Stocksbridge PS - NPL East - 30.01.24

Issue 18

Vs STOCKSBRIDGE PARK STEELS PITCHING-IN NPL EAST DIVISION SATURDAY 20TH JANUARY – 3PM

OSSETT UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB INGFIELD, PROSPECT ROAD, OSSETT, WF5 9HL

CLUB PRESIDENT: NEVILLE WIGGLESWORTH CHAIRMAN: PHIL SMITH VICE-CHAIRMAN: NEIL SPOFFORTH SECRETARY: NEIL SPOFFORTH TREASURER: PAUL BILLING BOARD MEMBERS: LEE BROADBENT, STUART GARSIDE, JOE HANKS, STEVE HANKS, KATE HENNIGHAN, DAWN ROGERS, JAMES ROGERS INTERIM MANAGER: DAVID BROWN COACH: PADDY MILLER, RYAN PUGH MEDICAL TEAM: LILY HESKETT MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING OFFICER: KATE HENNIGHAN HEAD OF MEDIA: JOE HANKS MEDIA TEAM: MATT BLACKBURN, CHRIS CASSIDY, HARRISON CARPENTER, OWEN GERRARD, JAMES GOTHARD, GEORGE NORTHOVER, KEITH WOOD PROGRAMME DESIGN: JOSEPH WILLIAMSON

CLUB HONOURS (OSSETT UNITED, OSSETT TOWN, OSSETT ALBION ) 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 NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST FIRST DIVISION WINNERS: 1986/87 NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST SECOND DIVISION WINNERS: 1988/89 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 (30.4%) AND D. ROGERS (30.4%)

WELCOME TO INGFIELD PHIL SMITH, CHAIRMAN He now awaits a scan to see what, if any, damage has been done and that unfortunately means he has played his last appearance with his loan deal soon to expire. Chris has played a big part in recent weeks, and we wish him well for his recovery and hope he is able to return to the pitch soon.

Good evening and welcome to Ingfield as we host Stocksbridge Park Steels in the Pitching In NPL East.

Over recent weeks I have received a lot of feedback saying how much people are enjoying the muchimproved performances but right now it’s all about the results. I was delighted therefore with the victory at Brighouse on Saturday in what was a near perfect away performance.

Unlike in the previous games the opposition had more possession, but an excellent defensive performance was the platform to collect three valuable points. Alex Peterson once again showed his value to the side with his hold up play and of course the vital goal early in the second half.

The result was soured a little however, with Chris Dawson being forced off in the opening few minutes with a dislocated shoulder.

Tonight we need to be just as resilient in what appears to be a 5 point game. A win tonight puts some daylight between us and Stocksbridge and a two game winning streak to take into the weekend. Let’s get behind the lads.

I would also like to send the clubs best wishes to Kath Wood, the wife of Keith Wood who fell ill on Saturday, but I understand is recovering well. It was great to see the messages of support in our supporter’s club groups as many people made themselves available to the Wood family to offer help in any way they could. We truly are Stronger Together.

Enjoy tonight’s game.

Phil.

THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS NEVILLE WIGGLESWORTH lower than the amount we were saddled with when a court ruling over a ‘player to player’ injury ended up costing Ossett United a sum of around the £134,000 mark. At the same period there were also other accumulated debts (of a figure unknown to me) arising out of previous season’s trading.

In recent programme notes I have alluded to the recent situations at two football clubs experiencing what, in one case, turned out to be existential financial problems. The Northern Premier League Premier Division club Marske United submitted a letter of resignation to the League stating that, “Financial information shows that accumulated monthly losses mean that the club cannot realistically complete the 2023/2024 playing season.” A week or so earlier North Shields, recently members of the NPL but currently members of the Northern League, lost their manager and most of their players because of financial shortcomings.

The Northern League permitted them to postpone a number of fixtures in order to try and cobble a team together in order to complete the season which they appear to have managed.

No information has been made publicly available concerning the level of the respective clubs’ debts but I would be willing to speculate that the amounts of debt both clubs had run up were considerably

What then makes us so special?

Because of who we are we refused to throw in the towel and we faced the situation head on and basically refused to die! Without wishing to sound too melodramatic about it our position was probably far more financially challenging than that of either Marske United or North Shields and the easy way out probably was to wind up the Club. Our Board of Directors, with the understanding, help and support of everyone and not least the supporters of Ossett United ruled out that ‘nuclear option’ and elected to somehow battle on. Since the court case and to this day it’s been like operating with at least one hand tied behind our backs and we’re not out of the woods yet but the long-term objective of getting the Club back on an even keel is progressing positively. I don’t know the current situation but I do know that we will survive and even taking into account our everyday operating costs that initial burden has been considerably reduced.

That we have done so speaks

absolute volumes for our resolve and, in my opinion, makes Ossett United an even more special club. There have been sacrifices – personal and collective – but we are still here and still maintaining our position in the Northern Premier League. The happenings at Marske United and North Shields really do put things in perspective and I’m sure we are all proud to be a part of such a resilient football club.

fixture. Our respective league positions all too clearly show the importance of today’s game and hopefully, come the end of the campaign, we’ll both be here to fight another day. We especially welcome back to Ingfield a couple of our former players in Like Hogg and Charlie Reaney. We wish them and their club all the best for the rest of the season after tonight that is.

We received sad news this week (Moz has already accused me of being the ‘Grim Reaper’) about the death of the former Northern Counties East League Chairman Dave Morrall. Dave was a proper ‘football man’ with whom, over the years, I became good friends. A great sense of humour, a genuine concern for the well-being of football clubs who were members of his League and a true gentleman. He will be sadly missed.

Finally we welcome to Ingfield the Officials, management team, players and not least the supporters of Stocksbridge Park Steels for this evening’s NPL Division One East

Next Home Fixture: 3rd February 3pm Newton Aycliffe Pitching-In NPL East

THE DUGOUT DAVID BROWN – INTERIM MANAGER attitude and performances since joining a few weeks ago have been first class.

Good evening and welcome to Ingfield for what we are fully aware is a big game in context of the league table.

The squad are buoyant and confident with how we are now performing and trying to play. The weekends hard fought victory at Brighouse I feel showed we can also be ugly if needed.

Football can be cruel at times, we certainly saw that during the last home game against Ashington during a crazy 5 minutes and yet again we were on the receiving end at Brighouse losing Chris Dawson just a minute into the game. I would personally like to wish Chris a speedy recovery, his

The lads showed great character to regroup and maintain the way wanted to play after such an early change on Saturday. Our philosophy of freedom and confidence we want flowing through our players is beginning to show, which has certainly been the toughest challenge to install within the group. Mistakes will happen, it’s natural at any level of football. However the important element is we learn from the mistakes to ensure what cost us in games doesn’t happen again.

The support and rallying from the crowd over the last couple of weeks certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. The group are doing all they can to repay the faith.

Stronger together.

Brownie

CAPTAIN’S COLUMN HARRY COATES - CAPTAIN We have worked hard in training and I’m proud of the team on how we dug in and hung onto the win. We know today is just as important to pick up points and we will be doing everything we can to do so.

Get behind the team tonight.

After a long period out it was great to finally get back out onto the pitch with the lads.

The last few weeks we have played well and had nothing to show for it.

For the fans that managed to get down to Brighouse on Saturday saw a different side to us with a gritty performance that deserved the 3 points.

Harry

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

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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 OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER

Player’s Number

Sponsor

Number 1

Stanley Kelly

Number 2

The Scottish Supporters Club

MEET THE TEAM 2023/24 BACKROOM STAFF DAVID BROWN – INTERIM MANAGER

BROWNIE HAS STEPPED UP FROM A COACHING ROLE TO BECOME ASSISTANT MANAGER THIS SEASON AS HIS OFF-FIELD REPUTATION CONTINUES TO GROW WITH A VARIETY OF INNOVATIVE TRAINING SESSIONS KEEP THE PLAYERS ON THEIR TOES. HE HAS RECENTLY STEPPED INTO THE ROLE OF INTERIM MANAGER FOLLOWING GRANT BLACK’S DEPARTURE.

RYAN PUGH – GOALKEEPING COACH

RYAN’S PLAYING CAREER SAW HIM FEATURE FOR GOOLE, NEW MILLS, MATLOCK TOWN AND A FAMOUS SPELL AT OSSETT ALBION FONDLY REMEMBERED BY OSSETT TOWN FANS AFTER ONE PARTICULAR OSSETT DERBY (ASK HIM, HE LOVES TALKING ABOUT IT…) PUGHY JOINED GRANT’S BACK-ROOM STAFF AT BELPER TOWN AND HAS PROVEN POPULAR WITH GOALKEEPERS HE HAS WORKED WITH, PUSHING THEM TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE.

PADDY MILLER – DEFENDER/COACH

PADDY SURPRISED THE NON-LEAGUE WORLD AS HE CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT LAST SEASON TO RETURN TO THE FIELD RE-IGNITING A DEFENSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH HARRY COATES WHICH PROVED SUCCESSFUL AT BOTH HYDE UNITED AND TADCASTER ALBION. PADDY ADDS EXPERIENCE AND A SENSE OF CALM TO ANY SIDE HE IS PART OF. HE HAS STEPPED INTO A COACHING CAPACITY AS A MEMBER OF DAVID BROWN’S BACKROOM TEAM. SPONSORED BY JP NUGENT LTD PLUMBING AND HEATING

PLAYERS JOE GREEN - GOALKEEPER

FORMER GUISELEY, NEWPORT COUNTY AND HYDE UNITED GOALKEEPER, JOE IS STRONG IN STATURE, AN EXCELLENT SHOT STOPPER AND HIS DISTRIBUTION OF THE BALL WILL BE A HUGE ASSET THIS SEASON. JOE MADE HIS PROFESSIONAL DEBUT FOR NEWPORT COUNTY IN THE FA CUP 3RD ROUND AGAINST BLACKBURN ROVERS. SPONSORED BY THE HANKS FAMILY

MEET THE TEAM 2023/24 PLAYERS JACOB MCLOUGHLIN – DEFENDER SIGNED IN THE SUMMER OF 2023 HAVING IMPRESSED IN THE FRIENDLIES. STRONG AT THE BACK AND HAS THE ABILITY TO STEP INTO THE MIDFIELD WITH THE BALL TO START ATTACKS, HE WAS MOST RECENTLY AT YORK CITY. SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

HARRY COATES - DEFENDER

A KEY SIGNING LAST SEASON FROM ASHTON UNITED DESPITE BEING CHASED

BY NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH AND NPL PREMIER DIVISION SIDES. APPOINTED CLUB CAPTAIN THIS SUMMER. HARRY IS A COMMANDING CENTRAL DEFENDER AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE BALL AT HIS FEET AND MORE THAN CAPABLE TO STEP INTO MIDFIELD.

SPONSORED BY JAMES & DAWN ROGERS

JIMMY BURKE - DEFENDER

BURKEY MADE 46 APPEARANCES FOR THE CLUB BETWEEN 2018 – 2020 AND IS A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE SQUAD. AS WELL AS A SUCCESSFUL FIRST SPELL AT THE CLUB HE PLAYED A KEY ROLE FOR HYDE UNITED AS THEY REACHED THE FIRST ROUND OF THE FA CUP. JIMMY STARTED HIS CAREER AT HUDDERSFIELD TOWN AND MADE HIS EFL DEBUT AFTER TRANSFERRING TO BURY. SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

SHANE KILLOCK – DEFENDER AN EXPERIENCED CENTRE HALF , BROTHER OF FORMER OUFC FAVOURITE ROSS, SHANE JOINED IN NOVEMBER 2023 FROM NPL WEST SIDE MOSSLEY. SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE DERRY ROBSON – DEFENDER/MIDFIELDER

TALENTED AND VERSATILE, DEZ IS AS COMFORTABLE IN MIDFIELD AS HE IN AT FULL-BACK. DERRY HAS EXPERIENCE OF PROMOTION FROM STEP FOUR AND WILL ADD DRIVE AND EXPERIENCE TO THE SIDE. DEZ JOINED THE CLUB IN 2022 FROM NPL EAST SIDE CLEETHORPES TOWN. SPONSORED BY PAUL COOPER

MEET THE TEAM 2023/24 FABIAN BAILEY – DEFENDER/MIDFIELDER

SIGNED FROM PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES WHERE HE SPENT FOUR SEASONS. FAB IS ABLE TO TURN HIS HAND TO A NUMBER OF POSITIONS AS REQUIRED, HE STARTED HIS CAREER AT ROTHERHAM UNITED AND HAS ALSO HAD SPELLS AT FRICKLEY ATHLETIC AND OSSETT TOWN. SPONSORED BY RICH CALLAGHAN COREY GREGORY – MIDFIELDER

CULTURED MIDFIELDER, COREY RETURNS TO INGFIELD AFTER A SPELL AT BRIGHOUSE TOWN. NO STRANGER TO GRANT BLACK WHO HAS SIGNED HIM FOR A THIRD TIME HAVING WORKED WITH HIM AT OSSETT TOWN AND BELPER TOWN. COREY WILL BE A DRIVING FORCE IN THE HEART OF THE PITCH.

SPONSORED BY THE ADAMSON FAMILY Tom Claisse - Midfield

Claisse brings a wealth of experience to Ingfield having played for Whitby Town, Farsley Celtic, Ossett Albion and Town, Bradford Park Avenue, Tadcaster Albion and most recently North Ferriby after starting his career at Bradford City.

Claisse has also captained the RAF Football side and was given the honour of carrying the FA Cup to the Royal Box, handing it to Prince William, ahead of the 2018 final between Manchester United and Chelsea.

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

JANNI LIPKA - MIDFIELDER

A KEY PLAYER IN THE SUCCESSFUL HYDE UNITED SIDE WHO PLAYED MK DON’S IN THE FA CUP, LIPKA HAS GREAT EXPERIENCE AND HAS PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE FOR THE CLUB SINCE SIGNING LAST SEASON. HAVING HAD AN INJURY INTERRUPTED SEASON LAST YEAR, WITH A FULL PRE-SEASON BEHIND HIM JANNI IS EXPECTED TO GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH THIS SEASON. SPONSORED BY PAUL COOPER

RHYS PLATER- MIDFIELDER

YOUNG WINGER SIGNED FROM ARMTHORPE WELFARE WHERE HE HAS SCORED 12 GOALS IN 50 APPEARANCES AFTER HE IMPRESSED IN PRE-SEASON AGAINST US. RHYS HAS MADE AN IMPACT ON THE SQUAD WITH AN ASSIST ON HIS DEBUT. HE ADDS SPEED AND SKILL TO THE GROUP AND IS AN EXCELLENT OPTION FOR THE MANAGEMENT TEAM

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

MEET THE TEAM 2023/24 KELAN SWALES - FORWARD

YOUNG SIGNED ON DUAL-REGISTRATION FORMS WITH NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH SIDE ALFRETON TOWN. KELAN HAS SPENT SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL YEARS PLAYING IN AMERICA AND IS NOW LOOKING TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF BACK IN ENGLAND. KELAN SPENT TIME IN THE HALIFAX TOWN ACADEMY BEFORE HIS MOVE TO AMERICA. SPONSORED BY SPOFF & KATE

DESMOND AMPONSAH – FORWARD

QUICK AND TRICKY FROM EITHER FOOT, DESMOND IS SURE TO GET THE FANS EXCITED, A REAL DEFENDERS NIGHTMARE. DESMOND SPENT LAST SEASON WITH LIVERSEDGE AND TADCASTER ALBION GAINING NPL EXPERIENCE. SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

SAM KELLY - FORWARD

ANOTHER SUMMER SIGNING AND ONE THAT WILL UNDOUBTABLY EXCITE THE INGFIELD FAITHFUL. TALL, STRONG AND QUICK, SAM WILL ADD A NEW OPTION UPFRONT FOR THE SIDE HAVING SPENT TIME IN AMERICA WHERE HE EARNED A PLACE IN THE TEAM OF THE YEAR THANKS TO HIS PROWESS IN FRONT OF GOAL SCORING 22 GOALS IN 31 APPEARANCES FOR FAULKNER UNIVERSITY EAGLES.

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE TJ IBRAHIM – FORWARD

A DYNAMIC WINGER WITH AN EYE FOR GOAL, TJ WAS THE FIRST SUMMER SIGNING JOINING THE CLUB FROM BRIGHOUSE TOWN WHERE HE HAS SPENT THE PAST FIVE SEASONS. TJ HAS GIVEN FULL BACK’S SLEEPLESS NIGHTS OVER RECENT YEARS AND KNOW HOW THEY THINK AS HE IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF FULFILLING THAT POSITION HIMSELF IF REQUIRED. SPONSORED BY KEITH & KATH WOOD

ALEX PETERSON - FORWARD

A KEY MEMBER OF THE SIDE, ALEX’S WORK RATE IS SECOND TO NONE AND HE IS A HANDFUL FOR ANY DEFENDER THAT HE COMES UP AGAINST. STRONG AND EXCELLENT IN THE AIR HE IS A FOCAL POINT OF THE OSSETT SIDE BRINGING PLAYERS AROUND HIM INTO THE GAME WHILST ALSO FINISHING ANY CHANCES CREATED. SPONSORED BY MOZ & MARZ

RAFA FERREIRA – FORWARD

A FLAIR PLAYER WHO IMPRESSED IN PRE-SEASON AND EARNT HIMSELF A DEAL AT THE CLUB, RAFA HAS SPENT TIME AT GUISELEY, PICKERING TOWN AND TADCASTER ALBION AHEAD OF JOINING OSSETT UNITED THIS SUMMER.

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

THE OPPOSITION Stocksbridge Park Steels – A History…

Stocksbridge Park Steels was created in 1986 with the merger of Stocksbridge Works FC and another Stocksbridge Club, Oxley Park Sports FC. Stocksbridge Works had the ground and only one team and Oxley Park had three teams and no ground. In the early years 1986 to 1991 the new Club ploughed all its resources into the Bracken Moor Stadium so as to meet ground grading criteria and enable the Club to rise through the non-league pyramid system.

The appointment of Mick Horne and Trevor Gough as Team Manager and Assistant in February 1991 heralded a period of success to rival the works in the 1950 to 1964 period. Under Mick and Trevor, Steels started their run to the Northern Premier League (NPL). The 1993/94 season saw Steels win the Premier Division of the NCEL, but the celebrations were cut short when the ground improvements necessitated were not at an advanced enough state to allow the Steels to take their place in the NPL. The following season, Steels finished in third place and in 1995/96 they were runners-up to Hatfield Main and gained promotion to the Unibond NPL First Division. Steels made steady progress in the first five seasons in the league, with the highest placed position of fourth achieved in 2000/01.

In 2002 Wayne Biggins was subsequently appointed Player/Manager after a short spell as Assistant Manager, with Graham Furness as his assistant. In the 2002/03 season, Paul Jackson, equalled an FA Cup record of ten goals in one game, during the Steels 17-1 thrashing of Oldham Town. Steels had their best FA Cup run in the 2003/04 season reaching the Fourth Qualifying Round eventually losing away at Shildon in November 2003. Peter Rinkcavage was appointed as Manager from Gainsborough Trinity with Paul Bradshaw as Assistant with Jason Maybury, taking over from Bradshaw in 2004. A good season followed in 2005/06 with the Steels, just missing out on promotion after losing to Kendal Town in the Play-offs. In the 2006/07 season, the Steels missed out on a Play-off position after being in the top three for 90% of the season. But, the team finished the season on a high note, beating local rivals Worksop Town in the Sheffield Senior Cup Final at Hillsborough. This was to be the last game with Peter Rinkcavage in charge.

He along with assistant Jason Maybury, left to join Worksop Town in the summer of 2007. Gary Marrow, along with his assistant Mark Ogley was appointed manager before the start of the 2007/08 season, with former player Gary Ingham taking over from Ogley midway through the season. In his first season at the club, Marrow steered them to a credible fifth place losing to local rivals Sheffield FC in the Play-off Semi-Final.

THE OPPOSITION At the moment the club has 420 players either playing in a squad or being coached on a regular basis. Stocksbridge Park Steels is now acknowledged to be the top ‘grassroots’ Community Club in South Yorkshire. 2008/09 was a fabulous season for Gary Marrow’s team, having finished third in Unibond NPL League Division 1 South, they won the Play-off final against Derbyshire rivals Belper Town 1-0 and were promoted to the Unibond NPL Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.

Steels supporters were in for a rollercoaster debut season in the Premier Division. Ten games into the season, while his team were top of the league, manager Gary Marrow resigned. Former Steels player Simon Collins took over but unfortunately his tenure didn’t last long. Reserve manager Steve Shutt took over and guided Steels to an excellent eleventh place. The 2010/11 season started with the return of Gary Marrow as manager but resigned just before Christmas during the 2011/12 season and was replaced with Chris Willcock and assisted by Darren Schofield. Willcock guided the Steels to safety that season with a little help from Mickleover Sports who were docked points for playing an ineligible player. Willcock’s second season in charge didn’t start well and he was replaced by his assistant Darren Schofield who brought in the experienced defender Brett Lovell as his number two. Once again Stocksbridge managed to avoid relegation but again it went down to the wire.

The 2013/14 season started on a high with an exciting victory over Droylsden but from then on the Steels struggled and spent most of the season in the relegation zone. The club and long serving Player/Manager Darren Schofield parted company at the end of the season. Former Worsbrough Bridge manager Chris Hilton was appointed the new boss for the 2014/15 season.

Chris immediately brought in the former Emley midfielder Mark ‘Willy’ Wilson as his assistant and experienced former Barnsley defender Ryan Laight as player coach. 2015/16 was a successful season for Stocksbridge having their best ever run in the FA Trophy eventually losing out to National League side Gateshead, after they had beaten the holders North Ferriby in the previous round. Steels finished the league in sixth place just a couple of points behind the Play-off positions and manager Chris Hilton was rewarded with a contract for the next two years.

2016/17 saw The Steels finish fourth in the league, along with another good run in the FA Trophy. Unfortunately Stocksbridge were beaten in the Play-off Semi-Final losing to Spalding United. The 2018/19 season started with manager Chris Hilton signing a contract to stay with the club, but big changes were just about to happen. Allen Bethell, who had been the chairman since the clubs formation in 1986, announced he was going to

THE OPPOSITION retire due to health reasons. Graham Furness, who had been at the club for over 20 years in different roles, including assistant manager, stepped up to the chairman’s job with Roger Gissing becoming the vice-chairman. Steels were in Play-off contention till COVID put breaks on the season. However Hilton and assistant Lee Thompson did a great job keeping the team together throughout the entire lockdown. Unfortunately, when the football started again for the 2021/22 season, it wasn’t to be and after another early FA Cup exit Chris Hilton brought an end to his eight years at the club as he resigned as manager. Lee Thompson steadied the ship as caretaker for three games securing back to back wins.

The club then in September 2021 announced the appointment of former player Ian Richards as their new manager. He had been in charge for 12 years at local rivals Penistone Church taking them from local football to the NCEL in a period of massive success for the club. Ian brought back club legend Andy Ring as his assistant and finished mid table in their first season in charge. The 2022/23 season was successful with Stocksbridge finishing in the playoffs and reaching the 3rd Qualifying round in the FA Cup. Stocksbridge would be in and around the top 5 places all season but lost out on penalties to Stockton Town in the playoff semi-final. The Steels will be looking to improve on this for the 2023/24 season.

Previous Meetings Date

Competition

Venue

Score

Scorers

08.12.18

League

H (282)

3-0

Basic, Chippendale, Vann

27.04.19

League

A (225)

1-1

Own Goal

17.08.21

League

H (416)

3-0

Connolly, Walshaw (2)

11.12.21

League

A (244)

0-1

13.09.22

FA Trophy

A (115)

2-2

Aldrich (2) (WON 3-0 ON PENS)

27.09.22

League

H (267)

1-0

Aldrich

07.03.23

League

A (138)

3-1

Lipka, Dawson, Walshaw

28.03.23

League

A (202)

1-0

Peterson

THE OPPOSITION Ben Townsend – Goalkeeper Goalkeeper signed from Handsworth in late autumn 2022 and became the clubs first team keeper, He had joined Handsworth from Worksop Town where he also served as a goalkeeping coach for former Steels player David Reay due to an injury ruling him out. He has impressed for the Ambers as they have consistently challenged for promotion from the Northern Counties East League. He has also played for Staveley Miners Welfare, Ilkeston Town and Lincoln United.

Henry Hampshaw – Goalkeeper Young goalkeeper signed in the summer following his release from Sheffield United. Played for us on loan last season, as well as spells on loan at Frickley Athletic, Handsworth and North Ferriby.

Jordan Lemon – Defender Lemon is a right-back who has been featured in Team of the Years before.

He signed for the Steels at the end of 2018 from Matlock Town and has been a regular in the first team ever since. Hitting 100 appearances in Feb 2023.

This will be his 6 th season with the club. Also a decent cricketer as well.

Bailey Baker – Defender Signing in the summer of 2022, Baker is a lively full-back that looks to complement his defensive work with adding to the attack. He won the U23s Manager’s Player of the Year Award when with the Barnsley Shadow Academy as well as winning the league with them. After a brief loan spell at Emley, Bailey has become a 1st team regular.

Jack Tinker – Defender Signed in October 2021 from Brighouse Town. A young full back who can plan on either flank. Has played for Shelley FC in the NWCL and also was part of the Barnsley FC Shadow Scholarship. Become 1st choice left back at start of 22/23 and has already made over 50 appearances for the club and won the young player of the year award 23/24.

Charlie Oglesby – Defender Signing in the summer of 2022, Oglesby had been a long term player for Staveley and had become a legend for the Chesterfield based side. Since joining in the summer of 2022 Charlie has become an integral first team player, creating a strong defensive partnership with Elliot Murray. He won the players player of the year award 23/24 and was also picked in the NPL East team of the season.

THE OPPOSITION Elliot Murray – Defender The young defender joined the club after a successful trial with the Steels during pre-season 2022. Murray comes to the club with experience at this level having previously played at Brighouse Town last season and Mickleover before that. He also played in the Derby County academy, where he captained one of the youth teams to success. Since joining the club Elliot has become a rock at the back and a regular 1st team player.

Dan Grierson – Defender A summer signing from Chesterfield. The young defender, who can also play in midfield and has been a regular part of the Chesterfield U21s for the last couple of years. He has also featured for Staveley Miners Welfare, playing for them last season.

Jack Dolman – Defender The young left-back has come through the Chesterfield academy and impressed enough to be handed a start against Coalville Town in the FA Trophy last season. He also featured for Staveley Miners Welfare for a part of last season.

Mitch Langton – Defender/Midfielder Mitch is in his 2nd spell with the club. He re-joined in the summer of 2022, and joined several players who made the move from Staveley to Stocksbridge.

His versatility has benefited the squad as he is capable of playing in both midfield and defence. He has already made over 50 appearances for the club.

Ross Goodwin – Midfielder The club captain and gives it 110% on the field. Goodwin is coming into his 5th season with Stocksbridge after signing for us in 2019. The central midfielder is known for his tough tackling. Suffered a shoulder dislocation early in the season but came back to lead the club into the play offs and his performance in the playoff game was a captains innings.

Kurtis Turner – Midfielder The clubs vice-captain who has become one of the clubs most important players, having made his 100th appearance for the club during 22/23 . Kurtis re-signed for Steels as Ian Richard’s first new signing, the ex- Barnsley midfielder had enjoyed a brief spell at local rivals Penistone Church. He was also voted the managers player of the year last season.

THE OPPOSITION Alex O’Connor – Midfielder The clubs Australian midfielder. Joined in Autumn 2021 signing from Yorkshire rivals Brighouse Town. Has previously played for Hyde and was part of Barnsley’s Shadow Scholarship scheme. O’Connor was actually raised in Australia and attracted headlines as a youngster for his talent and ambition to become a professional player. He was coached in the AC Milan academy in Australia by former Italy international Andrea Icardi who said he had unlimited potential.

Luke Hogg – Midfielder A summer 2023 summer signing from Yorkshire rivals Ossett United. A defensive midfielder rated one of the best at this level. Hogg re-signed for Ossett last season after a successful loan spell and quickly become a key part of Grant Black’s side. He had played for the Sheepicorns the previous season, winning two of their Player of the Season awards which had earned him a move to Whitby Town. He’s also a former Steel having had a loan spell with us in 2018 while contracted to Guiseley. He has also been at Doncaster Rovers, Frickley Athletic and North Ferriby United.

Oliver Nowak – Midfielder Olly has made the step up over the summer from the U18’s/Reserve teams.

During his time in the U18’s he helped the team to an undefeated league championship and league cup win. He was also leading goal scorer in the reserves last season. He will continue to play for reserves as well as training/featuring for the first team as he continues his development.

Tomas Poole – Midfielder/Forward Joining in the summer of 2022, he came across to the club with several other Staveley players. He’s a tricky midfielder/forward who is a proven player in the Northern Premier League. Since joining Tomas stepped into the number 9 role and has become the star of the team becoming the leading goal scorer and assist provider. His set pieces means Steels are a threat from corners and free kicks. Was the fans player of the year 23/24.

Luke Rawson – Forward Joined the club in the summer of 2022, Rawson comes to the club as a highly respected striker who got rave reviews while playing for Chesterfield in the National League. He joined the club from Bradford Park Avenue. Started the season in good form and was leading goal scorer until injury saw him miss a massive chunk of the season. Since coming back he has found himself coming into form.

THE OPPOSITION Luca Defalco – Forward A product of the Stocksbridge youth system. An old school striker who scores goals for fun. In his first season in the 1st team squad he found chances limited and had loan spells at Swallownest and Hallam FC both in the NCEL. He is looking to make more of a mark in the 1st team in 23/24.

Luke Watson – Forward A summer signing from Rossington Main. The 21-year-old striker came through the Doncaster Rovers academy where his goals helped the U18s come 2nd in their division. After his release from Doncaster, he would go to Rossington Main where he’d become a key part of their side. Signed for the Steels at the start of 23/24 season.

Basile Zottos – Forward Signed from Liversedge in September. The pacey winger is looking to settle with the Steels and add to his scoring talents.

Ian Richards – Manager He began his career with Blackburn Rovers but failed to make the first team and moved on to Halifax Town, where he made 24 Football League appearances. He went on to play for non-league teams Belper Town and Stocksbridge Park Steels where he played alongside Jamie Vardy &was part of the promotion winning team. He went onto manager Penistone Church F.C. for 12 years taking them from local football to NCEL big hitters, winning trophies along the way. Away from football he is the Assistant Principal at Penistone Grammar School. Appointed Stocksbridge manager in September 2021.

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THE UNTOLD GAME MARTYN GREEN Lost Dreams In 1987, Alianza Lima stood on the verge of their first title in a decade.

They had just beaten Deportivo Pecullpa by a single goal to go to the summit of the Peruvian league, with only a few games to go, and spirits were high. They took the decision to fly home from Pecullpa, deep in the Amazon Rainforest, that night. The pilot made the journey despite some reservations, and on approach his instruments stopped working properly. He flew over the airport in Lima, who confirmed his landing gear was down, and started another landing run. The next morning, horrified, disbelieving Alianza fans woke up to the news that their heroes had been lost in the Pacific Ocean.

The side was supposed to bring in a new dynasty. Alianza Lima are one of the most successful sides in Peru, and their side was young. It included the promising heart of a Peruvian national team about whom hopes were high that they could compete at the summit of South American football once again. And they were a magical side. Managed by the legendary Marcos Calderon, who had won countless titles, and lifted the Copa America with the national side in 1975, he had led the golden era of Peruvian football in the 1970s.

The perfect man to shepherd an exciting young side.

At the heart of their midfield was Luis

Escobar. Making his debut in 1983 at just 14, he drew comparisons with the star of that 1975 side, Teofilo Cubillas.

He was still only 18 in 1987, but had become the undisputed heartbeat of his club, and made his debut for the national side. Tricky, powerful, and playful, he was a fan’s dream.

The stage was set for not just Alianza to reassert their dominance domestically, but for Peru to challenge Brazil and Argentina once again.

The details of the disaster were hushed up for a long time, to hide the failings of a struggling Peruvian government under threat from Communist guerilla fighters. The plane had been a specially chartered flight from the navy, but its pilot - Lieutenant Edilberto Vilar - had little practice at night flying, and had none in the preceding month.

Additionally, he had failed a test for flying under stress. The navy and the government were keen to stress the pilot error at the heart of the story,

THE UNTOLD GAME MARTYN GREEN rather than their problems with maintaining the plane.

Villar had initially refused to fly the Fokker F-27, because the maintenance log showed multiple issues. One of those issues was a worn landing gear light, which failed to show Villar that his wheels were in fact down as he came in to land. He aborted his first attempt, for which the control tower at the airport confirmed that he could land. He circled, and made his second approach, only for his altimeter to fail - another problem detailed in the maintenance log - causing him to misjudge his height, and plunge into the Pacific Ocean. He was able to escape through a hole in the fuselage, but all but one of the players were trapped and sank with the plane. The one player that escaped with him, Alfredo Tomasini, had suffered multiple serious injuries, and rescue wouldn’t be for 11 hours.

Overnight, the sea got rough, and a weakened Tomasini was dragged under the waves, leaving Villar the only survivor.

Alianza fans spent the next morning in disbelief. Some tried to start their own search efforts, but the Peruvian navy refused to allow any civilian access to the crash site, in an attempt to conceal their own malfeasance. Others went to mass - it was a Sunday after all - to pray for those lost. Matches were played at the Alianza stadium in

commemoration, and thousands travelled to their players’ home towns, to start a long pilgrimage back to Lima as a show of respect.

The families of the players descended on the naval base in Lima to demand answers, and the navy responded by firing shots to disperse them. There was nothing for anybody associated with Alianza to cling to; no survivors, no information, no hope.

The club had to see out the rest of the season, making use of youth players and loans from Colo-Colo in Chile, and even called Teofilo Cubillas out of retirement for the final few games. But it wasn’t enough, and their fierce rivals Universitario pipped them to the title, and it would be another decade before Alianza could put together a team that could win the league. But the trauma suffered would last far longer, and answers were only found in 2006, in a Florida safety deposit box, where they had been illegally stored.

So while we get carried with joy and despair, passion and anger, it’s important to remember that football isn't life and death. It’s just football.

Enjoy today’s game.

Martyn Find more stories from ‘The Untold Game’ at www.theuntoldgame.co.uk

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CLUB HISTORY THE FORMATION Ossett United was created on 1 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.

The two clubs merged under the leadership of a new board brought together from the two previous clubs. 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.

EARLY CHANGES Despite a successful first season on the pitch, off field things were not as successful with a number of board resignations 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 with Stuart Garside, Steve Hanks, Paul Billing, Neil Spofforth and Joe Hanks joining the board.

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).

CLUB HISTORY Despite a successful first season on the pitch, off field things were not as successful with a number of board resignations 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 with Stuart Garside, Steve Hanks, Paul Billing, Neil Spofforth and Joe Hanks joining the board.

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).

James Rogers and Phil Smith swapped roles due to Smith’s work commitments with Rogers taking 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.

GROUND IMPROVEMENTS With the off-field rollercoaster settling down the Board progressed numerous ground improvements at Ingfield with the replacement of the pitch side barrier and installation of LED floodlights being completed in 2021 before attention turned to improving the changing room facilities which took shape in the summer of 2023 thanks to further grants from the Football Foundation.

The extension includes an additional match official room, two offices and a medical room as well as a larger, modern changing room that will become fully operational by the summer of 2024.

The Boardroom has also been strengthened in the summer of 2023 with Dawn Rogers and Kate Hennighan taking their place alongside the eight members already in place.

CLUB HISTORY UP TO NOW...

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.

Following the departure of Andy Welsh a couple of months in to the 2019/20 season Wayne Benn, assisted by Chick Hayward, oversaw two covid hit seasons. Hopes were high after a positive pre-season in 2021/22 with Benn reshaping the squad. The season started well with Ossett United in the top half of the table but a run of only one win in three months saw a change in the dugout at Christmas with Jas Collvier and Mark Ward taking a joint managerial role.

The season ended well with the pair unbeaten at Ingfield with seven wins and two draws but away from home inconsistent performances and results saw a ninth placed finish in only the clubs second completed season.Colliver and Ward strengthened the squad throughout preseason, and despite on paper the squad looking as strong as it ever had, results did not match expectations. Mark Ward resigned in September with Colliver taking sole charge before leaving the club by mutual consent the following month.

Grant Black became the clubs fourth permanent manager in October 2022, winning his first game in charge, 2-0 at the eventual play-off champions Long Eaton United and only tasting defeat twice in his first 16 games.

Results tailed off as the season ended with the club finishing in 15 th place and only avoiding a relegation play-off place on the last day of the season. The management team oversaw a major overhaul of the first team squad ahead of the 23/24 season and despite glimpses of positivity an inconsistency in results saw United sitting in 15th place when Black and Ossett United went their separate ways on 24 December.

Assistant Manager David Brown was asked to become interim manager supported by Ryan Pugh and senior player Paddy Miller as the club looks to have a positive 2024.

2023/2024 DATE

OPPONENT

COMP. RES. SCORERS

04/07/23 07/07/23 11/07/23 14/07/23 18/07/23 22/07/23 25/07/23 29/07/23

(A) HORBURY TOWN (A) ARMTHORPE TOWN (A) WORKSOP TOWN (A) TADCASTER ALBION (A) HEMSWORTH M.W (A) GOOLE (A) GARFORTH TOWN (H) WIDNES FC

FRIENDLY FRIENDLY FRIENDLY FRIENDLY

3-1 3-2 0-1 1-0 S.KELLY TROPHY 2-0 FRIENDLY 1-4 FRIENDLY 0-3 FRIENDLY 1-0

IBRAHIM, ONWUBIKO, TRIALIST D ONWUBIKO, KELLY, REANEY

05/08/23 12/08/23 15/08/23 19/08/23 22/08/23 26/08/23 28/08/23

(H) 1874 NORTHWICH (A) SHEFFIELD FC (H) DUNSTON FC (H) WYTHENSHAWE (A) ASHINGTON (H) STOCKTON TOWN (A) PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES

FA CUP NPL EAST NPL EAST FA CUP NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

2-0 1-3 2-4 2-0 1-0 0-1 0-4

PETERSON (2) OWN GOAL IBRAHIM, AMPONSAH BURKE, REANEY SWALES

02/09/23 (H) MARSKE UNITED 09/09/23 (A) NORTH FERRIBY 16/09/23 (A) NEWTON AYCLIFFE 30/09/23 (H) GRIMSBY BOROUGH

FA CUP FA TROPHY NPL EAST NPL EAST

0-3 1-2 3-1 0-2

03/10/23 (H) GRANTHAM TOWN 07/10/23 (A) CONSETT 10/10/23 (H) HORBURY TOWN 14/10/23 (H) CARLTON TOWN 28/10/23 (A) STOCKSBRIDGE P.S

NPL EAST NPL EAST COUNTY CUP NPL EAST NPL EAST

0-0 2-1 2-0 0-2 1-0

04/11/23 11/11/23 20/10/23 25/11/23 28/11/23

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST COUNTY CUP

09/12/23 (H) WINTERTON RANGERS 16/12/23 (A) DUNSTON FC 22/12/23 (H) SHEFFIELD FC 30/12/23 (H) PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES 06/01/24 (A) STOCKTON TOWN 10/01/24 (A) CLEETHORPES TOWN 13/01/24 (H) ASHINGTON 27/01/24 (A) BRIGHOUSE TOWN 20/01/24 (H) STOCKSBRIDGE P.S

(A) NORTH FERRIBY (H) HEBBURN TOWN (H) BRIGHOUSE TOWN (H) BRIDLINGTON TOWN (A) BARNOLDSWICK TOWN

MOM

ATT 450

JOHN ROBSON, ONWUBIKO WOODCOCK MILLER

MILLER EDWARDS (2), AMPONSAH

212 PETERSON WOODCOCK BURKE GREEN COATES

392 321 271 327 553 323 432

MILLER GREEN PLATER MCLOUGHLIN

321 472 158 357

PLATER IBRAHIM, LIPKA REANEY, LIPKA

REANEY

PETERSON

ROBSON

168 377 744 346 202

1-3 4-4 1-1 1-1 4-0

PETERSON LIPKA, GREGORY (2), FERREIRA AMPONSAH MILLER PLATER (3), PETERSON

OMBANG OMBANG MILAMBO PLATER

521 283 255 335 111

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

4-2 0-2 1-4 0-4

SWALES (2), PLATER, PETERSON

PETERSON LIPKA PLATER LIPKA

218 204 326 453

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

0-3 0-2 1-2 1-0

DAWSON MCLOUGHLIN PRIESTLEY

555 325 282

PETERSON

PRIESTLEY PETERSON

2023/2024 DATE

OPPONENT

COMP. RES. SCORERS

03/02/24 06/02/24 10/02/24 17/02/24 24/02/23

(H) NEWTON AYCLIFFE (A) GUISLEY (A) BELPER TOWN (A) GRIMSBY BOROUGH (H) CONSETT

NPL EAST COUNTY CUP NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

02/03/24 16/03/24 23/03/24 30/03/24

(A) CARLTON TOWN (A) WINTERTON RANGERS (H) BELPER TOWN (A) GRANTHAM TOWN

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

01/04/24 (H) LIVERSEDGE 06/04/24 (A) HEBBURN TOWN 13/04/24 (H) NORTH FERRIBY 20/04/24 (A) BRIDLINGTON TOWN 27/04/24 (H) CLEETHORPES TOWN

NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST NPL EAST

SEASON STATS

MOM

ATT

CLUB STATISTICIAN – GEOFFERY PYKE

Man of the Match Awards

Leading Goalscorers

Player

League

Cup

Total

Player

League

Cup

Total

Rhys Plater

3

1

4

5

3

8

Harry Coates

3

0

3

Alex Peterson Rhys Plater

1

3

4

Joe Green

1

1

2

Darryl Ombang

2

0

2

Desmond Amponsah

3

0

3

Alex Peterson

1

1

2

Kelan Swales

3

0

3

Jeremie Milambo

2

0

2

Janni Lipka

2

1

3

Diego Edwards

2

0

2

TALE OF THE TAPE LEAGUE TABLE

FOOTBALL WEB PAGES

Man In The Middle Name: Adam Watson Refereeing Journey: I have been refereeing for 16 years and started at the age of 14 refereeing junior football on the North Bury Junior Football League. I started to concentrate fully on my refereeing career after I finished my university degree in teaching at the age of 22 where I started refereeing open aged football. I have refereed on different leagues such as the Lancashire Amateur League and the Rochdale Sunday League then moved to the North West Counties then onto the Northern Premier League. I am also an assistant referee on the National League North Division. I am part of Lancashire County FA and a member of Rochdale Referees Association.

Joe GREEN Matthew BANCROFT Fabian BAILEY Jimmy BURKE Harry COATES Jacob McLOUGHLIN Lewis TURNER Shane KILLOCK Corey GREGORY Rhys PLATER Joel SPENCE Rafa FERREIRA Derry ROBSON Janni LIPKA Tom CLAISSE TJ IBRAHIM Desmond AMPONSAH Kelan SWALES Joao SILVA Edney CASTRO Sam KELLY Alex PETERSON Adam PRIESTLEY SHIRTS: SKY BLUE SHORTS: NAVY SOCKS: NAVY GK: ALL PINK

Ben TOWNSEND Bailey BAKER Tom CHARLESWORTH Luca DEFALCO Jack DOLMAN Ryley D’SENA Ross GOODWIN Luke HOGG Jordan LEMON Elliot MURRAY Oliver NOWAK Alex O’CONNOR Charlie OGLESBY Tomas POOLE Luke RAWSON Charlie REANEY Jack TINKER Kurtis TURNER Jack WATSON Basile ZOTTOS

SHIRTS: RED SHORTS: RED SOCKS: RED

MATCH OFFICIALS AR1 THOMAS JOHNSON

REFEREE ADAM WATSON

AR2 CRAIG ATKIN