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Craig Biddlestone
ANYWHERE NEAR AS MUCH IT DID , IT STILL REMAINS OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS , SO MUCH SO THAT ALL IT TAKES IS A DAY OF HEAVY RAIN (WHICH WE GET PLENTY OF) THE DAY BEFORE A GAME AND THE GAME IS AUTOMATICALLY PUT AT RISK .
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IT ’S NOT JUST THE PITCH THOUGH THAT IS PROBLEMATIC THIS TIME OF THE YEAR , THE SURROUNDING AREAS HAVE TO BE FACTORED IN TOO. A FEW DAYS OF BITTERLY COLD WEATHER OR SNOW LEADING TO A FROZEN PITCH , FOLLOWED BY A COUPLE OF DAYS OF SLIGHTLY MILDER WEATHER WHICH THAWS THE PITCH OUT IS GREAT , BUT IF THE SURROUNDING ROADS AND PAVEMENTS ARE STILL A HAZARD TO THE PUBLIC THEN THIS NEEDS TO BE FACTORED IN TOO.
A LOT HAS BEEN SAID THIS WEEK , RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY ABOUT POSTPONEMENTS INVOLVING SHEFFIELD FC AND OURSELVES . FROZEN PITCHES , WATERLOGGED PITCHES OR WHATEVER THE REASONS FOR THE NUMBER OF POSTPONEMENTS I DO THINK ULTIMATELY IT ’S ONLY RIGHT THAT YOU , THE SUPPORTERS ARE GIVEN ENOUGH NOTICE . THANKFULLY SHEFFIELD (OR
NORTH DERBYSHIRE ) ISN ’T THAT FAR DOWN THE M1, IMAGINE TRAVELLING UP TO NORTH SHIELDS ON A TUESDAY NIGHT AND FINDING OUT THE GAME IS OFF JUST AFTER NORTHALLERTON ! WHEN THE REFEREE MAKES THE CALL TO POSTPONE A GAME IT ’S NOT QUITE AS SIMPLE AS TELLING THE WORLD IMMEDIATELY. THE LEAGUE HAS TO BE INFORMED AND RATIFY THE POSTPONEMENT , AND THEN ONCE THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED THE GAME IS OFF WE CAN THEN DO SO TOO, IF WE JUMP THE GUN THEN WE GET FINED - IT ’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT - BUT ULTIMATELY OUR HANDS ARE TIED . THAT SAID , THE SECOND WE CAN ANNOUNCE THAT A GAME IS OFF WE DO SO.
ENOUGH ABOUT PITCHES AND POSTPONED GAMES , WE HAVE A YORKSHIRE DERBY TONIGHT UNDER THE LIGHTS , I’VE SAID BEFORE THAT I PERSONALLY PREFER 3PM ON A SATURDAY, BUT THESE LOCAL FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES DO HAVE PLENTY OF POSITIVES , HOPEFULLY YOU TURN UP IN NUMBERS TO SUPPORT BLACKIE AND THE BOYS , AND ALSO TO ENJOY TONIGHT ’S HALF TIME PLAYLIST , CHOSEN BY ROB ADAMSON . COME ON YOU BLUES !
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.
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
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 PITCH SIDE 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.
AT THE END OF AUGUST MARK WARD LEFT THE CLUB, CITING ONE VOICE WOULD BE BETTER THAN TWO IN THE MANAGERIAL POSITION. JAS COLLIVER LEFT THE CLUB IN OCTOBER AND WAS REPLACED BY GRANT BLACK ON AN 18 MONTH CONTRACT.
