A club that's going places
BRIGHOUSE Town Football Club has well and truly arrived in non-league football after their tenth successive league victory on Tuesday night at Bottesford Town.
Playing on a superb pitch which only 24 hours earlier had provided England U21 manager-coach Stuart Pearce with a surface to coach his boys ahead of last night's European Cup qualifying match with Greece U-21s at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium, Mark Brier's boys cemented their place at the top of the Koolsport NCEL Division One with a 4-0 win.
While the anoraks of non-league, the Northern Counties East League statisticians get out their record books and the club's vice chairman Ray McLaughlin swats up on club records since the inception days from forerunner Blakeborough Albion FC, the current boss has the job of keeping everyone's feet on the ground.
"I just hope now that this will really alert the local public to us and we can attract a lot more spectators and commercial interest in the club," said the manager.
"It's a hard ask on the public in these still hard times, although we do only charge 4 to come in and 2 for concessions but we have proved we have ambition and the players want to play for this club and the town of Brighouse."
Brier is delighted that former Leeds United midfielder Nathan Cartman has returned after a short sojourn to UniBond North Division One Harrogate Railway where he was a benchman for the most part.
"Nathan said to me he would only come back if the players wanted him back but that wasn't really up to them, that was Darren Attwood and my call, but I think he got his answer after he had scored last Saturday against Emley and the players in the celebration all dived on him.
"The players are all playing for each other and we just have to keep it going a game at a time. The next two games at Worsbrough Bridge on Saturday and again at Teversal next Tuesday will be severe tests.
"At Bottesford the home side were never at the races, testimony to our work rate.
"Danny Davidson's work rate and skill showed how easily he can play at a higher level, and already has been good for us on and off the pitch. On Tuesday it was a shame he didn't score a hat trick.
"He worked well up front with big Luke Sherman and our back four looked very solid and gets better as a unit each game.
"Saturday's match at Worsbrough is a potential banana skin of a game and we are without Luke Burgess, who works for Blackburn Rovers on their football in the community and is on a course and Sherman is away at Whitby on family business which was arranged some time ago.
"We will have Danny Toronczak back after work prevented him playing on Tuesday, Wayne Crossley warmed up with us on Tuesday after illness and injury have sidelined him and Andy Lockhart will also be available plus our three young subs from Tuesday night.
"We have another long trip on Tuesday night to Nottinghamshire and I must thank the lads for their commitment this Tuesday. Everyone one of them was there at 5pm on the dot for the coach trip into Lincolnshire and I also thank their bosses for being understanding as some do not normally finish work until 5.30pm."
Brier also shed light on the whereabouts of ex-Doncaster Rovers academy goalkeeper Lee Williams.
"He has had some family issues to deal with and is now coming back into training and we are all pleased to see him," said Brier, who has been delighted with the form of ex-Rotherham Utd academy custodian Reece Richardson in the meantime.
Town's secretary Malcolm Taylor has spent the last two days filling in forms so that Town will be able to compete in the 2010-11 FA Cup and FA Trophy next season.
McLaughlin informed Echo Sport that the roof went on the stand extension last week and that they have asked the NCEL League management committee to inspect the ground to give it a grading.
This is necessary both for the FA Cup, plus an update on the floodlights and also if they do make promotion, which is very much the aim.
Town's reserve team could be reinstated in the Halifax FA Cup at the expense of Ovenden WR who thrashed their weakened team 8-0 two weeks ago.
I understand that Town's secretary has made contact with the Halifax FA secretary Mick Bibby to point out that they feel their former player John Booth was ineligible.
Booth, who came to Town last season from Luddenden Foot and then returned to them last term when he couldn't commit to the away evening games and some training sessions, is said to have played seven games for Koolsport NCEL Division One club Glasshoughton Welfare managed by Steve Waddington, who is based in Halifax.
Town had to play a weakened side including many young and inexperienced under-19 players.
I understand that the rule allows for four appearances only in the semi-professional non-league competition. When contacted on Tuesday evening by Echo Sport, Mr Bibby for the Halifax FA said he wasn't prepared to comment.
By the time the Halifax FA management committee next convenes it is expected Town's official complaint from manager Rick Addy and assistant Darren Laycock will have reached him.
Town officials say they have a great deal of respect for long serving Ovenden official Steve Smith and can't understand how this error has escaped his eagle eyes.
TOWN'S reserves entertain Hall Green on Saturday (2.30) and welcome back Oliver Taylor after injury and new signing Glyn Hayley will make his debut. Glen O'Gara is still a couple of weeks away from his comeback, after his broken arm.
Manager Rick Addy will be hoping his squad don't pick up any injuries tonight (Thursday), when the U-19s travel to Liversedge (7.45).
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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