Ossett United v Stockton Town (16/08/22)

OSSETT UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

INGFIELD, PROSPECT ROAD, OSSETT, WF5 9HL

WELCOME TO INGFIELD

CLUB PRESIDENT: NEVILLE WIGGLESWORTH CHAIRMAN: JAMES ROGERS VICE-CHAIRMAN: PHIL SMITH SECRETARY: NEIL SPOFFORTH TREASURER: PAUL BILLING BOARD MEMBERS: LEE BROADBENT, STUART GARSIDE, JOE HANKS, STEVE HANKS TEAM MANAGEMENT: JAS COLLIVER, MARK WARD TEAM COACH: GARY MIDDLETON MATCH ANALYST: JACK SLOAN MEDICAL TEAM: EMILY CRISPIN MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING OFFICER: KATE HENNIGHAN HEAD OF MEDIA: CRAIG BIDDLESTONE MEDIA TEAM: CHRIS BOYD, LUCY BURNS, CHRIS CASSIDY, OWEN GERRARD, JON HUNT, ADAM LUNAT, KEITH WOOD PROGRAMME DESIGN: CHRIS BOYD, NEIL SPOFFORTH Club Honours – Ossett United, Ossett Town, Ossett Albion

Ingfield Stadium

West Riding County Senior Cup Winners: 1949/50 West Riding County Cup Winners: 1958/59, 1964/65, 1965/66, 1967/68, 1981/82, 1998/99, 2018/19 Runners Up: 2000/01 Northern Premier League First Division Runners Up: 2001/02 Play-off Runners Up: 2016/17 Northern Counties East Premier Division Winners: 1998/99, 2003/04 Runners Up: 1998/99, 2000/01

Official Teamwear Suppliers

Northern Counties East First Division Winners: 1986/87 Northern Counties East Second Division Winners: 1988/89 Club Records FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round: 1965/66, 2003/04, 2005/06, 2012/13, 2017/18 (R) Second Qualifying Round: 2019/20 FA Trophy Second Round: 1999/00 First Round: 2001/02, 2004/05, 2012/13 Second Qualifying Round: 2018/19

Main Club Sponsor

OSSETT UNITED IS A TRADING NAME OF OSSETT UNITED LIMITED, A PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES. IT IS A COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES. IT IS REGISTERED AT COMPANIES HOUSE, COMPANY NUMBER 11162425. THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE WITH SIGNIFICANT CONTROL. J. ROGERS (31.525%) AND D. ROGERS (25.5%)

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WELCOME TO INGFIELD JAMES ROGERS, CHAIRMAN LEAVE WITH ALL THREE POINTS AND A CLEAN SHEET TOO IS A VERY GOOD ACHIEVEMENT.

JOE STACEY

HAS MADE A FANTASTIC START TO HIS

CAREER HERE, ANOTHER ASSIST ON SATURDAY TO ADD TO HIS GOAL AND ASSIST IN THE FA CUP. HE PICKED UP MAN OF THE MATCH AT THE WEEKEND AND IT WAS A CLOSE RUN THING WITH

OLLIE FEARON

PROVIDING A

MASTERCLASS IN HOW TO LEAD THE LINE AND ADDING A GREAT GOAL TO OPEN HIS ACCOUNT.

THE I’D

LIKE TO WELCOME PLAYERS, OFFICIALS AND

STOCKTON TOWN WHO HAVE MADE THE JOURNEY SOUTH FOR TODAY’S FIXTURE. OUR VISITORS WILL BE FULL OF CONFIDENCE AFTER AN OPENING DAY VICTORY OVER WORKSOP TOWN, WHO SUPPORTERS FROM

MANAGEMENT TEAM HAVE PUT TOGETHER A GOOD

QUALITY SQUAD, ONE OF THE STRONGEST HERE IN ALL HONESTY.

IN

I HAVE SEEN

PREVIOUS YEARS STRENGTH

IN DEPTH HAS BEEN AN ISSUE AND THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE THIS SEASON WITH REAL COMPETITION FOR PLACES AND GAME CHANGERS ON THE BENCH.

AFTER THEIR SUMMER RECRUITMENT WILL BE EXPECTING TO BE PROMOTED THIS SEASON.

AS

WILL

STOCKTON

AFTER MISSING OUT IN THE PLAY-

OFFS THEMSELVES LAST SEASON SO TODAY WILL BE A REAL TEST OF WHERE WE ARE OURSELVES AFTER A VERY POSITIVE START TO THE SEASON WITH

2-0

WINS OVER

NEW MILLS IN THE FA CUP THEN AT CARLTON TOWN IN OUR OPENING LEAGUE FIXTURE. CARLTON TOWN ONLY MISSED OUT ON A PLAY-OFF PLACE LAST SEASON BY ONE PLACE IN THE MIDLANDS DIVISION BEFORE THEIR LATERAL TRANSFER TO THE

EAST DIVISION FOR THIS SEASON. THE CONDITIONS ON SATURDAY

LIKE TO FINISH THESE NOTES WITH A CHANGE OF

SPORT, WERE NOT EASY FOR

ANYONE INVOLVED WITH THE TEMPERATURE OVER DEGREES FOR THE DURATION OF THE FIXTURE.

30

THE LADS PERFORMED ADMIRABLY AND THE GAME PLAN PUT TOGETHER BY JAS AND WARDY FOR THE FIXTURE WAS FOLLOWED TO A TEE. IT WAS CERTAINLY A DIFFICULT OPENING DAY FIXTURE ON PAPER SO TO

4

I’D

SOME

COLLEAGUE

OF

YOU

MAY

HAVE

DIRECTOR JOE HANKS

NOTICED

MISSES

MY

SATURDAY

GAMES AT THE START OF THE SEASON, THIS IS BECAUSE HE PLAYS CRICKET FOR LOCAL CRICKET CLUB, PLEDWICK CC. ON SATURDAY HE HIT A HUGE SIX TO NOT ONLY WIN

100 FINISHING ON 103 NOT OUT. THE GAME BUT TO REACH

FOR THE FIRST TIME,

CONGRATULATIONS JOE! WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

PRESIDENTS ADDRESS NEVILLE WIGGLESWORTH TWO

WINS FROM OUR FIRST TWO GAMES AND BOTH

WITHOUT CONCEDING A GOAL EQUALS OUR BEST START TO A SEASON SO FAR.

WITHOUT WISHING TO SOUND TOO DISMISSIVE OF NEW MILLS AND CARLTON TOWN, HOWEVER, I’M PRETTY SURE THAT THIS EVENING’S VISITORS STOCKTON TOWN WILL PROVIDE US WITH A MUCH STERNER TEST THAN WE HAVE FACED TO DATE. STOCKTON

REACHED THE

DIVISION ONE EAST

PLAY-

OFFS AT THE END OF LAST SEASON AND OPENED THIS TIME AROUND WITH A 2–1 HOME VICTORY AGAINST MUCH-FANCIED

WORKSOP TOWN. THEY’LL BE PLEASED WITH THAT FIRST DAY OF THE SEASON OUTCOME BUT I’D BE WILLING TO SUGGEST THAT THEY WILL BE EQUALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE TREMENDOUS ATTENDANCE AT THAT GAME WHICH TOTALLED 1014.

WELCOMING STOCKTON

TO INGFIELD TONIGHT BRINGS

BACK MEMORIES OF LAST SEASON’S ENCOUNTER HERE WHEN

STRIVE FOR IMPROVEMENTS.

OSSETT

GRABBED A DRAMATIC LAST GASP WINNER COURTESY OF JAMES WALSHAW. AFTER A SOMEWHAT FRUSTRATING PRE- SEASON PERIOD FOR

JAMES’S

REPLACEMENT OLLIE FEARON, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THE LATTER GET HIS NAME ON THE SCORE SHEET AT

CARLTON

ON SATURDAY. THIS WAS A JUST AND PLEASING REWARD FOR A VERY COMPETENT ALL-ROUND PERFORMANCE

BY

OUR

NEW

STRIKER.

IF

OUR

SECRETARY NEIL SPOFFORTH’S SNIPPET OF TRIVIA IS CORRECT, AND IT USUALLY IS, THE WIN AT CARLTON TOWN WAS OUR FIRST AWAY VICTORY SINCE BOXING DAY 2021 WHEN WE SUCCEEDED BY THREE GOALS TO TWO AWAY AT TADCASTER ALBION. AT THIS TIME IN THE CALENDAR MY USUAL THRUST IN PROGRAMME NOTES IS TO COMMENT ON GROUNDWORK CARRIED OUT OVER THE CLOSE SEASON. I ALWAYS SAY THAT, IN REGARD TO FOOTBALL GROUNDS AT WHATEVER LEVEL, YOU CAN’T STAND STILL AND MUST CONTINUALLY

6

THE ALTERNATIVE IS THAT

IF YOU DO STAND STILL THERE IS ALMOST INEVITABLY A DETERIORATION.

THE

TWO MAJOR PROJECTS LAST YEAR WERE THE NEW PITCH PERIMETER BARRIER AND THE NEW FLOODLIGHTS BOTH OF WHICH, OF COURSE, HAD TO BE CARRIED OUT

BY SPECIALIST CONTRACTORS AND ONCE COMPLETED WERE OBVIOUSLY VERY EVIDENT TO SUPPORTERS VISITING THE GROUND.

THIS TIME THE MAJOR PROJECT HAS BEEN IN RESPONSE TO LAST SEASON’S OFFICIAL GROUND GRADING VISIT LAST MARCH

BY THE NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE’S GROUND GRADING INSPECTORS. FOLLOWING THAT VISIT WE WERE AWARDED A ‘C’ GRADE WHICH MEANS THAT, SHOULD WE QUALIFY FOR PROMOTION, WE HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED THE GRADING REQUIRED FOR THE COMPETITION AT THE HIGHER LEVEL WITH NO SPECIFIED WORK TO DO.

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PRESIDENTS ADDRESS NEVILLE WIGGLESWORTH THE

CURRENT SITUATION IS THAT CLUBS CAN ACHIEVE

NOT ONLY IN EXPERTISE BUT ALSO IN HELPING TO

PROMOTION EVEN THOUGH THEIR GROUND MAY NOT BE

MAINTAIN FLAGGING MORALE BY AT LEAST SOUNDING

UP TO SCRATCH BUT THEY HAVE UNTIL THE END OF

AUTHORITATIVE

MARCH

MISTAKENLY THINKING HE WAS ATTENDING A CLUB MEETING WITH THE MANAGEMENT, AND RYAN GLOVER

IN THAT SEASON TO OBTAIN THE NECESSARY GRADING OR RELEGATION MAY BE THE CASE SHOULD THEY FAIL TO DO SO.

HENCE

THE DEMISE OF

AT

ALL

TIMES!

DAVE BALLARD,

TURNED UP ONCE AND STOOD AROUND DOING LITTLE OR

YORKSHIRE AMATEUR

IN OUR

NOTHING OTHER THAN OBSERVE OTHERS SWEATING

DUGOUT SIDE OF THE GROUND.

DAVE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY AND TO HIS CREDIT, DID LIFT A COUPLE OF PANELS! THOUGH NOT FINISHED YET THANKS TO EVERYONE ABOVE FOR ALL THE BLOOD (MICK JAVENS), SWEAT (JASON THACKRAH AND NICK GOUGH) AND TEARS (EVERYONE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER)

DAD’S ARMY (MYSELF, JOHN HIRST AND STUART GARSIDE) WHOM JASON THACKRAH RATHER UNKINDLY

AND FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN GETTING ANOTHER JOB CROSSED OFF THE LIST. WE HOPE ONE UNSIGHTLY PART

LEAGUE LAST SEASON.

THE

DEVELOPMENT OVER THIS SUMMER, FOLLOWING A RECOMMENDATION RATHER THAN A REQUIREMENT BY THE GRADING COMMITTEE, HAS BEEN THE PROVISION OF A SOLID CONSTRUCTION (JARGON FOR WALL) ON THE

COMMENTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA HAD A COMBINED AGE OF

437

SET ABOUT

(WITH

THOUGH

OF THE GROUND HAS BEEN SUITABLY IMPROVED.

NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

WHATSOEVER) TACKLING THE WORK.

THE

THREE

SEPTUAGENARIANS WERE SUBSEQUENTLY JOINED BY VOLUNTEER MICK JAVENS, WHO DID NOTHING TO LOWER THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE GROUP BUT NEVERTHELESS DID A STERLING JOB.

SIMON

AND

WAYNE HUDSON

SHIFTS UNTIL THEY GOT THACKRAH’S HELP AND

ALSO PUT IN SEVERAL FED UP AND JASON BRAWN CANNOT BE

UNDERESTIMATED.

SIMILARLY NICK GOUGH WHO PROVED TO BE EXCELLENT

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THE DUGOUT JAS COLLIVER & MARK WARD G OOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO ALL OFFICIALS, SUPPORTER AND PLAYERS OF STOCKTON TOWN WHO HAD AN UNBELIEVABLE WIN ON SATURDAY AGAINST TITLE FAVOURITES W ORKSOP TOWN. HOPEFULLY THEY TRAVEL SAFE BUT NOT VERY WELL FOR THIS TUESDAY NIGHT FIXTURE, BONKERS IF YOU ASK ME! W E TRAVEL UP TO D UNSTAN NEXT TUESDAY BUT I SUPPOSE YOU HAVE TO JUST GET ON WITH WHAT EVER FIXTURES ARE THROWN AT YOU. W E APPROACH TONIGHT’S GAME WITH CONFIDENCE AFTER A SOLID END TO LAST SEASON AND A POSITIVE START TO THIS YEAR. W E ARE STILL VERY MUCH A WORK IN PROGRESS, WE SEE MANY POSITIVES IN THE GAME BUT ALSO PLENTY OF AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, BOTH MYSELF AND W ARDY WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH THE LADS OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONES TO HELP THEM IMPROVE AS INDIVIDUALS BUT THE MAIN AIM IS GELLING AND BEING BETTER AS A COLLECTIVE.

W E FEEL IN BOTH GAMES WE HAVE DOMINATED THE BALL, BEEN PHYSICAL AND CREATED CHANCES TO WIN BY MORE THIS CAN ONLY BE A GOOD PLATFORM TO BUILD ON BUT WE ARE AWARE TONIGHT WILL BE OUR TOUGHEST TEST YET AGAINST A TEAM THAT IS TIPPED FOR A TOP FIVE FINISH.

AGAINST N EW M ILLS WE WON EVERY AREA OF THE GAME AND ALL THE STATISTICS SHOWED THAT, I’M CONFIDENT AGAINST C ARLTON THE STATS WILL SHOW THAT TOO. W E DECIDED TO ROTATE THE SQUAD SLIGHTLY AND IT PAID OFF ON SATURDAY. AS A WHOLE GROUP THE LADS HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS SO FAR, EVEN THOSE WHO HAVEN’T KICKED A BALL AS OF YET. IT FEELS LIKE A GROUP OF LADS ALL PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHICH IS REALLY PLEASING. W E WON’T KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WE WILL BE FAIR, WHEN THE CHANCE COMES LADS NEED TO TAKE IT. IT’S A FIFTY GAME SEASON SO PLAYERS WILL GET OPPORTUNITIES WHETHER THAT’S THE FIRST 25 GAMES OR THE LAST THEY WILL ALL CONTRIBUTE.

ON SATURDAY WE ENJOYED THE WIN WITH OUR FABULOUS FANS WHO ENJOYED A FEW DODGY INITIATIONS TOO ON THE WAY HOME, IT’S GREAT TO SEE US TRAVELLING IN NUMBERS AND GETTING RIGHT BEHIND THE PLAYERS. IT’S HARD TO SINGLE INDIVIDUALS OUT BECAUSE SO FAR WE HAVE DONE WELL AS A COLLECTIVE BUT WE FEEL FEARO DESERVES A SPECIAL MENTION, HE DESERVED HIS GOAL ON SATURDAY AFTER HOW HARD HE HAS WORKED ON THE PITCH ALL SUMMER BUT PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST TWO GAMES HE SETS THE TONE AND LADS FOLLOW. H E’S BEEN IMMENSE.

ENJOY TONIGHT’S GAME, THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

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CLUB PROFILES TEAM MANAGEMENT JAS COLLIVER - MANAGER JAS WAS APPOINTED AS MANAGER ON CHRISTMAS EVE 2021. HIS MOST RECENT ROLE WAS AT GRANTHAM TOWN WORKING ALONGSIDE CARLTON PALMER, HE ALSO HAS EXTENSIVE MANAGERIAL EXPERIENCE AT STAVELEY MINERS WELFARE, SHEFFIELD AND HANDSWORTH.

MARK WARD - MANAGER ‘WARDY’ WAS APPOINTED ALONGSIDE COLLIVER. THE FORMER ENGLAND YOUTH INTERNATIONAL LED BUXTON ON A 20-GAME UNBEATEN RUN AT THE START OF THE 2021/22 SEASON AND PRIOR TO THAT HAS BEEN INVOLVED AT AFC MANSFIELD AND HEDNESFORD TOWN, AMONGST OTHERS.

GARY MIDDLETON - COACH MAKING OVER 1000 APPEARANCES AS A DEFENDER IN HIS PLAYING DAYS, ‘MIDI’ PLAYED ALONGSIDE COLLIVER AT STOCKSBRIDGE PARK STEELS AND WAS HIS ASSISTANT AT SHEFFIELD FC. ‘MIDI’ HAS EXTENSIVE COACHING EXPERIENCE AND IS A VALUABLE MEMBER OF THE MANAGEMENT TEAM.

EMILY CRISPIN – SPORTS THERAPIST EMILY GRADUATED FROM LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY WITH A BSC HONOURS IN SPORT AND EXERCISE THERAPY. SHE IS ALSO QUALIFIED IN FIRST AID AT WORK AND TRAUMA MANAGEMENT WITHIN SPORT.

JACK SLOAN – DATA ANALYST JACK HAS ASSISTED THE COACHING TEAM AS THE CLUB’S DATA ANALYST SINCE THEIR APPOINTMENT IN DECEMBER 2021. THE ROLE IS PROVIDING JACK WITH VALUABLE EXPERIENCE, AS HE BEGINS STUDYING SCIENCE OF SPORTS PERFORMANCE AT LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY THIS YEAR.

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PLAYER PROFILES EDD HALL - SPONSORED BY: FOOTBALL BOOK REVIEWS EDD JOINED THE CLUB IN JANUARY 2022 AND IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED AS ONE OF THE BEST GOALKEEPERS AT STEP FOUR AND WAS VOTED AS THE SECOND-BEST GOALKEEPER IN THE NPL EAST FOR THE 21/22 SEASON. EDD HAS NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH EXPERIENCE HAVING PLAYED FOR BRADFORD PARK AVENUE AND FARSLEY CELTIC.

JAKE TEALE – SPONSORED BY ADAMSON FAMILY JAKE IS A YOUNG GOALKEEPER, FORMERLY OF YORK CITY, WHO HAS IMPRESSED JAS AND WARDY SINCE THEIR APPOINT. JAKE IS A KEY MEMBER OF THE SQUAD AND HAS NOT LET THE SIDE DOWN WHEN CALLED UPON.

PRINCE ATTAKORAH ATTAKORAH WAS PART OF THE ACADEMY AT ROTHERHAM UNITED AND CHESTERFIELD AND HAS ALSO PLAYED FOR HARROGATE TOWN’S U23S. PRINCE IMPRESSED LAST SEASON WHEN CALLED UPON AND WILL BE LOOKING TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF IN THE SQUAD THIS SEASON

BRAD BEATSON – SPONSORED BY: LIAM MOORE-MCCLUSKEY BEATSON IS A CENTRAL DEFENDER WHO JOINED THE CLUB FROM FRICKLEY ATHLETIC DURING THE 21/22 SEASON, MAKING 16 APPEARANCES. THE FORMER SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY TRAINEE WAS ONE OF JAS’ FIRST SIGNINGS AND A PLAYER HE HAD TARGETED PREVIOUSLY.

JACK COWGILL – SPONSORED BY: JAMES & DAWN ROGERS FORMERLY OF BARNSLEY, COWGILL MADE HIS EFL DEBUT IN 2014 AGAINST WALSALL. HE ENJOYED LOAN SPELLS AT BRAINTREE AND FYLDE BEFORE SIGNING FOR BOSTON UNITED. COWGILL SIGNED FOR NOSTELL MW WHERE HE REDISCOVERED HIS LOVE FOR THE GAME BEFORE SIGNING FOR OSSETT UNITED IN THE SUMMER OF 2019. JACK IS OUR CLUB CAPTAIN.

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PLAYER PROFILES TOM CROPPER – SPONSORED BY: ROY TAYLOR & RICHARD FARRELL TOM WAS A LONG-TERM TARGET OF JAS & WARDY’S BEFORE JOINING THE CLUB IN JULY 2022. THE FORMER AFC MANSFIELD SKIPPER IS AN ATHLETIC, NONONSENSE DEFENDER WHO IS KNOWN TO ALSO CHIP IN WITH GOALS AT TIMES.

HARRY GAGEN – SPONSORED BY: LJB JOINERY AFTER A LOAN SPELL AT INGFIELD IN 2020, GAGEN SIGNED PERMANENTLY FOR THE CLUB UPON HIS RELEASE FROM BARNSLEY FC. ‘GADGE’ ESTABLISHED HIMSELF IN THE FIRST TEAM LAST SEASON, WINNING THE PLAYER’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD.

ROSS HARDAKER - SPONSORED BY: PAUL COOPER ROSS HARDAKER IS VERY POPULAR WITH PLAYERS AND SUPPORTERS ALIKE. HE HAS PLAYED FOR BOTH ALBION AND TOWN AND MADE HIS DEBUT AS A 15-YEAROLD, FOLLOWING A SPELL PLAYING IN GERMANY. DESPITE TALK OF A STATUTE BEING BUILT IN OSSETT FOR THE CULTURED FULL BACK, THE RUMOURS SO FAR ARE UNFOUNDED.

CONNOR HODGSON – SPONSORED BY: JAYNE OGLEY & RED BRICK FACILITIES MANAGEMENT CONNOR IS A SUMMER SIGNING FROM BARNSLEY, A CLUB HE JOINED AT THE AGE OF EIGHT. HE IS EQUALLY ADEPT IN A NUMBER OF POSITIONS AND MADE APPEARANCES IN THE BARNSLEY U23 SIDE TO AIDE HIS DEVELOPMENT. HODGSON WAS TARGETED BY SEVERAL CLUBS BEFORE AGREEING TO JOIN OSSETT UNITED.

TOM DEIGHTON TOM MADE THE STEP UP INTO THE FIRST TEAM SQUAD LAST SEASON FROM THE U18S, WHERE HE WAS PART OF THE TEAM THAT REACHED THE FA YOUTH CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME. TOM IS AN ATTACKING MIDFIELDER WHO IS GOOD ON THE BALL AND HAS AN EYE FOR GOAL.

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CLUB PROFILES MICHAEL HOLLINGSWORTH – SPONSORED BY: SCOTTISH SUPPORTERS CLUB FORMERLY OF BOSTON UNITED, GRANTHAM AND MATLOCK, HOLLINGSWORTH HAS ALSO PLAYED FOR PICKERING TOWN AND FRICKLEY ATHLETIC. IN 2012/13, WAS VOTED “APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR” AT NOTTINGHAM FOREST. HE IS A NATURAL LEADER AND WILL BRING EXPERIENCE, QUALITY, AND WORK ETHIC TO OUR MIDFIELD.

OLI METCALFE – SPONSORED BY: SPOFF & KATE OLI SPENT THE SECOND HALF OF THE 21/22 SEASON ON LOAN FROM GUISELEY BEFORE MAKING THE MOVE PERMANENT THIS SUMMER. THE CENTRAL MIDFIELDER HAS GONE FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AS HE LOOKS TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF IN THE SIDE.

METCALFE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS A KEY PLAYER AT INGFIELD.

CRAIG NELTHORPE – SPONSORED BY: JOHN BOWKER A KEY PLAYER IN JAS & WARDY’S SQUAD, NELTHORPE IS AN EXPERIENCED PLAYER WITH FOOTBALL LEAGUE EXPERIENCE AT DONCASTER ROVERS AND DARLINGTON. CRAIG HAS ALSO PLAYED FOR SEVERAL NATIONAL LEAGUE SIDES AND WILL ADD STEEL TO THE SIDE AND DANGEROUS SET PIECES TO THE TEAM.

DANNY WARD SIGNED IN THE SUMMER OF 2022 AFTER IMPRESSING THE MANAGEMENT WHILST ON TRIAL, DANNY IS A FIT, STRONG, BOX TO BOX MIDFIELDER WITH A GREAT ATTITUDE. HE HAS PREVIOUSLY PLAYED IN THE NCEL AND WANTS TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO STEP UP THE THE NPL AND PROVE HIMSELF.

DAN WASSELL – SPONSORED BY: OSSETT TOWN JUNIORS DAN IS YOUNG MIDFIELDER WHO PREVIOUSLY PLAYED FOR OSSETT TOWN JUNIORS FROM THE AGE OF FIVE, BEFORE JOINING SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY AS A 15-YEAR-OLD. THE ATTACKING MIDFIELDER PLAYED FOR WEDNESDAY’S U18S AND U23S AND WILL BRING DANGER AND EXCITEMENT TO ATTACKS.

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PLAYER PROFILES GOALKEEPERS

LUKE ALDRICH – SPONSORED BY: THE HANKS FAMILY LUKE IS A SUMMER SIGNING FROM ECCLESHILL UNITED WHERE HE SCORED 25 TIMES LAST SEASON AS THE CLUB NARROWLY MISSED OUT ON PROMOTION TO THE

NPL. ALONG WITH HIS EYE FOR GOAL, HE IS A SELFLESS PLAYER AND LOOKS TO CREATE SPACE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIS TEAMMATES.

JUNAYD CASSIUS-GILL 21 YEAR OLD JUNAYD SPENT IS YOUTH AT HUDDERSFIELD TOWN AND BRADFORD CITY WITH NPL EXPERIENCE AT TADCASTER ALBION AND YORKSHIRE AMATEUR. HE CAN PLAY IN ANY OF THE ATTACKING POSITIONS AND WILL CERTAINLY EXCITE THE FANS WITH HIS ABILITY ON THE BALL

OLLIE FEARON – SPONSORED BY: KEITH & KATH WOOD MUCH SOUGHT AFTER, JAS AND WARDY ARE DELIGHTED TO ADD FEARON TO THE SQUAD THIS SEASON. OLLIE AVERAGED A GOAL EVERY TWO GAMES LAST SEASON AND IS A HARDWORKING FORWARD WHO WILL MAKE THE SIDE STRONGER ON AND OFF THE FIELD.

IFY OFOEGBU – SPONSORED BY: PAUL COOPER IFY MADE AN INSTANT IMPACT UPON SIGNING FROM GRANTHAM TOWN LAST SEASON, SCORING THE CLUBS GOAL OF THE SEASON ON HIS DEBUT, IN THE NEW YEAR’S DAY VICTORY OVER BRIGHOUSE TOWN. IFY IS A FAN FAVOURITE AND CEMENTED HIS POPULARITY FURTHER WITH A 96TH MINUTE WINNER VS SHEFFIELD FC LATE IN THE SEASON.

JACK WILSON – SPONSORED BY: BSP HYDRAULICS SIGNED ON LOAN FROM BRADFORD CITY, JACK IMPRESSED FOR THE BANTAMS IN A PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY AGAINST OSSETT UNITED, THE FORWARD HAS GREAT ABILITY AND WILL HOPE TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHARLIE WOOD AND BREAK INTO THE BRADFORD CITY FIRST TEAM SQUAD AFTER A LOAN SPELL AT INGFIELD.

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STOCKTON TOWN STOCKTON TOWN FC UNDER

WAS FORMED IN 1979 ORIGINAL NAME, HARTBURN

ITS

JUNIORS. ALTHOUGH TIME ARE SKETCHY,

WITH STOCKTON BOROUGH COUNCIL, STOCKTON SIXTH FORM COLLEGE AND OUR

WHO

LADY & ST BEDES SCHOOL TO DEVELOP THE FACILITIES AT THE SITE, BUILDING A NEW CLUBHOUSE AND CHANGING FACILITIES. THIS

AT THE TIME WAS COACHING YOUNGSTERS FROM THE HARTBURN AREA OF STOCKTON AT

DEVELOPMENT WAS THE SPRINGBOARD FOR A FURTHER EXPANSION FOR THE CLUB.

YMCA. THE CLUB HOME COLOURS OF YELLOW/ROYAL SHIRTS AND ROYAL SHORTS ESTABLISHED THEN, REMAINS THE SAME NOW. THROUGHOUT THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES HARTBURN JUNIORS CONTINUED TO GROW AND OPERATE AS A JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB, COMPETING IN THE TEESSIDE JUNIOR FOOTBALL ALLIANCE. THE CLUB FROM TIME TO TIME HAD VARIOUS BASES AROUND THE TOWN,

THE NEXT STEP WAS TO INTRODUCE OPEN AGE MEN’S FOOTBALL TO THE CLUB. STOCKTON TOWN HAD PROVED VERY SUCCESSFUL IN

RECORDS AROUND THAT IT WOULD APPEAR THE

CLUB WAS FORMED BY

DERRICK SMALL,

THE LOCAL

BUT

THE

EARLY

MILLENNIUM

YEARS

OF

THE

NEW

SAW A MARKED CHANGE IN THE

OUR LADY BISHOPTON ROAD

PRODUCING TOP QUALITY YOUNG PLAYERS THAT THEN FROM AGE 16 WENT ON TO PLAY FOR VARIOUS LOCAL NON-LEAGUE TEAMS.

THE

CLUB DECIDED IT WANTED TO GIVE THESE YOUNGSTERS

AN

OPPORTUNITY

TO

STAY

WITHIN THE CLUB, SO IN THE 2009/10 SEASON, STOCKTON TOWN ENTERED A TEAM IN THE

TEESSIDE LEAGUE SECOND DIVISION,

USING A

CLUB AND A PERMANENT BASE AT

MIX OF PLAYERS FROM THE OUTGOING AND

ST BEDES SCHOOL ON WEST, STOCKTON. IT WAS FELT BY THE MEMBERS THAT THE CLUB'S NAME DIDN’T REALLY REFLECT THE AREA WHERE MOST PLAYERS CAME FROM. THE

CURRENT

OF

UNDER-18S.

THE

FIRST GAME IN SENIOR FOOTBALL WAS AN AWAY FIXTURE AT ST MARYS COLLEGE,

CLUB HAD GROWN AND NOW HAD PLAYERS

MIDDLESBROUGH, WHICH ENDED IN A 2-1 DEFEAT. HAVING LED THE LEAGUE FOR MOST OF THE SEASON, THEY FADED IN THE SPRING

WHO CAME FROM ALL OVER STOCKTON BOROUGH, SO IT WAS DECIDED TO CHANGE

TO FINISH FOURTH IN THEIR FIRST SEASON AS A TEAM. THE CLUB AND THE PLAYERS WERE

STOCKTON TOWN FOOTBALL

KEEN TO PROGRESS, AND, IN THE SUMMER OF

THE NAME TO

CLUB. THERE

WAS

ALSO

A

DESIRE

TO

2010,

STOCKTON

SUCCESSFULLY

RESURRECT A SENIOR FOOTBALL TEAM TO

APPLIED

REPRESENT THE TOWN OF STOCKTON AND IT WAS FELT THIS WOULD CREATE A GREAT

WEARSIDE LEAGUE FOR THE 2010/11 SEASON. THE TEAM STRUGGLED IN THE EARLY

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE WHOLE

PART

CLUB AND PROVIDE TO ACHIEVE THIS FROM

WEARSIDE LEAGUE,

GRASS ROOTS THROUGH A JUNIOR FOOTBALL

OF

CLUB WAS POSSIBLE.

IN APRIL 2008, MASSIVE

THE CLUB UNDERWENT A

INVESTMENT

TOTALLING

£1.4

MILLION, WHICH ALSO SAW A PARTNERSHIP

18

OF

FOR

TOWN

MEMBERSHIP

THEIR

FIRST

FOR

SEASON

IN

THE

THE

BUT AN IMPRESSIVE RUN

CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR SAW THEM FINISH A CREDITABLE 10TH. THE IMPROVEMENT CONTINUED IN 2011/12, WITH A THIRD-PLACE FINISH AND A LEAGUE CUP FINAL APPEARANCE, LOSING 2-0 TO RESULTS

AFTER

THE

STOCKTON TOWN RYHOPE CW. IN 2012/13, STOCKTON TOWN, WITH A SQUAD MADE-UP MAINLY OF YOUNG, LOCAL HOMEGROWN TALENT, WON THEIR FIRST TROPHY IN SENIOR FOOTBALL, CLINCHING THE WEARSIDE LEAGUE TITLE WITH A SPECTACULAR RUN-IN, WINNING THE FINAL 12 GAMES TO OVERHAUL WILLINGTON FC IN THE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON.

CLUB’S FIRST SEASON IN THE NORTHERN LEAGUE SECOND DIVISION BY WINNING THE

THE FOLLOWING SEASON, A SECOND WEARSIDE LEAGUE TITLE WAS WON A LITTLE EASIER, BUT BROUGHT ANOTHER CUP FINAL DEFEAT TO RYHOPE CW. THIS HERALDED THE

ATTENDANCE

START OF A PERIOD OF DOMINANCE IN THE

LEAGUE TITLE AND LOSING THE ERNEST ARMSTRONG MEMORIAL CUP FINAL TO NORTHALLERTON TOWN ON PENALTIES. IN A MEMORABLE FIRST CAMPAIGN IN THE NORTHERN LEAGUE, THE CLUB WAS VISIBLY GROWING

AND

TOPPED

CHARTS

FOR

THE

DIVISION TWO

(179). STOCKTON TOWN UNBELIEVABLY HAD RISEN FROM AN UNDER-18S TEAM TO NORTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE IN JUST EIGHT YEARS.

WEARSIDE LEAGUE FOR STOCKTON TOWN’S YOUNG, BUT MATURING SQUAD. IN 2014/15, THE CLUB COMPLETED THE CLEAN SWEEP OF LEAGUE TITLE, LEAGUE CUP, SHIPOWNERS CUP AND MONKWEARMOUTH CUP, A FEAT

THE 2017/18

ACHIEVED

LOSING THE FIRST EIGHT LEAGUE

ONLY

HISTORY OF THE

TWICE

BEFORE

IN

LEAGUE. UNBEATEN

THE

IN ALL

COMPETITIONS, THE TEAM MISSED OUT ON A ‘PERFECT’ SEASON BY LOSING THEIR GAME,

PENULTIMATE

LEAGUE

AWAY

TO

PRUDHOE. THE

NEXT SEASON SAW A FOURTH-

WEARSIDE LEAGUE TITLE ALONG WITH THE LEAGUE CUP AND MONKWEARMOUTH CUP BACK IN THE BISHOPTON ROAD TROPHY CABINET. DURING THIS PERIOD THE CLUB HAD BEEN WORKING CONSECUTIVE

AVERAGE

ALMOST

SEASON SAW A DISASTROUS,

TERMINAL,

START

TO

THE

FIRST

SEASON IN NORTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE, TURN INTO THE SEASON OF A LIFETIME FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED AT THE CLUB.

19 23 MATCHES, A

TEAM RALLIED TO WIN

AFTER GAMES, THE

AND DRAW ONE OF

THE NEXT RUN THAT SAW THE ANCHORS CLIMB THE TABLE TO SAFETY AND ALSO SET UP AN EXCITING RUN IN THE

VASE. THE

FA

HIGHLIGHT OF THIS WAS BEATING

WEST AUCKLAND TOWN IN THE FIFTH ROUND IN EXTRA-TIME OF A THRILLING GAME. COMPARATIVELY COMPETITION FAVOURITES

STRAIGHTFORWARD HOME VICTORIES AGAINST

WAS FINALLY ACHIEVED IN THE SPRING OF

STOURPORT SWIFTS AND WINDSOR FC SET UP AN ALL-NORTHERN LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL CLASH WITH CHAMPIONS-ELECT MARSKE UNITED. AN EPIC TWO-LEGGED AFFAIR TOOK PLACE, WITH BOTH GAMES PLAYED ON STOCKTON’S HOME GROUND, ENDING WITH

2016

AND SHORTLY AFTER THE CLUB OPENED

JOYOUS SCENES AND PITCH INVASIONS FROM

ITS STADIUM FACILITY WITH A LEAGUE GAME AGAINST HORDEN CW.

THE HUGE 1,800 CROWD AS STOCKTON TOWN EDGED OUT MARSKE UNITED 3-2 ON

THE

AGGREGATE TO CLINCH A PLACE AT

TO IMPROVE FACILITIES TO THE REQUIRED STANDARD TO GAIN PROMOTION TO THE NORTHERN LEAGUE AND AFTER TWICE BEING THWARTED AT THE LAST MINUTE, PROMOTION

2016/17

SEASON

SAW

THE

UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS CONTINUE IN THE

WEMBLEY. BEFORE THAT GLORIOUS DAY ARRIVED, THE

19

STOCKTON TOWN ANCHORS

GOT BACK DOWN TO BUSINESS IN THE LEAGUE AND WON SIX OF THE LAST SEVEN

LEAGUE

LEAGUE GAMES TO FINISH SIXTH, BUT MISS

BROUGHT

OUT

ON

A

LEAGUE

CUP

FINAL,

MATCHES. THEY WERE ON A 20-GAME UNBEATEN RUN WHEN THE CURTAIN WAS

GLORY.

SEMI-FINAL AFTER TWO TERRIFIC AWAY WINS AT MORPETH TOWN AND NORTH SHIELDS. THE FA VASE FINAL WAS A DAY TO

VASE, FINAL

REMEMBER AND A FANTASTIC OCCASION FOR

ALONG

CLUB,

AND

THE

WERE,

TEAM

PRETTY MUCH, STEAM ROLLING THEIR WAY TO

DISAPPOINTINGLY LOSING AT HOME IN THE

THE TOWN AND THE WHOLE OF THE

DOWN,

GOOD

FA CUP

RUNS IN THE

ALONG WITH A JAUNT TO THE OF THE DURHAM COUNTY

CAUSING AN UPSET AGAINST WAY,

THE

FA SEMICUP,

AND

SOUTH SHIELDS

LOOKED

TO

MERELY

BUT

PUNCTUATE WHAT SEEMED TO BE A RUNAWAY

DESPITE A BRAVE ATTEMPT THE LADS WENT DOWN 1-0 AGAINST THATCHAM TOWN, THE

PROMOTION AND TITLE-WINNING CAMPAIGN. RECORD CROWDS WERE SEEN NO LESS THAN

MEMORIES WILL LAST FOREVER.

THREE TIMES, WITH OVER

AFTER

ANOTHER

GOOD

FRUSTRATING SEASON IN

BUT

AT

2018/19,

TIMES

THE CLUB

MADE A SERIES OF KEY SIGNINGS IN THE CLOSE SEASON WITH A VIEW TO PUSHING FOR

STEP 4 AND THE PROPOSED ‘ADDITIONAL’ EAST DIVISION. THE RETURN OF PROLIFIC STRIKER JAMIE OWENS PROMOTION TO

COMPLIMENTED A RETURN TO HIS ROOTS FOR EX-DARLINGTON STAR TOM PORTAS. DAN

MCWILLIAMS

SPECTATORS

BOXING 500 FOR

ATTENDING THE LEAGUE FIXTURE ON

DAY

IN

2019

AND AN AVERAGE OF

LEAGUE GAMES, WHICH SHOWED HOW FAR THE CLUB HAD COME AND ALMOST CERTAINLY A FOUR FIGURE CROWD WAS INEVITABLE BEFORE THE

FINAL

GAME.

MEMORIES

OF

FAMOUS

VICTORIES AND AN EXCITING SEASON WILL LIVE ON FOREVER, BUT NO OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS WILL BE HELD.

PRESTON NORTH END GOALKEEPER CALLUM ROBERTS, AND YOUNG FULL-BACK LEWIS KING, WHO JOINED FROM SPENNYMOOR TOWN

AS ALWAYS, THE CLUB MARCHED ON, AND THE ANCHORS SIGNED SPENNYMOOR TOWN MIDFIELDER SHANE HENRY AND FORMER DEFENDER DALE MULLIGAN RE-SIGNED FOR THE 2020/21 SEASON. WITH THE BIT BETWEEN THEIR TEETH, STOCKTON WENT INTO THE

AFTER SPENDING THE PREVIOUS SEASON WITH

SEASON WANTING TO PICK UP WHERE THEY

BURNLEY'S YOUTH SET-UP. IT WAS THE DEFENCE

LEFT OFF.

A SEASON OF A LIFETIME ONLY FOR THE

PLAYED BEFORE THE

AND

WHAT

SIGNIFICANT

ARRIVED FROM PROVED WAS

TO

THE

WHITBY TOWN

900

BE

JUST

CAPTURE

OF

AS EX

THAT WAS THE FOUNDATION FOR WHAT WAS BUILDING TO BE PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS TO FORCE

THE FA

TO END IT PREMATURELY AND CRUELLY LEAVE

THE

SEASON ITSELF BEGAN WITH A

2-0

WIN AGAINST SHILDON IN THE FA CUP, BUT THERE WERE ONLY 12 LEAGUE GAMES

UK

WENT INTO ANOTHER

NATIONAL LOCKDOWN IN

NOVEMBER 2020 –

THE

ANCHORS

WERE SITTING SECOND IN THE

THE ANCHORS WITH NOTHING TO SHOW FOR ALL THEIR LABOURS. THEY DOMINATED THE

TABLE WITH 27 POINTS. FOOTBALL DID RETURN, BUT IT WAS THE FA VASE AND NOT

LEAGUE CAMPAIGN, LOSING JUST ONCE AND

THE LEAGUE AS

CONCEDING A PALTRY

20

14 GOALS IN 30

STOCKTON

CHARNOCK RICHARD 4-2 AT HOME AFTER A FOUR-WEEK BEAT

STOCKTON TOWN BREAK BEFORE LOSING OUT AGAINST SHILDON IN THE NEXT ROUND OF THE COMPETITION.

THIS

TURNED OUT TO BE THE FINAL MATCH OF

THE

2020/21

SEASON

AS

THE

PANDEMIC

CONTINUED AND MEANT NO MORE FOOTBALL COULD SAFELY BE PLAYED.

WITH

OVER

40

TWO

SEASONS,

GAMES PLAYED ACROSS THE QUESTIONS

WERE

BEING

ASKED AS TO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE SEASON.

THE FOOTBALL

ASSOCIATED

DECIDED TO COMBINE THE TWO SEASONS DURING THEIR RESTRUCTURE OF NON-LEAGUE

FOOTBALL,

SPENNYMOOR TOWN STRIKER STEPHEN THOMPSON THE FIRST THROUGH THE DOOR. FORMER MARSKE STRIKER MATTY TYMON, EXBLYTH SPARTANS AND STOCKTON YOUTH PRODUCT CAMERON PAINTER, AND HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER STRIKER ELLIOTT BEDDOW ALSO FOLLOWED AS THE ANCHORS LOOK TO PUSH TO GO ONE BETTER IN THE 2022/23 CAMPAIGN.

MEANING

THE

ANCHORS FINISHED TOP ON POINTS-PER-GAME – THEREFORE GAINING PROMOTION TO THE NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE CLUB’S HISTORY. MICHAEL DUNWELL’S SIDE HEADED INTO THEIR FIRST SEASON IN THE NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE EAST DIVISION FULL OF BELIEF THAT THEY WON’T JUST BE THERE TO MAKE UP THE

PREVIOUS MEETINGS 19/03/22 07/09/21

STFC OUFC

4-0 2-1

OUFC STFC

21/08/21

STFC

1-0

OUFC

NUMBERS BUT COMPETE WITH THE VERY BEST IN THE LEAGUE.

AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE CASE AS THE ANCHORS MANAGED TO FINISH FOURTH IN THE TABLE AND MAKE THE PLAY-OFFS IN THEIR FIRST SEASON AT STEP 4. A HISTORIC NIGHT IN CLEETHORPES IN THE SEMI-FINAL WILL LIVE LONG IN THE MEMORY. ADAM NICHOLSON AND KEV HAYES SCORED THE GOALS TO FIRE STOCKTON THROUGH TO THE FINAL, WHERE THEY TOOK ON LOCAL RIVALS MARSKE UNITED. UNFORTUNATELY, PROMOTION TO THE PREMIER DIVISION WASN’T TO BE AS TWO WONDER

STRIKES

WAS

THE

DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN THE SIDES IN DIFFICULT CONDITIONS. DUNWELL AND THE STOCKTON MANAGEMENT TEAM

RECRUITED

SUMMER OF

FOUR

PLAYERS

IN

THE

2022, WITH FORMER

21

VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX CRAIG BIDDLESTONE TO SAY I’D BEEN EXCITED ABOUT THE GAME AT CARLTON IN THE WEEK LEADING UP TO THE TIE WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT, I KNOW A FEW OF THE PEOPLE AT

CARLTON DUE TO MY FOREST LINKS, SO IT WAS NICE TO SEE A FEW FAMILIAR FACES, ADDED TO THE FACT THAT A COUPLE OF VERY GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE THAT OFTEN COME TO GAMES AT INGFIELD (ONE SUPPORTS FOREST, THE OTHER LEEDS) WERE BIZARRELY SPONSORING THE CARLTON TOWN MASCOTS.

BUT

ONCE THE GAME GOT UNDERWAY AT

3PM

ANY FRIENDSHIPS WERE CAST ASIDE AS THIS WAS ABOUT OSSETT UNITED AND GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START, WHICH WE EMPHATICALLY DID IN MY EYES. I SAID DURING THE COMMENTARY ON SATURDAY THAT I HONESTLY THINK

WARDY HAVE BROUGHT IN MAKES US THE STRONGEST OSSETT UNITED TEAM SINCE OUR FORMATION BACK IN 2018, A COMMENT WHICH WAS THEN ECHOED BY JAMES ROGERS (ALBEIT FROM HIS SUNBED IN BENALMADENA).

THE GROUP OF PLAYERS THAT

WELL, THAT WAS A FUN WEEKEND! LEAGUE

FOOTBALL FINALLY RETURNED ON

IT RETURNED IN STYLE.

WHEN

SATURDAY,

AND

THE FIXTURES WERE FIRST

SENT TO US A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK, I WAS PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THEM A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE

THE LEAGUE EMBARGO WAS LIFTED FOR PUBLICATION, SO

I WAS LOOKING FOR WAS OUR CARLTON TOWN. WHY SOME OF YOU MAY ASK? THE FIRST GAME

WELL,

TRIP TO

NOTTINGHAM IT WAS AN AMBITION OF MINE TO SEE US PLAY THERE. THE LAST TIME WE WENT TO CARLTON IN 2018/19 I WAS DJ’ING A WEDDING THAT NIGHT SO WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET BACK IN TIME, SO AS I’M SCANNING THROUGH THE FIXTURES FOR THIS SEASON... TO MY DELIGHT I SAW THAT WE WOULD MAKE THE TRIP TO NOTTINGHAM ON THE OPENING DAY OF THE SEASON! THIS WAS MADE EVEN BETTER BECAUSE NOTTINGHAM FOREST’S HOME GAME WITH WEST HAM UNITED SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME DAY HAD JUST BEEN MOVED TO THE SUNDAY, WEEKEND IN MY HOME CITY UPCOMING. SO, IMAGINE TO MY HORROR WHEN I THOUGHT I’D BETTER CHECK MY DIARY, AND YES, YOU GUESSED IT, I WAS BOOKED IN TO DO A WEDDING. TRUST ME, THAT WAS SOON CHANGED (THE VENUE DID OWE ME A COUPLE OF FAVOURS)!

22

OBVIOUSLY BEING FROM

IT’S

JAS

AND

NOT JUST ON THE PITCH BUT OFF IT TOO WHERE IT’S

CLEAR FOR ALL TO SEE THAT THERE IS A TOGETHERNESS AMONGST THIS GROUP. YOU JUST HAD TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON SATURDAY NIGHT BY THE LIKES OF OLLIE FEARON AND JOE STACEY. NOW I’M NOT NORMALLY ONE TO MAKE A BOLD PREDICTION BUT

I

HONESTLY DO THINK THAT THIS TEAM IS CAPABLE OF SUCCESS THIS SEASON.

ON

TO TONIGHT, UNFORTUNATELY

CHRIS CASSIDY

ISN’T

WITH US TONIGHT BUT IT’S A TIE THAT REMAINS FIRMLY IN

HIS AND A LOT OUR SUPPORTERS MEMORIES AFTER HIS BRILLIANT COMMENTARY LAST SEASON ENDED UP GOING

93RD MINUTE WINNER, AND TO QUOTE CHRIS HIMSELF, “STOCKTON TIME WAS BORN!” AFTER SATURDAY’S WIN THOUGH IT WOULD BE SO GOOD TO CONTINUE TO UPBEAT FEELING, WE FACED OUR GUESTS 3 VIRAL.

AFTER

OUR

TIMES LAST SEASON BUT THE LAST OF THOSE WAS A GAME TO BE BANISHED TO THE BACK OF BEYOND, WE SIMPLY DID NOT TURN UP THAT AFTERNOON IN

STOCKTON,

BUT

I

EXPECT TODAY WE WILL SEE A MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT FROM THIS EXCITING BUNCH OF PLAYERS.

WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX AWAY

FROM THE PITCH, OUR MEDIA TEAM CONTINUES TO

JOE PARKIN

WORK VERY HAD BEHIND THE SCENES, FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT AWARE OWEN GERRARD, WHO PLAYS FOR OUR BTEC

ACADEMY

TEAM, HAS JOINED US AND IS HELPING WITH

GRAPHICS, COMMENTARY, VIDEOS AND TIKTOK – WHICH I STILL DON’T FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS! IN THE SHORT SPACE OF TIME THAT OWEN HAS BEEN WITH US HE’S ALREADY ELEVATED OUR STATUS ON THAT PARTICULAR PLATFORM TO THE SECOND MOST SUCCESSFUL AT OUR LEVEL AFTER SHEFFIELD FC.

SO WELCOME TO THE TEAM OWEN AND KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! AS WELL AS OWEN, GEORGE PHILLIPS HAS JOINED US AS A CO-COMMENTATOR, GEORGE HAS NO BACKGROUND IN MEDIA WHATSOEVER, AND IS REALLY JUST A MASSIVE AND PASSIONATE FOOTBALL FAN, BUT IN HIS 4 GAMES ALREADY HE REALLY HAS IMPRESSED ME AND OTHERS.

JAS COLLIVER & MARK WARD HAVE BOOSTED THEIR SQUAD THIS WEEK WITH THE ACQUISITION OF JOE PARKIN, A

ADAM LUNAT

TWENTY TWO YEAR OLD CENTRAL MIDFIELDER WHO HAS

ALSO JOINS US TO WRITE MATCH REPORTS,

NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE EXPERIENCE WITH GRANTHAM TOWN & GAINSBOROUGH TRIMITY. HE IS A GRADUATE OF THE SUCCESSFUL HANDSWORTH FC SET UP,

AND ALTHOUGH YOU WON’T SEE ANY IN THE SHORT TERM AS

PREVIOUS

MOMENT, ONCE HE GETS THE CONFIDENCE YOU WILL START SEEING HIS TAKE ON OUR GAMES.

WHERE HE WAS SEEN AS AN ATTACKING MIDFIELDER BY THE

IT’S REALLY JUST AN EXPERIENCE THING FOR HIM AT THE

AND

FINALLY, LUCY BURNS JOINS US TO LOOK AFTER THE SOCIAL MEDIA SIDE (FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM),

LUCY

MAY BE FAMILIAR TO SOME OF YOU AS SHE HAS

PREVIOUSLY VOLUNTEERED AT OSSETT ALBION, AND AFTER TAKING A BREAK FROM FOOTBALL SHE IS NOW READY TO RETURN.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA SIDE IS A MASSIVE ROLE BUT THE PLAN IS FOR LUCY TO LEAD THAT AREA WITH NEIL SPOFFORTH AND MYSELF ALSO AVAILABLE TO JUMP IN WHEN NEEDED. SO TO GEORGE, ADAM AND LUCY, WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF FUN!!

I HOPE YOU ENJOY TONIGHT’S GAME VS STOCKTON TOWN. CRAIG

AMBERS. PARKIN IS ADDED TO THE SQUAD TUESDAYS FIXTURE VS STOCKTON TOWN.

IN TIME FOR

JOE IS ANOTHER FIT, ATHLETIC LAD WHO LIKES TO BREAK UP PLAY AND RUN FROM BOX TO BOX. HE IS A PLAYER THAT PLAYED OVER 40 GAMES AT THE LEAGUE ABOVE LAST SEASON WITH GRANTHAM AND GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY HE CAN PLAY EITHER CENTRAL MIDFIELD OR AS A CENTRE BACK, JOE IS EAGER TO LINK UP WITH JAS COLLIVER ONCE AGAIN WHO GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY NPL PREMIER FOOTBALL. JAS SAID “JOE IS AN HONEST LAD, HE TRAINS AS HE PLAYS AND WANTS TO WIN. HE TRAVELLED TO CARLTON TOWN ON SATURDAY WITHOUT A DEAL ON THE TABLE TO ME THAT MEANS A LOT, HIS FIRST QUESTION WASN’T ‘HOW MUCH’ IT WAS ‘WHEN CAN I GET INVOLVED WITH THE LADS?’ JOE IS A STRONG

ATHLETIC

PLAYER

WHO

WILL

ADD

FURTHER

COMPETITION TO THE TEAM”.

WELCOME TO OSSETT UNITED JOE.

WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

23

FOOTBALL BOOK REVIEWS HOOKED: ADDICTION AND THE LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY BY PAUL MERSON IN

RECENT YEARS,

PAUL MERSON

HAS STUCK HIS

HEAD ABOVE THE PARAPET TO SPEAK OPENLY, HONESTLY, MOVINGLY AND AT TIMES HEARTBREAKINGLY ABOUT HIS STRUGGLES WITH ADDICTION,

HOOKED, DEEPLY INTO THESE ISSUES, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL,

AND

DELVES MORE TROUBLESOME

HIS

LATEST

BOOK,

DRUGS AND GAMBLING AND HIS CONTINUING ROAD TO RECOVERY.

LONG AND ALL OF

FOR

THE BRILLIANCE OF THE MAN ON THE PITCH, HIS GREATEST CONTRIBUTION MAY BE OFF IT, WITH A BOOK THAT HELPS READERS UNDERSTAND THE ILLNESS THAT IS ADDICTION AND HOPEFULLY SPEAKS TO THOSE WHO REALLY NEED IT.

MERSON’S

LIFE HAS ARGUABLY BEEN DEFINED BY

TWO THINGS: FOOTBALL AND ADDICTION, SO IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT THESE TWO THEMES ARE THE CENTREPIECE OF THIS BOOK.

BUT

IN MANY WAYS,

AS IN HIS LIFE ITSELF, FOOTBALL TAKES A BACK SEAT TO THE NARRATIVE OF ADDICTION. INDEED, WHILST FOOTBALL MAY HAVE SEEMED LIKE THE

MERSON’S LIFE, HE ADDICTION, IN FACT, OVERRODE CRUX OF SHY

AND

SOMEWHAT

EXPLAINS HOW EVERYTHING .

ANXIOUS

A

YOUNG

FOOTBALLER WHO WAS THRUST INTO THE BIG LEAGUES AS A MERE TEENAGER AT

MERSON

ARSENAL,

SOON FOUND CONFIDENCE IN ALCOHOL

AND A RELEASE IN GAMBLING , BUT JUST AS HIS CAREER WOULD TAKE OFF, SO TOO WOULD HIS ADDICTIONS.

AND

WHAT STRIKES YOU IS WHETHER

MORE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO HELP A YOUNG

MERSON

NAVIGATE SUCH A FORMATIVE STAGE IN

HIS LIFE AND HIS CAREER, TO HAVE GUIDED HIM DOWN A VERY DIFFERENT PATH, BRINGING TO

ROBERT FROST’S POEM ‘THE ROAD NOT TAKEN’ – ‘TWO ROADS DIVERGED IN A YELLOW WOOD’. THIS WAS, OF COURSE, THE 1980S, WHEN DRINKING CULTURE IN PARTICULAR WAS SYNONYMOUS WITH FOOTBALL, MIND THAT OPENING LINE IN

24

TUESDAY CLUB WOULD BECOME THE EPITOME – OR NADIR – OF THAT CULTURE, AND FOR MERSON THERE WAS NO BETTER – OR, RATHER, NO WORSE – PLACE FOR HIM TO BE. I’D LIKE TO THINK THAT THINGS HAVE AND

ARSENAL’S

INFAMOUS

CHANGED AND THERE IS A LOT MORE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE NOW , ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG FOOTBALLERS COMING THROUGH ADOLESCENTS,

AS BUT

STILL SADLY

WASN’T THE CASE BACK THEN.

IMPRESSIONABLE THIS

AND

CERTAINLY

WHILST IT’S

FOOTBALL BOOK REVIEWS HEARTENING TO HEAR

MERSON

SPEAK WITH SUCH

BOAST OR TO BRAG ABOUT THE MONEY HE WAS

GEORGE GRAHAM

ON, BUT RATHER TO DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW THE

AND BRYAN ROBSON WHO DID WHAT THEY COULD TO TRY TO HELP, THE SYSTEM AND THE

DISEASE COMPLETELY TOOK OVER – BUT ALSO SOCIALLY, HAVING ROBBED HIM OF BRILLIANT

ORGANISATION JUST WASN’T SET UP THEN TO

MOMENTS IN LIFE, WITH FOOTBALL AND FAMILY.

ASSIST PLAYERS, LEAVING THEM TO THEIR OWN

WHAT

RESPECT FOR THE LIKES OF

DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES.

MERSON’S

COMES ACROSS SO POIGNANTLY IN THIS

BOOK IS THAT

MERSON

WAS JUST AN ORDINARY

ROAD TO RECOVERY HAS BEEN A LONG

BOY WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY TALENT THRUST

AND DIFFICULT ONE AND IT’S EASY TO PICK UP ON

INTO A MAN’S WORLD WHEN STILL HIMSELF JUST A

HIS INSECURITIES, HIS VULNERABILITIES AND HIS

YOUTH WITHOUT THE MECHANISMS OR SUPPORT IN

WEAKNESSES, BUT ALSO HIS DETERMINATION AND

PLACE TO GUIDE HIM OR HELP HIM COPE AND HE’S

HIS HOPE, ALTHOUGH WHAT IS ALSO PAINFULLY

STRUGGLED

CLEAR IS THAT ADDICTION IS A DAILY STRUGGLE.

ADDICTIONS AND FIND RESPITE AND INNER PEACE.

INDEED,

MERSON COMMUNICATES SO EFFECTIVELY, I THINK, IS ADDICTION AS A DISEASE. AS THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION DEFINED , IT IS NOT A BEHAVIOUR PROBLEM OR JUST THE RESULT OF MAKING BAD CHOICES, BUT A CHRONIC BRAIN DISORDER. ONCE ADDICTS AND NON-ADDICTS ALIKE BEGIN TO ACCEPT AND UNDERSTAND THIS A LOT MORE, GREATER SUPPORT AND EMPATHY SHOULD FOLLOW , BUT

IT’S

STILL ADDICTION SEEMS TO BE TREATED AS A

BOOK

TABOO , AND THAT CAN’T HELP ANYBODY.

DISCUSSION AROUND ADDICTION IS A SYMBOL OF

MERSON

WHAT

PAUL

HAS DONE A LOT IN RECENT TIMES TO

GREAT

EVER TO

SINCE HEAR

TO

THAT

BATTLE HE’S

HIS

FINALLY

OVERCOMING THE DISEASE BUT IT’S ALSO MOVING TO SEE THAT EVERY DAY HAS ITS CHALLENGES.

FOOTBALL HAS ALWAYS BEEN HIS SALVATION AND I, FOR ONE, LOVE HIM AS A PUNDIT AND AM GLAD TO SEE HIM STILL FINDING REPRIEVE IN THE BEAUTIFUL

GAME.

A

FOOTBALL,

MERSON’S

SUPREMELY

TALENTED

LEGACY SHOULD COMPRISE

ALL OF HIS HEROICS ON THE PITCH, BUT THIS AND

HIS

HIS REAL HEROISM .

WORK

HE

TO

FURTHER

THE

HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TO

DOWN

BE A BRAVE, STRONG AND TOP MAN, BUT WHAT IS

BARRIERS, EVEN WHEN BATTLING AGAINST HIS

SO ENDEARING IS THAT HE’S THE FOOTBALLER,

OWN ADDICTIONS, AND

THINK HE DESERVES A

THE PRO , THE PUNDIT, THAT YOU’D WANT TO SIT

LOT OF RESPECT AND CREDIT FOR FIGHTING FOR

DOWN WITH AND DISCUSS FOOTBALL, BECAUSE

BOTH HIMSELF AND OTHERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT

YOU KNOW HE’D BEEN HIMSELF

ADVANCE

DISCUSSIONS

I

AND

BREAK

HIS FOOTBALL, GAMBLING WAS BOTH AN EYE-OPENING AND HEARTRENDING LOOK AT THIS LESSER-ADDRESSED, BUT ARGUABLY MORE INSIDIOUS PROBLEM, WHICH HE EXPLAINS IN THIS BOOK IS THE INVISIBLE ENEMY ,

– OPEN, HONEST, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND GOOD FUN. UNTIL THAT DAY WHEN I GET TO SIT WITH THE MAN HIMSELF, I’LL CONTINUE TO ENJOY HIS INPUT ON TV, WITH ABSOLUTE RESPECT FOR HIS COURAGE, EMPATHY OF HIS ISSUES AND BELIEF IN HIS JOURNEY. BUT IF I DO EVER GET TO SIT DOWN WITH HIM, THERE

LESS OBVIOUS AND MORE SECRETIVE THAN THE

WILL BE ONE PRESSING MATTER FROM THIS BOOK

OBVIOUS OUTWARD DISPLAYS OF ALCOHOLISM OR

TO

DRUG ABUSE.

CHELSEA? I GUESS, WE’VE ALL GOT OUR

COMES TO TACKLING GAMBLING ADDICTION.

BBC 1 AND ME,

DOCUMENTARY,

IT

IS THE ADDICTION THAT HAS

POSSIBLY COST HIM THE MOST, BOTH MATERIALLY AND FINANCIALLY

–

HE DOESN’T SKIRT AROUND

DETAILING THE MAMMOTH SUMS HE LOST, NOT TO

TACKLE

FIRST

–

HONESTLY,

(PUBLISHER: HEADLINE. HARDCOVER: 304 PAGES)

PAUL,

NOT

FLAWS.

SEPTEMBER

2021.

25

STOCKTON TOWN PLAYER PROFILES LEWIS MCDONALD LEWIS SIGNED FOR THE ANCHORS IN THE SUMMER OF 2021 AND WILL PROVIDE COMPETITION FOR THE NUMBER ONE SHIRT. AN EXCELLENT BACKGROUND IN NON-LEAGUE, THE SHOT-STOPPER HAS PREVIOUSLY PLAYED FOR MARSKE UNITED AND BILLINGHAM TOWN – AND HAS PLAYED AGAINST STOCKTON TOWN FOR THE LATTER. CALLUM ROBERTS CALLUM JOINED FROM BILLINGHAM SYNTHONIA, WHERE HE SPENT ONE SEASON WITH IN THE NORTHERN LEAGUE SIDE. BEFORE THAT, CALLUM SPENT SIX YEARS OF HIS YOUTH CAREER WITH SUNDERLAND BEFORE JOINING PRESTON NORTH END IN 2014, WHERE HE SPENT TWO YEARS ON A SCHOLARSHIP, AND HE WENT ON TO SIGN A PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT IN APRIL 2017.

TOM COULTHARD TOM IS A PRODUCT OF THE YOUTH SYSTEM HERE AT STOCKTON TOWN. THE DEFENDER BROKE THROUGH INTO THE FIRST TEAM SQUAD WHEN HE WAS 17 AND HAS BEEN AN EVER PRESENT SINCE. A TOUGH, STRONG, QUICK, THOROUGHBRED OF A CENTRE HALF,

TOM

RARELY

GETS

RUFFLED

OR

LOSES

A

CHALLENGE IN THE AIR OR ON THE FLOOR AND HAS FORGED AN IMPRESSIVE LONG-STANDING PARTNERSHIP

AT THE BACK ALONGSIDE CAPTAIN ADAM NICHOLSON. TOM HAS A DECENT SCORING RECORD FOR A DEFENDER AND IS ALSO PARTIAL TO SCORING THE ODD FREE KICK OR PENALTY WHEN CALLED ON.

LOUIE HALL LOUIE

IS ANOTHER PLAYER TO HAVE MADE

THE TRANSITION UP TO THE FIRST TEAM FROM OUR UNDER-18 SIDE THIS SUMMER AND HAS CERTAINLY IMPRESSED BOTH MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORTERS ALIKE WITH SOME GREAT PERFORMANCES IN PRE-SEASON.

LOUIE

IS CALM AND COMPOSED ON THE BALL, KNOWS

HOW TO DO BOTH SIDES OF THE GAME VERY WELL, AND CAN ALSO GET FORWARD WITH EASE.

26

LEWIS KING LEWIS WAS A MEMBER OF HARTLEPOOL UNITED ACADEMY UNTIL 16. HE THEN SPENT TIME AT BURNLEY IN THEIR YOUTH SET UP BEFORE RETURNING TO THE NORTH EAST AND JOINING SPENNYMOOR TOWN WHERE HE IMPRESSED WITH A STRING OF SOLID

UNDER-18S EARNING SQUAD. LEWIS IS A

PERFORMANCES FOR THE INTO THE FIRST TEAM

A CALL GREAT

PROSPECT, HE'S ATHLETIC AND LIKES TO GET FORWARD WHEN PLAYING AS A FULL BACK BUT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET PAST WHEN DEFENDING AND CAN PERFORM EQUALLY AS A CENTRE BACK.

DAN MCWILLIAMS DAN IS A STOCKTON LAD AND AFTER BEING RELEASED AGED 16 FROM MIDDLESBROUGH ACADEMY WHERE HE PLAYED IN THE NIKE CUP WINNING SIDE. HE PLAYED FOR THE ANCHORS FOR A SEASON, BUT THE TALENTED LEFT FOOTER WAS TAKEN INTO THE

NORTHERN LEAGUE

BY

BILLINGHAM SYNTHONIA

AND

THE FOLLOWING YEAR HE JOINED A VERY GOOD

GUISBOROUGH SIDE. THE FULL-BACK MOVED WITH THE MANAGER TO WHITBY TOWN IN 2015 AND WAS A REGULAR FOR THE NPL PREMIER SIDE. DAN IS AN ATHLETIC QUICK LEFT SIDED DEFENDER WHO OPERATES MAINLY AT LEFT BACK. HE'S TECHNICALLY EXCELLENT AND A GOOD PASSER OF THE BALL, AND ALSO IS COMFORTABLE IN POSSESSION AT EITHER END OF THE PITCH.

DALE MULLIGAN DALE RE-JOINED HIS BROTHER NATHAN AT HIS HOMETOWN CLUB AFTER A SPELL AT SHILDON. HE PLAYED FOR THE ANCHORS DURING THEIR SUCCESSFUL WEMBLEY RUN IN THE 2017/18 SEASON AND WON MANAGER’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR SOME COLOSSAL PERFORMANCES, LEAVING FOR THE RAILWAYMEN EARLY THE NEXT SEASON. DALE IS AN OLD SCHOOL CENTRE HALF, BIG AND STRONG WITH A GREAT NEVER-SAY-DIE ATTITUDE. HE IS A NO-NONSENSE PLAYER, GOOD IN THE AIR AND LOVES A TACKLE, AND ALWAYS DEFENDS WITH WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

STOCKTON TOWN PLAYER PROFILES EVERYTHING ON THE LINE.

NORTHERN LEAGUE, THE SQUAD FURTHER.

HIS

EXPERIENCE OF THE

AND CHARACTER, STRENGTHENS

ADAM NICHOLSON CLUB CAPTAIN ‘ADI’ RE-JOINED STOCKTON TOWN TO PLAY UNDER-18 FOOTBALL AND

BRADFORD CITY CALLUM COOKE. BROTHER OF

ATTACKING MIDFIELDER

SHANE HENRY SHANE'S NICKNAME 'THE BULL’ BECOMES CLEAR WHEN YOU SEE HIM PLAY. HE JOINS HIS HOMETOWN

CLUB

AFTER

SIX

SEASONS

PLAYING

TEAM AND DESIRE TO WIN ARE A MAJOR FACTOR IN A

NATIONAL LEAGUE FOOTBALL WITH SPENNYMOOR TOWN WHO HE JOINED FROM WHITBY TOWN IN 2014.

HE IS RENOWNED FOR HIS POWERFUL MIDFIELD DISPLAYS AND TIRELESS WORK-ETHIC ON THE PITCH. TWICE MANAGERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR AT THE MOORS HIS EXPERIENCE WILL BE INVALUABLE IN THE ANCHORS DRIVE

BACK FOUR THAT HAS BEEN SO INSTRUMENTAL IN THE

TO CLIMB THE PYRAMID AND HE WILL BECOME AN

TEAM'S SUCCESS TO DATE.

ESSENTIAL COG IN THE MIDFIELD.

WENT ON TO MAKE HIS SENIOR DEBUT IN THE FIRST EVER

TEESSIDE LEAGUE AGE 16 AND NOW HAS NOTCHED UP OVER 400 APPEARANCES FOR THE FIRST TEAM. AT 6’5”, HIS STRENGTH IS IN THE AIR, BUT HIS COMMITMENT TO THE SEASON OF ADULT FOOTBALL IN THE

WEMBLEY

AFTER MISSING MOST OF THE A SERIOUS KNEE INJURY, HE

SEASON WITH FOUGHT HIS WAY BACK TO BE FIRST CHOICE AGAIN AND WAS BACK TO HIS DOMINANT BEST LAST SEASON.

A GOOD ORGANISER AND READER OF THE GAME, HE'S FORGED A FORMIDABLE PARTNERSHIP WITH TOM THAT HAS NOW SPANNED EIGHT SEASONS – AND HE ALSO HAS AN IMPRESSIVE GOAL SCORING RECORD FOR A DEFENDER. ALFIE CONWAY ALFIE

IS ONE OF FIVE

UNDER-18

PLAYERS TO HAVE IMPRESSED THIS PRE-SEASON AND SIGNED WITH THE FIRST TEAM AHEAD OF THEIR FIRST

SEASON IN STEP 4. BROTHER OF SAM, THE MIDFIELDER SHOWS EXPERIENCE BEYOND HIS AGE AND IS COMFORTABLE IN POSSESSION AND GOING FORWARD.

LIAM COOKE LIAM STARTED HIS CAREER WITH MIDDLESBROUGH, PLAYING WITH THEIR ACADEMY, BEFORE JOINING WHITBY TOWN ON A DUALREGISTRATION IN AUGUST 2019, FOLLOWING A TRIAL WITH THE CLUB. IN DECEMBER 2021, THE MIDFIELDER JOINED STOCKTON TOWN ON A PERMANENT DEAL FROM WHITBY, WHERE HE MADE 37 APPEARANCES. COOKE IS A PLAYMAKER WITH AN EYE FOR A PASS AND CAN PLAY EITHER BEHIND THE FRONT MAN OR OUT WIDE AND KNOWS WHERE THE BACK OF THE NET IS. HE IS ALSO THE

WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

NATHAN MULLIGAN NATHAN WAS WITH MIDDLESBROUGH FC UNTIL HIS RELEASE AT AGE 18, WHEN HE JOINED DARLINGTON FC AND PLAYED IN THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE. HE JOINED STOCKTON TOWN FROM BILLINGHAM SYNTHONIA HAVING PREVIOUSLY PLAYED FOR WHITBY TOWN, MARSKE UNITED AND NORTON & STOCKTON ANCIENTS. NATHAN’S QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE WAS KEY ON THE ROAD TO WEMBLEY IN 2018 – IN THE FA VASE FINAL - AND HE WROTE HIMSELF INTO ANCHORS HISTORY BY TUCKING AWAY THE CRUCIAL PENALTY IN THE SEMI-FINAL SECOND LEG AGAINST MARSKE. NATHAN IS A TECHNICALLY GOOD, ALL-ROUND PLAYER, MOBILE, DECEPTIVELY GOOD IN THE AIR AND CAN PLAY IN A VARIETY OF POSITIONS BUT OPERATES MAINLY AS AN ATTACKING OR HOLDING MIDFIELDER. HE SCORES GOALS, IS UP THERE AT THE CLUB FOR BEING A PENALTY EXPERT AND ALWAYS CONTRIBUTES IN EVERY GAME.

CAMERON PAINTER PAINTER WAS STOCKTON’S THIRD SIGNING OF THE SUMMER, ARRIVING FROM NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH SIDE BLYTH SPARTANS. THE MIDFIELDER, WHO CAN ALSO PLAY IN DEFENCE AT RIGHT BACK, WAS WITH THE ANCHORS YOUTH SET UP BEFORE HEADING TO

27

STOCKTON TOWN PLAYER PROFILES THEN-FOOTBALL LEAGUE CLUB GRIMSBY TOWN.

TOM PORTAS TOM STARTED HIS CAREER AT MIDDLESBROUGH’S YOUTH ACADEMY LEAVING AT AGE 15. HE PLAYED FOR STOCKTON TOWNS SUCCESSFUL U16S BEFORE BEING PICKED UP BY GUISBOROUGH WHERE HE RECEIVED A LOT OF ATTENTION. HE JOINED WHITBY TOWN IN 2011 AND WON THREE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS AT THE CLUB IN SEASON 2012/13.

HE SIGNED FOR DARLINGTON IN THE SUMMER OF 2014 AND SCORED THE GOAL OF THE SEASON AGAINST

BAMBER BRIDGE. TOM

STARRED IN TWO CONSECUTIVE

QUAKERS INCLUDING WINNING THE NPL PREMIER TITLE. AFTER MISSING MOST OF THE 2016/17 SEASON WITH A BAD INJURY, HE LEFT AND SPENT LAST SEASON AT WEST AUCKLAND. TOM IS A MOBILE, ALL ROUND, PROVEN HIGH QUALITY, CENTRAL PROMOTIONS FOR THE

MIDFIELDER WHO HAS A COMPLETE RANGE OF PASSING AND DEAD BALL SKILLS.

ELLIOTT BEDDOW ONE

OF THE HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER STRIKERS THIS SUMMER, BEDDOW PUT PEN TO PAPER

AND BECOME THE CLUB’S FOURTH SIGNING OF THE SUMMER.

THE

MARKSMAN HAS SPENT THE LAST TWO

SEASONS PLAYING IN THE

NORTHERN LEAGUE, WHERE HE

SCORED 31 GOALS IN ALL COMPETITIONS LAST SEASON FOR THE BLUES – INCLUDING 24 IN THE LEAGUE TO HELP HIS SIDE FINISH THIRD BEHIND PROMOTED CLUBS

SHIELDS

NORTH

CONSETT. BEDDOW BEGAN HIS SENIOR CAREER AT BILLINGHAM TOWN AS AN 18-YEAR-OLD IN 2016 AND WAS PART OF THE TOWN SIDE, WHICH PIPPED THORNABY TO THE NORTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION TWO TITLE IN 2019. THE STRIKER THEN MADE THE MOVE ACROSS TEESSIDE TO TEESDALE PARK IN 2020 AND HAS FEATURED AGAINST THE ANCHORS FOR BOTH CLUBS. AND

PETER BULMER PETER PREVIOUSLY PLAYED AT GUISBOROUGH TOWN IN THE NORTHERN LEAGUE, WHERE HE WON THE NORTH RIDING SENIOR CUP. HE

28

MARSKE UNITED AND PLAYED HIS PART IN WINNING THE NORTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE TITLE IN 2018. PETE IS AN INTELLIGENT FOOTBALLER WHO CAN PLAY A VARIETY OF POSITIONS, INCLUDING FULLBACK. HE OPERATES MAINLY AS A WIDE ATTACKER AND WITH HIS PACE, QUICK FEET AND CLOSE CONTROL HE’S THEN JOINED

VERY DIFFICULT TO DEFEND AGAINST AS HE CAN GO INSIDE OR OUTSIDE COMFORTABLY.

KEV HAYES KEV SQUAD

DIVISION

DURING

FORCED HIS WAY INTO THE FIRST TEAM THE NORTHERN LEAGUE SECOND

TITLE WINNING SEASON IN

2017

STRING OF IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES FOR THE

18S

WITH A

UNDER-

AND THEN CONTINUED THAT FORM TO CEMENT A

REGULAR STARTING PLACE. KEV IS THE TYPE OF PLAYER THAT SPECTATORS WANT TO SEE ON THE BALL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, A NATURALLY GIFTED WIDE ATTACKER, WHO

COMMITS DEFENDERS WITH A DROP OF THE SHOULDER, CAN GO PAST PLAYERS AT VERY CLOSE QUARTERS AND HAS ROCKET OF A LEFT FOOT. THE WINGER CAN PLAY ON EITHER SIDE OF THE PITCH AND WITH HIS WORK RATE AND REGULAR GOALS, HE IS A VITAL MEMBER OF THE ATTACKING

PART

OF

THE

TEAM.

AFTER

SOME

MESMERISING PERFORMANCES ON THE WAY TO THE

FA

VASE FINAL IN 2018, HE WAS VOTED NORTH EAST YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR BY THE SUNDAY SUN.

MATTY TYMON HAVING SAW TWO STRIKERS DEPART IN THE SUMMER, THE ANCHORS WERE QUICK TO SNAP UP THEIR SUMMER TARGETS, AS TYMON BECOME THE SECOND SIGNING AFTER THOMPSON. THE FORMER MARSKE UNITED MAN SPENT THE LAST TWO SEASONS WITH THE SEASIDERS, WHERE HE WENT ON TO SCORE 32 GOALS IN 68 APPEARANCES. THE STRIKER FEATURED AGAINST THE ANCHORS THREE TIMES LAST SEASON AND PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE SEASIDERS GAINING PROMOTION TO STEP 3 FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER A 2-1 WIN IN THE PLAY-OFF FINAL AGAINST STOCKTON. WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

Juice Personnel are an independent recruitment agency based in Wakefield. We were founded in 2003 in Huddersfield with the knowledge that things could be done differently. This led us to adopt what we called our ‘refreshingly different’ approach. This radical new approach to recruitment was based around our core values of mutual understanding, honesty, integrity and quality.

From day one we had a policy to constantly review how we worked.

Because of this dedication to self-improvement and our refreshing, personal approach to recruitment we saw a client and candidate loyalty that we’ve never experienced before and quickly outgrew our small office.

Skip forward a few years and we still hold fast to the same morals we started with: mutual understanding, honesty, integrity and quality. Because of our unwavering dedication to client and candidate satisfaction Juice Personnel are now seen as one of the leading independent recruiters in Wakefield.

OSSETT UNITED MEDIA PARTNER

CLUB HISTORY THE FORMATION Ossett United was created on the 1st June 2018 following the merger of Ossett Town AFC (est.

1936) and Ossett Albion AFC (est. 1944). Both Ossett Town and Ossett Albion had managed to gain Northern Premier League status and maintain that level of football for a remarkable period of time.

EARLY HISTORY The two clubs merged under the leadership of a new board brought together from the two previous clubs. The founding directors were John Chidlaw (OA), James Rogers (OT), Emma Chidlaw (OA), Dawn Rogers (OT), Lee Summerscales (OA) and Lee Broadbent (OT) forming the new Board with support from Phil Smith as CEO. John Chidlaw took on the role of Chairman for the first season. The Club made its new home Ingfield, the previous home of Ossett Town, and used Dimple Wells, the previous home of Ossett Albion, as its Ladies and Academy Team base.

On the pitch, the first year (2018/19) was a remarkable success with attendances significantly increased from what either club had experienced previously, coupled with success on the pitch reaching the play-off semi-final and winning the County Cup, under the guidance of manager Andy Welsh. Off the pitch things were not as successful with a number of resignations and board changes and some challenging financial issues to deal with following the merger. By the end of the 2018/19 season, Phil Smith had taken on the mantle of club chairman following a number of board changes.

Wayne Benn took up the managerial reigns in late 2019 following a poor start to the 2019/20 season, however, that season was ended abruptly in March 2020 with the onset of a global pandemic known as Covid 19. The season was null and voided. Off the pitch there were more troubles for Ossett United in November 2019 as

30

WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

a significant and unprecedented court case, dating back to a tackle in 2015 when Ossett Town were playing Radcliffe Borough, was lost with United facing legal and damages costs amounting to £135,000. Fortunately, the club received a generous loan from two of its closest supporters to avoid the club going into liquidation (at worst) or selling the Ingfield ground (at best).

The start of the 2020/21 season started late due to the ongoing pandemic and virtually finished as soon as it had started with only eight league games having been played by United. This time the season was curtailed rather than null and voided and meant a second season had gone unfinished.

Off the pitch Rogers and Smith swapped roles due to Smith's work commitments and Rogers took on the role as Chairman, a role he had previously held at Ossett Town. 2020 also saw the club declare Dimple Wells as surplus to requirements and made arrangements to surrender the lease making Ingfield the single home of the united club.

2021/22 Last season saw many changes at Ossett United both on and off the field. After a strong start to the Pitching In NPL East season a run of only one win in three months saw Wayne Benn and Andy Hayward leave the club in December. Jas Colliver and Mark Ward were appointed to re-ignite the season and strengthen the squad which they did from day one. The duo saw the club go unbeaten at home with 7 wins and draws however the away form continued to be in consistent.

Off the field new dugouts were installed, before the erection of a new pitchside barrier followed by the upgrading of the floodlights to LED to bring the facilities to a high standard.

Colliver and Ward have spent the close season working hard to retain players from the squad as well as bringing in reinforcements to strengthen the squad further as the club looks to improve upon the ninth placed finished in 21/22

WE ARE OSSETT UNITED

31

2022/2023 DATE

OPPONENT

RESULT

SCORERS

MO M

ATT

ZOTTOS, STACEY FEARON, OFOEGBU

CROPPER STACEY

275 212

AUGUST 06/08/22 13/08/22 16/08/22 20/08/22 23/08/22 27/08/22 29/08/22

(H) NEW MILLS (A) CARLTON TOWN (H) STOCKTON TOWN (H) WHITCHURCH ALPORT (A) DUNSTON (H) CLEETHORPES TOWN (A) PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES

FA CUP EP NPL EAST NPL EAST FA CUP P NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

2-0 2-0

SEPTEMBER 03/09/22 06/09/22 10/09/22 13/09/22 17/09/22 24/09/22

(A) BRIDLINGTON TOWN (A) STOCKSBRIDGE PARK ST (H) STOCKSBRIDGE PARK ST (A) SHILDON

FA CUP 1Q NPL EAST FAT 1Q NPL EAST NPL EAST FAT 2Q

(H) GRIMSBY BOROUGH (A) SHEFFIELD (H) HEBBURN TOWN (A) LONG EATON UNITED (H) CONSETT

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

OCTOBER 01/10/22 08/10/22 15/10/22 22/10/22 29/10/22

NOVEMBER 05/11/22 12/11/22 19/11/22 26/11/22

(A) NORTH SHIELDS (H) LINCOLN UNITED (A) GRANTHAM TOWN (H) WORKSOP TOWN

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

DECEMBER 03/12/22 10/12/22 17/12/22 26/12/22

(A) TADCASTER ALBION (H) SHILDON (H) CARLTON TOWN (A) BRIGHOUSE TOWN

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

JANUARY 2023 02/01/23 07/01/23 14/01/23 21/01/23 28/01/23

36

(H) PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES (A) STOCKTON TOWN (H) DUNSTON (A) STOCKSBRIDGE PARK ST (H) TADCASTER ALBION

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

@OSSETTUNITED

2022/2023 DATE

OPPONENT

RESULT

SCORERS

MOM ATT

FEBRUARY 04/02/23 07/02/23 11/02/23 18/02/23 25/02/23

(A) GRIMSBY BOROUGH (H) BRIDLINGTON TOWN

NPL EAST NPL EAST

(A) HEBBURN TOWN (H) SHEFFIELD

NPL EAST NPL EAST

(H) LONG EATON UNITED

NPL EAST

(A) CONSETT (H) NORTH SHIELDS

NPL EAST NPL EAST

(A) LINCOLN UNITED (A) CLEETHORPES TOWN (H) BRIGHOUSE TOWN (A) WORKSOP TOWN (H) GRANTHAM TOWN

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

MARCH 04/03/23 11/03/23 18/03/23 25/03/23

APRIL 01/04/23 08/04/23 10/04/23 15/04/23 22/04/23

PLAYER STATS

NAME ALDRICH, LUKE ATTAKORAH, PRINCE BEATSON, BRAD CASSIUS-GILL, JUNAYD COWGILL, JACK CROPPER, TOM DEIGHTON, TOM FEARON, OLLIE GAGEN, HARRY HALL, EDD HARDAKER, ROSS HODGSON, CONNOR HOLLINGSWORTH, MICHAEL METCALFE, OLI NELTHORPE, CRAIG OFOEGBU, IFY STACEY, JOE TEALE, JAKE WARD, DANNY WASSELL, DANNY WILSON, JACK ZOTTOS, BASILE

2022/23 APPS GLS 0(2) 0 2 1 2 2 0 2 0(1) 2 2 0 2 2 1(1) 1 2 0 0 0 0(1) 1(1)

WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

CAREER APPS GLS 0(2) 8(7) 18 1 25(1) 2 0(2) 2 35(3) 14 74 0 2 9 5(1) 16(5) 2 8 0 0 0(1) 1(1)

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 1 0 0 0 0 1

37

PITCHING IN NPL EAST 2022/2023 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES GRANTHAM TOWN HEBBURN TOWN OSSETT UNITED STOCKSBRIDGE PARK STEELS CLEETHORPES TOWN STOCKTON TOWN BRIDLINGTON TOWN LINCOLN UNITED LONG EATON UNITED NORTH SHIELDS SHEFFIELD TADCASTER ALBION DUNSTON CONSETT AFC WORKSOP TOWN BRIGHOUSE TOWN SHILDON CARLTON TOWN GRIMSBY BOROUGH

@NORTHERNPREMLGE

P 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

HOME W D 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

P 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1

AWAY W D 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1

P 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

W 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL L F 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0

A 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 2 3 3 2 4

+/4 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -2 -2 -2 -4

Pts 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

WWW.THENPL.CO.UK

MATCH REPORT FA CUP EP | 06/08/2022 | OSSETT UNITED 2-0 NEW MILLS OSSETT UNITED KICKED OFF THE 2022/23 SEASON WITH A HOME FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND TIE AGAINST NORTH WEST COUNTIES DIVISION ONE SOUTH SIDE NEW MILLS WHO ONLY MISSED OUT ON PROMOTION IN THEIR PLAY-OFF FINAL LAST SEASON. COLLIVER AND WARD GAVE STARTS TO SIX OF THE SUMMER SIGNINGS WITH A NEW LOOK FORWARD LINE LED BY OLLIE FEARON AND SUPPORTED BY BASILE ZOTTOS, JOE STACEY AND JUNAYD CASSIUS- GILL.

WHILST OSSETT UNITED WERE IN CONTROL OF THE OPENING EXCHANGE NEW MILLS WERE NOT CONTENT TO SIT BACK, HOWEVER THEIR ATTACKS WERE NULLIFIED BY A STRONG OSSETT UNITED DEFENCE, PARTICULARLY WITH TOM CROPPER KEEPING THE MILLERS LEFT WINGER UNDER CONTROL.

ZOTTOS

AND SEND A LOW CROSS TO THE NEAR POST WHERE

WAS THE FIRST TO SHOW WHAT HE CAN DO

LATCHING ONTO A BALL ON THE FIGHT HAND SIDE, HE DROVE TO THE DEAD BALL LINE AND FIRED OVER A DANGEROUS CROSS THAT SAW THE

NEW MILLS DEFENCE BREATHE A SIGH

OF RELIEF AS THE BALL WAS JUST IN FRONT OF THE ON

OSSETT UNITED, POSITIVE SIGNS IN THE EARLY STAGES. FUSHING FORWARDS FOR

BUT CERTAINLY

UNITED

WENT CLOSE AGAIN IN THE EARLY STAGES AS THIS TIME IT WAS STACEY SHOWING GOOD WING PLAY, HIS CROSS

WITH 26

MINUTES ON THE CLOCK OSSETT UNITED MADE THE BREAK THROUGH, A DIFFICULT BOUNCING BALL WAS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL BY

STACEY

WHO BEAT HIS MAN

BASILE ZOTTOS, SIGNED JUST THIS WEEK, SLID IN AND BEAT THE KEEPER. FEARON WAS A REAL HANDFUL FOR THE DEFENCE AND IT WAS HIS FLICK-ON THAT CREATED THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY AS CASSIUS-GILL PICKED UP THE BALL A WITH AND EXCELLENT TURN CREATED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A CROSS THAT WAS JUST OUT OF THE REACH OF JOE STACEY.

WAS MET BY

STACEY WASN’T TO BE DENIED THOUGH AS ON 40 MINUTES HE AGAIN TOOK THE BALL WELL, BEATING HIS FULL BACK HE

DEFENDING CROSS BAR.

DROVE INTO THE AREA AND FIRED THE BALL INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET TO OPEN HIS ACCOUNT FOR THE SEASON,

ZOTTOS BUT UNDER PRESSURE FROM SOLID

BY THE MILLERS SAW HIS HEADER CLEAR THE

WASN’T JUST THE FORWARD PLAYERS CREATING OPPORTUNITIES AS BRAD BEATSON SENT AN ACCURATE

ADDING TO HIS ASSIST FOR THE OPENING GOAL.

DROPPING TO FEARON WHO HIT A SNAP SHOT JUST WIDE.

SEEING A SHOT JUST CLEAR THE CROSSBAR FROM A TIGHT

IT

BALL INTO THE BOX, CLEARING THE CENTRAL DEFENDER AND

AS

HALF TIME APPROACHED

CASSIUS-GILL

AGAIN WENT

CLOSE, AS HE TURNED THE DEFENDER INSIDE OUT BEFORE ANGLE.

NEW MILLS

45 IN THE OSSETT UNITED HALF WITH A COUPLE OF CORNERS, THE SECOND OF WHICH WAS DEALT WITH WELL BY HALL, DIVING AT THE FEET OF A NEW MILLS STRIKER AS THE BALL WAS BOUNCING AROUND. THE SECOND HALF STARTED QUIETLY, COLLIVER AND WARD MADE THEIR FIRST CHANGE AS JACK WILSON REPLACED ZOTTOS AND HE WAS STRAIGHT INTO THE ACTION, HE LIFTED THE BALL INTO THE AREA FOR FEARON WHO ENDED THE FIRST

CONTROLLED THE BALL BUT WITH IT JUST BEHIND HE HIM HE HOOKED HIS SHOT JUST WIDE OF THE POST.

NEW MILLS HAD THEIR BEST OPPORTUNITY OF THE GAME

40

@OSSETTUNITED

MID-WAY THROUGH THE HALF AS TAMPE FOUND SOME SPACE

20

YARDS FROM GOAL, HE WELL STRUCK EFFORT CLIPPING THE OUTSIDE OF EDD HALL’S POST.

UNITED CONTINUED TO PRESS, SOME OUTRAGEOUS SKILL BY STACEY SAW HIM CROSS THE BALL FROM THE CORNER WITH A RABONA, THE RESULTING HEADER GOING JUST WIDE BEFORE WILSON HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, BLOCKED ON THE LINE AS NEW MILLS DEFENDED WELL. AS

FIVE MINUTES OF ADDITIONAL TIME WAS COMING TO A

CLOSE THE VISITORS WERE AWARDED A FREE-KICK ON THE

EDGE OF THE AREA, THEY APPEALED FOR A PENALTY KICK AND IT CERTAINLY LOOKED CLOSE BUT WITH REFEREE

ROSE

MR

IN A GOOD POSITION AND HAVING HAD A VERY GOOD

GAME WITH THE WHISTLE THE COMPLAINTS WERE QUICKLY QUIETENED.

OSSETT UNITED 1. EDD HALL, 2. TOM CROPPER, 3. ROSS HARDAKER, 4. MICHAEL HOLLINGSWORTH (14. CRAIG NELTHORPE, 60). 5. JACK COWGILL (C), 6. BRAD BEATSON, 7. BASILE ZOTTOS (GOAL, 26) (15. JACK WILSON, 64), 8.

OLI METCALFE, 9. OLLIE FEARON, 10. JUNAYD CASSIUSGILL (12. LUKE ALDRICH, 80), 11. JOE STACEY (GOAL, 40) | 13. JAKE TEALE, 16. CONNOR HODGSON, 17. DANNY WARD, 18. TOM DEIGHTON. NEW MILLS 1. DYLAN FORTH, 2. CHRIS RODGER, 3. MASON FALLON, 4. DARREN MCKNIGHT, 5. HARRISON CUNNINGHAM, 6. MARCUS DIBBLE, 7. KYLE OAKES (12.

FINLAY PHILLIPS, 80), 8. JACK WRAY, 9. KYLE HAWLEY, 10.

GEORGE HOWARTH (15. ENOCH TAMPE, 45), 11. TEDDY OSIPITAN (16. JOHN COFIE, 80) | 14. FINLEY RORKE, 17.

ADAM STUART. MAN OF THE MATCH: TOM CROPPER (OSSETT UNITED) ATTENDANCE: 275

WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

41

MATCH REPORT NPL EAST | 13/08/2022 | CARLTON TOWN 0 – 2 OSSETT UNITED FOR

THE THIRD SEASON IN A ROW,

STARTED THE LEAGUE CAMPAIGN ON

OSSETT UNITED THE ROAD, THIS

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE CARLTON TOWN AT STOKE LANE. TIME WITH A TRIP TO

TO TAKE ON

STABILITY TO THE MIDFIELD AND THE RETURN OF IFY

OFOEGBU AT THE EXPENSE OF THE UNFORTUNATE BASILE ZOTTOS AND JUNAYD CASSIUS-GILL. THE GAME WAS PLAYED IN HIGH TEMPERATURES WHICH CREATED A SLOW PACE TO THE GAME. CARLTON GOALKEEPER, MIKE EMERY WAS CALLED INTO ACTION AND PRODUCED AN EXCELLENT SAVE TO DENY OFOEGBU BEFORE OFOEGBU CROSSED THE BALL TO FEARON WHO SAW A HEADER GO OVER EMERY’S BAR. MARTIN BALL HAD THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HOME SIDE AS HE SAW HIS HEADER BLOCKED BEFORE

OFOEGBU AGAIN WENT CLOSE ON THE STROKE OF HALF TIME. COLLIVER

AND WARD KNEW THEY HAD A TOUGH GAME ON THEIR HANDS AGAINST A SIDE WHO JUST MISSED OUT ON A PLAY-OFF PLACE IN THE

MIDLANDS

DIVISION

LAST SEASON BEFORE A LATERAL TRANSFER TO THE

EAST DIVISION IN THE SUMMER. OSSETT UNITED MADE TWO CHANGES TO THE STARTING XI WITH CRAIG NELTHORPE ADDING MORE DEFENSIVE

OSSETT UNITED HAD THE BETTER OF THE OPENING 45 MINUTES BUT BOTH SIDES WENT INTO THE BREAK EVEN. THE VISITORS STARTED THE SECOND HALF QUICKLY AND WON THE GAME WITH TWO GOALS IN THREE MINUTES. OLIVER FEARON HEADED HOME A JOE STACEY CROSS IN THE 54TH MINUTES BEFORE OFOEGBU TURNED THE BALL HOME AFTER A SCRAMBLE IN THE PENALTY AREA. EDD HALL PRODUCED A GREAT SAVE FROM JACK DEAKIN AS THE OSSETT UNITED DEFENCE STOOD FIRM TO

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@OSSETTUNITED

COLLECT BACK TO BACK CLEAN SHEETS AS THE SIDE MAKE A POSITIVE START TO THE 22/23 SEASON.

OSSETT UNITED ARE NEXT IN ACTION ON TUESDAY 16 AUGUST WITH STOCKTON TOWN THE VISITORS TO INGFIELD, KICK-OFF 7.45PM CARLTON TOWN: 1. MIKE EMERY, 2. LAWRENCE STEWART, 3. LEWIS DUROW (14. DEAN FREEMAN, 46), 4. MARTIN BALL, 5. DANIEL BROWN, 6. KYLE TOMLIN (16. NIALL DAVIE, 62), 7. NAT WATSON, 8, KHYLE SARGENT, 9. BRAD WELLS, 10. JACK DEAKIN (12.

DARYLL THOMAS, 62), 11. ALEX HOWES | 13. RICHARD STAINSBY, 15. RYAN TAIT. OSSETT UNITED: 1. EDD HALL, 2. TOM CROPPER, 3.

ROSS HARDAKER, 4. CRAIG NELTHORPE, 5. JACK COWGILL (C), 6. BRAD BEATSON, 7. IFY OFOEGBU (GOAL, 57) (14. BASILE ZOTTOS, 76), 8. MICHAEL HOLLINGSWORTH (17. HARRY GAGEN, 71), 9. OLLIE FEARON (GOAL, 54), 10. OLI METCALFE (15. LUKE ALDRICH), 11. JOE STACEY | 12. JUNAYD CASSIUSGILL, 16. CONNOR HODGSON. ATTENDANCE: 212 MAN OF THE MATCH: JOE STACEY (OSSETT UNITED)

WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

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THE TEA BOY WHO CREATED A DYNASTY MANCHESTER UNITED ARE (NOTWITHSTANDING THEIR RECENT DIFFICULTIES) ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FOOTBALL CLUBS IN EUROPE, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST SPORTING BRANDS IN THE WORLD. WHEN THE STORY OF THEIR SUCCESS IS WRITTEN, CERTAIN OBVIOUS NAMES LEAP OFF OF THE PAGE. SIR MATT BUSBY, SIR ALEX FERGUSON, DUNCAN EDWARDS, BOBBY CHARLTON, GEORGE BEST, RYAN GIGGS, PAUL SCHOLES. THIS LIST GOES ON AND ON. BUT BEFORE ALL OF THEM, AND THE MAN WITHOUT WHOM MANCHESTER UNITED SIMPLY WOULDN’T BE WHAT THEY ARE TODAY, WAS AN ITALIAN IMMIGRANT WHO SNUCK IN TO WATCH NEWTON HEATH. IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A LIFELONG RELATIONSHIP.

GROUNDSMAN, BUT THINGS WERE NOT ROSY AT

HEATH. BY 1902 THE

NEWTON

CLUB HAD RACKED UP CONSIDERABLE DEBTS

AND NEEDED TO RAISE FUNDS TO STAY IN EXISTENCE. ROCCA AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS TOURED AROUND THE CITY FOR FOUR DAYS SOLICITING DONATIONS, NOTABLY TAKING A DOG WITH THEM WITH A MONEYBOX STRAPPED TO ITS BACK. IT

WAS THIS DOG WHO WOULD ULTIMATELY SAVE THE CLUB WHEN HE ESCAPED, SETTING UP A FORTUITOUS MEETING WITH JOHN HENRY DAVIES, WHO WOULD STEP IN AND BUY THE CLUB. HIS VISION FOR THE TEAM WAS GRAND, MUCH

NEWTON HEATH. HE PROPOSED A NAME CHANGE, AND WHILE MANCHESTER CELTIC WAS CONSIDERED, ROCCA, JUST 19 AT THE TIME, IS SAID (MOSTLY BY HIMSELF) TO HAVE SUGGESTED THE NAME UNITED. IT STUCK, AND THE CLUB WE KNOW TODAY WAS BORN. FIVE YEARS LATER, ROCCA MADE THE MOVE THAT WOULD SHAPE THE SOUL OF THE CLUB, RATHER THAN JUST THE NAME ABOVE THE DOOR. HE WAS APPOINTED AS CHIEF SCOUT, AND CREATED AN EXTENSIVE AND INEXPENSIVE SCOUTING NETWORK THROUGHOUT MANCHESTER, GRANDER THAN THE SMALL CONFINES OF

ENLISTING THE HELP OF PRIESTS AND SCHOOLTEACHERS AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS TO REPORT BACK TO HIM ANY

LOUIS ROCCA,

BORN IN

1882,

EXCITING YOUNGSTERS FOUND IN SCHOOL AND YOUTH TEAMS. HE ALSO HAD THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS FROM EACH WAS PROMISED A BEATING

FOR SNEAKING UNDER THE FENCE AT HIS LOCAL FOOTBALL CLUB, BUT INSTEAD WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF MAKING TEA FOR THE PLAYERS AT HALF TIME.

HE

DUTIFULLY AND

ENTHUSIASTICALLY ACCEPTED HIS NEW POSITION, AND BEFORE LONG WAS ALSO GIVEN THE JOB OF FIRST-TEAM

KITMAN, A COVETED POSITION THAT MADE HIM THE ENVY OF OLDER CHILDREN IN THE AREA. BEFORE THE END OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, HE WAS THE CLUB’S FIRST EVER

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SATURDAY

NIGHT BROUGHT TO HIM EVERY WEEK, AND POURED THROUGH THE LOCAL MATCH REPORTS. ANY NAME THAT CROPPED UP REPEATEDLY, HE WOULD GO TO WATCH IN

PERSON. IF THEY IMPRESSED HIM, HE WOULD INVITE THE TO JOIN MANCHESTER UNITED. THE NEW SYSTEM, ALONG WITH

DAVIES’

INVESTMENT, LED UNITED TO THEIR FIRST MAJOR TROPHIES, THE FIRST DIVISION TITLE IN 1908 AND 1911, WITH THE FA CUP IN 1909.

@OSSETTUNITED

FIND MORE AT THEUNTOLDGAME.CO.UK OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA @THEUNTOLDGAME ROCCA

DREAMED OF A TEAM MADE UP OF LOCAL PLAYERS,

WHO REPRESENTED THE PEOPLE ON THE TERRACES.

A

COUPLE OF DECADES OF BUILDING FOLLOWED BEFORE, IN

1930S, UNITED WERE BOUGHT OUT OF MORE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY BY JAMES GIBSON. THE NEW OWNER SHARED ROCCA’S DREAM, AND ALLOWED HIM (AND NEW ADDITION WALTER CRICKMER) TO SET UP THE MANCHESTER UNITED JUNIOR ATHLETIC CLUB, WHAT WOULD NOW BE UNDERSTOOD AS AN ACADEMY. THE SYSTEM WAS A GREAT SUCCESS IN FINDING AND DEVELOPING LOCAL PLAYERS, BUT WAR IN 1939 LIMITED HOW THE SYSTEM TRANSLATED INTO THE SENIOR TEAM. IT WASN’T UNTIL AFTER THE WAR THAT THE FRUITS OF ROCCA’S LABOUR COULD REALLY BE SEEN. THE EARLY

AS

ROCCA PASSED AWAY IN 1950, UNABLE TO SEE THE FRUITS OF HIS WORK IN ALL THEIR GLORY AS FIRST THE BUSBY BABES, AND LATER BUSBY’S REBUILT SIDE AFTER THE MUNICH DISASTER, CHANGED THE FACE OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL FOREVER. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THOSE SIDES, AND THE LEGACY OF MANCHESTER UNITED, COULD NOT HAVE EXISTED WITHOUT THE ITALIAN. AS MATT BUSBY WROTE SOME FOUR DECADES AFTER ROCCA’S DEATH, “HE WAS A TREMENDOUS HELP TO ME IN EVERY WAY.” ENJOY THE GAME. MARTYN GREEN, THE UNTOLD GAME

THE WAR CONCLUDED,

MAN UNITED NEEDED A NEW MANAGER, AND GIBSON AND ROCCA THOUGHT THEY KNEW JUST THE MAN. THEY HAD TO ACT QUICKLY THOUGH, AS HE HAD BEEN OFFERED A POSITION IN LIVERPOOL’S STAFF. ROCCA REACHED OUT TO ONE OF HIS OLD FRIENDS QUITE CRYPTICALLY, NOT WANTING LIVERPOOL TO INTERCEPT THE LETTER, AND INVITED HIM TO OLD TRAFFORD. THAT FRIEND WAS MATT BUSBY. BUSBY HIRED JIMMY MURPHY AS HIS ASSISTANT, AND ROCCA WATCHED AS HIS FRIEND LED A TEAM – FULL OF THE JUNIOR ATHLETIC CLUB’S PROTÉGÉS – TO THE 1948 FA CUP.

WWW.OSSETTUTD.COM

47

EDD HALL JAKE TEALE PRINCE ATTAKORAH BRAD BEATSON JACK COWGILL (C) TOM CROPPER HARRY GAGEN ROSS HARDAKER CONNOR HODGSON TOM DEIGHTON MICHAEL HOLLINGSWORTH OLI METCALFE CRAIG NELTHORPE JOE PARKIN JOE STACEY DANNY WARD DANNY WASSELL LUKE ALDRICH JUNAYD CASSIUS-GILL OLLIE FEARON IFY OFOEGBU JACK WILSON BASILE ZOTTOS

LEWIS MCDONALD CALLUM ROBERTS TOM COULTHARD LOUIE HALL LEWIS KING DAN MCWILLIAMS DALE MULLIGAN ADAM NICHOLSON ALFIE CONWAY LIAM COOKE SHANE HENRY NATHAN MULLIGAN CAMERON PAINTER TOM PORTAS ELLIOTT BEDDOW PETER BULMER KEV HAYES MIKEY ROBERTS LLOYD SHOBO MATTY TYMON STEPHEN THOMPSON

MATCH OFFICIALS AR1 WILLIAM CUMMINGS

REFEREE PETER BROWN

AR2 IAN THORNTON