#Huddersfield Amateurs

[leicamoments]

Railway Hold A Candle High

Harrogate Railway Ladies’ Day 2024

Sunday and I took the short drive down to Harrogate Railway to cover a day of football – not cricket as had been originally planned. Railway Ladies were putting on, what is now becoming, their annual Ladies’ Day football extravaganza.

Three games had been arranged from midday through to early evening, as well as putting on a BBQ, bar, and raffle. Railway were also supporting Candlelighters – a charity that helps the families of children who have cancer, something that is close to the hearts of a number of people in and around the club.

The first game on the main Station View pitch was Railway Reserves against Huddersfield Amateurs. Both teams play in the West Riding County Women’s Football League – with the visitors starting in Division One and the reserves in Division Three for the 2024/25 season.

This isn’t the place for me to write three match reports, you can find summaries on Railway’s website if you want to read them.

The first game…both teams were determined to win, with the reserves taking the lead initially before Huddersfield hit back. It was a close game and a good advert for preseason football, with the visitors eventually winning 3-2.

The second game featured Railway Devs taking on West Yorkshire Whippets on the second pitch next to the clubhouse; both teams will be playing in the Women’s Beginner League this next season.

Another enjoyable game to watch, with both teams competing for every ball, wanting to win but with smiles on their faces. There was a plethora of chances, but some excellent goalkeeping on both sides meant that the game was finely balanced throughout.

As the full-time whistle was blown, each team had managed to score, and it ended 1-1 – probably a fair reflection of the overall gameplay.

A quick run back to the main pitch and I found that the last game had already kicked off.

Railway Firsts were playing Brayton Belles; Railway being in the topflight of the West Riding County Women’s Football League and the visitors in Division One, the league just below.

I’d missed a goal already…but that wasn’t to prove too pivotal as Railway were to give a virtuoso performance and score freely throughout the 90 minutes. As the first team has progressed over the last couple of seasons, a few promising younger players have been drafted in, and it is having a positive effect.

I’m not too sure how far along in preseason Brayton Belles are, nor if the team that turned out at Station View on Sunday reflects the line-up that will feature in the upcoming season – so there won’t be any conclusions drawn.

What I can say – is that Railway looked very, very good. It was one of those days that everything seemed to click, and they showed how good a team they are. This could be a fantastic season for them – and I have a gut feeling that they will be up there fighting for the title come April/May 2025.

The game ended 10-1 to Railway and as the teams and supporters headed up to the clubhouse to enjoy the remainder of the evening, I packed my cameras away and reflected on how good an afternoon of sport it had been.

Congratulations to everyone responsible for making the festival of football happen, and well done to all the teams and supporters who turned up and supported the day and especially the charity.

[theroyalsandi]

British Royal Family - The Prince of Wales made Edward Harley, from Bucknell, Chair, Acceptance in Lieu Panel Susan Taylor, from Huddersfield, Chair, British Amateur Rugby League Association and Vice-President, Rugby Football League, a Member of the Order of the British Empire at Windsor Castle. The honour recognizes services to rugby league football. (Photo by Yui Mok PA Images) | February 07, 2024

[achillean-archives]

"Ironically, Kaye would sometimes lament that he himself was ‘no oil painting’, which explained, he said, why he didn’t have a partner: ‘I wouldn’t want somebody to be with me just because they wanted to be with Gorden Kaye the actor. I do believe in love, but it’s only happened to me three times . . . which is two times too many.’

He was born Gordon Kaye (the spelling ‘Gorden’ came much later) in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in 1941, the only child of working-class parents who regarded him as their little miracle: his mother was 42 when he was born. His father, Harold, was an engineer, and an air raid warden.

A sensitive boy, he worried that his parents were so much older than other children’s. ‘I was sure that I would come home and find them dead,’ he admitted.

When he was three, he crept downstairs when his parents were having a Christmas party. He watched his mother, Gracie, talking and smoking a cigarette. When she put it down in an ashtray, young Gorden picked it up and took a drag.

Whether red-hot ash flew up from the tip, or he accidentally poked himself with the burning end, he was never sure. All he could remember was throwing himself on the floor, screaming and howling, and an agonising pain in his left eye. Next morning, the pupil was swollen, and he could barely see out of it. He later regained about 20 per cent of his vision in that eye, but for the rest of his life it stared off to the side.

At 16, he took a job as a salesman at a textiles firm, for £4 7s 6d a week. But he wanted to work in showbiz, and volunteered on Huddersfield’s hospital radio, playing rock ’n’ roll.  When The Beatles performed at the town’s cinema in 1963, Gorden interviewed them. His instinctive humour brought out the best in the Fab Four, who showered him with silly jokes.

At 22, Kaye was engaged to be married, but he had known since his teens that he was gay. That was why he had proposed to his girlfriend: ‘I thought that’s how you made the feelings go away.’

But they did not go away and, feeling increasingly lonely, he sought out a pen-friend through the small ads. A sailor called Peter in the New Zealand merchant navy got in touch, and they exchanged long, confessional messages, recorded on cassettes.

When Peter visited Britain, Gorden took him to meet his parents. Afterwards, his mother guessed there was ‘something going on’ and though Gorden denied it at first, he eventually told her the truth.

‘Don’t tell your dad,’ she warned. ‘It’ll kill him.’ He never said anything to his father and, for a long time, thought if his secret was exposed he would have to kill himself.

He threw himself into amateur dramatics. Playwright Alan Ayckbourn, then a BBC radio producer, urged him to turn professional. He applied for a job with a Bolton repertory company: the audition was so successful that the director fell off his chair laughing and had to be helped up. But the company wanted him for character work, and his first role was as an 80-year-old man. 

Bit parts on TV followed, and then he was cast as Elsie Tanner’s nephew, Bernard, in Coronation Street. By now his name was ‘Gorden’, thanks to a spelling error by the actors’ union, Equity. Before he could correct it, he was taken to hospital with kidney stones. 

The registrar misspelled his name, too, so the clipboard at the end of his bed also said ‘Gorden’. ‘I took that as an omen,’ he said. ‘Or possibly an emon.’ Those sorts of mangled vowels were the mainstay of his role as Rene.

At the outset in 1982, the show by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft was accused of mocking the heroes of the French Resistance. In fact, it was a send-up of BBC television wartime dramas such as Secret Army and Colditz. The show became hugely popular. 

But in 1989, warned that a Sunday tabloid was about to reveal his sexuality, Gorden decided to come out as gay: ‘I was born this way and I’ve never pretended to be anything other than what I am.’

He was terrified of the public response but, when the news broke, he was in panto at the London Palladium, and got a standing ovation.

Other reaction was less kind. One MP, Geoffrey Dickens, demanded the BBC sack him, for impersonating a ladies’ man on prime-time TV. 

‘That was a horrible time,’ Gorden remembered. 

‘It was a bit like the Nuremberg trials. I don’t care what my greengrocer does in bed and I don’t see why the public should have to know what I do. But of all the letters I got from the public, only two of them were nasty.’

Worse was to come. During a storm in January 1990, part of a wooden advertising hoarding was blown through his car windscreen and a piece of wood nearly 11in long was embedded in his skull. 

The injury left scars mental and physical from which he never fully recovered. He returned to record a final season of ’Allo ’Allo!, but rarely worked on TV again after that. The shock of the accident left him nervous and irritable, and clumsier than ever. ‘If I try to open a packet of biscuits,’ he admitted, ‘I spill them. And then I shout at them.’

He involved himself with charity work with the Grand Order of Water Rats, which supported entertainers and their families in hard times, and was proud to be elected Chief Rat in 1999. 

But he took little joy in life, and said he didn’t want to live into old age. Invitations were declined on the excuse that he was expecting to go to a funeral — his own.

But he never regretted a day of his time on ’Allo ’Allo! If his ability to make people laugh was a gift from God, as he believed, then Rene was his greatest stroke of luck — one other actors would kill to have, ‘and might probably put ground glass in my Diet Coke,’ he laughed.

‘I loved playing Rene. ’Allo ’Allo! enabled me to work with some of the finest comic performers in Britain. We did it for ten years . . . and even Hitler only managed six.’ " Source:

"Retired college lecturer Raymond, 86, said Gorden, who grew up in Moldgreen , had become isolated and very lonely - despite being loved by millions of fans.

“He had no brothers or sisters, just a few cousins. He never married and was a lone survivor till the end.

"It was just a case of surviving and he was very lonely. That is all very sad.”

Raymond praised his famous relative as “a brilliant actor, a comic genius, who brought a lot of joy to many people. He is still making people laugh today.”

Kaye was best known for his role as Rene Artois in the 1980s BBC sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo! which made light of the Nazi occupation of France.

BAFTA nominated, he also appeared in Last of the Summer Wine, Are You Being Served?, Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

Raymond added: “He always appreciated his fans saying ‘They’re my bread and butter’ and he always stopped to sign autographs in the street.”

Gorden, an only child, had described himself as a “shy, gay and overweight boy.”

[...]

Raymond, a father of two, said many of Gorden’s friends from London rarely visited him once he was in a care home.

He said: “Just one or two but not recently, they just seemed to forget about him.

“Me and my wife went up when we could but we’re too old to drive and it’s difficult by train and taxi.”

Raymond told how the teetotal star, who cheated death in a horrific car crash in 1990, “smoked a bit but never touched alcohol.”

He added: “I like to remember sitting and talking to him and what a brilliant actor he was.

“Allo ‘Allo was his best role. He was in 84 episodes which have been shown across the world.

[...]

Raymond fondly recalls being invited to screenings with Sheila: “We were in the audience a lot at one time. He did he make us laugh.

“He may have been forgotten by his acting friends but he’ll never be forgotten by us, his family, and his legions of fans." " Source:

[upsettingandunfortunateclasshate]

In 1895, a schism in Rugby football resulted in the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union (NRFU).[14] The success of working class northern teams led to some compensating players who otherwise would be on their job and earning income on Saturdays. This led to the RFU reacting to enforce the amateur principle of the sport, preventing "broken time payments" to players who had taken time off work to play rugby. Northern teams typically had more working class players (coal miners, mill workers etc.) who could not afford to play without this compensation, in contrast to affluent southern teams who had other sources of income to sustain the amateur principle.[2] In 1895, a decree by the RFU banning the playing of rugby at grounds where entrance fees were charged led to twenty-two clubs (including Stockport, who negotiated by telephone) meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield on 29 August 1895 and forming the "Northern Rugby Football Union".[15] 

Toff sport

[fletchersmith]

Raull Ellam: Taking the bodybuilding scene by storm

It’s a dream for many to transition into the Footballing world in hope to become the net Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but it’s very niche to hear about someone changing their future to take up a different passion in a different sport. 

We’ll be deep diving into Raull Ellam’s career so far and why he decided to change from following his Grandad’s footsteps into bodybuilding, where his family have a impressive showcase of awards. 

Raull Nawaz Ellam is a 20-year-old from West Yorkshire who had history in playing in the football academies of Barnsley and Huddersfield Town. The 6ft 3 individual played a variety of positions including left winger, attacking midfielder and right back. His most recent spell in football was two years ago, where he signed for Bradford Park Avenue in ambition to break into the first team. 

This didn’t go to plan, as his minutes were very limited and saw him playing most of his football for the academy. This wasn’t what Raull wanted and ultimately ended up with him changing over to bodybuilding.  

How did Raull get into football? 

Raull was lucky enough to be raised with many sporting figures around him, which gave him many options when deciding a sport to proceed with. His grandad, Roy Ellam had a stellar of a football career. 

Starting his career off at Bradford City where he made 149 apperences scoring 12 goals, after five years with the Bantams he decided to move to fellow West Yorkshire rival Huddersfield Town where he gathered 206 appearances scoring eight goals. 

Leeds United came calling for Ellam’s signature and got it, where he made 11 appearances and helped winning the Division One title before moving back to The Terriers. 

At the final stages of his career, Roy moved to America to play for Philadelphia Atoms and Washington Diplomats where he faced both Pelé and Eusebio. 

Raull held similar characteristics to his grandad with his height and footballing knowledge but was more of a technical player and wanted to be used higher up the pitch. 

Why bodybuilding? 

Raull’s mum Jeanie Ellam has a very successful career in bodybuilding and is one of the best mentors somebody could have. Jeanie won the World Amateur Body Building Association (WABBA) championships in Verona, after qualifying at the Hercules Olympia in Colchester. She didn’t just stop there either, she also won the WABBA English Grand Prix in Milton Keynes, where she won the Trained Figure class. 

Following from her successful career, Jeanie now helps run Roy Ellam’s gym, located in Mirfield which is a family run gym and is extremely popular to everyone within the local area. 

Raull has always had a passion for the gym, from starting consistently training from the age of 15 his love for the gym has always been the same, despite the passion of becoming professional footballer. The only thing which has changed inside the gym has been his training, switching from hybrid training (a mix of running and weightlifting to help with his stamina). His training now focuses on strength gaining and intense sessions which will optimally give him the most progression towards his goals. 

How is Raull doing? 

Raull left Bradford Park Avenue in March 2022 and has been committed to following his mother's footsteps since then. He now offers a PT (personal trainer) program where he focuses on improving his clients. He has also started uploading videos to TikTok. 

As you can see from above, Raull’s most viewed video has over 630,000 views and over his whole account he has gathered 116,000 likes. His story and motivational TikTok's are helping inspire many, who have an ambition to get into the gym and improve their physique. 

Raull runs his family gym ‘Roy Ellam’s fitness connection’ where he offers help and support to any newbies who may have a lack of confidence when attending the gym or don’t know where to get started. 

What the public think 

I conducted some online straw poles to see what the public thought about the transition between football and bodybuilding. 

The first question which I asked was if people believed that transitioning between football and bodybuilding was a unique career change. Because of my football-based following on X these results won’t give the bodybuilding scene any justice. 

71.4% voted towards it being a unique change while 14.3% said it wasn’t. 

My second question asked the public if they have watched or attended any bodybuilding competitions. I asked this question to try see the popularity of the sport.  

100% of the audience said they have never watched a bodybuilding competition. 

From the previous results i wanted to see how people ranked football compared to bodybuilding in difficulty to go professional in. Like the trend with all of my previous poles football is massively in favour, with 90% of the audience voting for football being more difficult. 

The final post for the X audience was to see how common it would be for them to follow someone's journey into taking bodybuilding seriously. 

There is some very popular Youtuber’s who document their journey and showcase what they are doing to prepare for upcoming competitions. One of these is Chris Bumstead, who has over 23 million Instagram followers and 3.6 million YouTube subscribers and is a five-time champion of Mr Olympia. 

60% of the audience stated that they find a bodybuilders journey not very interesting, then 40% rated it from 4-6. 

Raull’s story isn’t just unique but it’s inspiring to many, taking the jump from doing something which you’ve been doing for your entire life and risking it all to proceed in something you have a passion in is something which many people will look at with admiration. 

We spoke to Raull, getting his justification about his career change and what keeps him motivated everyday, we also spoke to the former World Amateur Body Building Association Championship winner Jeanie Ellam about her thoughts on his progress so far.

[markwatkinsreviews]

BOOK REVIEW: 1923, LIFE IN FOOTBALL ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO ~ Marvin Close (2022)

Out now (2022) but 100 years ago, 2023, will still be current next year!

The year in black & white focus being, 1923, and a great paperback by Marvin Close who chronicles the social change as well as the likes of black players like Jack Leslie (wickedly overlooked by England) struggling to change attitudes in changing rooms. The seismic shift to “One Love”, as currently expressed in Qatar for World Cup 2022, would almost take a 100 years.

Top First Division clubs back then were the likes of Liverpool (champions 1922/23), Sunderland, Huddersfield, Newcastle United, Everton and Aston Villa. West Ham played Bolton Wanderers in the first FA Cup final at Wembley, with Scotland winning the British Home Championship. 

The North and Midlands very much the leading lights in the 1920s against a cultural backdrop of jazz music, silent movies and economic crashes.

Charles Buchan (his great presence pictured impressively n the book) would later put his (editing) name to various football magazines and soccer annuals and the author of 1923 has certainly, professionally captured Buchan’s amateur hours in 272 fascinating and factual pages.

Rating: 8.5/10

https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/1923

Mark Watkins, Dare radio, 30 November, 2022

[amateuraspect]

Ducks on the canal.

[leicamoments]

Harrogate Railway Ladies Reserves 2-3 Huddersfield Amateurs

Railway held Ladies Day on Sunday, playing three preseason games and at the same time raising funds for Candlelighters - a charity that helps the families of children with cancer.

The story of the day will be published in the next few days - but for now, here are an initial set of images from the first game of the day.

[briggs56]

Discover the many benefits of using plant hire companies

The construction business is filled with challenges and complexities. You must put together the right people and put into use the right tools if you are to get the job done. You have a project aim, deadline, and budget. And you must carry out the work with these parameters in mind. A good part of the project will consist in moving heavy objects. You will also have to do a range of earthworks to erect the structure. Highly specialized equipment is needed for such a job. Your best option is to lease the equipment you need from a plant hire companies Leeds or plant hire companies Huddersfield. You need not purchase or own any such equipment. To do so would wasteful and impractical. You would have to find a place to store the heavy equipment between jobs. You would also have to pay for maintenance and upkeep. Such costs can soar in very little time. And in any case, you need not buy any of these pieces of machinery. Working with a plant hire vendor will give you access to excavators, rollers, dumpers, mini diggers, hydraulic breakers, fork lifts and telehandlers, and other machines when you need them. It is the best way to be cost-effective in the way that you plan and execute your project. It is important to work with the right vendor. This is not the kind of thing you want to leave to amateurs. The company you work with should offer a range of vehicles and devices from which you can choose. You should be able to quickly find what you are looking for and lease what you need to complete the project. If you are an experienced project manager, then you know the importance of taking your time to choose the right vendor. It is one of several decisions you must get right. Otherwise, you will find your project delayed and over budget. Not every vendor can provide you the level of service you demand. The vendor you work with should have already demonstrated its ability to deliver consistent customer satisfaction. It should also be able to provide you with good value for money. Spending capital on plant hire equipment is worthwhile. However, you should not have to pay above the market rate. It is also important to work with a company that is willing to stand by its brand. The equipment you lease should be safe and fit for purpose. You should be able to return or exchange any equipment that is not fit for purpose. The company you work with should also offer proper instruction to the people who will use the equipment. You will also need someone on hand who can provide maintenance and emergency repairs. These should all be in the contract that you sign; and it is better to sign a long-time contract with a high quality vendor than a succession of short ones with cheap but ineffectual companies. Your project must be perfect in every way. One of the ways of hitting that goal is to work with a good plant hire company.

If you are looking for high-quality plant hire companies Huddersfield or plant hire companies Huddersfield , then you need look no further. For more information please visit this site.

[ynwa4eva]

This is so much later than I thought I would end up sending this but I kept getting distracted while writing it.

Wimbledon is a very rare case of a travelling team in the UK (they became Milton Keynes dons and there is now a different Wimbledon team, AFC Wimbledon who are in the first league) . They weren't professional for most of their career but they did end up winning the FA cup against Liverpool (who won the year prior). Which is actually a pretty historic feat because there's only three clubs who've won the fa cup and it's amateur counterpart. Their win was seen as a major loss for Liverpool by lots of people because Liverpool got beaten by a "bad" team, but the team was actually in the first division up until the early 2000s when they got relegated. People still thought of them as a bad team, even though they became a really good team, and were one at the time, they weren't viewed that way. People have very set views about big teams and small teams, that when those teams change people have a really hard time adjusting to those changes and don't like believing it. I think in some ways smaller teams or lower tier teams fans and history don't get noticed because they don't even notice the history of bigger teams and upper tier teams if they aren't the main ones. There's a lot of focus on a few teams instead of all of those actually involved.

Trans currently in the PL don't get a lot of recognition for their prior success. Such as Villa's league and cup history which I never see talked about.

Blackburn, Huddersfield, and Sheffield Wednesdays all have pl titles. Those teams are either in the championship or league one. Sunderland AFC has 6 pl titles (I believe. The information for title history is very hard to find and sort through. But they do have league and cup titles won. I believe 6 league and 2 cup but seriously every site is different, and I don't feel like shifting through all of the first person accounts I can find but I knew six prior to my distressing unhelpful fact check). Which is only one less then what City has. Sunderland is currently in League one. This isn't even talking about runner up stats or stats in cups for both these teams mentioned and for other teams.

This is just about English football history because it was spurred by Everton, but there's also other lower tier teams in different countries that follow this same thing. There's a bunch of teams that aren't in the highest league that have rich histories of league and cup success, that have set records, or have important histories for other things as well that aren't success measurements. They get brushed under the rug a lot.

Beyond that, fans are still fans even if their team isn't successful. Like, I'm not financially supporting a semi professional team because I'm not a real fan, I'm doing it because I love and care for the team. They're still real teams, they still play the sport, they still have to practice, if they're in a professional league then they're still very much a professional team, and they love and support their fans and/or get loved and supported by their fans. There's still a lot of emotion in getting promoted and relegated, there's still a lot of emotion in winning amateur cups or getting as far as they can in the fa cup (even if it isn't far. They still tried and got somewhere). Lots of teams have a history that gets pushed to the side because of where they currently are, but lots of teams don't have a successful history or are successful in modern times, but they're still doing something still improving (or not in some cases, but that doesn't change the fact that they're trying and still playing). There's so many teams in all the leagues that exist, and they all mean something to the fans and to the players. They aren't just useless things that exist to make the other teams look even better.

Anyhow- hope your day was superb, and that your classes went well. How is your scarf coming along so far? Goodnight if you're still awake and see this, and good morning if you fell asleep! Either way hope you sleep well.

Mwah!!! Mwah mwah mwah!

Ive barely got anything to add on!! Oh man i dont really know how to express myself... But i feel like these "small" clubs going down/staying down also has to do with foreign owners pumping money into a handful of clubs causing inflation? Because of this its much harder for these teams that absolutely deserve to compete to get promoted... Its less about team spirit and such (even though obv it exists hello!!) more about pure skill and winning?? Ugh idk what im saying 😭😭

And my day went alright!! Still have to do an assignment 4 tomorrow and then ill head to bed. I just finished abouuutt 1/6 of the scarf already actually!! Sleep well <3

[roberttwallace]

Today's Fixtures - Football - Sporting Life

Tomorrow nights football fixtures - Football Fixtures | Sky Sports

Sunderland Women. Huddersfield Women. Brighouse Town Women. Read what he said Women. Middlesbrough Women. Wem Town. Oxford Utd Women. Portsmouth Women. Gillingham Women. Southampton Women. Yeovil Women. West Brom Women. Derby County LFC. Watford Women.

Wolverhampton Women. Monday 12 April Most popular. Liverpool Aston Villa. C Palace Chelsea. Bayern Union Berlin. Eintracht Frankfurt Wolfsburg. Hertha Berlin M'gladbach. Werder Bremen RB Leipzig. Stuttgart Dortmund. Tomorrow nights football fixtures Crotone. Parma Jights Milan. Unable to watch the match? Mestre 1. Clodiense 1. Union S. Giorgio-Sedico 1. Giorgio-Sedico Win 2. Bagnolese 1. Corticella 0.

Marignanese 0. Mezzolara 1. Seravezza 0. Flaminia Win Draw Sangiovannese Win. Foligno Win Tomorrow nights football fixtures Gavorrano Win. Ostia Mare Lidocalcio. Robur Siena. Sinalunghese Win Draw Montespaccato Win. Tiferno Lerchi. Picerno Win Draw Lavello Win. Virtus Casarano. Aversa Normanna. Sorrento Calcio. Castrovillari Win Draw Messina Win. Acireale Win Draw Cittanovese Win.

FC Messina. Roccella Win Draw Rende Win. Rotonda Win Draw Biancavilla Win. San Luca. Aprilia Win Draw Vastogirardi Win. Atletico Terme Fiuggi. Castelfidardo Calcio. Montegiorgio Win Draw Vastese Win. Olympia Agnonese. FC Rieti. Torino U Albania. Andorra. Argentina. Armenia. Australia. Austria. Azerbaijan. Tomorrow nights football fixtures.

Belarus. Belgium. Bermuda. Tomorrow nights football fixtures. Apollon Smyrnis v OFI. Atromitos Athens v Larissa. Swiss Super League Lugano v Lausanne. Luzern v Basel. Austrian Bundesliga Swedish Allsvenskan Polish Ekstraklasa Pogon Szczecin v Wisla Plock.

Warta Poznan v Stal Mielec. Slask Wroclaw v Lechia Gdansk. Italian Serie B 13'. Footbwll 0 - nigghts Monza. Brescia 0 - 0 Pescara. Cremonese 0 - 1 Pordenone. Lecce 0 - tomrorow SPAL. Virtus Entella 0 - 0 Salernitana. Frosinone homorrow Cittadella. Australian A-League FT. Newcastle Jets 1 - 2 Melbourne Victory. Japanese J1 League FT. Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0 - 1 Shonan Bellmare. Aquila Montevarchi. Greece Super League 2. Apollon Larissa FC 26'.

Ionikos 23'. Slovakia 2. Slovan Bratislava B. Dukla B. Zp Sport Footbzll. Kfc Komarno.

Football Scores & Fixtures

Mfk Skalica. Slavoj Trebisov. Belgium First Amateur Division. La Louviere. Zambia Super League. Green Buffaloes. Kabwe Warriors. Lumwana Radiants. Prison Leopards. Germany Oberliga Hessen. Ksv Baunatal. FC Erlensee. Huenfelder Sv. Tomorrow nights football fixtures Viktoria 06 Griesheim.

Sc Waldgirmes. Tus Dietkirchen. Hills United FT. Coast Mariners FC Youth. Northern Tigers FT. Spirit FC FT. Germany Oberliga Baden-wurttemberg. Fv Ravensburg. Sgv Freiberg. Stuttgarter Kickers. Sandhausen II. Freiburger FC. Ssv Reutlingen. Scotland Premiership. Hamilton Academical. St Johnstone. Serbia Super Liga. Mladost Lucani. Bosnia And Herzegovina 1.

Division Fbih. Buducnost Banovici. Hnk Capljina. Igman Konjic. Nk Slaven Zivinice. Rudar Kakanj. North Macedonia Prva Liga. Rabotnicki 55'. Czech Republic 1. Jablonec 11'. Pribram 10'. Karvina 10'. Banik Ostrava. Czech Republic Fnl. Mfk Chrudim 53'. Dukla Praha.

Slavoj Tomorrow nights football fixtures. Friendly Games Club Friendlies.

Soccer Schedule

Lahti HT'. Vancouver Whitecaps. Wales Tomorrow nights football fixtures League. Caernarfon Town. Cefn Druids. Flint Town United. Bala Town. Germany Oberliga Flens Sud. FC Dornbreite Luebeck. Union Neumunster. Brazil Matogrossense. Germany Regionalliga Southwest. Bayern Alzenau 10'. Eintracht Stadtallendorf 4'.

Tomorrow nights football fixtures 08 Homburg 8'. FC Giessen 6'. Pirmasens 7'. Ksv Hessen Kassel. Ssv Ulm 9'. Elversberg 7'. Schott Mainz 9'. Stuttgart II 1'. Scotland Championship. Ayr United. Queen Of The South. Raith Rovers. Poland 2. Blekitni Stargard 51'. Skra Czestochowa 50'. Garbarnia Krakow. Hutnik Nowa Huta. Pogon Siedlce. Kks Kalisz. Olimpia Grudziadz. Albania Kategoria Superiore. Kastrioti 54'. Skenderbeu Korce 55'. Apolonia Fier.

England Southern Premier Division Central. Banbury United. Bromsgrove Sporting FC. Hednesford Town. Kings Langley. Royston Town. Rushall Olympic. Romania Liga Iii Serie 7. Gilortul Targu Carbunesti. Minerul Costesti. Viitorul Daesti. Friendly Games Friendlies Women. Lithuania w FT. Slovakia w 9'. South Africa w.

Italy w. View w. Sweden w. Ecuador w. Brazil Goiano. Italy Ladies 0 0 Iceland Women. Germany Tomorrow nights football fixtures 0 0 Australia Women. Heracles Almelo 0 0 Willem II. AZ Alkmaar 0 0 Sparta Rotterdam. Fortuna Sittard 0 0 Emmen. Finn Harps 0 0 Waterford United. Longford Town 0 0 Drogheda.

Sligo Rovers 0 0 Shamrock Rovers. Strasbourg 0 0 Paris Saint-Germain. Montpellier 0 0 Marseille. Getafe 0 0 Cadiz. Athletic Bilbao 0 0 Alaves. Eibar 0 0 Levante.

[leicamoments]

A Season in Preview

Knaresborough Town Women have had a good ‘summer of 2024’ preseason, maybe not in results, but in looking to play some fantastic teams from higher in the FA pyramid. The actual final scores in some of those games were not as important as getting minutes in the legs [yes that is a cliché] and an understanding of how the new faces in the team gel with the returning squad of players.

The real action started just over a week ago – with Town’s first game in Division One being an away fixture against Golcar United, that ended in a hard-fought victory. That has been followed this last Sunday with a home win against Brayton Belles.

The 100% start means that Boro sit second in the table, just behind Thackley on goal difference, and two points above third placed Leeds Hyde Park Firsts.

Who Will Town Be Playing This Season?

Looking at the teams in Division One, it is important to realise that this league is probably the most ‘settled’ league that Knaresborough have played in to date. The teams that find themselves in the division are ones that are there on merit, rather than having been newly formed and placed by the regional FA.

Taking each team in order that they are currently placed in Division One…

Thackley were relegated from the Premier Division in 2023/24, playing 18 games with a record of four wins and 14 losses. They had a goal difference of -45 and ended up with 12 points.

Leeds Hyde Park ended the last season third in Divison One, missing out on a promotion spot by a single point. Their goal difference was slightly superior to Farsley Celtic’s who gained promotion having finished second. Leeds’ record for last season was played 18, won 14, drew one, and lost three. They had a goal difference of +57 and ended the season on 43 points.

Ackworth Girls, like Leeds, were in Division One last season, putting in a solid set of results to end in fourth place on 31 points. They won ten games, drew one and lost seven with a goal difference of +7.

Golcar United (fifth at the end of the season) had an almost identical record to Ackworth, except their goal difference ended up being -15.

Huddersfield Amateurs ended last season in sixth place, winning six, drawing one, and losing 11 games, with a goal difference of -22 and a points tally of 19.

Brayton Belles ended in seventh place with a points tally of 16 having won four, drawn four and lost 10. They had a goal difference of -34, three goals better than Hepworth United who ended the season in eighth place.

Hepworth won five games, drew one and lost 12, ending the season on 16 points; with Republica Internationale taking ninth place in the league having won two, drawn four and lost 12 with a goal difference of -23 and a points tally of 10.

Bradford City U23s were promoted alongside Knaresborough Town last season, and I’ve written about how good a team and set up they have had in the past two years since being formed. They are a fantastic team and have got this season’s campaign started this past Sunday with a 1-1 draw away against Leeds Hyde Park.

Thoughts

The summary of what the teams have done in the past is one thing – what do I predict for this season?

I think that Thackley and Leeds Hyde Park will push for those top two spots in the league – as they did last season. I also believe that Ackworth and Golcar will challenge at the top of the league. All four teams have a great pedigree in Division One and know a lot about each other.

I believe that both Bradford City and Knaresborough Town will also be in the mix for those top two positions but will be a relative unknown for the other teams, which may be a plus for them.

I think Thackley will be the overriding favourites to regain their Premier League status, with the other teams fighting for the remaining promotion spot.

Knaresborough Town Women

Town have had, by anyone’s standards, an extraordinary two years of success. The club has an ethos of maintaining a small squad of players, ensuring that they have the right mix of skills, rather than having a larger pool of players to pick from.

Mike Bligh has recruited superbly over the past few months, keeping the core of the team that has been so successful together, but has managed to add a few players that take the positions they play in, to the next level.

There are a number of players that haven’t featured for Town in the first two games of the season, waiting impatiently on the sidelines for clearance to play – they will also add to the depth of talent available on match days.

Competition within the team for individual places is strong, no one can take their place in the starting line-up for granted, and this is how it should be. The club needs the increased internal competition for places to be reflected on the pitch against what will be, some of the best teams they have played against in their short history.

What I do know, is that Knaresborough Town will be near the top of the league this season. They can be more than a match for any of the Division One opponents that they will face during the 2024/25 campaign, but will have to understand that several of the teams in the league may well be as good as them – with the smallest of margins determining who takes the points on any given day.

My Prediction

As I write, Thackley and Boro’ occupy the top two spots in the league after just two games. I believe that come April when the final whistle goes, these two will still be occupying the top two spots.

Knaresborough Town would love to be league champions [who wouldn’t?], but the focus will be on winning as many games as they can and when the fixtures are complete, they will simply want one of those top two places and promotion to the Premier Division.

I believe that Leeds Hyde Park and Bradford City will only be a few points adrift at most, with Ackworth and Golcar United having a big say in the overall order of the top six.

The Past, The Present, The Future

As many of you already know, I have been working alongside the amazing team at Knaresborough Town Women for the initial two years that they have been in existence. My involvement has been related to helping set up their media presence, including website content, photos, video, match reports, interviews, working with local radio and news outlets, marketing, and social media.

The initial aims were simple – make people aware that the team existed and grow a following of people that are interested in the players, the team, and the club. By any measure, this has been a success – massively helped by the tremendous achievements (back-to-back league title winning promotions) on the pitch.

However, it is time for me to move on and over the course of the past couple of months, I have handed over the reins to Amelia Eggleston, a young and talented student who I know will take the club to the next level.

I would also like to thank Connor and Avie for their help over the past two years – with them being involved in taking photos, interviewing the manager and players, and writing match reports.

The role I have undertaken has been a voluntary one, which has given back some great rewards – getting to know a fantastic group of players and being accepted within the team; working with a brilliant management team…Mike, Austen, Scott, James, Ged, Nick, and Nigel…to name just a few; and being able to work with a blank canvas to create – something that can be daunting, and is actually a rarity.

What’s next? Well, that is still to be decided and something that I will be working on over the next couple of months. I will be continuing to be involved in grassroots sport in the local area – as I am passionate about supporting those teams and clubs that deserve to be shown off to a wider audience.

I would also welcome chats with any agencies that would like to work with me on new and existing projects.

Note: These thoughts are my own, independent of the club, and not reflected by Knaresborough Town AFC Women.

[pavspatch]

Hyde United Managers

1932-39

William Stapley (trainer)

Kent man Bill Stapley was a centre-half who started out at Dulwich Hamlet before signing for West Ham. He never made the first team and in 1908 moved north to join his brother Harry at Glossop North End who were then a Football League club. Bill was capped six times for England at amateur level. He died in 1964.

1945-47

Matt Swinnerton

Altrincham player and a Cheshire League referee. Also managed Altrincham and Winsford United. Quit Hyde citing differences with the directors over team selection.

1947-49

Gordon Clark (player-coach)

Yorkshire-born full-back who made 64 appearances for Manchester City from 1936 to 46, Clark was also the nephew of Willie Applegarth who won gold in the 4x100 yards relay at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He joined Hyde from Waterford and was later manager at Distillery (Northern Ireland), Aldershot, West Bromwich Albion and Peterborough. There is even a tale that he was offered the Juventus job in the mid-1960s. Finished up as Arsenal chief scout and died in 1997.

1949-51

Harold Brunton

Something of a mystery man who merited almost no mention in the local press. At the 1950 annual meeting, club chairman Joseph Rhodes said his admiration of Brunton was so great that he would have paid him a salary equivalent to all the other wages paid by the club.

1953-54

Tommy Wright

Glossop man who had been on the books at Manchester City and Hull City and played for Accrington Stanley in the Football League third division north. Also player-manager at Sligo Rovers and Lancaster City.

1957-58

Jack Smith

England Schoolboy international from Yorkshire who played for Huddersfield, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Port Vale, Blackburn, Macclesfield Town and Congleton in a career stretching from 1932 to 1952. When he joined Manchester United in 1938 it was for a club record fee of £6,500. Managed Macclesfield for four seasons from 1951. Resigned Hyde job due to ill-health. Died in 1975.

1958-59

Wally Boyes

Won three England caps in the 1930s and scored for West Bromwich in their 4-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the 1935 FA Cup final. Transferred to Everton for £6,000 in 1938. Player-coach at Notts County in 1949 and player-trainer at Scunthorpe in 1950-53. Player-manager at Retford in 1954. Joined Swansea as trainer in 1959 but illness forced him to retire the following year. Died in 1960.

1959-60

George Smith

Former Manchester City and Chesterfield forward who joined Hyde from Mossley as player-manager but made no appearances. Also managed Prestwich Heys. Left Ewen Fields quoting business reasons. Died in 2013. (Not the same person as the George Smith who managed Hyde in 1975).

1960-61

Peter Robinson

Played in midfield for Manchester City, Notts County, Chesterfield, Buxton, Kings Lynn and Macclesfield, where he was manager in 1958-59. Later served in backroom roles at Manchester City and Preston North End. Died in 2000.

1961-63

Frank Clempson

Made 15 appearances for Manchester United between 1948 and 53. Also played for Stockport County and Chester. Died in 1970 aged only 40.

1963-64

Les Battrick

Director who joined the Hyde United board around 1958. When the club was unable to pay anyone to replace Frank Clempson he accepted the role of manager on a voluntary basis.

1964-68

Bill Pheasey

Club secretary who had run the reserves very successfully in the late 1950s. Was in charge of Hyde when they joined the newly-formed Northern Premier League in 1968 but was sacked in October when they were bottom of the table with only one win from ten matches and out of the FA Cup and NPL Cup. Received a lifetime ban from the FA after a mystery letter from a fictitious address accused Hyde of making illegal payments. The ban was lifted after a year.

1968-72

Eric Webster

One of the stalwarts of Hyde's double Cheshire League title-winning side of the mid-1950s. Returned to Ewen Fields to manage the reserves and then took over the first team. Led the Tigers to two very respectable NPL finishes but the club was wiped out financially by the increases in travelling and wages, and had to return to the Cheshire League. Sacked in February, 1972. Webster managed Stockport County in the fourth division from 1982-85 as well as Stalybridge Celtic, Runcorn and Ashton United. Played for Ashton, Macclesfield, Nantlle Vale, Pwllheli and Stalybridge plus one game for Manchester City. Died in 2016.

1972-74

Les Sutton

Arguably Hyde United's most successful manager, winning eight trophies over his two periods in charge. Started at Manchester United in the 1950s, alongside the Busby Babes, but after being released made a name for himself as an uncompromising centre-half at Stalybridge Celtic. Replaced Eric Webster as manager of Hyde's reserves before taking over the first team. Quit in 1974 to manage Stalybridge but returned three years later. In 1981-2, under his leadership, Hyde swept the board in the Cheshire League and returned to the NPL where they enjoyed an impressive first season. Controversially sacked in 1983, Sutton later managed Witton Albion, Curzon Ashton and Mossley. Was briefly back at Ewen Fields in the late Eighties as a member of Pete O'Brien's staff.

1974-75

Jack Dobson

Veteran defender who made more than 450 appearances in 1958-60 and 1963-74. By his own admission he was probably too nice to be a manager but took over at a difficult time and was badly hampered by a lack of funds caused by the club's recurring financial problems.

1975

George Smith

Birmingham City goalkeeper who also played for Ashton United, Stalybridge Celtic, Mossley, Buxton and Altrincham. Managed Stalybridge and Icelandic club Keflavik before moving to Ewen Fields in January, 1975, where he ruffled some feathers by insisting the players called him boss rather than George. Quit Hyde in the summer to take charge at Al Hilal and stayed in Saudi Arabia for many years. Did some scouting on his return to England. Died around 2018.

1975-77

John Bain

Tough Scots-born full-back who started at Bury where he made 11 first-team appearances. Played for Altrincham and Mossley before transferring to Hyde in January, 1973. Originally caretaker boss and then fully appointed in September, 1975. Was asked to resign in October, 1977. He refused to do so and was sacked.

1977-83

Les Sutton (See above)

1983-86

Peter Wragg

One of non-league football's managerial greats but was never quite accepted by the Hyde fans, even though he took the club to the FA Cup first round in 1983. This was possibly because of his Bower Fold background and Les Sutton's dismissal. After starting at Leek, Wragg led Stalybridge to the 1980 Cheshire League title, then moved to Chorley, who finished second to the Tigers in 1982 and were "promoted" with them to the NPL. Quit Hyde in 1986, ostensibly because of plans to install a synthetic pitch, but described his time at the club as akin to an unconsummated marriage. Moved to Macclesfield where he won the NPL treble of league, league cup and president's cup in 1987. Also managed Halifax and made two returns to Stalybridge where he achieved the seemingly impossible in helping them avoid relegation from the Conference in 1995. Later worked in sports promotions and was often seen carrying the Premier League trophy on to the pitch to be presented to the champions.

1986-90

Pete O'Brien

One of Hyde United's favourite sons and most prolific strikers. Returned to Ewen Fields after five years as manager of Stalybridge Celtic and was in charge during one of the Tigers' most purple patches. Led the club to five cups, the semi-finals of the FA Trophy, two Clubcall Cup finals and made them into genuine promotion contenders. Joined Witton Albion in 1990, taking them to the NPL title and the 1992 FA Trophy final. Had a brief spell in charge at Glossop North before coming back to Hyde in 1993 when he won the Manchester Premier Cup and took the club to the NPL Cup final. Shocked the supporters by quitting to join Droylsden at the end of the season but was at the Butchers Arms less than six months. Died in 1996.

1991

Graham Bell

Accomplished former Football League midfielder who stepped up to take over as caretaker manager following Pete O'Brien's departure and was then confirmed in the role. Results were poor and it was said he had to deal with a lot of dissent in the dressing room. Sacked in mid-April and signed for Mossley.

1991-2

Cliff Roberts

Joined Hyde from Northwich Victoria who were then a long-established Conference (National League) club and had enjoyed a lot of FA Cup success under his management. Struggled to make an impact at Ewen Fields and the fans became increasingly unhappy with his style of play. With the club facing mounting financial problems, he agreed to waive the final seven months of his contract. Later joined the coaching staff at Bury and was chief scout at Burnley.

1992-93

Ged Coyne

Former Hyde United player who had been at Manchester United and Manchester City in the 1970s, Brother of Tigers striker Peter Coyne. Started his managerial career at East Manchester, then went to Mossley before moving to Ewen Fields. Was hampered by a shortage of funds and the deteriorating state of the ground and Baspograss pitch but made some good signings. Sacked after refusing to resign. Later managed Glossop North End. Now lives in Malta.

1993-94

Pete O'Brien (See above)

1994-2001

Mike McKenzie

Ran the all-conquering Astro Sunday team before winning the NPL Cup at Winsford United and leading the club into the NPL premier division and the first round of the FA Cup. Came to Hyde after an unhappy spell at Witton and was an immediate sensation. Playing fast, exciting, attacking football, his side reached the first round of the FA Cup and two FA Trophy semi-finals, taking many Conference scalps along the way including that of champions Stevenage in 1996. Unfortunately, Hyde became victims of their own success and their many cup runs meant that fixture congestion prevented them winning the league title they merited.

2001-02

Dave Nolan

Nolan's appointment came as a surprise to many — especially as he was teamed up with Stalybridge defender Martin Filson who was separately recruited — but the directors took a gamble hoping the 100-per-cent attitude that made him so popular and successful as a player would carry over into management. Sadly, it didn't and Hyde only escaped relegation as Bishop Auckland were demoted for having a sub-standard ground. Things got no better the following season and Nolan was sacked in October, 2002.

2002

Gordon Hill

Seems to have been appointed on the spur of the moment after being sent by the PFA to take care of the managerless Hyde side as they prepared to meet Barrow in the FA Cup. Perhaps the directors were hoping his status as a member of Tommy Docherty's FA Cup-winning Manchester United side of 1977 was some sort of guarantee of success, but if so they were badly mistaken. Also riled supporters by poking fun at the club in an interview with BBC Radio Manchester. Sacked after winning just two of 19 league and cup games. Also managed Chester City.

2002-08

Steve Waywell

Only Hyde boss to win back-to-back titles: the NPL first division in 2003-04 followed by the league championship. A former Hyde player who managed Curzon Ashton from 1986 to 93. Moved to Leigh RMI (Genesis) in 1995 and took them from the NPL first division into the Conference. In 1998 they held a Fulham side managed by Kevin Keegan to a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in the first round of the FA Cup before losing the replay 2-0. At Christmas, 2007, Hyde were top of Conference North but then collapsed to finish ninth. Waywell, once a hero, was swiftly reduced to zero and his status wasn't helped when he admitted to having no interest in cups. He resigned at the start of the following season. Later briefly managed Chorley.

2008-11

Neil Tolson

The hugely likeable Tolson joined Hyde as a player and served as Waywell's number-two before becoming manager. Born in Dudley, the birthplace of Duncan Edwards, he played for six Football League clubs and was once viewed as having the potential to be a second Allan Clarke. Had the misfortune to manage Hyde during a period of great upheaval during which the club was wound up in the High Court and then entered into a deal with Manchester City which, for a time, led to many changes that left supporters deeply unhappy such as wearing white rather than red shirts and dropping the United suffix. Was sacked at the same time as many directors resigned. Joined the coaching staff at Altrincham and is now coaching in the USA.

2011-12

Gary Lowe

Not the most popular choice when appointed but quickly won the fans over as his side started the season with a record-breaking run of ten consecutive wins playing a stylish, passing game. Won the title by five points from Guiseley to lead Hyde into the National League for the only time in their history, then quit during the summer after a disagreement with club owner Jon Manship. Started his managerial career at Woodley Sports and was in charge at Curzon Ashton when they beat League Two Exeter City in the FA Cup. Returned to Ewen Fields in January, 2015, when the club was in freefall after a traumatic second season in the National League. Seemed to have rediscovered a winning formula at the start of the 2015-16 season but results tailed off in the new year and he was sacked in March as the Tigers neared their third relegation in as many years. Moved to Spain to manage a bar and died there at the end of 2020.

2012-15

Scott McNiven

Oldham Athletic striker who was caretaker manager at Hyde in partnership with Steve Halford after Neil Tolson was sacked. Enjoyed a great first season in which the Tigers won some notable victories in the National League and were very briefly on the fringes of the play-off places. The following year was a disaster. Hyde won only one league game and became something of a figure of fun as Sky Sports' Jeff Stelling took to wearing a Tigers' scarf on the odd occasions they led in a Saturday game. Things got no better the next season and McNiven resigned after two heavy Christmas defeats by Stalybridge Celtic.

2015-16

Gary Lowe (see above)

2016-19

Darren Kelly

Derry-born defender who won 11 Northern Ireland caps at under-21 level and played for clubs including Derry City, Carlisle United and York City. Came to Hyde having managed Oldham Athletic and Halifax Town. Was unable to prevent relegation in his first season but led the Tigers back into the NPL premier division and to the first round of the FA Cup where they were home to Milton Keynes Dons in game televised by the BBC. During the summer of 2019 Kelly moved up to be director of football but soon left to take over as manager at Scarborough Athletic.

2019 -

Dave McGurk

Former Darlington and York City central defender who served as Darren Kelly's number-two. So far his time at Hyde United has been severely restricted by the covid-19 pandemic.

[daybrawn12]

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