There will be a 9:30am pitch inspection tomorrow ahead of the game against Sheffield Football Club

Ensure to follow all social media handles for news on tomorrows game. We will provide an update as soon as we are able to.

#OneTownOneTeam

Calling all old Blakeboroughs FC and Brighouse Town FC players – and partners –  to come along and enjoy a drink or tow and watch this game alongside many others and share memories and celebrate the life of Pete ‘Gilly’ Gill.

Bar open from 12 noon in readiness for the 12.30 kick off of Liverpool v Chelsea, Brighouse Town V  Sheffield FC ( The worlds oldest football club) at 3.00 and then afterwards in the bar and into the evening – all to celebrate the footballing legend that was Gilly

Brighouse Town thanks to the inclement weather have just endured a frustrating 72 hours of postponements with the NPL East Division League game called off at Shildon just after they had got there last Saturday and then having to call off Tuesday’s home third round Senior Cup West Riding County FA tie with Campion owing to a frostbound ground.

For the game in Durham, Town were assured to travel after a 10 o’clock inspection by Level 3 referee Sam Parnaby and arrived around one o’clock after a battering by crosswinds on the A1(M). Both sets of players got ready for their warm ups but around 2pm the Sunderland referee Kieran Downey, appointed on the Friday when the previously appointed official was replaced, went on to the well grassed pitch and then said minutes later he had problems with several areas of it.

He was approached by the two managers, then by the Shildon chairman David Dent and secretary Martyn Tweddle and then the Brighouse secretary David Parker but would not change his mind.

Parker left the pitch with the players of both sides working out and telephoned the chairman of the NPL Mark Harris in the presence of messrs Dent and Tweddle and was asked questions and also advised on what the two clubs should do.

Mr Downey refused to change his mind, despite Town manager Vill Powell asking him to make a start and if he had to abandon it, so be it.

Parker stressed to him it had cost the club £650 for the coach and wages despite not playing and he still did not budge.

Both Shildon and Brighouse have since filed a joint report to the head of appointments and MOAS based at Wembley and also to Mark Harris and the secretary of the NPL, Angie Firth.

Shildon had to reimburse spectators already in the ground who stayed to watch Brighouse have 45 minutes training on the pitch without injuries and Shildon over 70 minutes without injuries, a possibility for the players that concerned Mr Downey who was jointly reported for not even rolling a ball or bouncing one, part of the rules for deciding on whether to call a game off.

Town’s manager was desperate for the game to be played as he is looking for game time now for his players with only goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo still on the injured list and having a full squad to choose from.

That is why he was so upset that game was off and then Tuesday night as he looks towards Saturday’s home game with Sheffield FC (3.00). The game is being sponsored by former teammates and friends of the late Peter Gill, who passed away in November after a short illness. His former teammates have been targeting ex-players of Brighouse Town or even the original Blakeboroughs, better known as Blakes team founded in 1963, but also open to anyone else who knew Gilly.

Life vice-president Ray McLaughlin said: ” There are a couple of options: first just turn up, pay at the turnstile, have a beer with other friends and ex-team mates of Gilly and remember a top bloke.
Option 2: “Join in the sponsorship of the game. £20 gets you entrance to the game, a free pint and free pie and pies or burger and chips and helps support the club, and a donation to the British Heart Foundation.
If you’d like to do the sponsorship, please let Josh Wood know today (Thursday) on 07799381499 to help with numbers. Please feel free to pass this on to any friends you feel might also be interested once you have read it in Echo Sport.”

Returning to the squad and possibly set for a place on Saturday is Bradford-based strong and pacey wideman Mohammad Qasim who has returned to the club after three months with Guiseley. New manager at Nethermoor, Paul Phillips informed Powell that the former Silsden and Campion player did not fit into his NPL Premier Division plans. Powell didn’t need asking twice if he wanted him back and was given the go-ahead by joint chairmen Chris Lister and James Howard to sign him back on.

Silsden have also made a move to try and re-sign Halifax-based striker Jack Normanton who also rejoined Town back in July after playing well in pre-season matches and scoring goals. Normanton has asked his manager for time to think over the move as it would mean dropping a level.

Wakefield-based midfielder James Tetley, who also joined the club in the close season but has seen his outings limited, has been training with Nigel Clough’s Mansfield Town and is also wanted by the Chesterfield FC Community programme who also had former centre half Harrison Beeden, now at Whitby Town, with them.

The Campion tie will now be played weather permitting at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium on Tuesday, January 24 (7.45).

Please see details below to let people know about this game who might want to come along and support it and remember a great friend and team mate. Especially targeting ex-players of Brighouse Town or even the original Blakeborough, better known as Blakes team founded in 1963, but also open to anyone else who knew Gilly.
Couple of options: 1st just turn up, pay at the turnstile, have a beer with other friends and ex-team mates of Gilly and remember a top bloke.
Option 2: Join in the sponsorship of the game. £20 gets you entrance to the game, a free pint and free pie and pies or burger and chips and helps support the club, and a donation to the British Heart Foundation.
If you’d like to do the sponsorship, please let Josh know on 07799381499 to help with numbers. Please feel free to pass this on to any friends you feel might also be interested.
Thank you.