A new dawn finally breaks for Garforth Town as the club goes American

By James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson)

The future of Garforth Town has finally been secured.

As expected, Garforth and the Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy have struck a deal which will see their American players feature for Town next season.

It also means that Simon Clifford’s influence on the club has been broken and is over – ending an awful year that has seen club officials use Twitter and other social media sites to abuse people.

The club finished bottom of the Evo Stik Division One North and were relegated to the Northern Counties East League.

RIASA are also behind Eccleshill United, whose head coach was former Leeds United striker Bobby Davision last season, in Division One and they revealed that they had negotiated a deal with Garforth owner Rupert Lowe for months.

RIASA director of operations Dawn Craven added, “Garforth is a fantastic club with great facilities, its board room and lounge is outstanding and fits the professional model we have developed at RIASA. It is the second biggest club in the city of Leeds, after Leeds United. The club's beautiful new stadium won the Leeds award for architecture in 2002.”

Garforth can now look forward to positive season in the NCEL Premier Division.

Town were accepted into the NCEL after a representative safely ensured the club were voted in at the AGM on Saturday.

Town will also have former Bradford City star Mark Ellis around.

Ellis, who is a safe pair of hands, is RIASA’s football director and has the task of appointing a new full-time head coach who will oversee both Garforth and Eccleshill.

Ellis has been looking for a replacement for Davison who left at the end of the season.