19. End of Season 2

Time to round up the formalities in what has been a successful season for Morley Town FC. 

Youth Intake Day!

To add to the happy mood in the camp we welcome more young recruits to the club.

Marley Haylock (DL/DMLC)

Oscar Caffrey (AMR/ST)

Callum Haggett (AMRC)

Cain Worsnop (DR/MRL/ST)

Karlos Bett-Wildsmith (MRLC)

Marlon Gutzmore (AMRL)

Danny Benza (AMLC)

Michael Francis (DR)

I am particularly interested in this guy who has good stats for this level at the tender age of 15.

Players Released From The Club

I’m keen to keep a clean and tidy squad, which consists of first team players and some good youth prospects which have a chance of making it to the first team in the future. Some get stuck in that mid-zone of going nowhere and unfortunately have had to be released.

Sam Kittrick (ST)

Pekka Ikonen (MR)

Flynn Sheppard (DC)

Owen Jones (AMC)

Jonny Jones (DR) – Free transfer to Bedlington

Michael Fox (ML) – Free transfer to Carnforth Rangers

Matt Dempsey leaves Morley Town

My veteran defender, Matt Dempsey has left Morley to join Ashton Town of The North West Counties League Division 1 North. We may well encounter him and his new club next season. He made 16 appearances for Morley with one assist.

Match 24: Leeds City v Morley Town

With the title secured it’s just a matter of playing out the remaining three games, starting with this one against 6^th placed Leeds City, who like us have only pride to play for. I hand an instant debut to youth prospect, Marlon Gutzmore on the right wing in a more experimental line up.

Team: Whing, Busfield, Rigby, Nyame, Blakey, Hudson, Leedham, Gutzmore, De Martin, O’Connor, Preston

Match Action

The players are given a guard of honour as they walk out onto the pitch by Leeds City, which is a touch of class. Thankyou. Will their charity extend into the match? We start strongly and its only their keeper who prevents us taking the lead after he saves well from both, O’Connor and Gutzmore. At the other end McMullen stings the palms of Colum Whing after a fine passing move from the home side. Valerio De Martin has the ball in the Leeds City net, but he strayed offside. It looks like a scoreless first half until, Olly Leedham picks up the ball and floats a lovely ball over the top for O’Connor to run onto. He makes no mistake and confidently places the ball past the keeper into the corner. One nil at the break. Into the second half and we look the most likely to double our lead. Gutzmore switches to the right flank and its his brilliant run and shot which smacks against the crossbar. He looks a talent. We do score a second when sub Clappison playing at right back pings a teasing ball into the box. Sub Chris Longbottom scampers after it and his cross is easily diverted home by Martin O’Connor for his second. The same two combine for our third. Harrison Blakey pings a perfect ball for Longbottom on the right. His cross is headed powerfully home by O’Connor to complete a perfect hat-trick.

Final Score: Leeds City 0-3 Morley Town

                                       O’Connor 45, 67,69   

 Match 25: Morley Town v Stanley United

It’s the last home game of the season and so I feel like I should put out a full strength team in this the penultimate game of the season. I am going to give young utility player, Fletch Brooksby a start at right back. I want another look at young Longbottom who caught the eye, setting up two goals for O’Connor in the last game, who can hardly drop after scoring a hat-trick, but other than that it’s who you’d expect. Stanley have had a good season themselves and have propelled themselves up to 4^th in the table, but have nothing to play for.

Team: McLachlan, Brooksby, Clappison, Blakey, Rigby, Wright, Smith, Longbottom, Rowe, O’Connor, Preston

Match Action

Nowt much ‘appens in t’opening 10. They have a free kick which is cleared. They have another free kick which deflects behind for a corner. Nowt comes of it. It’s got to 30 minutes I have not seen us with the ball in their half and they are first to every ball. I demand more. Suddenly we wake up and Aaron Smith forces the keeper to claw one round the post from range, but that’s all we really have to show in 45 minutes of dreadful football. Nil Nil at the break. I think we were only spared being booed off because this game is a dead rubber and we have already won the title. Into the second half and the game rumbles on with no form or substance. They win a free kick, it’s cleared, rinse and repeat. Somehow we win a corner. It’s cleared to Longbottom on the edge of the area. He finds Aaron Smith in the left channel. He dribbles unchallenged into the penalty area and slides the ball into the bottom corner for a completely undeserved lead. On 84 minutes Stanley break down the left and Stewart Green is sent through on goal., He belts it into the top corner for a deserved equaliser. Another such breakaway sees the same player hit the post.. It finishes one each. If the game mattered, I would have been fuming at that performance but the lads have been brilliant all season and so I didn’t go in too hard on them afterwards. The youngsters, Longbottom, Rigby and Brooksby actually had decent games and amazingly it’s our first draw of the season.

Final Score: Morley Town 1-1 Stanley United

Smith 70                                        Green 85

Match 26: Middleton v Morley Town

We end our season with a short hop across the ring road to take on Middleton. I pack my squad with youngsters in an experimental line up as I look to the future and decide who I will retain at the club over the long summer ahead. Middleton have had a decent season and lie in a credible 3^rd place.

Team: Tiernan, Worsnop, Brooksby, Thornton, Haylock, Hudson, Tanner, Woods, De Martin, O’Connor, Gutzmore

It only takes 5 minutes for the kids to impress. Tanner flicks the ball on for Woods, whose pinpoint ball into the box is right into the path of O’Connor’s run into the box, which results in the promising young striker half volleying handsomely into the roof of the net. Middleton break away and Williams hits the post. Then, Thornton gives the ball away to their midfielder, Leif Bengtsson who strides forward and lashes the ball past Tiernan to equalise. We look quite good going forward and when Gutzmore intercepts a wayward pass his shot is straight at the keeper. Then the same player sets up Barry Woods, but he blazes over when he should have done better. One each at the break. Into the second half. Middleton attack down the left with Racchi, who lays off to left wing back McCarthy. He crosses the ball into Taylor who mis-controls, but hits Fletch Brooksby who deflects the ball past Tiernan for an unlucky own goal. Moments later, a lovely through ball from Steve Tanner sends sub Oscar Caffrey through on goal, but his finish just misses the far corner. On 76 minutes an innocuous free kick into the box and the ball is deemed to hit the hand of poor old Brooksby. Up steps their striker, David Coleman.... What happened next??   The ball flies into the top corner to make it 3-1 to the home side. We respond. Brooksby sweeps the ball right to the impressive right back, Kain Worsnop. He exchanges passes with sub Longbottom who races to the byline and cuts the ball back for Oscar Caffrey to lash the ball home for 3-2 and cap a fine move. We race forward again. Longbottom skips past his full back on the right wing and stands the ball up to the back post where Gutzmore heads narrowly over. Then the left winger sends the ball into the box and O’Connor turns and shoots just wide. It took a deflection, corner. That’s the game and the end of the season We lose 3-2 but there were lots of positives to take out of it, especially the performances of Longbottom, Caffrey, O’Connor and Gutzmore.

Final Score: Middleton 3-2 Morley Town

Bengtsson 25                         O’Connor 6

Brooksby o.g 59                     Caffrey 80

Coleman 77 (pen)

Final Yorkshire Amateur Supreme Division Table

1^st Morley Town 67 (P)

------------------------------------------

2^nd Bradford United 59

3^rd Middleton 58

4^th Stanley United 52

5^th Glasshoughton Welfare 42

6^th Leeds City 37

7^th Route One Rovers 35

8^th Lepton Highlanders 34

9^th Wortley 30

10^th Calverley United 24

11^th Littletown 22

12^th Farsley Celtic Juniors 20

--------------------------------------

13^th Alwoodley 18 (R)

14^th Leeds University 13 (R)

 

 What Happened in the Yorkshire Amateur Premier?

In the league below, it was good news for Golcar United Reserves and Woodkirk Valley who won promotion to the Yorkshire Amateur Supreme League, while it was bad news for Beeston Juniors and Shire Academics who fall through the trapdoor to Level 13 and The Yorkshire Amateur Championship.

End of Season Review

 

It has been a superb season for Morley Town as they claimed the title to back up their pre-season credentials.

On The Field

Final Position – 1^st

Average Attendance – 152

Top Goalscorer – Gabriel Ellis 22

Fans Player of the Season – Gabriel “The Angel” Ellis

Young Player of the Season – Gabriel Ellis

Signing of the Season – Ben McLachlan (GK)

Goal of the Season – Sam Wright v Lepton Highlanders

Most Assists – Kevin Preston 13

Highest Average Rating – Gabriel Ellis  7.50

Biggest Win – 9-0 v Alwoodley

Best XI McLachlan, Alasttal, Nyame, Clappison, M.Smith, Agbozo, Wright, Grantham, Rowe, Ellis, Preston

Off The Field

Total Merchandising Sales - £100

Corporate Hospitality (a reserved seat and free drink at The Farriers Arms probably) - £192

Followers on Social Media 330

Season Ticketholders – 29 loyal Ultras

 

Board Playing Style Expectations

New U21s Coach

Welcome to Morley, Danny Lewis The former Blyth Town U18s manager joins us.

 Board Confidence Update

I’ve been upgraded to a B- for my performance as manager and the locals are vaguely happy with the job I’m doing.

New Scout

We welcome Gary Drake to Morley, who join our recruitment team

Morley U18s Complete Their Season

Morley Town U18s rounded off their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Whitby Town U18s at The Turnbull Ground. A win on the east coast would have seen them climb above Potters Bar U18s. Never mind though, it has been a great experience for my young charges and strangely we were the 5^th highest scorers in the league with 62, but conceded 98 goals in the process... They also took a few scalps along the way, such as Scarborough Athletic U18s, Kings Lynn U18s, Alfreton, Darlington and local rivals, Farsley Celtic, plus a 3-3 and a 4-4 against York U18s. All in all considering we were the only amateur club in the competition, the kids did alright.

Board Request Meeting

As the dust settled at the end of the season, with back-to back promotions through the Yorkshire Amateur Premier League and Supreme Leagues a meeting was called by our chairman, Bryan Wilkins. All non-playing staff and players were invited to an upstairs meeting room at the Farriers Arms. Strictly no alcoholic drinks were to be consumed before or during the meeting. Some of our youth team were missing because they had school in the morning or were (supposed) to be revising for their GCSEs...

The players crowded into the small, but welcoming room in the Farriers and the landlady had provided us with sandwiches and cans of pop (which made it look more like a children's party than a football meeting).. just needed some balloons.. 

I wondered when I got the invite to the meeting, whether the announcement was that he was leaving the club and that the takeover rumours were true after all.

"Well thankyou all for coming tonight and at a great time for Morley Town Football Club, thanks to the two back to back promotions led by our manager, Jonathan, (pointing to me).

Everybody stood up and gave me a standing ovation.

"Now we will be a Level 10 club, where we will be taking on teams from not just West Yorkshire, but over the Pennines in Lancashire, Cumbria and Merseyside. The status of our club has grown and we are starting to grow a small, but loyal fanbase in Morley and the surrounding area. Not everybody can afford or are able to go to Elland Road every week!

"Therefore in order to continue to grow and compete at this level,the decision has been taken to make Morley Town Football Club Semi professional!"

Huge cheers went round the room.

"We will be giving players and staff a choice of staying on amateur contracts, non contracts where an appearance fee and other bonuses can be included, or a semi pro contract with a small, weekly wage plus bonuses."

The players looked at eachother excitedly. 

Although it does not sound much, paying the players even just a small wage and giving them contracts makes all the difference to the football club. Instead of players just moving clubs at any time in the season they will command a transfer fee and be only sold during the transfer window.. The same rules that apply to Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and any other footballer you care to mention, 

"Jonathan and Craig Scott our Director of Football will be seeing each one of you individually to see which option you would like to take. There will also for the first time in the club's history be a wage budget and transfer money available to bring in new players."

"I am looking forward to a bright future for this football club."

It's fair to say I was excited at this prospect and so was everybody else in the room.

The rest of the evening was spent inevitably downstairs in the main pub where the drinks flowed and a toast was made to Morley Town Football Club. 

Above the bar there were, like many pubs in Morley, some Leeds United memorabilia, pictures, signed shirts and scarves that kind of thing. The chairman presented us with a Morley Town shirt and all the players signed it. The shirt was then put in a frame and then hung on the wall next to a signed Leeds United one from the title winning 1991/92 team. This was a symbolic moment.....

Exciting times ahead for Morley Town as they leave the amateur leagues behind and turn semi-professional. How will they adapt to life as a semi professional club? Find out next time on The Ultimate English Pyramid Game!