BRIGHOUSE TOWN warmed to this Saturday’s opening Pitching-In NPL East Division One home game with Hebburn Town (3.00) with a scintillating 4-1 home win over NPL Premier Division side Whitby Town.

Manger Vill Powell without eight regulars through holidays and injuries was overjoyed with the performance, arguable the best by a country mile from the other pre-season games across July.

Town were on the board after 22 minutes though Jack Normanton and it was no more than they deserved as they continually pressed forward. Town’s centre backs Matty Nebard and Harrison Beeden were more than a match for the seasiders strikeforce from a higher division who finished just outside the top six last term.

On the stroke of half-time Town increased their lead to 2-0 as powerul midfielder Elliott Harrison rifled in a 35-yarder which had the Whitby keeper grasping fresh air!

Town continued to hold sway, although in the 74th minute, Whitby centre forward Bradley Fewster came into the box from the right and fired home across the trialist keeper.

Three minutes later and Town restored their two goal lead when Copley-based Travis Atherton made it 3-1 after an all action assault on the Whitby goal.

The 148 crowd were treated to a fourth in 85th minute when Bradford City loanee Bobby Pointon, who looks a gem of a capture, finished off another first rate attack on the Whitby goal.

Two senior players who were missing through injury were last year’s leading goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo with a groin injury and midfielder Corey Gregory who is back training following ankle ligament damage sustained at Liversedge late last season. They are unlikely to figure against the Gateshead-based side who Town did the double over last season with 3-1 victories at both venues.

Hebburn played last Saturday in the Emirates Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup and lost 3-1 away to Northern League Division One club Sunderland RCA.

Town could give debuts to new signings in the past week in midfielder Sam Drake who has come on a dual registration from National League North club Farsley Celtic and Travis Atherton.

In fact, after last Saturday’s performance manager Vill Powell will have a selection headache to pick his side and those on the bench but its a good position to be in, he enthused.

Town’s management and players found out as they came off the pitch who they will play on Saturday week at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium in the Preliminary round of the FA Cup. Northern Counties East Premier Division club Penistone Church had gone to Anfield and beaten local side Lower Breck 2-0 with a goal in each half.

Town have over the past six years had several pre-season friendlies with Penistone and had mixed results. The supporters are looking for a cup run this time around after several lean years and the tie also sees after covid-19 the return of replays if all is level on 90 minutes. The FA Trophy, in which Town entertain Worksop Town on September 10, will remain with penalty shoot-outs if the scores are level on the final whistle.

Brighouse Town Football Club can confirm that James Hurtley has left the club.

James has been around the club for the last 9 years and has been an influential figure under each
management team showing his leadership, desire, and hard work to want to win football matches.

Manager Vill Powell commented “Any team is going to be disappointed to lose someone of James
Hurtley’s quality and presence around the place. James rejoined the club halfway through my first
season and he’s been top drawer ever since. I can’t fault what he has brought to the place, he’s a
positive character and has the experience in his locker and he’s been a class act. His quality on the
pitch is undeniable and it’s a shame to see him move on but I spoke to James in detail, and he has
had an approach this summer which he turned down but due to their situation they came in again
for him and to be honest when he said what the new club was offering, it’s in his interest to want to
take it.

He’s at a stage in his career and that sort of package he’s been offered you can’t refuse it. It was a
tough decision for James in the conversations that we had but from his point of view it was a no-
brainer with the financial package that was on offer, and we can’t compete with that. Good luck to
James, he will be missed in the changing room and I’m sure this won’t be the last time you see him
in a Brighouse shirt as you never know.”

Everyone at the club wants to wish James Hurtley all the best for the rest of his career and we send
our best wishes to him and his family. He will be welcome back at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium
any time.

BRIGHOUSE TOWN complete their pre-season programme on Saturday with a home game against NPL Premier Division side Whitby Town (3.0).

They lost their penultimate friendly last Friday night 5-1 with a Bradford City Select side but the scoreline did not reflect Town coming up against a side with a goalkeeper for the future in Heath Richardson. He denied Town two goals in the first half with great saves and three more in the second half and Town also hit the woodwork via Jack Boyle and Jack Normanton.

It was 1-1 at half-time, with the Bantams having taken a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute through Freddy Jeffreys and then Alex King equalising for Town in the 41st minute.

Wholesale changes at half-time for both clubs, but it was the visitors who took the lead again one minute into the half courtesy of Dylan Youmbi, before he extended the lead to 3-1 four minutes later.

Town had their chances to reduce the deficit but Richardson was the complete package in the City goal and denied Town after they had beaten the defence to strike on target.

City completed their scoring with a last ten minutes brace by Raekealan Jeffers but the Town faifhful in the 129 crowd went home wondering why there was a four goal void in the final score.

In the first half the fans were given an eye catching view of Bradford City loanee Bobby Pointon who captained his side before coming to the Yorkshire Payments Stadium until January 1.

He was a real thorn in the Town side and looks a very fine prospect and no doubt took the eye of Halifax-based Rochdale scout and former Halifax Town footballer David Worthington.

In the first half Town had in goal Huddersfield Town U-23 keeper Mikey Roxborough. Town keeper Brett Souter is still recovering from a closed season knee operation and Town’s other keeper is Charlie English who played in the second half of the game.

Last season’s leading goalscorer Laurence Sorhaindo missed the game with a slight groin strain from the Guiseley game but should be fine for the opening home NPL East Division One game with Hebburn Town on Saturday week (3.0).

Hebburn finished just below Town last season and Vill Powell’s men completed a double over the Tynesiders with an identical scoreline of 3-1. Several more senior players were also missing owing to taking holidays before the season begins. Centre back Aiden Walker, formerly of Mansfield Town, did make his comeback in the second half after his long time out with a leg injury and he would welcome the game time.

BRIGHOUSE TOWN are steadily increasing their squad and seeing players return after lengthy injury concerns with just sixteen days to the start of the season on Saturday, August 13.

In the past week they have put pen to paper with left-sided player Callum Charlton, 25, a former Town junior who has since gone on to play with Huddersfield Town academy, AFC Emley, Albion Sports and Yorkshire Amateur. He has shown up well in recent pre-season games along with fellow new recruit Mohammad Qasim, 22, who also comes from Yorkshire Amateur club.

Assistant manager Stacy Reed says he can play anywhere across the front three and possesses real pace as well as skill.

Another trialist, midfielder Sam Drake from the Farsley Celtic club, has yet to commit.

Experienced midfielder Cory Gregory, who suffered a serious ankle injury at Liversedge in the Easter Monday derby game, is back in training now, and, again according to Reed, is running and working back to fitness.

Centre half Aaron Walker, 22, who came to the club half way through last season after being on the books of Mansfield Town, only to suffer a knee injury when looking good, has had an operation in close season and is getting back to full fitness, Forward Myron Gibbons, Town’s first signing this close season from Rossington Main, Doncaster, is working back to fitness from an ankle injury.

Last Friday evening Town beat Guiseley 3-1 thanks to a seven minute first half-hat-trick from recently returned striker Jack Normanton. Town had been a goal down after just four minutes when the relegated National League North side had gone ahead through a trialist after a poor back pass was intercepted. Normanton equalised two minutes later and then bagged his brace on nine minutes and then in the 14th minute he lobbed the Guiseley goalkeeper for this third and a scoreline of 3-1.

That is how the score remained at full time despite Town’s Bradford City trialist Bobby Pointon having one in the net midwaty through the second half only for the flag to go up for a debateable offside.

Town entertain a Bradford City Select side on Friday night (7.30) in their penultimate pre-season friendly, Whitby Town pulling down the curtain on a raft of games on Saturday, August 6 (3.0).

The final of the Yorkshire Trophy pre-season competition took place on Saturday at Clayborn, home of Liversedge and Bradford club Campion, whose manager is Ainley Top-based ex-Town asisstant Lee Ashforth, took the impressive trophy with a 2-1 victory over Garforth Town.

Town held their AGM last Thursday and chairman James Howard informed members, volunteers and supporters present, that he had opted to carry on despite in June saying he would stand aside at the AGM.

Illness and pressure of work at his successful business, Yorkshire Payments, based on Bethel Street, Brighouse, had been two contributory factors. However he informed that he had realised after releasing a personal statement how much he would miss being involved and wanted to be a major force in the club’s progress.

For the first time in their non-league career Town will also have a co-chairman in Chris Lister, a long term executive committeeman and a former Town player who will work alongside Mr Howard. Charlie Tolley will continue in his role as vice-chairman and director of football.

Campion beat Garforth Town 2-1 in the final of the Yorkshire Trophy played at Liversedge FC today.

BRIGHOUSE TOWN had to alter Tuesday evening’s Yorkshire Trophy tie with Horbury Town when the Wakefield area side asked for the game in view of the Red Alert heat warnings to be moved to Wednesday night.

Town’s progress to the final ended with a 1-1 draw, their goal coming in the 61st minute with a blistering shot from 30 yards out by Sam Drake. In the 84th minute John Bennett equalised for Horbury who put in a very good performance for the crowd of 78.

The final will now be between Campion, unbeaten in three games in the other group and Garforth Town. We should have the venue and date for you later today.

A busy Town also have the National League North side Guiseley visiting on Friday night (7.30-please note the earlier time).

Last Saturday Vill Powell’s men drew 1-1 with Eccleshill United in now their annual pre-season friendly. The Bradford side took the lead in the 58th minute and then Jack Boyle replied for Town two minutes later with a beautifully executed free kick.

Powell has now left the squad in the capable hands of his assistant Stacy Reed and coach John Francis while he gets in a family holiday in Jamaica ahead of the last two home pre-season friendlies with Bradford City on Friday, July 29 and Whitby Town on August 6 and then the first Pitching In Northern Premier League

Division One East home game with Hebburn Town one week later.

It is understood with the demise of the Yorkshire Amateur club in the past week that two unnamed players are heading for the Yorkshire Payments Stadium while Tadcaster Albion have jumped in for the club’s former Gibraltar international and Farsley Celtic striker Adam Priestley.

Wing back Darius Smith, who was released at the end of last season, is having trials with AFC Fylde.

Last Sunday, Town played host to a Daniel Wilkinson Foundation match. Daniel passed away in 2016 when playing for the now defunct Barnsley club Shaw Lane that had been expected to climb all the way up the football pyramid.

Daniel’s parents attended along with the NPL chairman Mark Harris.

Former Town coach Paul Quinn took the Brighouse Town Select side which lost 6-4 to a Shaw Lane X1.

In view of the hot and sunny afternoon the game was played over two 30 minute periods.

After just two minutes Oscar Radford put Shaw Lane in the lead before 10 minutes later Leon Osborne equalised for Town.
On 20 minutes Jonathon Wafula put Shaw Lane in the lead again before former Town goalkeeper Harry Stead, playing out, equalised on 25 minutes.
and that is how stayed until the half-time whistle.
Five minutes into the new half Alex Byrne made it 3-2 for the south Yorkshire visitors before current Town player Alex King made it 3-3 on 39 minutes.
Two minutes later and Bryne bagged his brace and put the visitors 4-3 up. Former Town assistant manager to Quinn at the time and now a leading official of the West Riding County FA, Lee Ashforth made 4-4 with a penalty conversion.
Byrne completed his hat-trick on 55 minutes and three minutes later he made sure of the game with his fourth and the scoreline of 6-4.
The day raised £750 between entrance and raffle for the foundation.