MATCH REPORT | Yorkshire Amateur 6-2 Silsden AFC

The Toolstation Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division 2020-2021

Saturday 26th September 2020

YORKSHIRE AMATEUR 6 – 2 SILSDEN AFC

Yorkhire Amateur Goals: Foggarty 7 & 52, Moke 27, Naidole 43 & 55, Flynn 76 (pen).

Silsden AFC Goals: Airey 29, Brown 56 (pen).

Attendance: 85    

 

 

IMPRESSIVE AMMERS DOMINATE COBBYDALERS

 

The Cobbydalers travelled to the Southerns Stadium on Saturday following their narrow defeat on Tuesday at Garforth Town. Danny Forrest was able to name an unchanged side against the Ammers, who had topped the league table (having played a game more than most teams) with two wins out of two, a 1-0 win at Mansfield and a 7-1 victory at Bottesford.

 

Silsden had a chance in the opening minutes but Khurram Shazad wouldn’t trust his right foot and was closed down. The Ammers Daniel Naidole then headed a cross from the right wide. Roy FOGARTY hit a screamer into the roof of the Silsden net to open the scoring.

 

The Ammers began to move the ball swiftly across the pitch and Mark Everingham managed to clear a dangerous cross before Myles Foley blocked another effort from Foggarty. After Matthew Dempsey had shot wide, Leon Hurles-Brook drove the ball to Shazad but his effort was off target.

 

The home side began to produce some clever pass-and–move football, particularly down the left. The intensity was forcing the Cobbydalers back but Darke saved from Daniel Naidole and Foley headed clear at the expense of a corner. The ball was moved up the right but McKiernon turned inside and was caught in possession. The tricky Casey Stewart wove in and out of three defenders but his shot lacked power.

 

Foley made a good interception but the pressure eventually told, Fernando MOKE ending a four-man move on twenty seven minutes. Two minutes later Silsden pulled one back when a free kick was launched into the Ammies area. Foley headed it goalwards and Shaun AIREY headed home.

 

McKiernon was dispossessed too easily in his own half but both Foggarty and Moke were denied by Darke. The Ammers movement and accurate passing at pace was a joy to watch but the Cobbydalers made it too easy for them.

 

Shazad was a shadow of his best and Lewis Morgan was unable to have any impression on the game after some promise shown at Garforth in midweek. As a result the defence were always under pressure. Moke shot narrowly wide three minutes before the break but NAIDOLE netted a third on the stroke of half time with a superb left-foot volley. Kaine, after some treatment at half-time, was replaced by Carlton  Pownall.

 

Silsden broke forwards down the right but McKiernan’s cross was over hit. Brown then laid the ball back to Shazad but once again he delayed his shot which was then blocked.

 

The slow decision-making of the Cobbydalers mid-fielders and forwards made it easy for the home defence and, as the wind strengthened, the Ammers extended their lead. Darke was left isolated and after two fine saves he was finally beaten when he failed to hold FOGGARTY’S low shot.

 

Two minutes later Naidole netted a fifth after he broke through unchallenged. The hard working Antony Brown pulled one back a minute later from the penalty spot after he had been upended by the Ammers’ skipper.

 

Joe Mitchell replaced McKiernon and immediately began to take some control of the midfield. His energy took him into the Ammers’ penalty box and, moments later, he was back defending in his own penalty area, emphasizing the need for more determination around the park from the Cobbydalers.

 

Everingham then managed to get a ball through to Mitchell but his cross was just too heavy for Brown. Mitchell was fired up but his passion led to him conceding a penalty fifteen minutes from time. FLYNN made it six. Six minutes later the ball was threaded through to Hurles-Brook on the edge of the Ammers box but a slight delay saw him closed down.

 

In the dying minutes Silsden’s troubles multiplied Airey was struggling with a knock and then Darke was involved in a collision with Flynn. It looked like a serious injury. The keeper had spent almost a year on the side-lines following a similar situation at Barton last season. Silsden were reduced to ten men. Everingham was injured and he limped off. Morgan went in goal as Silsden were reduced to nine.

 

Put into context, in one of the opening games last season the Cobbydalers had lost at home to the Ammers five-nil. The Ammers were rampant on Saturday but last year Silsden bounced back and when they travelled to the Southern’s stadium they got a creditable draw with a late equaliser from Wademan. The injury list is a problem but hopefully some players will return from injury to strengthen the squad. If Darke’s injury is serious Forrest has a ready replacement in Higginson.

 

Next Saturday Silsden entertain Goole.

 

YORKSHIRE AMATEUR: Trenerry, Smith, Henry, Sharry (Dean 56), Dempsey, Kellock, Priestley, Moke, Foggarty (Flynn 68), Naidole (Crawford 59), Stewart.

Subs not used: McCahlaw and Dixon.

 

SILSDEN AFC: Darke Kaine (Pownall 45), Everingham, Barnes, Airey, Foley, McKiernon (Mitchell 63), Morgan, Brown, Mitchell, Shazad (Drovi 74), Hurles-Brook.

Subs not used: Russon, Hudson.

 

Referee: Mr.M.Corbally
Assistants: Mr.P.Saunders and Mr.J.Farnsworth

MATCH REPORT | Garforth Town 1-0 Silsden AFC

The Toolstation Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division 2020-2021

Tuesday 22nd September 2020

GARFORTH TOWN 1 – 0 SILSDEN AFC  

Garforth Town Goals: Lazenby (83)

Silsden AFC Goals: N/A

Attendance: 118

 

COBBYDALERS SUCCUMB TO LATE WINNER

The Cobbydalers travelled to Garforth for their opening League game of the season. Danny Forrest named an unchanged side after Saturday’s FA Vase victory over Garstang. The pitch was dry and players had to adjust to a high bounce and a cross-field wind throughout the
game.

The Miners were quickly on the attack with Sam Barker sprinting down the left, only to see his cross headed clear by Josh Kaine. Karl Fitzgerald then fired over the bar after Myles Foley had failed to clear a through ball. This was followed by a superb cross from Jack Lazenby but Fitzgerald headed wide.

A strong run by Charlie Marshall down the right, ended with a timely interception by Foley, who then set up Silsden’s first attack on seventeen minutes. Josh McKiernon slid the ball to Anthony Brown who broke up the right before crossing to Khurram Shazad. His progress was halted by two defenders.

Skipper Lazenby then curled in a free-kick which bounced just wide of the far post. Midway through the half the Cobbydalers had their first clear chance. Brown broke up the left and crossed to Leon Hurles-Brook but Toby Wells denied him the opener with a low save to his right.

The Miners were thwarted by a superb save from Darke. Kaine broke up another Garforth attack before Shazad hit a cross to Brown but the striker delayed his shot which was easily blocked. Shazad then took matters into his own hands but his rising drive just cleared the bar.

Throughout the half the Cobbydalers defence was well marshalled by Sean Airey. His composure gradually spread to his fellow defenders and both Mark Everingham and Kaine made telling breaks up the flanks, which came to nought, however, against a strong home defence.

It looked like the defenders would ensure that the game would be goalless at the break. It was! But Silsden needed some luck to keep a clean sheet. McKiernon was dispossessed deep in his own half. Barker stole the ball and cut across the box, only to fire wide!

The fortunate McKiernon had another escape after his pass back to Airey was intercepted. The ball was slid through and ended in the net…..but the assistant’s flag was raised. Offside!!!!!

Silsden responded with Hurles-Brook sprinting up the wing before cutting across the penalty area. His shot was narrowly wide. Garforth countered but Barker’s shot was easy for Darke.

On sixty minutes Silsden saw three efforts blocked in the goal area after a corner was whipped in by Shazad. McKiernon, Hurles-Brook and Brown all saw efforts scrambled off the goal line.

The Silsden midfielders hadn’t been as effective as on Saturday and Trueman replaced Morgan with twenty-five minutes still to play. Immediately Trueman began to find space, which enabled him to spread the ball around to expose the home defence. He sent a through-ball to McKiernon but once again the shot was narrowly wide.

Half chances came at both ends with Kaine and Foley both blocking efforts at one end and substitute Dyllan Drovi, just off target at the other end. Finally the deadlock was broken, seven minutes from time, when Jack Lazenby netted after the home side finally managed to get behind Airey.

Silsden strove for the equaliser but the home defence held their nerve. The Miners almost got a second in a late breakaway, being denied by Darke, before Everingham went as close as anyone to netting an equaliser in the dying seconds.

On Saturday the Cobbydalers travel to Yorkshire Amateurs. The Ammies were in third place in the table late in the season but the Cobbydalers snatched a point off them with a late stunning equaliser from Wademan.

 

GARFORTH TOWN: Wells, Leach (Smith 75), McGahan, Lazenby, Fitzgerald,
Marshall, Coupland, Burton, Turner (Colley 80), Barker.

Subs not used: Mayall, Davison, Silva.

 

SILSDEN AFC: Darke, Kaine, Everingham, Barnes, Airey, Foley,
McKiernon (Wademan 87), Morgan (Trueman 67), Brown,
Shazad (Drovi 74), Hurles-Brook.

Subs not used: Higginson, Hudson.

 

Referee: Mr.D.Holbrook
Assistants: Mr.J.White and Mr.M.Rose

MATCH REPORT I Silsden AFC 3-1 Garstang FC

The Buildbase FA Vase 2020-2021 1st Qualifying round.

Saturday 19th September, 2020

 SILSDEN AFC 3 v 1 GARSTANG F.C.

Brown 26, Hurles-Brook 21, 57.        Maddox(pen) 90.  Att. 115.

COBBYDALERS MARCH ON IN THE VASE

            Following last Saturday’s heavy defeat to Bootle in the Emirates FA Cup, Silsden had a chance to atone in the FA Buildbase Vase on Saturday when Garstang FC visited The Cobbydale Construction Stadium.

          The Cobbydalers had Alfie Darke back in goal and Lewis Morgan started in midfield in place of Joe Mitchell. Immediately the game was stopped for a head injury to skipper Josh Kaine who eventually recovered.

          Silsden attacked up the left with Everingham pushing forwards but the ball was quickly cleared. Jacob Salisbury burst down the left and crossed to the right where no-one had dropped back to cover for Everingham. Fortunately Darke was on hand to save  Salisbury’s shot. The Silsden keeper was busy again as the visitors broke forwards after a Morgan’s free kick had been cleared.

          Darke was in the action a few minutes later just managing to gather a through-ball on the edge of his box with Reece Barrett breaking forwards for the Lancastrians.

          Gradually Silsden settled with slick inter-play between Khurram Shazad and Antony Brown ending with Leon Hurles-Brook heading over. Sean Airey then went close with a header from a Kaine free kick, before Brown drove the ball just wide of the far post after running onto a cross-field ball from Shazad.

          The Silsden forwards began to move the ball at pace and Shazad crossed the ball to HURLES-BROOK who cut back inside to give the Cobbydalers the lead on twenty-one minutes. Five minutes later Kaine hit a glorious ball up the wing to BROWN who turned inside across the penalty area before hitting a left footer wide of the Garstang keeper.

          Silsden were well on top. Everingham sent Morgan through but his flick was just wide of the post. Garstang responded but Myles Foley denied  Barrett one opportunity whilst Kaine broke up another attack.

          Silsden were content to keep possession at the back until an opening occurred and then attack on the break. In a five-minute spell before the break, a neat turn by Brown sent Hurles-Brook down the left but his cross was too deep. A minute later, Hurles-Brook shot wide before Brown’s low effort was deflected for a corner. It was swung in and a dummy by Morgan gave Brown another chance. His volley was wide.

          Silsden might have gone in four goals to the good but, at two-nil, the visitors were still in the game. The pattern of play was much the same at the start of the second half and, with a little more precision, the Cobbydalers might have netted two more. Garstang did have the odd break away but first Morgan and then Everingham broke up promising attacks.

          Ten minutes into the half Silsden got a third. Hurles-Brook  cut up the wing and crossed to Brown but the weight on the pass was too heavy. When Brown reciprocated via an astute ball to McKiernon, HURLES-BROOK netted his second. Morgan almost made it four but he dragged his shot wide.

          Silsden had controlled the game for fifteen minutes before Garstang had a chance, Martin Grundy firing Jonathan Hothersall’s cross over the bar. Hothersall then flicked the ball to substitute Daniel Squires but Airey cleared the danger before Darke saved a Hothersall volley.

          Chris Wademan and Daniel Drovi came on for Shazad and Brown and immediately Silsden were on the attack again. Wademan broke forwards onto a cross from Drovi on the wing but, from two yards out, he ballooned the ball over the bar.

          The visitors responded with a break which was cleared by Everingham before setting up Hurles-Brook at the other end. He was denied his hat-trick by Kellett in the Garstang goal.

          Garstang finally looked like opening their account on eighty-minutes but Darke denied Barrett with a superb save. As the clocked ticked down, Darke made another superb save from substitute Andrew Murphy. He was finally beaten three-minutes into stoppage time by Sam MADDOX’s penalty, although the decision to award it was strange as none of the Garstang side appealed for it!

                    

          The Cobbydalers entertain Guisborough Town who beat Washington 3-0 in the second qualifying round.

          In the meantime Silsden travel to Garforth Town on Tuesday and Yorkshire Amateurs on Saturday.

         

SILSDEN AFC. Darke, Kaine, Everingham(Pownall 76), Barnes, Airey, Foley, McKiernon, Morgan, Brown(Drovi 66), Shazad(Wademan 66), Hurles-Brook. Subs not used. Higginson, Hudson, Russon, Bentham.

 

GARSTANG FC. Kellett, Birch, Nagy, Grundy, O’Connor, Hanslip, Salisbury(Squires 51), Akrigg(Maddox 62), Barrett, Hothersall (Murphy 63), Sailor. Subs not used. Ross, Dewhurst.

 

Referee. Mr D. Grant

Squad Update – Sils Add New Faces

The Sils squad has been further strengthened with the addition of numerous new faces in recent weeks.

Central defender Shaun Airey returns to the club alongside creative midfielder Harry Thompson. Both have had long stints away from the club and come with vast experience of the level.

Full back Carlton Pownall joins after a recent spell at Shelley FC, also joining the Sils is young winger Dyllan Drovi who has impressed significantly during pre season. Finally Leon Hurles-Brook joined the club last week after a productive four years at Campion FC respectively.

Manager Danny Forrest had his say in the new additions:

“I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say we’re absolutely delighted to get Shaun and Harry on board. They’re both highly thought of at the club and there’s a lot of people who are happy to see them back in red. Shaun has shown his quality throughout pre season and we’ve already seen what an exciting addition Harry is in the short time he’s been with us. They’re both well respected by the rest of the group which has made it easy for them to integrate.

Harry Thompson during his 1st spell at the club

Carlton is a great lad, he’s an athletic and competitive full back who has plenty of ability. He’s a great addition and has the right attitude and characteristics we look for in a player.

Dyllan is a young and exciting attacking player who has been very impressive during pre season. We’re positive Dyllan will go on to fulfil his potential with us but he knows it will take hard work and patience. He certainly has all the tools and we’re all looking forward to seeing him develop with us.

Finally we’re delighted to have Leon with us, he’s made a great start to his Sils career and has already shown the quality he possesses. He has a platform to build on, he brings some balance to the squad with his great left foot and gives us more in the final third.”

Leon Hurles-Brook

MATCH REPORT I Silsden AFC 2-5 Bootle FC

The Emirates F.A. Cup 2020-2021.   Preliminary Round.

Saturday 12th September 2020.

  SILSDEN AFC  2  v  5  BOOTLE  FC

                                                                                                                                                Hurles-Brook 14, Shazad 48           Connelly 14, Peterson 22, 42, 52,   Hodkinson 63.    

                                                           Att. 211.

        After a victory in the Extra-Preliminary Round at Eccleshill, the Cobbydalers were rewarded with a home tie against Bootle. That said, Silsden’s record against the Merseysiders in the NWCFL was dire, without a victory.  Indeed Bootle’s last visit to Silsden ended with them winning seven-nil, although few of the present squad had been involved in those games. Keeper Ben Higginson came in for Alfie Darke (ill) and Liam Hudson for Josh Kaine.

          The opening exchanges were scrappy with a series of fouls by both sides. Joe Mitchell sent Arley Barnes through on five minutes but the skipper’s shot was off target. Gradually Bootle began to test the Silsden rearguard with left back Michael Carberry breaking down the left. Silsden’s Leon Hurles-Brook then skipped down the left but, after cutting inside, he was forced wide and the move came to nought.

          The visitors took the lead on fourteen minutes when John CONNOLLY curled the ball into the top corner.  A minute later it was all-square with HURLES-BROOK cutting back to the left and firing his shot inside the near post.

          Silsden then responded with both full backs being involved. After Hurles –Brook had had a cross cleared, left back Mark Everingham broke forwards and crossed beyond the Bootle penalty area. Right back Liam Hudson managed to kill the ball and shoot. His shot  hit the goal stanchion. Unfortunately the defence was stretched and the speedy Tom PETERSON broke through for a second.

          Three minutes after Trueman had gone close with a free-kick, the visitors were reduced to ten men when Blues’ skipper, Liam Loughlin, was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Barnes.

          The Blues had to adjust, relying on breakaways where the pace of Peterson was a constant threat. Silsden striker Antony Brown looked Silsden’s best outlet, first having a low shot saved by Jones and then being brought down on the edge of the penalty box. The defensive wall did its job before another yellow card was shown to the visitors. After failing to get a clean header on Trueman’s free-kick, Brown broke clear but shot wide of the near post.

          Another  yellow card followed for Bootle, who were throwing bodies on the line. Barnes released Hurles-Brook down the right but he wasted his cross. Three minutes before the break, PETERSON, who had just been cautioned, outpaced a disjointed Silsden rearguard to put the visitors 3-1 up.

          The second half started with Hudson breaking down the right. He was closed down and Bootle broke away. Fortunately Mitchell, who had spotted the danger, managed to clear the ball. Two minutes later, Khurram SHAZAD hit a shot from thirty yards out. A wicked bounce gave Jones no chance. 2-3!

           Four minutes later Silsden were caught out on the half-way line again. Left-back Michael Carberry broke forwards, PETERSEN keeping pace with him, tapped home the cross with the defenders in his wake.

           A corner for Silsden was curled in by Trueman and was headed  over by Barnes before another Bootle breakaway was halted by Higginson’s head ten yard out of his area. Mitchel curled an effort over at the far end before Ben HODKINSON cut inside Everingham  at the far post  to make it five-two.

Carlton Pownall came on for Hudson and immediately went close, his shot landing on the roof of the net. Another cross from the right by Pownall and one from Everingham went begging.

          There were half chances at both ends. Silsden threw caution to the wind and might have conceded more to the ten men, which with four minutes to go became nine when man-of the match Tom Peterson was dismissed.

          Next week the Cobbydalers entertain Garstang in the FA Vase. In the meantime Manager Danny Forrest and his management team will have much to mull over.

SILSDEN AFC Higginson, Liam Hudson( Pownall 62) , Everingham, Trueman, Airey, Foley, Barnes, Mitchell(Morgan 74), Brown, Shazad(Wademan 74),  Hurles-Brook. Subs. not used. Thompson, McKiernon, Fox.

BOOTLE FC. Jones, Richards, Carberry, Hoy, Cartwright, Connolly(Brandon 71), Hooper, Loughlin, Peterson(Coulton 88), Perry, Hodkinson(Pomeyie).

Referee. Mr. L. Caggiano.   Assistants. Mr. L. Atkinson  & Mr. T. Crossland

MATCH REPORT I Eccleshill Utd 0-3 Silsden AFC

The Emirates F.A. Cup 2020-2021. Extra Preliminary Round

Tuesday, 1st September

                                                Eccleshill Utd 0-3 Silsden AFC                                                                                   

  Britton 40, Brown 47. 51.

COBBYDALERS DOMINANT IN F.A. CUP

The Cobbydalers travelled to local neighbours Eccleshill for their first competitive game of the season, the 2020-21 F.A. Cup extra Preliminary Round.

          Eccleshill were on the attack from the kick-off and Alfie Darke, in the Silsden goal, was forced to make his first save from Luke Aldrich in the opening minute. United pushed Silsden back and both Josh Kaine and Myles Foley had to block goal-bound efforts. Foley was booked in the ninth minute as the Cobbydalers were pinned in their own half.

          Silsden then began to settle and Mark Trueman saw a shot blocked before United broke forwards with Somali Cisse almost catching Darke out.

          Gradually Trueman began to control the midfield. When Joe Mitchell broke up the left, he managed to slip the ball to Khurram Shazad. It took two defenders to halt the Silsden man at the expense of a corner. Instead of driving the ball into the box, it was slipped back to Trueman who curled the ball to Foley who saw his volley go agonisingly wide of the far post.

          The Eagles were looking dangerous as they broke forwards but the Silsden defence, marshalled superbly by Shaun Airey, held them at bay. Mitchell hit a low shot on target at the other end but, on too many occasions, Silsden were hitting straight balls from the back which were easily cleared by the home defence.

          With ten minutes left before half-time, Matthias Britton broke clear, as the home defence had all pushed towards the half way line. Brad Emmerson, in the home goal, denied Britton with an outstretched leg. Three minutes later he was thwarted again.  However, BRITTON finally got his reward on 40 minutes when he headed home Joe Mitchell’s cross.

          With the half time whistle imminent, Airey made his only mistake of the game but Talent Ndlovu could only shoot into the arms of Darke.

          Two minutes into the second half Silsden were two up. A superb run up the right from Britton ended with a pin-point pass to Antony BROWN, who cut back across the six yard box before hitting in a low shot.

          Four minutes later BROWN ran onto a cross from Shazad to slam the ball home at the near post to make it 3-0. Immediately Brown had a chance to complete his hat-trick but shot wide before Shazad saw an effort saved.

          The home side were shell-shocked and, to make matters worse, Aran Basi was sent off on sixty-four minutes. Brown then set up another chance for Britton but his effort was off target before Foley was denied by a superb save by Emerson.

          Silsden were still determined to attack but almost paid the price for over-committing men forwards. However substitute Marcel Chigumira shot wide at the other end before he was denied in the dying minutes when Alfie Darke tipped his thunderbolt onto the bar.

          The Cobbydalers will entertain Avro or Bootle in the Preliminary Round on Saturday, September 12th.

ECCLESHILL UNITED. Emerson, Bleau, Buchanan, Taylor, Omolukun(Owen 54), Basi, Ndlovu(Chigumura 60), Staunton, Aldrich, Irvine.                                                                                       Sub. not used. Mohammed, Garber, Kaba, Anjom, Josiah.

SILSDEN AFC. Darke, Kaine(Pownall 78), Everingham, Trueman, Airey, Foley, Barnes, Mitchell(Liam Hudson 88), Brown(Antony), Shazad, Britton(Wademan 78).                       Subs not used. Higginson, Morgan, Fox, Drovi.

Referee. MR, J. Phillips.

 

Photograph courtesy of Daniel Kerr (Twitter – @DKkaptured)

Squad Update

Although uncertainty remains around the start of the 2020/21 season, NCEL clubs were allowed to register players from yesterday (Wednesday 1st July). Manager Danny Forrest gave us an update on how the Cobbydalers are shaping up, with the majority of last season’s squad returning for the 2020/21 campaign.

Goalkeepers Alfie Darke and Ben Higginson both return – Alfie, having suffered a serious knee injury last season comes back fully fit, while Ben will be looking to pick off where he left off last season ending the campaign in fine form.

Captain Josh Kaine stays for his fifth season and is fast approaching 200 appearances for the Cobbydalers, whilst fellow defenders Dan Illingworth and Mark Everingham will continue their invaluable contribution in to a fourth season. Connor Thompson and Myles Foley who have been brilliant since joining also commit to the Cobbydalers for the 2020/21 season.

Josh Brown returned to the club last season after a four year absence, but unfortunately suffered a serious knee injury back in February. Matty Moses is edging closer to a return after 11 months out. Both will be supported through their rehab by club physio Conner Docherty and we can’t wait to see them both back in contention.

Midfielders Arley Barnes, Joe Mitchell, Liam Hudson and Josh Mckiernon all stay, Mark Trueman and Kyle Hancock who both returned to the club towards the end of the 2019/20 season are back with the Sils for next season.

Going forward, Chris Wademan will continue in to a 10th year as a player for the club and attacking midfielder Khurram Shazad will look to continue his dazzling form in to the 2020/21 campaign. Matthias Britton who ended last season with a fantastic performance at Handsworth, Luke Hudson and Will Storrie all return. Promising youngster Robbie Fox will be looking to build on last season’s breakthrough while Luke Brooksbank will be hoping to make an impact after coming through the U23 set up. Danny Riley continues his affiliation with the club before a planned venture to the USA – whenever that may be!

Check back in the coming days and weeks for further squad updates including news of some new additions!

 

FEATURE I My Nepalese Adventure by Luca Marchini

My Nepalese Adventure

By Luca Marchini

In year 11 I completed the National Citizenship Scheme (NCS), a programme that brings 16 year olds from all over the country together on 2 weeks of training and 1 week of fundraising back in their own communities. My team’s fundraising was for Brooklands Community Special School in Skipton where we raised £700 in one week through a variety of initiatives. Brooklands used this donation to purchase some sensory music equipment for their playground.

The NCS experience influenced my decision to take a gap year before starting at university. I applied to work on an overseas project through the International Citizenship Scheme (the progression from NCS) in association with Raleigh International, a sustainable development charity that supports third world countries, specifically Tanzania and Nepal. I attended an assessment day in London where I was successful and selected for their 2020 projects. I decided I wanted to go to Nepal.

The Nepal project was a 12 week WASH (water & sanitation hygiene) programme which meant providing clean water to communities and training them in sanitation to stop water related diseases, such as cholera, which are prevalent in that area and can be fatal.

I had to raise a minimum of £1500 between October and January. Thinking back to my NCS experience I realised I would need a centrepiece fundraising event and I decided that would be a band night at Silsden AFC. I wanted the event in my community and as a player at Silsden from the age of 6 to 18 it made sense to ask Silsden Sports Club if I could use their facilities. I spoke with John Lohan (the Sports Club chairman) and Phil Lohan (the bar manager) and we booked the 18th January for the event. The support of the club, and particularly John and Phil, was amazing. They offered the venue and extended licence free of charge, and John even bought 10 tickets for the band night!

I introduced the event to get the evening going and then at the interval made a speech about what I was going to Nepal to do and why, which was nerve-racking in front of such a large audience.

Two local bands performed on the night for minimal expenses, Tom Lohan & Ben O’Hara supporting The Handsum Dogs. It was a fantastic night with over 100 attending during the evening and it was incredibly well supported by the people of Silsden with a number of Silsden AFC and Silsden Whitestar players attending.

The evening raised £900, which added to the £800 I had raised by the beginning of December through donations and other smaller events, taking my overall total to £1660, exceeding my target.

I arrived in Kathmandu on 6th February and went straight into a 5 day training programme which included safeguarding, water infrastructure, health and safety and cultural training. We also met the Nepalese volunteers we would be working with. After our training we moved to our bases where we would live and work for the next 12 weeks (if things had gone to plan!). We spent the first week getting to know the village and the people we would be living with. I was based in Bhitri Swarna, a remote community 5 hour drive from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

We immersed ourselves in the culture and tried to learn a little of the local languages, Nepalese and Temang, as well as their favoured pass times. Luckily for me, the favourite in the community was football. We also visited the local primary school, where we planned to conduct sessions in the future. Wherever we went, stares followed as for the majority of the population we were the first white people they’d ever seen. Particular attention followed my team leader and I as despite both only being around the 6 foot tall, we were easily the tallest people in the area, with the average height only being 5ft 1.

During this first week, a large portion of the time was spent conducting baseline surveys which identify the living conditions of the community (including how the houses had been affected by the 2015 earthquake), the usage of water and the personal beliefs behind the importance of sanitation; a significant part of the community believed that diarrhoea was caused by cold weather, which showed how important our work was going to be. This was only amplified when discovering the village on the best of days only had a 4 hour window of running water and if reservoir tanks higher up the pipeline were faulty, people could go days without water. During this initial week we also began planning sessions and trialling some, making important discoveries such as the villagers learning best through visual learning rather than lecturing, which was good as it allowed us English volunteers to be more involved.

Throughout our time in community, we worked practically every day, either by planning and conducting sessions or by digging holes for new latrines or for pipelines to be set. Our day off was on Tuesdays where we’d sometimes go for a walk, my favourite being near the start of the trip where we ventured through the jungle, despite the knowledge that tigers were most common in this part of Nepal (luckily no encounters occurred).

As well as this, my team collectively got through many books to pass the time as well as playing cards, mainly Uno and blackjack, and a fair amount of football. We also set up a volleyball pitch using bamboo and string and made two showers and a stone path from the river. When I say we, I mean Adon, who has a first class engineering degree (I usually just watched and moved a stone from time to time). In our spare time, usually in the evenings after tea, we helped the kids in their English studies, which was particularly important with their exams fast approaching. The funniest parts of these sessions were when the kids tried to repeat words with our accents, so the young lad that I primarily taught ended up with a bit of a Yorkshire dialect while a girl who was taught by another team member, Beth, started speaking like a scouser. The kids were also interested in the games of chess we’d sometimes play in the evening and it didn’t take long for us to start teaching them that too. The youths picked it up incredibly quickly and (with a little assistance) I was beaten by my host brother towards the end of our time there, which left me simultaneously proud and embarrassed.

In terms of the work we set out to do, we were past our target for the midway mark (which was when we were sadly sent home due to Coronavirus). Out of all the sessions we conducted, my favourite was probably the one I led. While the women were taking a menstrual hygiene session, the men in the group took the boys from the school to do a session on general cleanliness and ideal morning routine. This included teaching the kids how to stretch properly which ended up mirroring my usual pre-match routine. We finished the session with a relay race with checkpoints every ten meters where a different activity would have to be performed for example one being to wash their hands properly, using the 7 stages of handwashing, and another being to demonstrate 2 stretches.

Some days were better than others on the project as frustration sometimes rose when, for example, equipment wasn’t received in time or, more commonly, members got ill, with all of us having to take at least one day off work throughout the project due to illness which was testament to the poor living conditions. However, the good days were far more common. My favourite of the lot was probably Holi, the Hindu paint festival which was celebrated in Nepal on March 9th where the premise is effectively just to throw powdered paint at each other all day along with some dancing. Of all the days, this was the one where the alcohol ban for the volunteers frustrated me most.

Another great day came directly before this festival – International Women’s Day on March 8th. Sexism is a significant issue in much of Nepal with women rarely being more than stay-at-home-wives. Domestic abuse is also prevalent in Nepal. When it came to education and empowerment, this day was undoubtedly important, with us making placards in the lead up to it with different women’s-rights messages which the Bithri villagers then paraded around the local area, including other villages, and the Nepalese volunteers led the chanting. We ended the march with a speech with each English volunteer saying their part before having it translated by the Nepalese volunteers, who also had their own bits to say. This day was also imperative in helping increase the influence of the Women’s group, which is one of multiple committees we helped set up in the village.

Another day around this time was particularly special to me. This was when we took the school kids out for a litter pick with a competition for who could collect the most. We spent a good few hours walking around after school finished collecting as much as possible. Despite collecting a considerable amount we could hardly make a dent on the total quantity of litter in the area. Because there is no refuse collection service in this impoverished community the majority of waste is just dumped on the floor or, arguably even worse, burned. Although this paints a bleak image, when we told the kids why safely disposing of waste is important, for example maintaining the health of the livestock they rely on in everyday life (on the first day in community we saw a cow ingest an empty crisp packet), they were receptive and we began seeing kids pick up waste more regularly. We had plans for garbage disposal in the second phase of the volunteering but unfortunately this couldn’t be implemented before having to leave.

Our day hike was also a highlight. Despite being quite ill from a nasty stomach at the time I decided to make the journey regardless and was thankful I did so with the views that I managed to see. I was rather disappointed at first when being told we were headed for the Makwanpur region as we were so far away from the Himalayas but the scenery on that walk made up for it. Also, despite being in the relatively flat south of the country, the mountains we ventured up were still competing with the highest in the UK. This journey included another jungle expedition as well as a wobbly valley bridge which didn’t sit particularly well with my vertigo.

As I said though, there were some negative aspects of the trip and none of these were greater than when we were told that, due to the developing covid-19 pandemic (which we knew very little about due to the complete lack of internet in the community), we were about to be evacuated back to the UK. We were pulled out of bed at 5 in the morning to be told this and I think it’s fair to say the news didn’t go down brilliantly. We were told a convoy of 4X4s were expected the next day, so make the last remaining day count. We spent the majority of the time with our host families, whom we’d all bonded with, visiting favourite spots in the picturesque area which we’d likely only ever see in pictures again, and doing all the things we’d wanted to ask to do since arriving (for example my host father accepted my request to plough the field with his giant oxen – it’s fair to say I wasn’t a natural). They had planned for a massive farewell party at the end of our stay but because of the abrupt nature of our departure, the locals made do with the little time they had, providing the best food they had to offer and getting a large speaker which was located in a neighbouring village. Music was played long into the night and some of the locals got considerably hammered (Temang culture is renowned for its love of alcohol after all). The next morning, we woke, packed and said goodbye. Luckily, I just remembered my farewell gift to the community – handing out the football shirts the people of Silsden had put together for me. I can’t stress enough how thankful the kids were.

After a 5 hour car journey through the mountains we returned to Kathmandu. We stayed in a lovely hotel just next to the Pashupatinath temple, one of the most important in Hindu religion, which I visited a couple of times during our stay there. The hotel also neighboured a European restaurant which meant I could finally break away from the 40 consecutive days of eating rice, rice and more rice. Finally, after a week of flight cancellations and untold stress, everyone’s flights were finally sorted. Typically, me and two of my group members ended up having the last flights out of everyone, three days after the first, making us the last three out 180 volunteers who were stuck in Nepal across three separate organisations partnered with ICS to return to the UK.

As well as wanting to recount this story of my trip in this blog, it also serves another purpose. In order to receive my certificate of completion, I have to complete the 3 different segments of the programme. The first is the fundraising (where I comfortably met my target), completing the volunteering itself (which is being counted despite it being cut short), and lastly this – my action at home. This final part is about trying to positively influence the community around you via different means, such as more volunteering at home or, as this will be, delivering an important message over social media. As the former is concerned, I’ve joined the Silsden Helpline, which made a massive contribution to our little town during the most stressful times of the pandemic, creating a vital support system for the most vulnerable people in the community. With them, I have done shopping and delivered prescriptions for elderly, at risk people.

Please read about the helpline here: https://silsdentoday.co.uk/info/

And visit the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/silsdeninfo

As for the messages I want to deliver here, the first is warning of the effects of climate change on the country I visited. Nepali people talk of strange monsoon season timing and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and if these are exacerbated it could cripple the agricultural market in Nepal, which is the livelihood of over ¾ of the country’s population. To counter this I urge for a reduction in the use of fossil fuels for those reading this as a good starting point. A fellow Raleigh alumni tells of some effective small changes we can make in our life which will help the people of Nepal (and all others most vulnerable to the effects of climate change) in years to come: https://raleighinternational.org/blog/blog_post/how-turning-to-green-energy-can-tackle-climate-change/

Although counter-intuitive to the reduction of carbon output, I think it’s still important to mention that this year was intended as “Visit Nepal 2020”, where the country aimed to have 2 million tourists visit this year. With recent critical acclaim from tourism sites, for example with Lonely Planet ranking Kathmandu as the 5th best travel destination globally, it was thought that 2020 was going to provide a massive economic boost for Nepal, to take it above its current global standing of 166th. Due to Covid-19, this dream is now impossible to fulfil and instead of experiencing a huge tourism incline the country now faces a slump which will badly damage this economic sector. In 2018 tourism in Nepal was c3.6% of GDP, growing to c7.9 % in 2019. The expectation was to grow that further this year which would have benefited the economy greatly. So, what I’m asking of you reading this is to consider visiting Nepal as a future holiday destination once flights return to normality. I loved my time there and I’m sure you would as well.

The final plea I’m making is for readers of this blog to look at the work that Raleigh and ICS do, not only in Nepal but on a global level. The projects they deliver are vital in improving livelihoods in the World’s least fortunate areas. If you’re someone of my age, consider volunteering as I did and, if you haven’t already, please spare some money so these organisations can continue their work. https://raleighinternational.org/volunteer/?utm_source=google.com&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=2020_expedition_vols__grant_raleigh&gclid=CjwKCAjw8pH3BRAXEiwA1pvMsdHyHXxyTYhNO2gObrYPOs7UNO2pgMSGK8WdagSf2NSwaYquguU3vRoCC3YQAvD_BwE

FEATURE INTERVIEW | Josh Kaine

Byron Whalley caught up with captain Josh Kaine who shared his thoughts on last season, the squad moving into the new campaign and the new facilities.

What were your thoughts on how last season went as a whole before the season came to an end?

Last season was really up and down, to be honest. We obviously had a horrible spell and couldn’t buy a win but then we finished really strong and was on a good run, we were gutted the season got cut short but it was a good test and learning curve for us in a new league and both the bad and good runs we had will help and prepare us well for the new season.

It was your first season in the NCEL after moving over from the NWCFL, how did you and the squad take to the transition?

I think the leagues are fairly similar to be honest, in both you have teams that like to play and get the ball down and teams that are physical and are more direct in the approach which isn’t anything new. I do believe we can compete more not only on the pitch but off it too in the NCEL.

The squad last season was one of the youngest in comparison to seasons gone by, what was that like for you captaining the side and what were your overall thoughts on the squad?

I’ve enjoyed working within this group, I would say it’s the most honest, hardworking group we’ve had in a long time. Everyone is on board and buying into what the management believe in and want so it’s a good match. In terms of the age of the group, I think it’s shown at times this season we’ve lacked that bit of experience in some games but we definitely grew in confidence as a group and gelled. On a whole, though the age of the group has to be seen as a positive especially if we can have a good pre-season with not many departures which I don’t expect, we are only going to get better.

What are your thoughts going into next season and are you looking forward to playing in front of the new facilities?

We’ve added a few quality signings and kept the majority of the squad so I think I speak on behalf of everyone in the squad that we are quietly confident we can have a good season and challenge to be within/around the top 6. The new facilities will be great for the club, everyone at the club and in the community benefits and we can’t wait to see it finished and play our football at the ground next season. The committee works so hard and we as players are grateful for everything they do!

FEATURE INTERVIEW | Danny Forrest

Byron Whalley caught up with Manager Danny Forrest who shared his thoughts on last season, the squad moving forward and looked ahead to the next campaign (whenever that may be!)

As the 2019/20 season sadly came to an abrupt end, what were your thoughts on how the season went overall? It was also your first in the NCEL after moving across from NWCFL, how do you think the transition went?

“The first emotion was disappointment, but health takes presidency over anything. We were on a good little run as the season got cut short and we had stood toe to toe with some of the top teams towards the back end of the season. You could feel the belief running through the group of players so it was a shame really, but as I said before the safety of everyone is far bigger than football. 

In terms of moving across from the NWCFL to NCEL, it was a change I enjoyed to be fair. I didn’t mind the NWCFL at all, there’s some great clubs and great people involved and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. But I welcomed the move, mainly as it helped with travelling, and possibly brought more of my footballing network in to play as I spent a lot of my playing days around Yorkshire. A lot of people I speak to want to compare different football styles between the two leagues, but to me there wasn’t much difference. I suppose whatever league you play in you’re going to get teams who have different ways of playing and we’ve seen that in both leagues over the last couple of years. Some will enjoy being direct and physical, others like to play a bit more. It’s a difficult comparison to make. Finding a balance and being adaptable are what we’ll be looking to achieve.”

The average age of the squad is in the mid to low 20’s, which it’s fair to say is quite young. What are your thoughts on how the squad took to the challenge? And can you give us an update on how the squad is shaping up for next season?

“It’s fair to say we do have quite a young squad, but the same could probably be said for quite a few teams in our league. I personally enjoy working with and investing in young people which is reflected throughout the club; players, staff, media team, U23 coaching staff. All young and have a hunger to progress and do their best for the club. Having said that I feel it’s equally as important to have experience and a lot of our players have played over 100 games for the club while I’ve been involved. Lads such as Chris Wademan, Arley Barnes, Josh Kaine, Joe Mitchell, Dan Illingworth, Mark Everingham. All early or mid twenties but have a lot of games under their belt. I also look to Craig Bentham, Tom Higman and Kevin Knappy on the staff, as well as Ben Higginson and I’ll also throw Khurram Shazad in to that mix as he’s proved to be invaluable on and off the pitch. These lads naturally bring balance and support and mentor the group where possible.

There were some challenges, particularly mentally. I don’t feel we dealt with adversity well enough, whether that was when going behind in a game or after losing a game. It seemed to affect us for too long. That is a challenge that we as staff have to try overcome and help the team deal with those situations. I felt we improved in this area as the season went on and we started to see the group really grow in togetherness and belief. So we’ll certainly be looking to continue that in to next season.

At this stage it’s difficult to give too much information on the squad as we don’t know when the season will start. Although planning goes on as normal and we’ve got most of the squad committed for next season which is fantastic as I felt we were really on to something with this group before the season got cut short. However it does look as though Laurence Sorhaindo is going to try his hand in the league above. It’s a shame for us as Laurence has grown in to an important player and it’s been great to have him. I’m proud of the part we have played in his development and I’m sure everyone at the club will join me in wishing him well. The only other one is Jake Taylor who we may lose as he returned to his parent club, but we’ll wait and see on that one.

We’ve got Kyle Hancock coming back to the club, Chris Wademan, Matthias Britton and Matty Moses will hopefully all get a full pre season in after recent serious injuries and all four could be like new signings for us and have a big impact.

In order to grow and improve I do feel we can strengthen by adding a couple of new players in to the mix, and I’m really pleased with some of the positive conversations I’ve had with potential signings. Recruitment is a challenge every year, and it’s no different this year. I’m just delighted the club is turning a few heads. We don’t have particularly deep pockets but I’m proud of the environment we have created and it’s pleasing that players are wanting to play their football with us. We’ll share news on incomings as soon as we feel it’s appropriate to do so.“

At this current moment in time there is a lot of uncertainty around football, could you possibly tell us what you know and also how you have managed the players during this time?

“As I said earlier, football really does take a back seat at such a time. We’re preparing as we normally would for a new season as we just don’t know what the future holds and it’s important to be ready for anything. I believe there’s a meeting between all Step 5 & 6 clubs up and down the country to discuss things moving forward later this month, so we may get more of an idea after that. We’re looking at our options in terms of training and we’re having plenty of discussions around the new guidelines. So we’ll see how it pans out in the short term as to whether we put something in place, but in all honesty it’s hard to know what is for the best with all the uncertainty. 

One of the obvious concerns amongst all this is finances, as there’s nothing coming in to the club despite various ongoing costs. We had eight home games left which would have generated much needed funds. We’re pulling together and doing our best, we’ve done some in-house fund raising which players, staff, committee members and supporters have all got involved with which has been great. It will help towards getting the club through this period hopefully with our heads above water. We have some great partnerships and relationships with local business and companies which we are truly grateful for. To keep progressing and moving forward we’re always on the lookout for new business. With the ground development and the progression the First Team and U23 team have made in recent years we need the support to keep growing. We’re in unprecedented times, but there’s some great opportunities to get involved with the club of which we’ll release details of soon enough where hopefully we can work together with more local people to help take this great club forward.

We’ve kept regular contact with the players and I have to say the attitude from the group has been brilliant. A Strava group was set up in which all the lads have had an input, recording their runs and cycling activity. Our physio Conner Docherty has done a great job setting regular mental and physical challenges to the players which has kept things a little competitive and helped the lads engage with each other which has been important. And more recently since the restrictions were eased slightly we’ve had some of the lads take part in football specific ‘1 to 1’ sessions. We’re meeting regularly as a group of staff via video call so we’ve managed to keep everything ticking over on the football front.”

Can you give us an update on the facilities which will hopefully be in place for next season?

They’re going fantastically well. I know the development of the facilities is a priority for our committee and over the years they’ve all worked extremely hard on this. To land the funding bid was great news for the whole club and Silsden community and I know we’re all grateful for the opportunity to upgrade some of our ageing facilities. It was a great place to play football before this, but with all the improvements it’s going to be a fantastic facility and one the area can be proud of. Community is at the heart of the club and this will ensure a legacy is left for generations to come. In the short term I’m sure it’ll prove to be an attraction for supporters, sponsors and players alike.

There’s a team of volunteers working hard every day alongside Steve from Cobbydale Construction. Up to press the old ‘Mcnulty Stand’ has been taken down and the area prepared and freshly concreted for the new stand and hospitality suite to sit on. I also have to say the attention to detail provided by Steve and Andy Consoli has been fantastic and it’s great that high standards run throughout the club.”

Finally, what are your expectations moving forward and how are you looking to progress the team and the club holistically?

“Moving forward my priority is to improve and progress the first team and look at strengthening development pathways through our U23 team. 

In terms of the First Team we’ve managed to improve year on year. And it’s just a case of same again. We’ll demand high standards throughout while being realistic with our expectations. But really we want to continue to grow and get better.

The U23 set up is important to us, as I’ve already said we place value in young people and we’ve got a strong group coming together. Last season was a bit hit and miss and there was quite a bit of change in terms of staff. Between the poor weather and the season getting cut short it was difficult for the players to get in to any rhythm. We’ve now got a young hungry coaching team in Jacob Mistry, Sam Ash and Sohail Abbas who will lead the team and hopefully give them the best opportunity to progress. With the facilities we have and the people involved in the set up I feel we’re in a strong position to support young players and their development and hopefully we’ll see more making their way in to the First Team set up. I feel we’re suitably placed to be a hotbed for talent in and around the local and surrounding areas, and also provide players from our junior section with the opportunity to carry on their footballing journey.”