Date: Wednesday 12th October 2018
Venue: Beechnut Lane, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 4QA
Kick Off: 7.45pm
Competition: Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division One East
Highlights: Highwaymen TV
On Wednesday evening, the Highwaymen make the trip to West Yorkshire to face a Pontefract Colliers side who are playing in the Evo-Stik league for the first time in their history.
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
Morpeth were in action on Saturday and were made to work hard for their victory over a resilient Lincoln United side. The only goal of the game arrived through David Carson who grabbed his first of the season. Sean Taylor had missed a chance in the first half to open the scoring but saw his penalty saved.
Pontefract were involved in a six goal thriller when they shared the spoils at Loughborough Dynamo on Saturday. Karl Demidh put Dynamo ahead before the interval but the lead was cancelled out by Michael Dunn. Luke Thorogood restored the hosts advantage but it lasted only two minutes before Glyn Cotton restored parity. The Colls took the lead on 67 minutes through Eli Hey but Demidh ensured a share of the spoils by netting a 77th minute penalty.
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.
