Ossett Town

Ossett Town FC was a non-league football club from the market town of the same name close to Wakefield in West Yorkshire. The club was formed in 1936 and remained in existence until 2018 when they merged with neighbours Ossett Albion to form Ossett United FC.

Town started life following a meeting chaired by the town’s Mayor and started out life playing on a pitch behind the Fern House Working Men's Club on Wakefield Road and using several pubs as a base while competing in the Leeds League.

After a spell in the Heavy Woollen League while playing on a pitch at Back Lane, Town became members of the Yorkshire League at the end of World War Two in 1945. Gates often reached 1,000 as the team played its football in the top two divisions throughout the 50s and 60s.

The sale of Derrick Blackburn to Swansea Town for a fee of £1,350 in 1957 allowed Town to buy their town centre home of Inglefield, which they moved into two years later. The Reds became founder members of Division Three of the Yorkshire League in 1970.

They gained some success but also suffered relegations. Their pinnacle was to reach the top flight in 1977-78 although their spell there lasted just two seasons. In 1981-82 The Reds finished as runners up in Division Two before joining the newly formed Northern Counties East League for the 1982-83 campaign.

After spells in Division One North and then Division One Central, the club found themselves in Division Two in 1987. The appointment of Mickey Bullock as manager saw the start of success arriving at Inglefield.

The Division Two title was sealed in 1988-89, with a second successive promotion following the next campaign as Town found themselves in the Premier Division. In 1998-99 with Trevor Best and then former Scarborough forward Gary Brook managing the team, Town finished as Premier Division runners-up to neighbours Ossett Albion.

However, their Dimple Wells ground was deemed to have failed the required ground grading for the step up, so the Reds won promotion to the Northern Premier League Division One. Around the same time plans were released to build a new stadium by the M1 with the site being shared with Wakefield Wildcats RLFC and Wakefield RUFC, but the club turned it down.

Town were denied promotion themselves in 2001-02 because of ground grading issues after finishing in second position. Brook was replaced by Scott Cooper for the 2003-04 season, before another former Scarborough man, Steve Richards took over.

Town reached the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round in 2005-06 where they bowed out to Leamington. Later in 2006 Tesco offered to buy Inglefield and move Town to share Shaw Cross with Dewsbury Rams RLFC. Again, Town turned down the offer.

Steve Kittrick was the next in the managerial hot seat before departing for Guiseley as Simon Collins came in to replace him as the team continued to end in mid table. More managers came and went, with Inglefield renamed Stade France in a sponsorship deal.

Phil Sharpe became the latest in the managerial hotseat and lasted a couple of seasons prior to Craig Elliott becoming the next to try and steer the team forward until resigning in February 2014, when John Reed took over the reins.

In September 2015 Graham Nicholas was appointed as manager, who was quickly replaced by Grant Black who settled the ship making some astute signings and appointments. The side progressed and reached the play-offs in 2016-17.

Scarborough Athletic were beaten in the semi-final in their final Queensgate match before returning to their hometown, but Farsley Celtic proved too strong in the final, denying the Inglefielders promotion. The following season saw a disappointing league finish, with bigger news concentrating minds.

It was announced that Ossett Town would be merging with Ossett Albion to form Ossett United FC from the start of the 2018-19 season, with the new club playing first team games at Inglefield, with Albion’s Dimple Wells ground becoming home to the women’s and academy sides. The new club was placed in Division One East of the Northern Premier League.

My visit

Ossett Town 3 Scarborough Athletic 1 (Tuesday 9^th September 2014) Northern Premier League Division One North (att: 272)

My night shifts were at an end and I had a magnificent few days planned with friends and a few days off revolving around football, cricket and pubs. Only the players could possibly spoil it, and so some of them did as is invariably the case!

I had got up after minimal sleep and travelled up on the train after watching the first two sessions of Day One between Middlesex and Durham at Lord’s. It had been good to catch up and have a few beers with mates and it certainly assisted me in having a further nap while travelling north.

On arrival at Wakefield I decided to pamper myself and jump in a taxi for the ride to Ossett. I was deposited by the bus station, just over the road from Inglefield and soon found the Horse & Jockey where several of my Seadog mates were already imbibing.

The Sam Smith’s was well kept but just not to my taste so with Guy Watson and I decided to use the clubhouse at the ground. After paying £7 admission and a couple of quid for a very decent programme we heading inside the mightily impressive Kelly’s Bar. 

This had been named in tribute to the former academy coach Steve Kelly who passed away in 2013. The Ossett Brewery’s Yorkshire Blonde was magnificent. Indeed, Inglefield as a whole was a fine venue and one that immediately impressed me.

A section of open terracing stood in front of the clubhouse with a covered shelter further up from where the players emerged, along with further open standing. Flat open standing was behind the bottom goal, with a seated covered stand at the Town End. The far side consisted of a cover and open standing with the dug outs in front. My only fault was that the floodlights were a little lacking in power in some areas.

Boro, in their excellent all sky blue outfit played lots of pretty stuff early on without forcing a save from the home keeper. In keeping with their early season form they went behind as Ossett’s Lee Connor stooped to head home from a free kick. It was a very soft goal.

Athletic mounted plenty more attacks, again without much substance. At the other end Town were awarded a penalty as I was in the queue inside the top class food hut. I peered out of the window to see the spot kick hit the post and rebound to safety. My pie, chips and gravy were most welcome.

Town’s centre backs dominated their opponents as the Scarborough team began to become frustrated and aimed more and more long balls to their relatively small forwards. The tactics worked for Ossett as they had the personnel and ex Boro assistant John Reed had certainly done his homework.

It was 2-0 on the stroke of half time as Boro’s defenders did very passable imitations as statues while Rob Boardman chased down an aimless ball and then finished with aplomb. The mood in the bar at half time amongst the travelling Seadogs, who outnumbered the home fans was not the best. 

However, most were pragmatic enough to accept that the team would be defeated on occasions throughout the season. Shortly into the second half Boro boss Rudy Funk rang the changes with three substitutions. 

The team looked jaded so that appeared a wise move. Sadly the tactics continued to be long balls up the middle. The young Ossett centre backs lapped it up and gave impressive performances. Somehow a home forward slipped with the goal at his mercy but it was 3-0 not long after. 

Nathan Curtis was picked out unmarked at the back post to hammer into an unguarded net. It was poor defending once more as Boro chased the game. Eventually the Seadog faithful had something to cheer when sub Jordan Thewlis finished well with eight minutes of normal time remaining. 

Despite further Boro pressure that was to be the final goal of the game. At full time Reed and Funk didn’t exchange a handshake which I found rather petty. Nick Finch kindly gave Guy and I a ride back to Leeds station, which saved us time and money. Even better, it meant we got an hour in The Palace before closing.

I awoke in my bed at the Ibis hotel a little fed up and a bit tired, but after a good walk on a bright morning and some breakfast I was soon back on top form. My train ride was to take me to Day Two of Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire at Trent Bridge. Now that was an amazingly good day, and one that helped seal the county title for The Tykes!