Gift Wrapped - Late Christmas Presents Give United B(r)ig Derby Victory !

And so to Ingfield, the home of newly formed Ossett United FC for a New Year’s Day early kick off local derby with Brighouse Town in the Evostik Northern Premier Division One East.

Ossett Albion AFC was set up in 1944 during the Second World War for local Grammar School students. The Unicorns rose through the West Riding County Amateur League and West Yorkshire League before joining the Yorkshire League in 1957, where they were Division One champions in 1975.

In 1982 the Yorkshire League joined up with the Midland League to form the Northern Counties East League. Albion were Premier League champions in 1999 but were denied promotion to the Northern Premier League because one of their dressing rooms was too small !! More of which anon….

Two years later the Unicorns finished as runners up to Brigg Town but were promoted instead of the Zebras. That first season in the Northern Premier saw Albion finish bottom and relegation back to the Northern Counties East - but two seasons later the club were promoted as champions on a dramatic final day, pipping Eastwood Town by virtue of goals scored with both teams locked on the same number of points and goal difference.

Fourteen seasons later Albion remained in the same division, but last season was their final one. In February it was announced that Ossett Albion would merge with near neighbours Ossett Town in the summer to become Ossett United, with the new club playing at Town's Ingfield base under the stewardship of Albion's Andy Welsh. Dimple Wells, Albion’s home, is still used for reserve team games.

Ossett Town AFC was formed in 1936 when, during a public meeting, the Mayor of the Borough of Ossett charged John Carter, a former Yorkshire League referee, with bringing Ossett the highest possible standard of football.

The Reds started out in the Leeds League, which was renamed the West Yorkshire League in 1939, before switching to the Heavy Woollen League – so called due to the heavyweight cloth made in the area during the Second World War. After the War Town joined the Yorkshire League.

Derrick Blackburn was sold to Swansea Town in 1957 for £1,350 and this enabled the club to buy the Ingfield site where today’s game takes place. The merger of the Midland League with the Yorkshire League in 1982 saw Town also become a founder member of the Northern Counties Est League. Two promotions took the club to the Premier Division where they spent nine consecutive seasons.

That ended in 1999 when The Reds finished runners up but were promoted to the Northern Premier League First Division due to Ossett Albion, that season’s champions, and their too small dressing room…

Ironically Ossett Town’s third season in the NPL ended in heartbreak – finishing second, an automatic promotion place, but deprived of promotion as ground improvements were delayed by twelve hours (!!) due to inclement weather.

Nonetheless Town were promoted to the NPL Premier Division at the end of the 2003/04 season only to be relegated to Division One North in 2011, where they remained until the merger.

Brighouse Town FC was established in 1963 as the Blakeborough Valves works team, playing in local Huddersfield leagues, until the demise of the company in 1988 led to the name change to Brighouse Town. Town were competing in the West Riding County Amateur League by this time and were Premier League champions five times.

Despite only finishing eighth in 2008, the club were surprisingly promoted to Division One of the Northern Counties East League. They were runners up in 2009/10, earning the right to play in the NCEL Premier Division, which they won with over 100 points in 2013/14. Following promotion this is Town’s fifth season at Northern Premier League Division One level.

So on a glorious sunny New Year's Day it's onto a deserted Manchester Road, past the desolate T & T Pound Plus 'ELCTRICAL. TOILETORIES.' and Garvey's inviting us to celebrate St Patrick's Day (already !) before hitting the M60.

From there it's the M62 and the first of four registration plates today, SHY 50S - the others are P1 BOO, N80NGA and V1DYO.... To Saddleworth Moor, Rakehead Viaduct and Windy Hill - the M62 Summit: 'Highest Motorway in England 372 metres (1221 feet).

Then Scammonden Reservoir, Rainbow Bridge and Stott Hall Farm, the latter parked between both carriageways. Beyond Hartshead Moor, past a flurry of Sonic Direct hoardings in the surrounding fields, then off at Tingley. Ignoring Woodkirk Valley Country Club, Bake 'n' Bites and the abandoned The Babes In The Woods pub, I turn left at Dewsbury Rams RLFC stadium.

Newly Weds Foods on the left brings me to the outskirts of Ossett - a town named after 'A fold of a man named Osla' or 'A fold frequented by blackbirds' depending on your fancy ! I turn right after the Hammer & Stithy and park outside Lifterz Work Platforms. It's a quick walk into town and the attractions of Curios & Wonders, Sniff's Canine Beautician, Reptilia and Bier Huis.

The 'world famous' Ingfield (it's announced several times) is next to the town centre. £8 admission takes me inside with the Town End holding an all seater covered stand, Ossett Bus Station just behind it. There's a strange flag 'That Boy Loco He's One Of Our Own. Vamos !!!!!!!' draped at the back.

To the left is a shallow terrace, part covered, with the odd portable plastic bench - these are dotted round the ground. The far end is open, with residential houses beyond, whilst to my right is another terrace, again part covered, along with the changing rooms, Kelly's Sports Bar and Graham Firth Suite, and the club shop.

With the sun streaming down, United are in sky blue shirts and navy shorts, Town in orange and black. And there's another tubby linesman who seems to have enjoyed his Christmas a little too much.....

Ossett's Gilbraltar international Adam Priestley drags his shot wide in the first two minutes but after that there's half an hour of scrappiness and injuries. Zephaniah Thomas's woeful free kick and Thomas Robinson's scuffed cross into the side netting represent Brighouse's best opportunities.

Then the season of giving, in this case late Christmas gifts, comes into play on 32 minutes. A hopeful punt from the back, Town keeper Jordan Porter hopelessly misjudges the bounce of the ball and it sails over him leaving Priestley to tap in, almost embarrassedly.

Five minutes later in trying to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick too much space is given, and Tom Greaves nips in, steals the ball and shoots under Porter for 2-0. Then on the cusp of half time from a free kick possession is coughed up in the penalty area, and the ball is cut back for James Knowles to sidefoot home. Porter is booked for dissent, and it's 3-0 at the break.

Within a minute of the restart, Shiraz Khan is allowed to dance his way down the touch line then across the box, dummy and then shoot to make it 4-0. Vintage Shiraz !!! Khan has another shot cleared off the line shortly after, and Greaves hits a post. Brig come more into the match but, despite the exhortations of manager Vill Powell, Brett Souter is untroubled in the Ossett goal.

In the dying embers of the game a moment that encapsulates Brighouse's, and Porter's, day. A young fan accidentally kicks his luminous football onto the pitch and it lands in the Brighouse penalty box. The referee stops play and Porter, in attempting to return the ball to the youngster, only succeeds in booting it out of the ground.....

Things meander to a close and it finishes Ossett United 4 Brighouse Town, second at start of play, 0. The crowd is a healthy 618 - and a St Bernard !!