Ammers Nail Off Track Railwaymen......

And so to Easter Monday and the Southerns Stadium at Bracken Edge on Roxholme Road in Potternewton, on the northern outskirts of Leeds. Today's Northern Premier League Division One East game features Yorkshire Amateur AFC, their last home fixture of the season, and Shildon AFC.

Yorkshire Amateur AFC was established by Kolin Robertson in November 1918, becoming a founder member of the Yorkshire League in 1920. They originally played at Elland Road, which had become available after Leeds City folded - however they sold the lease to Leeds United in 1920 for £250, and eventually relocated to Bracken Edge in Potternewton a century ago in 1922.

The Ammers left the Yorkshire League after four seasons but rejoined in 1930. There they remained, fluctuating between various divisions, before the league merged with the Midland League to form the Northern Counties East League in 1982.

The club was promoted to Division One East of the Northern Premier League in 2021 on a points per game Covid pandemic formula.

The visitors, Shildon AFC from Dean Street, are known as the Railwaymen after the wagon works which was a major employer in the town for many years - their other nickname is The Shells.

The club was established in 1890 as Shildon Town, joining the Auckland & District League in 1892. By 1900 the Railwaymen were in Northern League Division 2, but folded due to financial problems.

The Shells reformed as Shildon Athletic in 1903, taking the place of Stockton St Johns, who resigned, in the Northern League. The team moved to the North Eastern League in 1907 and changed its name to Shildon AFC in 1923.

The Railwaymen rejoined the Northern League in 1933, finishing as runners up before securing four consecutive championships. Thereafter three relegations (1985, 1992 and 1999) were countered by three promotions (1987, 1993 and 2002 - latterly as division winners).

Shildon were FA Vase semi finalists in 2012/13, losing 4-3 on aggregate to Tunbridge Wells. Two years later the club finished Northern League runners up, by a point, to Marske United, before winning the championship in 2016.

The Railwaymen were also promoted last summer on the same basis as the home side.

An early start sees a walk down to Navigation Road, past Girl Boss, and a train to Manchester Piccadilly - five football grounds en route plus Human Appeal, the hat museum chimney and the flowerboxes at a rechristened Heaton Chapel & Heaton Moor station.

Then a walk across town to Victoria, bypassing Clampdown Records and Gobstopper Candy. I reach Hanging Ditch, the National Football Museum and Chethams School of Music and Victoria station still advertising far flung destinations including Goole and Belgium.

Then the Leeds stopper, past Malta and Arrow Mills, into the Calder Valley under a bruised sky with intermittent sunshine. First is Todmorden, 'our incredible town' with Kindness signs in the hills, then Hebden Bridge with a plethora of dedication boards.

That leads me to Mytholmroyd and its Iron Man information signs, and onto Sowerby Bridge, gateway to the Ryburn Valley - Manchester 29 miles, Leeds 22 - and home to the Jubilee Refreshment Rooms. Halifax sees Shaw Lodge chimney, Hargreaves Foundry, Quality Street since 1936 and the Halifax Flour Society 1879 building.

Disappointingly the Mill Lane Social Club just outside Bradford is shuttered, the car on its roof seemingly repossessed. Fittingly, as we approach Leeds, there is Strachan - The Art of Fine Furniture.

Then to Leeds city centre, Friends of Ham, 'The Swine That Dines', Piranha Hair Design, the blue plaque denoting the home of Smithfield Ironworks, Bagel Nash, Delico Fine Foods, Virtuoso Legal and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. That leads me to Chapeltown and the Mandela Community Centre, the Dutch Pot West Indian takeaway, Petals & Stitches and Barakah Bros before I hit Potternewton. Numberplates today are CA51BAD, NN18 PEN and 1055 DD.

A walk across Potternewton Park and its run down mansion takes me to Roxholme Avenue, then Roxholme Road, and, ultimately, Bracken Edge. £8 on the gate and a crowd of 102 today - with about 20 enthusiastically supporting the Railwaymen.

The near side hosts a Bar Area, changing rooms and the all seater stand in the corner. Elsewhere it's a walkway on the other three sides, a partial one step terrace opposite and a mini astroturf pitch behind - three sides surrounded by residential housing, the other by trees (and bracken ?). At the top end Ammers advise us that 'Every Person Is Born With A Seed Of Greatness'.

Ammers are in white and blue, currently sitting 12th and their season fading, starting with no number 8 (12 instead), Shildon in change navy and red, who have qualified for the play offs in fifth place. The away side have much the better of the opening exchanges with their centre forward, Dean Thexton, somehow seeing his shot blocked after an Ammers' defensive horror story. He has a goal disallowed and is narrowly wide with two further chances.

But it's not all one way - the home team's Adam Priestley fires off two thunderbolts, parried away, and then sub Amir Berchil shimmies down the touchline and cuts back for Roy Fogarty to sidefoot into the far corner on 27 minutes. The Shells' sub, Billy Greulich-Smith, shoots straight at home custodian Max Culverwell when he should have done better, and we reach the break at 1-0. There is no tannoy or any announcements throughout the entire proceedings.....

The second period begins quietly with Thexton's scissor kick the closest to an equaliser. Then on 62 minutes Priestley beats Railwaymen keeper Shaun Newbrook to a through ball, cuts back inside past the centre half and exquisitely chips home to make it 2-0.

Thereafter Ammers try to put Shildon back in the game - heading against their own bar and then over Culverwell, with the ball being hooked clear on the line. Culverwell makes a wonderful save from Thexton on 90 minutes but the striker finally heads home in injury time for a consolation as it finishes 2-1 to Yorkshire Amateur.

Tad All Over - Brewers Fare Well In Whites Fright Show

And so to the i2i Stadium and Ings Lane for the final Evostik Northern Premier Division One East league fixture of the season between Tadcaster Albion and Lincoln United.

Tadcaster Albion was formed in 1892 as John Smith's Football Club, with their stadium behind the John Smith's brewery - the club now play next to Samuel Smith's brewery store. The Brewers (unsurprisingly !!) played in the York League but the club ran into difficulties in the early 1920s, and came back in 1923 under the new name of Tadcaster Albion.

By 1926/27 they were back under the John Smith's name, with a second team using the Tadcaster Albion title founded in 1930. The clubs merged after World War II, keeping the Tadcaster Albion name.

Albion won the York League in the 1947/48 season, eventually moving upwards to the Yorkshire League for the 1973/74 campaign. The Brewers were a founder member of the Northern Counties East League in 1982 and won Division One in 2010.

Their best ever FA Vase run in 2015 resulted in a 6th Round replay at home to Highworth Town, which sparked ugly scenes featuring a pitch invasion, coin throwing and Town's chairman and goalkeeper injured in the melee. Highworth eventually won the tie 1-0.

The following year, after significant investment, The Brewers were crowned as NCEL Premier Division champions and promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One North (now East) with a play off push mounted this season. And the equation is simple - Taddy must win this afternoon and Sheffield have to lose at Brighouse Town (almost an El Classicoal !!). Two goals in the final 15 minutes against Gresley to overturn the away side's lead and an injury time equaliser at the Pikes of Pickering Town on Easter Monday leave the Brewers three points behind 'The Club' but with a better goal difference.....

The away side, 'The Whites' from Ashby Avenue, was established as Lincoln Amateurs FC in 1938 but only joined the Lincolnshire League in 1945 because of World War II. The following season the club transferred to the Lincoln League and in 1954 was renamed as Lincoln United, after taking on a paid player, Ray Bean, at 5 shillings a week (!).

United rejoined the Lincolnshire League in 1960, winning the title in 1964 before moving to the Yorkshire League in 1967, where they were twice champions of Division One.

The Whites were a founder member of the Northern Counties East League when the Yorkshire League merged with the Midland League in 1982, but joined the Supreme Division (!!) of the Central Midlands League in 1986. United won the Supreme championship in 1991, in a season where they became the only Central Midlands League team to play in the First Round proper of the FA Cup (losing 7-0 to Huddersfield Town) before reverting back to the NCEL.

The Premier Division was won in 1994/95 moving United up to the Northern Premier League Division One. Promotion to the Premier Division followed in 2004, but the club was relegated to Division One South (now East) in 2008 where they still reside - currently 13th out of 20 this campaign, but with only three wins this calendar year.

And so as Storm Hannah batters the UK it's a very wet and windy start to my journey. Past the Interior Curtain Centre which has already given us registration plates B11NDS and C11RTN - it has a new one T13 BAC today. Other car registration numbers that feature on this trip are FU55 ADO and O B11GSY.

Beyond that ELCTRICAL. TOILETORIES. sign it's onto the M60 and then onwards to Saddleworth Moor, Rakehead Viaduct and Windy Hill - The M62 Summit 'Highest Motorway in England 372 metres (1221 feet).

Then Sammonden Reservoir, Rainbow Bridge and Stott Hall Farm, bisecting the two carriageways. After Hartshead Moor there is a flurry of Sonic Direct hoardings in the surrounding fields, but these are preferable to the abandoned trailers and wind turbines elsewhere on the route.....

I join the M1 which becomes the A1(M), and exit at junction 44. Then into Tadcaster, dominated by the breweries, but also boasting local shops 'Simply A Party' and Vanilla Interiors (rather plain !!) and the impressive St Mary's Church.

The town itself is quiet, almost closed, possibly due to the weather. This is epitomised by the sign for Hardwick Smith & Dewar 'Open 10-4 Thursdays' - and that's it....

The i2i stadium on Ings Lane is at the end of the road housing John Smith's Brewery, and there is ample parking. £8 gets me in, with the clubhouse immediately to my right and then a short covered terrace. To my left is the all seater Loxley Homes Stand, and in the far right corner a smaller version, the Ken Gilbertson Stand. Trees line all four sides with the River Wharfe behind them on the opposite side.

The river burst its banks during Storm Desmond in the 2015/16 season, resulting in the Brewers being unable to play home fixtures for over ten weeks. There was further flooding last month and the pitch was under several feet of water; however crowd funding enabled a full clean up and no matches were postponed.  

The Brewers are in yellow and blue and their keeper in all white, forcing The Whites to play in change green and white. The match kicks off in driving rain and strong winds.

Unsurprisingly Albion force the pace early on, and United's custodian, Michael Emery, makes a fine save from Casey Stewart's shot. Within a minute, out of nothing and completely against the run of play, Lincoln's Matt Cotton arrows in a shot that hits the inside of the post and rolls into the net - United lead on 13 minutes.

That lead lasts all of six minutes with the Brewers' centre back Paddy Miller, made skipper for the day ahead of his retirement after this match, heading in from a corner. Four minutes later a superb Harry Coates pass sets Stewart free down the right and he squares for Aiden Savory to sidefoot home.

The third home goal in eight minutes is caused by a suicidal pass by Emery to Callum Dye. Luke Porritt intercepts and is then tripped by Dye; the penalty kick is confidently dispatched by Miller.

On 36 minutes the referee awards the Brewers a second penalty, a rather soft decision for holding on Savory. Miller scores in the opposite corner for his first ever hat trick, and 4-1 to Taddy.

Then in first half injury time Jason Mycoe shoots from 35 yards, the ball hits a divot and loops high over Emery's flailing arms and into the net. 5-1 to the Brewers at the break, with word reaching us that Brighouse and Sheffield are drawing 1-1.

There is no let up in the second period. Nine minutes in Aaron Hardy's beautifully weighted cross is headed powerfully home by Pete Davidson, to chants of 'Yorkshire Pirlo' and Albion go 6-1 up.

On 65 minutes Porritt plays in Stewart who scores comfortably, and he repeats the feat a minute later to make it 8-1 to the Brewers. More chances are spurned and then Taddy declare.

In fact some sloppiness slips into their game. With eight minutes to go Albion mess up a corner, allowing Lincoln's Ben Davison to race up the field and send the keeper the wrong way. A minute later his precision finish into the corner makes it 8-3, and the fightback is on....well maybe not !!

News reaches us of an injury time winner for Sheffield, who return to Brighouse on Tuesday for the play offs. The Brewers' season and Paddy Miller's career are over - but what an astonishing match and as for Miller scoring a hat trick in his last game - you couldn't make it up !!  

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 !!