If you’ve made the trip to the Cobbydale Construction Stadium over the years, without a doubt you’ll have seen the friendly familiar face of Pete Hanson on site, often on the turnstile offering a welcome smile in a Silsden AFC bobble hat. Pete is a staple in within Silsden AFC’s committee, and together they ensure the running of the club is comparable to clockwork. We thought we’d put some questions to Pete, and get to know the man himself, and an insight into life on the committee.
Do you want to tell us a little bit about how long you’ve been associated with the club Peter, and what your role has entailed over the years?
I’ve been associated with the club since 1980, where initially I used to play. I joined the committee a few years later in 1985. There were only three of us at the time!
Our initial aim was to get as many junior teams set up as possible. We managed to achieve this, and set up base on Keighley Road, where the Cobbydale Construction Stadium currently lies. I then took a role as a youth coach, where I had the Under 12’s right through til they became Under 17’s. We won the cup and league double five seasons on the trot. Probably the most successful team in junior football … (Pete included a “lol” at this point during the interview)
In 1996 the club opted to reform a Saturday league team. I still played a part on the junior committee and opted to join the newly formed Saturday Senior Committee.
This team was initially managed by Andy Geary, with his assistants Paul Schofield and Mick Hook. It’s fair to say that since 1996 Silsden AFC have made their mark in the history books. We won promotion in five consecutive seasons to become champions of the West Riding County Amateur League Premier Division in 2002-2003.
The highlight of this era was, without doubt, our three consecutive wins of the West Riding County Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
I have continued to be on the committee from the early years up to the present day, mainly as Secretary, then as General Secretary. I also had a hand in overseeing the development of the Sports Club at the Cobbydale Construction Stadium, alongside most of our current football club committee.
All this hard work culminated in us receiving a £1m grant from the National Lottery and Football Foundation to build our new Sports Club. The football club had to find nearly £100,000, which we did by holding many Sportsman’s Dinners, fundraising evenings and receiving donations over the previous 6-8 years. The Sports Club finally opened in 2009 and I was privileged to accept the position of the first ever Chairman of Silsden Sports Club. I held this position until handing over to the present chairman, John Lohan, two years later. I then became Secretary of the Sports Club as well as continuing as General Secretary of the football club. These positions I still hold today!
What made you want to get involved with Silsden?
I felt compelled to get involved having seen that the junior teams did not have very many facilities or changing rooms where they played, this was behind the old fire station in Silsden. Our small committee put it as a major priority to improve the facilities, which we finally did. I also had my eldest son starting to show interest in football, so the progression from player to manager of the junior teams was inevitable.
What is it that’s made you compelled to stay on for so long?
A very difficult question to answer! Knowing that the club had so many requirements was probably the overall factor. The gradual progression in strength of the committee from humble beginnings is a big factor. Also the friendships created, and the hardworking ethic of this committee is a major factor in me staying on board.
How do you think the club has developed over your time?
From getting changed in either an old Air Raid Shelter building or port-a-cabin’s in the early days down here at Keighley Road, through to the fantastic facilities we now have highlights to me that we have progressed pretty well! But this hasn’t come without very hard work by all involved at this great club. The development has not finished yet as they are plans to develop further in years to come.
Are there any specific players in the squad that you enjoy watching?
To be honest I enjoy watching most of the current squad. The players always seem to give 100%, even when they may be not playing as well as they could.
What do you get up to in your spare time?
Not too much spare time for me. I work four days and on the fifth day I usually look after my grandson.
Weekends in the off season I spend with my wife (who unfortunately is not in the best of health) usually travelling, gardening, holidaying etc. We do like also to follow our two granddaughters who are big into dancing and we often go watch them in competitions.
What local footballers would you say you’ve admired over the years?
I have quite a few favourites, mostly from the years between 2000-2008. To name a few:
Matthew and Martin Bland, Dale Hoyle, Jimmy Hedges, Michael Rosser, Martin Fougler, Gavin Finn, Adam Reed, Gary Lund were great players. Older players I played with were Harry Rose, Mick Tillotson, Andy Geary, Graeme Fretwell, Ernie and Colin Guest.
More recently the likes of James Nettleton, Kevin Ryan, James Gill, Martin Packer, Josh Kaine, Danny Illingworth, Joe Gaughan, Arley Barnes and quite a few others.
I probably have missed a few off these list, so apologies if this was the case!
What would you say makes Silsden AFC unique from other football clubs?
A few things make a good club. I think for starters the management of Danny, Craig and coaches are second to none at this level. Also the attitude of players is always a sign of a good club. Both these factors are good, at the moment, at Silsden AFC; but one should never be satisfied and should always aim higher.
