now that was a team, i don't know who we were playing on april 20, 1988, but the YEP felt the need to take our photo that day, which, nearly 25 years later, they have re-printed in that local football insert in today's edition.

STUART WILSON was a centre back, he had been with Garforth amongst others, later he became a referee in the NCEL. He was also a fireman and was involved in the All England Fire Service team.

LLOYD FELLOWS the man, the legend. Now on Ossett Albion's management team. He played mainly midfield in those days, dropping back into central defence later on.

PAUL WATSON Lloydy's best mate and also on the management team at Albion. Watto was good enough to get into the Northern Premier League representive team when playing for Gainsborough Trinity.

KARL LENAGHAN some say Ossett Town's best ever keeper. Folk remember his save from a penalty awarded 10 minutes into injury time in a cup game at Bridlington Town to clinch a famous victory over Colin Appleton's side.

ANDY HEWITT centre back who was mates with Lloydy and Watto and after giving up playing continued to watch Ossett Town up until the dynamic duo departed for Albion.

WAYNE DAY midfielder who had been at Bradford City and Fryston Colliery. He was only with us that one season, then spent a number of years with Glasshoughton before returning to Town as manager in 1994. Sacked in very controversial circumstances. Later managed Tadcaster Albion and Ossett Albion reserves.

ANDY NICHOLSON midfielder. Played for Town for a number of years, a classy player, but seemed happy enough just to play reserve football towards the end.

CES PODD Bradford City legend, he joined us from Scarborough and played mainly in midfield in his two years with us. Was already working for Leeds United by the time he joined us, he later managed Tadcaster Albion and Eccleshill United as well as his native St Kitts national team.

TERRY GRAY ex pro with Huddersfield, Southend, Bradford City and Preston. Joined us from Goole and was reserve team manager, playing for the first team if there was no reserve game on. Later managed Wibsey in the County League.

GARY HATTO. Joined us from Frickley, spent two years with us playing on the left wing before returning to Frickley, Later played left back for Emley.

STEVE WORSFOLD "Herbie" was a no nonsense character who played right back or centre back. Signed from Goole Town, he had played for Frickley. Later joined Winterton Rangers for a short spell before returning to Ossett. Suffered from diabetes and gave up football after Wayne Day was sacked.

GLEN CALDWELL sorry, never heard of him.

the manager, not on the photo, was MICKY BULLOCK, appointed in 1987 and resigned in 1991.

_________________
Insanity is working 40 hours a week in an office for 40 years, then they tell you to get out, ending up in a home hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time.

Just out of interest, the Emley photo on the same page (from december 1987)

TIM DEVINE was football coach at Wakefield College (i played a few games for them when he was in charge ) he later managed Liverpool FC's academy.

STEVE CODD was also a PE teacher, he later managed Emley but returned to playing with Ossett Albion and Hatfield Main. He was the man responsible for the US Marine Corps marching songs booming out of the Albion dressing rooms.

RAY DENNIS played over 700 games for Emley then ended his career at Ossett Albion, later managed Emley reserves.

GERRY QUINN as far as i am aware, is still PE teacher at St John Fisher in Dewsbury; after Emley, managed Altrincham, Ossett Albion, Ashton United and Mossley. His son manages Brighouse Town.

JOHN FRANCIS i have mentioned on another thread relating to our promotion winning team of 1999-2000. Apparently works for Burnley FC and helps out with Gildersome Spurs junior teams.

MICK CARMODY ex pro with Huddersfield Town and Tranmere Rovers. Also played for Altrincham and Ashton United.

NICKY BRAMALD played over 500 games for Emley then spent a year with Ossett Town when Wayne Day was boss, returned to Emley to work with Ray Dennis running the reserves.

PAUL GARTLAND ex pro with Huddersfield Town, i think he played for Guiseley as well.

The rest of them i don't know much about, but that was the team that won the NCEL two years in a row and reached the FA Vase final losing to Colne Dynamoes.

_________________
Insanity is working 40 hours a week in an office for 40 years, then they tell you to get out, ending up in a home hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time.

just to prove how out of touch i am these days, i was reading "The Press" this morning in sunny Dewsbury and much to my surprise (or with hindsight, maybe not) i read that Messers Fellows, Watson and Thompson have all left Ossett Albion. Steve Nicholson and Richard Tracey will look after the team until Albion's committee decides what to do.

Meanwhile, here on planet Ingfield, we have a couple of easy games coming up against Lancaster City and Trafford

_________________
Insanity is working 40 hours a week in an office for 40 years, then they tell you to get out, ending up in a home hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time.

Steve Riding, the bearded YEP photographer, stuck another photo of Ossett Town in the paper today.

This time, he's photographed a cr*p team, from February 1993.

from left to right: IAN CLARKE, forward who had been at Rotherham United and Worksop Town, he didn't stay long.

STEVE DALE midfielder who had been at Barnsley, he stayed for a year or so, i don't know where he went either.

ALAN WILKINSON full back who also had been with Barnsley, he left not long afterwards for Boston United along with Dean Trott. Years later, when Boston were in the same division as us (yes folks, the famous Boston United spent two whole seasons in the same division as little old Ossett Town!) i looked at a Boston website about old Boston players and they said Alan left Boston and went to play for a number of clubs down south, including i think Bishop's Stortford.

ROBERT TAYLOR. Bob was a centre forward who we signed from Worsbrough Bridge. He was cr*p.

SIMON MASSIE. goalkeeper also from South Yorkshire, i think he was also at Stocksbridge. A steady enough keeper, he was not popular though, he would keep shouting "hold, hold, hold" throughout the game. One man near me had enough and shouted out "ffs, will you f**king shut up", i started laughing, Massey turned around and glared at me, which made me laugh even more.

DAVE BURSZTYN. Defender or midfielder or something. Used to be with Grimethorpe, a bit of a character.

STEVE WORSFOLD "Herbie" had returned to us from Winterton and was one of the few players we had any trust or belief in at the time. That was the time he dished out one of the all time great b*ll*ckings on a football pitch, at a corner, young left back Jamie Gibson wasn't standing at the near post as he should have been, "Herbie" went ballistic and bawled young Jamie out, so much so, the ref, looking shocked, ran over and said "whoa, calm down big fella".

PAUL ELSWORTH another former Grimethorpe player, he scored over 20 goals for us that season, he later went to Maltby. The last man to score 20 in a season before Gary Brook.

ANDY CRACKNELL centre back who was also back for a second spell after being with Bridlington Town. He didn't stay long, went to Denaby and later went into management with Hemsworth Town.

front row, left to right: DAVE LEADBEATER the player manager. He left not long after the photo was taken, his 18 months in charge had not been great, not helped by all the legal difficulties going at the time. He later managed a team in the Barnsley sunday league, but it was as a scout he made his name, working for Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough.

PAUL HODGSON a defender from the Barnsley area, not a great player but seemed popular enough with everyone.

MARK FRIDD. Short, overweight, but always liable to do something if he got the ball. I think he had been at Worsbrough Bridge and scored a few goals.

LEE MYERS full back who played for quite a few years with various South Yorkshire sides including Sheffield FC. Always a popular visitor to Ossett Town in later years.

ROBERT CONNOR defender and brother of current Ipswich Town assistant boss, Terry Connor. Robert had been at Ossett town for a few years since being brought to the club by Ces Podd. He left Ossett in 1994. Another brother Malcolm also played non league. Apparently now works for Kirklees Council.

PAUL BRENTON a full back in second spell at Ossett Town, he also played for Grimethorpe and Pontefract Collieries, He wasn't very good either.

It was a rubbish team, but after Dave Leadbeater left, reserve boss Chris Allwood took over, we thrashed a few teams in those last few games, including Harrogate Railway by 10 goals to 1. Elsworth scored 5. Allwood left at the end of the season and we appointed former Barnsley player Ali Millar as manager, with Derrick Parker as assistant and John Peachey as reserve manager. that team was even worse!

_________________
Insanity is working 40 hours a week in an office for 40 years, then they tell you to get out, ending up in a home hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time.

i noticed someone posted a copy of the team line ups from the Ossett Town v Manchester United match from 1988 on Twitter recently.

Ossett Town's listed team:
K LENAGHAN
S WORSFOLD
P WATSON
C PODD
J COOKE
S WILSON
T GRAY
G CHAPMAN
M NORBURY
A RADFORTH
G HATTO
subs
L FELLOWS
K LUCAS
C GOMERSALL
A HEWITT
D JOSEPHS

Most of the players i have already mentioned earlier in the thread, other players on this team sheet - J COOKE, was supposedly Joe Cooke the former Bradford City centre back, an old team mate of Ces Podd, he was meant to join us but went elsewhere. G CHAPMAN is Gary Chapman who was only at Ossett Town for a very short time, he joined Bradford City and later played for Notts County amongst others. M NORBURY is Micky Norbury, apparently Dave Leadbeater brought him to the club after spotting him playing in the Hemsworth area. Micky later played for Cambridge United, Preston North End and Doncaster Rovers. In non league football, it's probably easier to mention the clubs he's NOT played for. A RADFORTH is actually Alan Radford, another striker brought in by Dave Leadbeater. "RADFORTH" indicates that the team line up was written down for the programme editor by the chairman, who worked with a man called Brian Radforth up at Woodhead's. Alan Radford later played at Wembley with Bridlington Town and also played for Gateshead. K LUCAS is Kevin Lucas, a defender who actually lived in Ossett Kev served the club for a few years and after he packed in playing, helped build the new function room in 1998. C GOMERSAL is Chris Gomersall, a centre half who played alongside the chairman, Graham Firth, at Ossett Common Rovers in the early 80's. Chris also turned out for Ossett Albion. D JOSEPHS i didn't know then and still don't know now.

I think the team that turned out that day probably was as advertised in the programme, apart from Joe Cooke who i don't think ever turned out for us, even in a friendly. Chapman had left Ossett by the start of the season proper, Brucey babe used to keep detailed stats in the programme that season and i don't recall seeing Chapman's name in the programme after the pre season friendly games.

_________________
Insanity is working 40 hours a week in an office for 40 years, then they tell you to get out, ending up in a home hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time.

the Manchester United team was advertised as follows:

G WALSH
R BEARDSMORE
W HESELTINE
D BRAZIL
G HOGG
L MARTIN
D WILSON
P WRATTEN
P DALTON
W GARTON
N WOOD
subs
M ROBINS
D GRAHAM
L SHARPE
T GILL
S HUTCHINSON
M DUXBURY
A ALBISTON

the actual team was nothing like that, but Mark Robins did score an hat trick as they thrashed us 5-1.

Gary Walsh later played for Middlesbrough, Russell Beardsmore played for a few clubs including Bournemouth i think, Wayne Heseltine went to Bradford City, Derek Brazil went to Cardiff City, Graham Hogg went back to Scotland to play for Hearts, Lee Martin scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final, he retired early due to injury; D Wilson i've no idea, Paul Wratten i think played in the north east, Paul Dalton played for Hartlepool, Billy Garton retired due to injury but later played for a few non league sides in the north west, including Salford City; Nicky Wood i don't know what happened to him. Mark Robins is the new Huddersfield Town manager, Deiniol Graham went to Barnsley, Lee Sharpe was making his first ever appearance for United after transferring from Torquay, he later had a short time at Leeds, best forgotten T Gill, no idea; Simon Hutchinson went to Wycombe, MIck Duxbury and Arthur Albiston were the long serving full backs from the 70's, they were on their way out, duxbury went to bradford City then played for a team in Hong Kong that beat England in a friendly, Albiston played for a few clubs in the lower leagues.

someone high up in Ossett Town, quite possibly Mr Chairman himself, once told me why they would never play a friendly v Man United ever again. Man United wanted their transport from Manchester paid for, they wanted a hotel in Wakefield for their pre match meal, they wanted the clubhouse to themselves after the match, no supporters were allowed in, and one or two other things. After all that, Ossett town never made a penny and to top it all, there was a fair bit of trouble with the local Leeds fans and quite a few arrests made.

To answer the question why Micky Adams would sign the Man United programme, we played a Leeds United team a few days later, so i'm guessing either someone stuck the wrong programme in front of Micky and he just signed whatever was handed to him or possibly he was at the Man United match as it was rumoured that he actually lived in Ossett while he was playing for Leeds, apparently he used to live near the cricket club and used to call in at the Mason's Arms for a pint occasionally.

_________________
Insanity is working 40 hours a week in an office for 40 years, then they tell you to get out, ending up in a home hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time.