Brighouse Town ahead of their first home pre-season friendly on Saturday with Farsley Celtic (3.0) look set to lose their Player of the Season and leading goalscorer Jack Boyle.

Contracted Boyle, formerly with Huddersfield Town, Clyde and Thackley, has requested a move and wants Step 3 and higher football on the form that has been circulated to clubs of that stature earlier this week. Boyle played 36 games last term, scoring 12 goals and making nine assists. In his three seasons with Town, the Leeds-based striker has made 76 starts, scored 21 goals and made 15 assists in total.

His impending move follows hot on the heels of co-striker Laurence Sorhaindo to Guiseley, skipper Tom Haigh to Emley, centre-back Matthew Nebard to Pontefract Collieries and fellow central defender Josh Dacre to Goole. .

From a squad of 20 that started last season, Town now only have five players in the eighteen that trained this week ahead of facing Celtic’s new National League North squad under new manager Clayton Donaldson.

Veteran striker Zeph Thomas, who was to be a coach this season, has also departed and signed for his hometown club in Doncaster, Rossington Main, so he can play for another season.

Cover goalkeeper Charlie English from the FC Halifax Town Academy is moving with his family based in Northowram to the midlands and has signed for United Counties League club Hucknall Town.

Others to have left are defender Sam Reed (Sheffield Wednesday), goalkeeper Brett Souter (club unknown, wing-back Mohammed Ibrahim to Ossett United along with midfielder Corey Gregory, central defender Aiden Lee Walker to Guiseley and wideman Alex King (club unknown).

Still on the register for the season ahead are goalkeeper Jamie Hassell, wideman Javelle Clarke, utility player Sam Drake, midfielder Josh Grant and frontman Mohammed Qasim.

Town had, as has been reported two weeks ago, wanted to resume pre-season friendlies with FC Halifax Town, but their secretary Tony Allen informed them that manager Chris Millington has filled his diary and then they disappointingly heard over the weekend the Shaymen will be fitting in another game with Farsley!

On Tuesday night, July 4, Town will entertain Bradford club Eccleshill United (7.30).

Pictured are from L to R. Joe Gill with baby Lennie Gill, Aaron Barkham, Dave Parker, Luke Heffernan and Ray McLaughlin.
Brighouse Town manager Vill Powell has a mammoth squad rebuilding programme ahead of him following the departure of eight players and a loanee.

As revealed in last week’s edition striker Laurence Sorhaindo has left the club for NPL Premier Division club Guiseley for what is described as an undisclosed financial package. No doubt the transfer fee for the contracted player includes add-ons if Sorhaindo, who was 26 last Tuesday, moves on to another club and possible appearances for his new club.

Also joining him at Nethermoor is 25-year-old Aiden Lee Walker, the former Mansfield Town and FC Halifax Town Academy centre-back who only lives at Bailiff Bridge a mile from Town’s ground. Town have no fee from his move up a divisions as he was non-contracted.

Two of the biggest shocks leaving Town’s squad are experienced midfielder Corey Gregory,30, and long serving wing-back Mohammed Ibrahim,27, who are both off down the road to Ossett United. Along with a lengthy list of clubs Gregory has played with the old Ossett Town club before their merger with Ossett Albion to form the United club three seasons ago.

Fullback Sam Reed will sign for Sheffield Wednesday on July 1 and contracted goalkeeper Brett Souter left the club towards the end of the season for a dual-registration loan spell at Selby Town.

It is understood that loanee midfielder Sam Drake has left and that wing-back Callum Charlton will not be retained.

There could be another shock on the cards as club captain Tom Haigh is in talks with his manager about stepping down a level to concentrate on his hairdressing work. Powell is hoping he can fix up a dual registration deal for the 27-year-old who has made 249 first team appearances for the club since signing on as a junior. Its the long distance games, particularly at night, that are the problem for Holmfirth-based Haigh.

Director of football Charlie Tolley says his manager is working flat out to build up the squad again that will commence its pre-season fixtures on July 1 with a home game against National League North club Farsley Celtic (3.0).

Town have lost their July 22 home friendly with Stalybridge Celtic following a takeover of the Greater Manchester club and a new manager coming in. They have also been informed by FC Halifax Town and Mansfield Town in the past few days, despite notice to them before the end of the season, that they have full pre-season fixture lists and cannot fit the Step 4 club in.

Former Halifax-based Brighouse Town, Spennymoor, Scarborough Athletic, Yorkshire Amateur and Liversedge striker Nathan Cartman has signed for Step 5 club Knaresborough Town.

As from this week the Town stadium at Hove Edge will see a change of name, co-chairman James Howard is standing aside with his Yorkshire Payments Company and coming in in his place is Luke Heffernan with his company LJ Heffernan Utilities.

Town have signed experience centre midfielder Luke Dean following his release from Liversedge who he joined last season from Guiseley.

The 32-year-old, who commenced his career at Bradford City and had a short loan spell at FC Halifax Town, has been on Vill Powell’s radar for the past two seasons.

Before joining Bradford Park Avenue, where he made 79 appearances, Dean was with Harrogate Town where Powell was coach. He is the club’s second signing in just over a week, fullback Brandon Webster having joined previously from Ossett United.

In the first eleven days of July Town will play four home pre-season friendlies Farsley Celtic the first on July 1, then Eccleshill United on July 4, Emley on the 8th and Bradford City on the 11th.

Defender Sam Reed, who leaves Town at the end of the month for a professional contract with Sheffield Wednesday, has been selected by managers in the NPL
East division for the side of the year
He will collect his accolade at he annual dinner and presentation in Blackpool on Saturday evening

We caught up with new signing Brandon Webster after signing for the club for the 2023/24 season

“I’m really pleased to have signed for Brighouse Town. When Vill told me his ambitions for the new season and the role I was going to play in the team, it was a no-brainer but to sign. A lot of players have come through the door at this club, developed and then have progressed to play at higher levels. It shows the club is going in the right direction and the management team are doing a great job in developing players in which it’s something I want to be apart of.

I am a very quick athletic player that can either play full back, wing back or as a winger. I am an attacking minded player that loves a trick to beat a player and to get crosses into the box. I am very comfortable on the ball and I love to play attractive football.

I was previously last season playing at Loughborough Dynamo and Ossett United. I have been in a professional background most of my playing career from being at Scunthorpe United from the age of 9 to 16 before afterwards having been at Sheffield United U23s for a short time. My aim is to get back into the professional game and environment with hopefully being given the opportunity too. My aim this season to to score a minimum of 10 goals and provide as many assists as possible.

Vill did his research about me, watching some of my previous games and he was really impressed with my attributes going forward and especially defensively in 1 vs 1 situations. When Ossett played Brighouse in the 4-0 defeat towards the end of last season, all the management said I was the best player so it was really encouraging to hear that they had noticed me and wanted me for this season. The team play attractive football and the management encourage players to express themselves.

I can’t wait to get started to showcase my attributes preseason and help the team to push for promotion this season.”

Brighouse Town are pleased to announce that Heffernan Utilities have agreed to become the new stadium sponsors. From the 1st of August, the home of Brighouse Town will become ‘The Heffernan Utilities Stadium’.

Heffernan Utilities are a local successful business that will shortly be relocating their head office into Brighouse and the close connection that already existed between the Heffernan family and Brighouse Town have been further strengthened by this partnership.

Luke, his senior management team, and work colleagues have long been visitors to games and sponsors of many individual initiatives but now come on board as one of the main club sponsors.

He commented  “We are delighted to continue our relationship with Brighouse Town FC, as a local business founded in Brighouse it made complete sense for us to further support the club by sponsoring the stadium during an exciting time for the football club. 

We are looking forward to watching the team from the sidelines and wish the staff and players the best of luck in the upcoming season.”

As a club we are delighted to have them on board and we look forward to seeing Luke and colleagues more at games and in Jimmys Bar.

We can this afternoon confirm the departure of Laurence Sorhaindo has joined Guiseley AFC for an undisclosed deal.

Laurence joined the club from Silsden in 2020 and has scored 29 goals in his time with the club in which injuries have prevented him from adding to that tally. His most prolific season came in the 2021/22 season where he scored 23 league goals.

Manager Vill Powell commented on Laurence’s departure “Laurence was great with us and great to work with. He has a lot of potential, unfortunately his time was marred with injuries with us but hopefully he’s over them now and can kick on. He’s a great lad in the dressing room, a great character and he goes with our best wishes”

Everyone at Brighouse Town wishes Laurence Sorhaindo all the best for the future and he’s welcome back down to the stadium at any time.