28. Raising our Profile
Friendly 4: Morley Town v Bradford
City
So here it is, the other local professional football club from down the road roll into town. The city of Bradford is only a few miles away from Morley and their more famous football team are in League 2, six levels once again above us. Glen Road is packed to the rafters on a pleasantly warm, but not scorching July day in West Yorkshire. As I arrived at the ground I was amazed at how many people were around so early. West Yorkshire police had even given us two of their “finest” PCSO officers and there were even burger and ice cream vans set up at the side of Glen Road next to the ground. Naturally the two PCSOs were first in the queue.. The event was large enough that the St John's Ambulance were required to pitch a first aid tent in the corner. The Farriers Arms, opposite Glen Road was packed with fans sitting outside in the beer garden enjoying the sunshine and the building atmosphere. Local news programmes, Look North and Calendar had even sent camera crews to cover it. Despite it only being a pre-season friendly, this was huge. It was the first taste of what it would be like if Morley Town was to become a bigger football club operating higher in the pyramid than Level 10. A couple of teenage lads had even managed to climb the tree behind one of the goals for probably the best view in the ground.
The regular ultras congregated behind the goal and started one of their favourite chants in their strong West Yorkshire dialects..
Were NOT frm t'Bradford
Were NOT frm t'Leeds
Were NOT frm t'Wakey
Were frm t'Morley..
Morley! Morley! Morley! Morley!
There were also a few derogatory chants about the 2025 City of Culture which I cannot repeat on here....
So to the
football...
I make two
changes with Bett Wildsmith replacing the wantaway Courey Grantham on the right
wing and new signing Joe Wilkinson partners Sapanora in defence. Other than
that it’s as you were. I’ll try and keep the score down.
Team: Thompson, Croft, Wilkinson,
Sapanora, Morley, Broadhead, Wright, Bett-Wildsmith, Smith, Ellis, Preston
Bradford City: Johnson, Cousin-Dawson, Stubbs, Odisina, Vokins, Chapman, Hammond, Finnigan, Young, Cannon, Adeyole
Match Action
Roared on by
a partisan crowd, the two teams run onto the pitch through a gap in the white, wooden fence which surrounds the pitch. The 700 crowd are at least
10 people deep around the ground. At normal home matches there are large
swathes of empty white fence with just one crowd of ultras congregated behind
the goal in which Morley are attacking. The sun was out and it was amazing to see Glen Road like this. No matter what the score, attracting a capacity crowd to watch Morley Town was
an achievement in itself.
The Bantams, clad in their traditional claret and yellow striped kit kick off. We win
an early throw in... Morley throws it in and finds Preston who swivels and
finds Ellis in a peculiar position with his back to goal on the byeline. No
matter he cleverly checks and whips in an instant low cross which finds it’s
way through to KARLOS BETT-WILDSMITH AT THE FAR POST who taps home!!!!
Unbelievable stuff! After just two minutes it’s Morley Town 1 Bradford City
0... The 2 PCSOs struggle to push the crowd back.. Unbelievable scenes at Glen
Road as the crowd goes absolutely mental!
As you would
expect Bradford respond, control the game and have more possession, but can
only muster a couple of tame headers easily saved by Thompson and a couple of
hacks over the bar much to the glee of the Morley fans. Then.. we win a corner.
The ball is cleared to Gabriel Ellis who let’s fly.. and smacks the
crossbar...... A massive oooooohhhhhh!!! screams around the ground as Bradford
hack the ball clear in desperation. The atmosphere is electric. The shellshocked visitors show their professionalism and respond. From a
free kick Stubbs has a header chalked off for offside and then Cannon skies one
over the bar when he should have scored. Could this be our day? But... On 28
minutes Bradford win a free kick and Sam Vokins steps up and belts the ball
straight into the top corner from 30 yards. He runs over to the handful of
relieved Bradford fans behind the goal. The football league side begin to show
their class and after several attempts by us to clear the ball, Finnegan plays
Young in with a lovely reverse ball inside the full back and he finds the
corner of the net from the angle with a lovely finish. We win a corner and the
ball falls to Kevin Preston on the edge of the box who fires just over. 2-1
Bradford at the break, but we have given them an almighty scare and have been
brilliant so far!
Into the
second half and we attack first with Ellis sending another speculative effort
just over the bar. Bradford though show their class once again when Cannon gets
down the right and squares for Adeloye to fire home from close range. I make a
raft of substitutions because I want everybody in the squad to get on the
pitch for a taste of the action and gain some experience in playing in front of
a larger crowd than usual. One sub, Marlon Gutzmore shows why he is one of the
club’s brightest prospects as he jinks past his full back and fizzes in a
beautiful low cross for The Angel to tap home. Amazing goal and the place is
alive again as it erupts once more. We are losing yes, but only 3-2 against a
League 2 side. Bradford respond though and Finnegan picks up a loose ball after
a Brooksby tackle and waltzes into the area unchallenged and wallops the ball
into the roof of the net past McLachlan to restore order. We lose 4-2 in the end, but what
a great performance from the boys, against a team which are 6 divisions above
us in the pyramid and are professionals. We gave them a real game and more than held our own. I’m so
proud of the lads and most importantly this game has raised the profile of the
club. Hopefully this will create more Morley Town fans and home attendances
will increase this season.
A capacity
crowd of 700 and amazingly 665 of them were Morley fans, while only 35 Bradford
supporters made the short trip down the A650. I wonder how many of these first
time Morley fans will turn up to our first North West Counties League Division
One North home game against Chadderton?
Papprill joins Morda United
My back up
central defender Fraser Paprill has joined North West Counties Division One
South outfit, Morda United. I wish him the best.
Friendly 5 Tadcaster Albion v Morley
Town
The show
friendlies are now over and it is back to ones we have some chance of winning,
as we make the short trip up the A64 to Tad Albion. I will go in with a strong
team as I seek to actually win my first friendly of the pre-season.
Morley Town: Thompson, Clery,
Bentley, Wilkinson, Morley, Wright, Henderson, James, Smith, Stead, Gutzmore
Tadcaster
Albion: Foley, Anderson, Murphy, Henworth, Kalthoeber, Liburd, Cottrell, Dyer,
Smith, Knight, Waite
It’s even in
the opening stages. We win a corner on 7 minutes and when it is cleared to
Gutzmore on the edge of the area who controls, steadies himself and lashes the
ball into the top corner. This kid gets more impressive every time he puts on a
Morley shirt. Moments later Wilkinson shows tenacity to win the ball in
midfield and passes to Aaron Smith who looks up and smacks the ball low and
hard into the bottom corner, keeper no chance. 2-0 Morley. Our third comes in
more time honoured non-league fashion, A punt downfield by Thompson is flicked
on by Sam Wright to the onrushing Aaron Smith.... There’s only one result, he didn’t
look like missing... 3-0 Morley. The beleaguered home side enjoy a spell of
dominance, but we reduce them to long range efforts. We attack again though and
sub Kevin Preston runs at his full back but is tackled. The ball falls kindly
for Coubillay on the left byeline. He pokes a shot in which hits the post and
rebounds to sub Greenwood, who taps the ball into an empty net, for a brilliant
4-0 lead. Greenwood hit the bar late on after latching onto a clever through
ball from Bett Wildsmith to nearly rub salt into Tadcaster’s wounds. What a win
away from home against a team one level above us.
Final Score: Tadcaster Albion 0-4
Morley Town
Gutzmore 8
Smith 14,35
Greenwood 70
Friendly 6: Beeston St Anthonys v
Morley Town
Our last
pre-season friendly is purely for the kids as we take on local opposition,
Beeston St Anthonys of the West Yorkshire League Premier Division.
Team; Paley, Francis, Croft,
Brooksby, Bentham, Haylock, Benza, Coubillay, James, O’Connor, Worsnop
Beeston St
Anthonys: Howell, Poole, Eadie, Ho, Cresswell, Brady, Laws, Saynor, Cuggy,
Young, Highfield
Match Action
The kids
look alright on the ball and attack with menace, but cannot find the right
finish when it is needed. Beeston counter attack well and Brady picks up the
ball on the right and gallops toward sthe byeline where he fizzes in a low
cross which is turned home by Fletch Brooksby for an own goal.. Unlucky lad.
1-0 half time. We start the second half well and sub Lennon Stead has a goal
ruled out for offiside. At the other end Young misses a gilt edged chance,
firing over when sent through on goal. On 61 minutes, neat interplay on the
edge of the area by Kemp, Greenwood and Gutzmore results in them teeing up Marley
Haylock, who slams the ball into the bottom corner in off the post for the
equaliser. We carve out some more
chances with Gutzmore seeing a fierce effort turned round the post. Then on 86
minutes another spell of possession see Bentley, Stead and Haggett exchanging
passes before releasing Bett-Wildsmith who lashes the ball into the corner with
the help of a kind deflection.
Final Score:
Beeston St Anthony 1-2 Morley Town
Brooksby o.g Haylock
Bett- Wildsmith
Jake Croft leaves Morley Town
In a surprise
move, Jake Croft has left West Yorkshire and joined Midlands Football League
Premier Division outfit, Heath Hayes. He made 29 appearances and scored no
goals in his one season spell at the club.
Marley Haylock joins Bolton County on
loan
My young
utility left back and DMC, Marley Haylock has joined Bolton County of
Manchester Football League Division One for the season.
Welcome to the New Teams in The NW
Counties Division One North
These are
the new teams which will be competing in the North West Counties Division One
this season.
Charnock
Richard – Chorley (Relegated from the NW Counties Premier)
Haughmond –
Shrewsbury: Bit of an anomaly this one but were promoted from the South West
Peninsula Premier Division One West which doesn’t sound very northern.. but
anyways..
Lepton
Highlanders: - Huddersfield: Welcome friends! Promoted from the Yorkshire Amateur
Supreme League
Barnoldswick
Town – Barnoldswick, a town right on the Yorkshire/Lancashire border.
Relegated from NW Counties Premier
Silsden Reserves: I think been allocated to this division but are a town in North Yorkshire near Skipton
Morley Town First Team Squad 2025/26
So these are the ones who have survived pre-season without being lured away elsewhere or released.
Goalkeepers
Tony
Thompson
Ed Hall
Ben
McLachlan
Defenders
Joe
Wilkinson (DRC)
Sam Bentley
(DC/DMC)
Lorenzo
Sapanora (DC)
Nathan
Morley (DL/ML/AML)
Luke Clery (on
loan from Burscough) (DLRC)
Jack
Broadhead (DC/DMC)
Fletch
Brooksby (DRC/MC/ST)
Midfielders
Sam Wright
(DMC/MC)
Ben
Henderson (DMC/MC)
Kevin
Preston (MR/L)
Karlos
Bett-Wildsmith (MRLC)
Marlon
Gutzmore (ML/AMRL)
Forwards
Courey
Grantham (MR/AMR/ST)
Aaron Smith (MC/AMC/ST)
Lennon Stead
(MRL/ST)
Gabriel
Ellis (ST)
Jack
Greenwood (ST)
Martin O’Connor (ST)
Board Expectations
The board
want us to reach the playoffs in the League, reach the latter stages of the
Division One Cup and be competitive in the FA Vase.
Match 1 Morley Town v Chadderton
Board & Supporter expectation:
Win
So here we
are, finally the big kick off, this time we are not trekking off to some far
and distant ground like last season, but staying home as we entertain
Chadderton. We’ve had a good pre-season and now it is time to see precisely
where this team is at. We have a smaller pool of players to choose from, but I
think we have a really strong first team and one that can make a real impact.
This is in a diamond formation with Smith at the apex.
Team: Thompson, Clery, Sapanora,
Bentley, Morley, Wright, Smith, Preston, Ellis, Stead, Gutzmore
Subs:
McLachlan, Broadhead, Greenwood, Grantham, Wilkinson
Chadderton: Whitehouse,
Khaliq, Brewitt, Carlisle, Kavanagh, Agyeman, Allister, Chernysh, Winfarrah,
Ata, Lashley
Match Action
We start
enthusiastically with Preston immediately intercepting Chadderton’s kick off.
Then Sam Wright stings the palms of the keeper with an early shot from the edge
of the area which gets the Ultras excited. Chadderton though haven’t read the
script and we are lucky when Agyeman’s low strike beats Thompson but not the
post and our keeper blocks an Ata close range header on the line. It’s end to
end and both sides create half chances, but nothing conclusive. Ellis keeps
being caught offside much to the frustration of many. 0-0 at half time. Into
the second half I make a few tweaks, taking Stead off and pushing Smith
alongside Ellis and Broadhead coming into midfield alongside Wright to give us
more solidity in the middle of the park. I also swap Gutzmore and Preston.
Marlon Gutzmore has been quiet so far, but he picks up the ball on the right
wing and runs at his full back before fizzing in a low cross for Ellis!!!.. The
ball somehow pings off the inside of the post... How did he miss? On the hour
Chadderton spring forward with Allister down the right. He finds Khaliq, who
passes infield to Chernysh to Winfarrah, who spins instantly and plants the
ball into the top corner of the net, completely against the run of play.
Unbelievable.. We push for an equaliser. I take off the ineffectual Ellis and
the tiring Wright and throw on Grantham as a striker and restore Smith to
attacking midfield. We pin Chadderton back as we launch wave after wave of
attacks. Preston gets down the left and to the byeline after Gutzmore’s clever
switch of play from the right. He fizzes in a low cross near post to Grantham..
his touch smacks the crossbar, but falls straight at his feet to smash home the
rebound! What a story. The wantaway striker scores the equaliser! Suddenly we
are full of running. Smith plays in Greenwood down the right channel. His ball
finds Grantham on the edge who smacks a low shot on the half volley straight
into the bottom corner! What a strike from Courey Grantham and what an impact
he has made. The ultras are jumping up
and down behind the goal and beg of him to stay at the club. Chadderton respond
and a mistake by Broadhead lets Agyeman in with just Thompson to beat.. but he
skews his effort wide of the far post. Chadderton up the tempo and Carlisle
launches it into the box, but is cleared by the brilliant Sapanora. Kevin
Preston who has torn Chadderton to shreds down the left is first to the ball
and sprints past the full back, over the halfway line. He feeds Grantham in the
inside left channel and he twists and turns before playing a simple ball across
for Greenwood to easily tap home from 3 yards out. A brilliant breakaway goal
and wraps up a deserved victory. A superb performance in the end and great to
start the season with a win.
Final Score: Morley Town 3-1 Chadderton
Grantham
70,72 Winfarrah 61
Greenwood 90
FA Isuzu Vase 1st
Qualifying Round Draw
Wow! This is
exciting, our first National Cup competition. We are one of 308 teams in the
hat for the first qualifying round draw.. Who will we end up playing?....
,.................................
Away to Coton Green of the Midland Football League Division One...
Ties to be
played on Saturday 30th August 2025..
Where's that?
"Big" Dave has
had to get his sat nav out for this one... Coton Green are located just north
of Tamworth in the Midlands, according to Google Maps...
Find out how we get on next time on The Ultimate English Pyramid Game!
Comments
Post a Comment