Darren Bland and Julian Watts resign from manager posts

By James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson)

Two Northern Counties East League managers have stepped down.

Darren Bland, manager of Premier Division side Worksop Parramare, who will be known as Handsworth Parramore next season, has resigned.

Bland led Parramore to promotion in May 2012 having took over in August 2011 and led them to a seventh place finish in their first season at the top table of NCEL football.

A statement said: "Darren has been put under increasing demands from his successful business and cannot commit the amount of time necessary to meet the requirements of such a progressive club."

Elsewhere, Hallam boss Julian Watts has left his post after two and a half years at the helm at Sandygate – his assistant Chris Sellars will take over.

Chairman Chris Taylor said: "We are disappointed to lose Julian at a time when the club is making progress both on and off the field of play.

"However, we appreciate the work he has done whilst he has been at Hallam and wish him every success in the future."



Non League players and management have to start thinking before tweeting

By James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson)

A few days ago Matlock Town assistant manager Nick Buxton provoked controversy with a tweet aimed directly at striker Lee Ellington.

Former Halifax Town goalkeeper Buxton tweeted: “Will miss Lee Ellington his happy go lucky style !!!!! Only guy I know that got s***loads of money to watch football matches!! #moneygrabber.”

Now Buxton may claim ‘banter’ as the reason for the tweet, but from a Non-League Football public image perspective, it is a totally unprofessional thing to publish – and of course, totally derogatory to Ellington.

Buxton is wide open to possible civil action from Ellington, but while that is extreme, he certainly deserves a letter from the FA reminding him of his conduct.

Players, management and supporters of non-league clubs have to be more careful on Twitter as the whole world can see tweets. People must start thinking before tweeting, otherwise comments will come back to haunt.

Now Buxton should also remember that it was himself and Matlock Town manager Mark Atkins that put Ellington on a contract. I don’t know how much money he was getting, but Atkins and Buxton agreed to such a deal.

So if they feel hard done by then really they should be blaming themselves.

Ellington has proved season after season that he is a prolific goalscorer in the Blue Square Bet North so one bad year doesn’t make him a bad striker.

Buxton should also be concentrating on accessing his own club’s campaign as well because seventh-bottom in the Evo Stik Premier Division doesn’t exactly constitute a success.

But, the point is that the tweet was the wrong thing to do and as a member of management at Matlock, he should know better.

The moral, think before you tweet.

Mark 'Willy' Wilson recalls memorable moments from his career

By James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson)

Non-League football legend Mark ‘Willy’ Wilson, who recently celebrated his 900^th career appearance, has enjoyed a colourful career. Here he looks back some of his most daftest moments and his relationship with his managers and clubs:

On his relationship with Ronnie Glavin, the manager who signed him for Frickley Athletic, Emley, Worksop Town and Wakefield FC:

“When I left Bradford Park Avenue, I signed back with Ronnie Glavin (at Emley), who first gave me my chance in non-league football after getting released from Huddersfield.

“Things didn’t work out for me at Frickley, but at every club that Ronnie Glavin has been at, he has taken me with him.

“I owe him a lot and I’ve probably never said that to him. All my knowledge and what he taught me, I seem to be remembering and teaching the younger lads.

“We had our differences, me and Mr Glavin. He sacked me on three occasions, but that was down to my stupidity.”

On Bradford (Park Avenue) where he enjoyed three spells in 1993-1995, 1999-2000 and 2006-2007 and manager Trevor Storton reaction to his arrival on the team bus in 1999:

“Bradford Park Avenue are a club close to my heart. I went there on three occasions. The first time after leaving Frickley and I helped them get promotion from the North West Counties. I didn’t happen to play in the last game as I had signed for Emley by then. But I decided that I would make my own way to Bradford and travel on the bus with the fans. So I think they still appreciate how committed I was to that club and I still have good friends and good memories from there now.

“When I got sacked from Harrogate Town, Trevor Storton signed for Avenue. I used to have a bag of wigs and props. I got on the bus when we were going to a game and I put all these wigs and masks on and started running up and down the bus. Trevor Storton’s face was like ‘who the hell is this?’”

On his time at Worksop Town:

“Worksop were horrible fans to play against, they got me sent off all the time. Every-time I played Worksop, they got me sent off. When they found out that I was signing for them they used to call me ‘gypo, gypo.’ Now they said: ‘he’s our gypo’.”

On his sacking from Harrogate Town in 1999:

“The most memorable sacking is when I was with Harrogate Town. We had just played Belper away and won. Belper had just got a new clubhouse and had Scrumpy Jack on draft. I had four pints of that and I went outside and it hit me. I was very giddy. I got on the bus and it was when you could smoke on the bus. I wasn’t smoking, but because we had passed our junction on the M1 where I got picked up, I got an aerosol can and someone’s lighter and set a flame going down the bus. Everyone was laughing and joking, all the directors were turning around and laughing. Then I decided to set myself on fire. At the time everyone was laughing, but two days later, I got a summons from the club saying I was suspended pending an inquiry. I happened to go to the FA to see if I had a case. Obviously I didn’t so I got sacked. But that was when I was younger and I’m not as stupid now.”

On his relationship with former Guiseley midfielder Vince Brockie:

“At Guiseley once, I took him out in the first minute from kick off. Me and Vinny, I should say, were good friends, but when we got on the pitch, we were enemies we hated one another. It was at Guiseley and they had just kicked off and they passed it back to Vinny and it bobbled up to his chest so I just wiped him out. I got booked.”

On his time with Ossett Albion and scoring in the Ossett derby:

“I think I was at Emley and I went on loan to Ossett Albion for a month. My first game was Gretna away and we got a few good runs together and there was another player who is now the Rotherham assistant manager, Paul Rayner, who signed at the same time and we established a good bond. We happened to start winning a few games and it was a time when Ossett Town were at the top of the league and Albion were at the bottom of the league. So it was a local derby at Ossett Albion’s ground and we had the goalkeeper sent off in the first half. But we ended up beating Ossett Town 2-0 and I scored a goal. I picked the ball up on the halfway line, dribbled a bit and just smacked it with my left foot and it went in the top corner. So I decided to do a celebration by running all the way up the hoardings and then sat on the boards – everyone was just cheering me. I got booked for it.

On his relationship with referees:

“Referees always talk to me and say ‘don’t be doing anything daft’. But, I never got done for dissent, it always the physical aspect, the tackles. I say over-enthusiasm.”

Neil Parsley to lead Farsley AFC next season

Farsley AFC chairman John Palmer confirmed the open secret last night that Neil Parsley will continue as the club’s manager next season.

A statement read: “Parsley has been in charge at Throstle Nest since October 2008 and has led the reformed club to promotion from the NCEL Premier Division and also an Evo Stik Division One North top five finish in the 2011-12 season.

Farsley could only finish 14th this time around, but Palmer insists that Parsley is the man to take the club forward.

He said: ‘I’m delighted that Neil has agreed to stay on as the club’s manager.

‘It has been a tough and testing season. Whilst we suffered badly with injuries and suspensions, we massively underachieved this season. Sometimes these types of seasons happen.

‘I’m confident that Neil will turn things around. He knows what he wants to do in the summer and if his plans come to fruition, it could be another exciting era for the club.’”

The decision to keep Parsley as manager is a show of loyalty for the difficulties that Parsley suffered early on in his reign at Throstle Nest.

After taking over from John Deacey, Parsley had to cope with player departures and then a ten point deduction after the old club Farsley Celtic entered administration.

Parsley returned to manage the new club when it reformed in 2010 and apart from the season that has just finished, it has been non-stop success.



Adam Priestley is the big winner at Farsley AFC presentation night

By James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson)

Adam Priestley was the big winner at last night’s presentation night after scooping all of the top three awards.

Priestley went home with the top goalscorer, manager’s player of the season and the prestigious players’ player of the year trophies following a campaign that saw him score 27 times for the club.

Priestley joined Farsley from Garforth Town last summer.

Long-serving volunteer Don Holmes was also recognised for his contribution to the club when chairman John Palmer announced that he had been made a vice-president.

Alongside being presented with a cheque of £2000 from Supporters' Club chairman Ian Holmes, Palmer also confirmed that Neil Parsley will continue as the club’s manager next season.

Parsley, himself, spoke of the disappointment of the club’s 14th place finish in the Evo Stik Division One North, but praised the young players that broke into the first team.



Great Non-League moments: Bill Fotherby's Harrogate Town win promotion

Belper Town 3-4 Harrogate Town, 9^th April 2002 (UniBond Division One)

By James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson)

“People used to say Bill Fotherby’s a bulls*****r, but one thing about Bill Fotherby is he makes things happen,” is what jubilant Harrogate Town chairman Bill Fotherby told the Yorkshire Evening Post after watching his team clinch promotion to the UniBond Premier Division for the first time in their history. 

Fotherby had defied his age to sprint onto the pitch upon the final whistle after a last gasp strike from captain and former Farsley man Robbie Whellans secured the first of two promotions under Fotherby.

Fotherby had demanded promotion and the evening game saw his dreams come true, but at one point, his hopes looked to have been put on hold.

The game which Harrogate had been expected to win proved to be nail-biting. Michael McNaughton had given Harrogate the lead before Belper hit back with two goals.

Whellans equalised, but Belper scored again as the final 20 minutes approached to take a 3-2 lead to delay the promotion party until Darren Fell levelled on 67 minutes.

And with 14 minutes left on the clock, Whellans smashed home the winner to complete the first of Fotherby’s targets for Harrogate.

Fotherby had sanctioned big-name signings which included future Harrogate boss Neil Aspin and in the summer of 2001, appointed John Reed as manager which proved to be a masterstroke.

Reed’s Harrogate led the First Division for almost the whole campaign before winning promotion at Belper.

Further success followed as Town reached the Conference North in 2004.

Harrogate went onto consistently finish in the top eight until the credit crunch began to bite in 2009

Fotherby stepped in 2011 after selling his shares to businessman and current manager Simon’s father Irving Weaver, but the Belper victory remains significant because it was the win which put Harrogate on their way to the Conference North – a journey financed and made happen by Fotherby. And his contribution must never be forgotten.

Spirit of '99 inspires Farsley AFC Ladies to title success

By James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson)

Match Photos are HERE

On the day that the greatest British football manager of all-time announced his retirement, Farsley AFC Ladies staged their own version of his finest hour.

Losing by the odd goal with two minutes to go, a Kat Bird penalty and a Millie West strike secured the West Riding County Women’s League First Division title in an astounding finale – anyone remember the 1999 Champions League final?

In the Nou Camp, it was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that ensured his place in Manchester United folklore. At the less glamorous surroundings of Sherburn White Rose – the temporary home of opponents Rothwell, Millie earned her position in Farsley’s greatest players list with a goal that sent coaches and supporters onto the pitch to celebrate an incredible 4-3 victory.

It could be arguably the most important goal in the history of the club as Rob Womersley’s side prepare their assault on moving up the women’s football pyramid.

The night was the culmination of four years of hard work, but ultimately it was decided by a manic two minutes.

It felt like divine intervention when the penalty to level the scores was given as nearly everyone had lost hope.

Farsley had led 2-0 at the break through a Clare Parker strike and an own goal. But, a Rothwell goal two minutes into the second half gave the home side hope and with the help of the inept referee, they mounted a comeback.

The equaliser came from a frankly ridiculous free kick decision and the goal which put Rothwell ahead came from a blatant foul. The scorer was also five yards offside.

The referee then incredibly gave Hayley Hare a red card for deliberate handball on the halfway line. Hope was drifting away and the referee’s decision making and poor understanding of the game was infuriating supporters.

However, the referee did redeem herself with the penalty decision. Bird, the coolest person on the pitch, fired the spot kick into the bottom corner to secure promotion – but the title was still to be won.

The celebrations would have still gone ahead, but not on the scale of the ones that were to follow when West scored.

All 11 players deserve credit for keeping their composure in deep adversity and ensuring the referee did not spoil their greatest day.

It has been hard work for the management to get a team together that can compete for honours. And the title is a reward for everyone’s loyalty during 2011 when the Ladies could only win three league games that year.

The sky is now the limit for the club.

The facilities are there so hopefully Farsley can continue to ride the crest of a wave and win promotion again next season.

Once again, well done Farsley AFC Ladies.