Date: Saturday 13th April 2019
Venue: Craik Park, Morpeth Common, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2YX
Kick Off: 3pm
Competition: Evo-Stik Northern League East Division
Match Coverage: Twitter
Highlights: Highwaymen TV
It’s a top of the table clash on Saturday as Morpeth entertain 2nd placed Pontefract Collieries at Craik Park. It’s the leagues best defence against the highest scorers.
History
Pontefract is known to have had a football club as far back as the 1890s when a side, presumably composed mainly of soldiers, competed in the West Yorkshire League as Pontefract Garrison but by 1935, a club called Tanshelf Gems managed to acquire a ground on Ackworth Road, moved there, and became Pontefract United.
United ruled the roost in local football before the war, but when hostilities ended in Europe, they were rekindled in the town with the appearance of a Pontefract Collieries side, who by the late 1950s had gained slight bragging rights over their town rivals, both playing in the West Yorkshire League.
The new club quickly gained in stature and found considerable success in the West Yorkshire League, before joining the Yorkshire League in 1979. Progress on the field continued, culminating in a Yorkshire League Division Three Championship win in 1982. This was the last season of the old York-shire and Midland Leagues, which then combined to form the Northern Counties East League. The Colls were founder members of the new league, and have remained there to this day.
Successive promotions were gained in the first two seasons; the Runners-Up spot in Division Two (North) being followed rapidly by the Division One (North) Championship. This meteoric rise saw the Colls into the top flight of the NCEL, a position they held for a decade. Progress on the field was matched by ground improvements, as floodlights, a new clubhouse, stands, seats, and other major changes took place. Much of the work was done during the miners’ strike, cementing further, literally, the club’s relationship with the mining industry and local community.
2008-9 saw a new and enthusiastic Committee appoint new manager, Simon Houghton, from local Central Midlands League side Kinsley Boys, and after just 4 league games the new team gained the 9 points it won the previous season. For the first part of the season, the club kept pace with eventual champions Scarborough Athletic at the top of the table, but unfortunately, a disastrous spell into the new-year saw the club embark on a run of 1 win in 9, which saw the club finish in ninth place.
2009–10 saw continual improvement from Houghton’s players. The side was strengthened and despite a slow start, the side eventually finished the sea-son in fifth place, taking four points off promoted Brighouse Town during the campaign. Despite the team topping the league during the Christmas and New Year period in the 2010–11 Season, the team’s results fell away badly in the early months of 2011.
Unfortunately, success wasn’t forthcoming for the Colls, and a bad spell during the middle of the 2012-2013 season led to Ormsby leaving the club by mutual consent. Player-managers Nick Handley and Duncan Bray stepped into the breach for the club, and with one defeat in the last ten league games, they ended the season with the club in-form, including record victories over Askern Villa: 9-0 and 10-2. The season ended with the club finishing in fifth position for the third consecutive season.
Last Match
The Highwaymen won the Techflow Group Northumberland Senior Cup on Tuesday evening with a hard-fought victory over North Shields. Liam Henderson nodded Town in front just before the interval before Craig Spooner levelled for the Robins in the second half. The game went to extra-time and it was Jack Foalle who proved to be the match winner when he volleyed home from close range.
Pontefract kept their slender title challenge on track, fighting back from behind twice to claim the points against Pickering Town. Ryan Blott put the Pikes ahead before they were pegged back when Vaughan Redford converted from the spot on the stroke of half time. Danny Earl then put the visitors back in front only for Nicholas Guest to level again. The Colls sealed the points when Guest bagged his second in the 72nd minute.
Manager: Craig Parry: Appointed manager of the Colls in December 2015 following the dismissal of Nick Handley. As a player, Parry played in goal for Harrogate Railway and Goole.
