ONE PAPER ... ALL THE NEWS from Dewsbury, Batley, Ossett, Mirfield, Liversedge, Birstall, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton & Spen Valley
Friday January 24, 2020
No. 929
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Teens charged with murder of Birstall man
They’re only here for Keir...
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WHERE SHOULD WE REMEMBER? Dewsbury and Thornhill groups at odds over plans
Combs Colliery in Thornhill
to create a fitting memorial to pit disaster victims By Zoë Shackleton News Reporter zoe@thepressnews.co.uk
CAMPAIGNERS in Thornhill say they are willing to join forces in order to create a permanent memorial to the victims of a mining disaster – but only if it’s in the village. It was announced last week that community group Dewsbury Forward want to build a lasting tribute in memory of 139 men and boys who lost their lives after an underground explosion at the Combs Colliery in Thornhill in 1893. It was proposed that a mining wheel monument alongside a roll of honour for those who died would be installed on Longcauseway in Dewsbury town centre, opposite the United Reformed Church. However the group was met with strong opposition from people in Thornhill who believe the memorial needs to be in the village where the pit stood and 110 of the dead miners are buried. Shaun Maddox, a 51-year-old construction manager who has lived in the village all his life, started a petition to “urge Kirklees to
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rethink its location”. Over 360 people have already signed. He said: “It’s the history of Thornhill, those lads came from here, they didn’t come from Dewsbury. They walked up this street (Valley Road) to go to work. “It’s like a kick in the teeth to the history of Thornhill. “When this disaster happened Thornhill had their own council so we weren’t part of Dewsbury then anyway, it wasn’t until 1910 that it was amalgamated with Dewsbury council. “I don’t want to lose the history of the village because we’re quite tight up here.” Paul Ellis, president of Dewsbury Chamber of Trade, says the group has been working on the project for the past 20 years. They have submitted a funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to finance the work, which they say could cost up to £40,000. But the Thornhill Community Group claim that last week was the first they’d heard about the project. And Paul Hinchcliffe, an ex-miner who lives on Wells Road close to the former pit
Continued on page 2
KEEP IT IN THE VILLAGE: Residents Shaun Maddox, Paul Hinchcliffe and Simon Reed are spearheading efforts to create a memorial to the 139 who died in a mine explosion in Thornhill
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ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
Family notices in The Press Although we carry some abridged funeral notices, we cannot guarantee inclusion. However you can ensure information about your loved ones, whether that be a death/funeral notice, an acknowledgement or a birthday memory, reaches by far the most readers in North Kirklees. What’s more, Family Notices in The Press are significantly more affordable than other newspapers. For personal service, from a local business, call us on 01924 470296. Notices can be taken until 1.30pm on Thursdays.
Deaths ARCHER LESLIE MALCOLM On January 16, at his home in Chickenley, aged 75, husband of the late Sheilagh. Funeral service will take place at Dewsbury Moor Crematorium on Friday January 31 at 2pm.
CHANDLER (FORMERLY LOBLEY) RUTH On January 18, aged 94, wife of the late Richard. Funeral service will take place at St Luke's Parish Church, Cleckheaton, on Wednesday February 12 at 11.30am.
GRAHAM KEITH On January 10, at home, aged 85, husband of Joan. Funeral service will take place at St James’ Church, Heckmondwike, on Monday January 27 at 1.30pm.
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Crematorium on Monday February 3 at 10.30am.
O'HARA (NEE ALLMARK) JOSIE (JOSEPHINE MARY) Of Leeds and Birstall. Requiem Mass will take place at St Mary’s Church, Batley, on Thursday January 30 at 12pm.
PORRITT HUBERT On January 3, aged 96, of Mirfield, husband of Jean. Funeral service will take place at Dewsbury Moor Crematorium on Thursday January 30 at 2pm.
SENIOR MICHAEL NEIL On January 16, of Hanging Heaton, aged 60, son of Margaret and the late Angus. Funeral service will take place at Dewsbury Moor
Place your family notices by calling 01924 470296
SWALLOW JIM On January 19, suddenly after a short illness, aged 84, husband of the late Brenda. Funeral service will take place at Dewsbury Moor Crematorium on Monday February 3 at 1.15pm.
WALKER JONATHAN CHARLES On January 11, peacefully after fighting a long ill-
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On 16th January 2020, peacefully at home, Doreen aged 82 years of Ravensthorpe. Loving wife, mam, grandma and great grandma. The service to celebrate Doreen’s life will be held at Dewsbury Crematorium on Thursday 30th January at 12.30pm. Family flowers only by request, but if desired donations may be given in memory of Doreen to the Forget Me Not Childrens Hospice. A collection box will be at the service for this purpose. All enquiries to Gateway Funeral Services. Tel: 01274 653115.
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www.thepressnews.co.uk @ThePressLatest /ThePressNews Publisher: Danny Lockwood Editor: David Bentley Reporters: Zoë Shackleton & Connor Teale Sports Reporter: Stephen Ibbetson Photography: Mike Clark & YappApp Graphic Designer: Craig Moore Sales Manager: Lucy Tissiman Key Account Manager: Jo Gilbert Senior Sales Executive: Janet Black Classified Sales Executive: Rachael Hall Office Manager: Angela Hall
Memorial plan sparks petition over location From page one site, said they’d be able to complete the project for around £5,000. He said: “Where’ve they got the cost of £40,000 from? There’s no cost for the wheel. “If the council gifted us the land there’d be no cost there. The only cost involved is securing the monument into the ground and having the plaques made. “I know a lad who would dig it out, I know a lad who would get rid of the muck – if I told them what it was for they’d do it for nothing. “There’s been no consultation about it, there’s been no advertisement that I’ve seen. “If we could all work together it would be better for what’s happening at the end of the day, getting everybody involved rather than fighting against each other.” Mr Maddox confirmed he’d emailed the Dewsbury Forward group regarding his petition, but is still waiting for a reply. Instead Mr Ellis released a statement which said: “If the people signing your petition are really serious about their desire to have it in Thornhill, we would be happy for them to take over the project. We will gladly give it over to them and we will step back. Let them put in for a lottery grant and find the right location for it. “It was always planned that this new memorial would be erected in the churchyard where most of the men were buried, but after many years of working on the plan the church decided it couldn’t be done because it would have meant disturbing unmarked ancient graves. “I can assure you this small committee, which included a highly-respected Thornhill man, Herbert Wood, who had worked at the pit but who has since passed away, did everything possible to keep it in Thornhill churchyard. “Despite repeatedly appealing to Thornhill people to come forward and help us work towards a memorial for Thornhill and for donations, only a handful of people came forward to help and only £4,000 was raised.” The Press abides by the principles of the Independent Press Standards Organisation and at all times attempts to report fairly and accurately and correct mistakes or errors as soon as possible. In the first instance, contact the editor, otherwise we will be happy to give details of the Independent Press Standards Organisation. If you notice a factual inaccuracy, please email news@thepressnews.co.uk. You can also write to The Press, 31 Branch Road, Batley, WF17 5SB We adhere to the Editors’ Code of Practice as enforced by IPSO, who are contactable for advice at: IPSO, Gate House, 1 Farringdon Street, London, EC4M 7LG Website: www.ipso.co.uk Email: advice@ipso.co.uk Telephone: 0300 123 2220
Mr Maddox said he is willing to put together a committee and work to ensure the memorial is built in Thornhill. Several places for the tribute have been mooted by the public, including at the bottom of Frank Lane, in Rectory Park or somewhere on The Common. Dewsbury South councillor Masood Ahmed is supporting plans for the memorial to be built in Thornhill, and has given his backing to both groups. A public meeting will be held in the coming weeks.
Got a story? Call The Press on 01924 470296, email news@thepress news.co.uk or visit our office at 31 Branch Road, Batley, WF17 5SB
ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
Crash closes Bradford Road for eight hours BRADFORD ROAD in Dewsbury was closed for eight hours on Wednesday evening following a multicar collision. Police were called to the scene of the incident, which involved a Silver Kia, Audi A3 and a Skoda, at 2.30pm. Two people were taken to Pinderfields Hospital for treatment, but neither are thought to have sustained serious injuries.
News In Brief Police appeal over ‘busy’ train pervert
The road was closed off to all traffic and eventually re-opened at around 10.45pm. Police could not confirm to The Press why the road was closed for so long.
Right:≠the scene of the crash near the Dewsbury ring road junction PHOTO: YAPPAPP
Teenagers charged over Birstall man’s murder By Staff Reporters TWO teenagers charged with the murder of a Birstall man will face a trial later this year. Kiyran Earnshaw, 18, of Field Lane in Batley, and a 15-year-old boy from Huddersfield who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday following the death of Robert Wilson. Mr Wilson, 53, died from multiple stab wounds after being attacked outside the Thornton
Knife victim was ‘a loving and committed husband and father’ and Ross factory in Linthwaite on Thursday night last week. Both defendants are charged with murder and possessing an offensive weapon. Earnshaw is also charged with possession of a bladed article and a section 18 assault on John Badejo, 39, during the same inci-
dent. The defendants appeared in court and spoke only to confirm their names, nationalities and dates of birth. No pleas were entered during the brief hearing, which was attended by relatives of Mr Wilson.
He was described by his family as “a loving and committed husband and father” and he leaves behind a wife and two step-children. A plea and trial preparation hearing was listed for court on April 3. The trial itself, which would be expected to last between seven and 10 days, was provisionally listed for July 13. Neither defendant made an application for bail and both were remanded into custody.
DEWSBURY: Police are appealing for information after a man sexually assaulted three women on a train before getting off at the town’s station. The three victims were travelling on a crowded train from Leeds on December 3, 2019, at around 4.40pm. British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed two women were forced to move away after being sexually assaulted by the man. He then assaulted a third woman who challenged him before he got off at the next stop in Dewsbury. Officers are appealing for anyone who may have seen the incident, or who may have any information about the man, to contact BTP on 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 367 of December 3.
Sky man calls Batley ‘Vegas of Yorkshire!’ BATLEY: Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling has hailed Batley as the “Las Vegas of Yorkshire” on live TV. The Gillette Soccer Saturday host made the comment following news that a Batley man had won £6,000 on the show’s weekend competion, ‘Super 6’. Stuart Holroyd, a security manager at Fox’s Biscuits on Wellington Street, predicted five correct scores for the weekend fixtures beginning on January 11. “Batley has brought back memories,” said Mr Stelling. “The Batley Variety Club – one of the great clubs. It only closed its doors in 2016.”
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Having fun at Grange RESIDENTS at Ashworth Grange care home enjoyed their first community coffee morning of the year following a refurbishment at the home in Dewsbury. Local older people are invited to attend the free weekly event which gives residents an opportunity to meet and socialise with neighbours. The refurbished cafe has a piano and there are always home-made cakes, a pool table, television and board games. Resident Bill Atkinson, who has lived at Ashworth Grange for a year, said: “I really enjoyed the coffee morning. It’s great to meet new people, I have made
a new friend today and I hope to see them again next week. “I used to always enjoy going out and about but this suits me because I get to enjoy all the aspects of going out to a coffee shop – but now I get to keep my slippers on!”
The gatherings are every Wednesday between 11am and 12pm. For more information call 01924 869970. Pictured from left are care manager Donna Ward, Betty Teale, Bill Atkinson and home manager Cheryl Green.
Lithuanian mechanic fixed stolen cars to fund drug habit A MECHANIC living in Dewsbury who serviced stolen cars to fund his drug addiction has been jailed. Leeds Crown Court heard that officers caught Kestutis Bernotas working on a stolen Audi worth £30,000 and also linked him to two other stolen vehicles. Police raided Bernotas’s unit in a lock-up workshop in August 2017, where they found a BMW worth £11,000 and a Skoda Rapid. Both cars had been stolen during burglaries in the
same year and DNA evidence linked Bernotas to the vehicles. The court heard that the 36-year-old, of Stonehyrst Avenue, Crackenedge, sped off after being spotted by officers on October 27, 2017. He eventually handed himself in. In May 2018, while Bernotas was out on bail awaiting trial, police received reports of suspicious activity at an empty MOT centre in Birstall. Officers found Bernotas working on an Audi inside
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the premises. After running a check, police confirmed the vehicle had been stolen during a burglary in April 2018. Bernotas, who has one previous conviction for possession of heroin, pleaded guilty to three counts of handling stolen goods. Ben Thomas, mitigating, said the defendant had used drugs to cope with the death of relatives and offended to fund his habit. The Lithuanian national was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.
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ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
Mirfield welcome for Andy’s Man Club
News In Brief A pink black-tie ball NORTH KIRKLEES: Batley Bulldogs chairman Kevin Nicholas is hosting a ‘pink’ black tie event at The Village hotel in Tingley on Saturday February 15. The Nicholas family raise money for Beverley’s Pink Weekend, in memory of Mrs Beverley Nicholas, who lost her battle with cancer last year. The £50 tickets include a 3-course meal, a band and much more. For tickets contact Alexandra on 07595 062669 or email kevin@nicholasandpartners.co.uk.
A PHOTOGRAPHY studio is set to welcome mental health charity Andy’s Man Club to Mirfield. Nest Photography will open its studio doors, on Huddersfield Road, to the group on Thursday, February 13 (7pm). The aim of the event is to showcase the benefits support groups can bring to men’s mental health, with a view to hosting regular sessions in the town in future. Ben Walmsley, studio director at Nest Photography, said: “We see dads week on week smiling in front of our camera – but sometimes life isn’t that easy. We hope to help men in Mirfield with this collaboration in the long term.” Pictured are Rob Thewlis of Huddersfield’s Andy’s Man Club (left) and studio director Ben Walmsley.
Last chance to enter MIRFIELD: It’s the last day to get your nominations in for the annual MyMirfield Community and Business Awards. The committee want to add to the already huge response they’ve had, to help celebrate unsung community heroes in Mirfield. The window for public nominations closes today (Friday) at 5pm. To nominate, visit www.mymirfieldawards.co.uk. The finalists will then be chosen ahead of public voting, held throughout March.
‘We’re here for Keir’ Batley visit for Lab leadership hopeful
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By Connor Teale and Zoe Shackleton BATLEY & Spen MP Tracy Brabin says the country needs a Labour government “now more than ever” – and she believes leadership hopeful Sir Keir Starmer is the man for the job. Mr Starmer was welcomed to Batley Community Centre on Friday by a throng of Labour supporters who listened to him speak for more than an hour before firing questions at him about his candidacy, the aftermath of the General Election, Brexit and the future of their party. Among the messages he had for his audience was to move on from the Brexit quagmire, embrace the positive aspects of the former New Labour project and its Corbynite incarnation, and to examine why the support collapsed so catastrophically in Labour’s
heartlands. Sir Keir was in Batley at the invitation of Ms Brabin, one of 89 MPs who nominated him for the leadership – despite him being up against three women in Rebecca LongBailey, Lisa Nandy and Emily Thornberry. Ms Brabin said: “As someone that was on the Women and E q u a l i t i e s Committee I do believe that we need to see more women in politics. “But I do believe that noone stepped into this race as a man or woman, they stepped into this race as someone who they believe can lead the Labour Party. “I’ve lost, and it’s quite painful, good friends and colleagues in Paula (Sherriff), Thelma (Walker), Mary (Creagh) – really amazing MPs. “I’ve heard what people
have said on the doorstep, I’m having to take a view of what would bring Labour back into power because more than ever Batley & Spen needs a Labour government. “We need somebody who is credible, somebody who can unite the party.” She added: “I think Keir is the man to do that.” Ms Brabin took Sir Keir, who is the favourite alongside Mrs Long-Bailey to win the leadership, to Foundations Nursery before moving on to Batley Food Bank during his short visit. She said: “Sandra Major, who used to work for me and who volunteers at the food bank, told him that from January 5 to January 21 they gave out 900 food parcels. He was startled. “He was very supportive but he did say that with a
‘We need a Labour government now more than ever’ – Ms Brabin
Labour government we are going to wipe out food banks. “It’s a stain on us as one of the richest countries in the world that we have food banks being needed more than ever before.” Joining a huddle of reporters in the community centre’s kitchen Sir Keir addressed how he was going to win back support in towns like Dewsbury and Batley. He said: “We need to work with those communities and what I’ve found in communities like Dewsbury is there are challenges when businesses and industries change, when high streets change, and when buses and trains aren’t what they should be. “Also what I see is there are new businesses and innovations and incredibly caring communities in these towns and villages and I don’t think we give them enough recognition or nurturing. “We should be pulling these areas up and supporting them rather than talking them down. “We do need to respond to the challenges that these areas have sent us, of course we do. “Things like infrastructure and transport need to be massively improved. But let’s not forget there are really good initiatives going on and incredible communities pulling together to support each other and we should champion that.” The result of the leadership race will be announced on Saturday April 4.
‘Other woman’ row lands man in court A HECKMONDWIKE man assaulted his wife in a row over another woman, a court heard. Nasar Khan spat at and hit the victim during an incident at the couple’s home on Church Lane on December 19. The victim was so fearful that she urged a friend to call police if she did-
n’t hear back from her “in half an hour”. Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard officers had been called to the couple’s home on two previous occasions, but the victim didn’t want to press charges against the TV engineer, 39. Stevie Lumb, mitigating, said: “He states the argument ensued over
another woman and it got heated. “The defendant states he was slapped by his wife initially, and, out of pure frustration, he spat back at her.” Khan’s wife denied she had struck him first. The father-of-two was fined £120, £85 court costs and a £32 victim surcharge.
ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
Council boasts of ‘10,000 new homes’ by 2023 By Tony Earnshaw Local Democracy Reporter KIRKLEES Council is on track to build 10,000 new homes by 2023. Last month alone saw approval given to 600 homes – around a third of the authority’s annual target. Deputy leader of the
council Peter McBride (pictured) said “a significant number” of the homes being built were prefabricated units to “minimise energy use”. The council adopted its Local Plan last February which includes 31,000 homes, many on green belt. It equates to building 1,730 homes a year. The council has com-
mitted to making at least 20 per cent of the total “affordable” and to deliver extra care provision. Of the sites 41 are council-owned. Outlining progress at Cabinet, Coun McBride said: “The report shows exactly what we have chosen for all of our major sites and gives us an update on success so far.
“The evidence is strong that the momentum of the plan and the delivery programme of the council are quickly coming to fruition.” Among the schemes approved last month was a 67-home estate off Granny Lane in Lower Hopton, which is notorious for flooding and has drawn mass protests.
Life-savers ‘attacked’ by man they pulled from Calder By Connor Teale THE OWNER of a tattoo studio in Batley says he “doesn’t know how to feel” after stopping a man from taking his own life in the River Calder. Lee Ellis, who owns 3rd Generation Tattoos on Wellington Street, pulled the stranger out of the river close to Ha’penny Bridge with the help of his friend David Butterworth, of Windy Bank in Liversedge. The pair were driving through Mirfield at around 11.30am on January 6 when they spotted a peculiar splash in the water. Lee, 41, said: “We both enjoy fishing so we decided to pull up to see if any fish were feeding. “When we stopped, I made out
a faint splash in the middle of the river and knew straight away that something was wrong. “Then I noticed a man’s body floating, his arms and legs were spread and he was face down. I quickly drove to a lay-by and we ran down the banking.” He added: “The body had floated around a bend on the river and had become snagged in some brambles. David jumped in and flipped the man onto his back – I jumped in a little bit further down (the river). “After what seemed like ages, we got him onto the banking. The man was blue in the face and wasn’t responsive at all.” Lee and David propped the man up on a steep banking at the side of the river, while Lee used
his free hand to phone an ambulance. “We managed to roll him onto his side after about five minutes,” said Lee. “He became a little responsive and then all of a sudden he coughed and spluttered and he came to life.” But after regaining consciousness, the man, who Lee describes as in his 70s, attempted to break free and throw himself back into the river. “He sprang up and then started to attack us,” said Lee. “He was screaming ‘I need to finish it,’ and swung his arm round and caught me in the chin.” Lee and David had been joined by a dog walker who had spotted the incident while walking past. The three of them managed to stop the man re-entering the
river and dragged him further up the banking to safety. “Adrenaline had kicked in, we had given everything and at this point we were shattered,” said Lee. “We managed to rest him against a tree until the ambulance turned up. I tried to speak to him and get some reasoning from him but he wouldn’t respond.” Despite saving the man’s life, Lee says he doesn’t feel particularly proud of the deed. “It doesn’t feel like you’ve done a good thing when in the end you feel like you’ve annoyed someone for doing it. I’d like to see him again and find out if he’s alright,” he added. West Yorkshire Police were approached for a comment.
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News In Brief Hollywood honours Sir Patrick Stewart NORTH KIRKLEES: Sir Patrick Stewart has received one of Hollywood s biggest honours for stars. The Mirfield born actor, best known for his roles in Star Trek and the X-Men, placed his hands and feet in cement outside the historic Mann s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. The tradition, which has been used to honour stars such as Frank Sinatra and Morgan Freeman, dates back to 1927. Sir Patrick, who studied at Mirfield Secondary Modern School — now Mirfield Free Grammar — said the ceremony was an extraordinary and exciting honour.
Lunch for the lonely DEWSBURY: Longcauseway Church is hosting its first pay what you can community lunch this weekend in a bid to combat loneliness. On Sunday (January 26, 12pm-2pm) the church will put on a hot meal for anyone who wants one — and you only have to pay what you can afford. The lunch will then take place on the last Sunday of each month and everyone is welcome.
March for Prophet HECKMONDWIKE: Hundreds of young people paraded through the town s streets for the annual celebration of Eid-Malad. The peace procession, led by local imams and community leaders, saw the Sufi-Muslim youngsters waving vibrant green flags to symbolise a love of nature and the environment. The festival celebrates the Prophet Muhammad s birthday.
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The guilty getting away with it RITISH so-called ‘justice’ hasn’t been a fitting description for a long time, much as we like to kid ourselves otherwise. When it comes to bent cops, prejudiced judges and murderous miscarriages of justice, we’re as bad as most and worse than many. Back when Derek Bentley, a young fellow with ‘learning difficulties’, was hanged for being an accomplice of petty criminal Christopher Craig – who shot dead a policeman – it ticked every legal box. Bentley was judged equally guilty and executed while actual killer Craig, just 16, was spared. Oh that the UK exercised such moral and legal diligence in 2020. You’d have to build a raft of prisons to house every police officer and social services manager
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‘guilty’ of turning blind eyes to the rape gangs of Rochdale and Rotherham, Bradford, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Batley and plenty English towns and cities beyond. So what if those public servants didn’t personally abuse a generation of young white English children? They just chose not to act on it, tacitly subjecting innocent children to bestial horrors that even resulted in deaths. In itself that screams of making them accessories after the fact. Why hasn’t a single one of these people been held to legal account? I like to think few people could stand by and watch an elderly lady being mugged in the street without intervening, whatever their limited physical abilities. We have a sense of ‘right’ and ‘justice’.
Mufti Mohammed Amin Pandor – insight to offer? hooked on heroin? That their abuse is less important than upsetting their rapists? Apparently we do – or did. White children sacrificed to save upsetting a minority ideology. Unbelievable.
But an experienced police officer? Someone with a deep grasp of the law, the full weight of its power behind them and a simple remit – to protect the weak, to prevent evil, to uphold the law. Do we really accept their ‘excuse’ that the criminals were just raping some ‘common slags’ with only themselves to blame for getting
ET’S call this as it is, can we? I’m sick and tired of all this ‘Asian’ rape gang BS. Vietnamese rape gangs, were they? Thai or Chinese, maybe? As much as the mainstream media dare risk stepping on sensitive toes, they qualify the rapists as “mostly of Pakistani origin”. But this is an ideological, not geographical issue, this regard of ‘kuffar’ women as objects not even considered human. So yes, the men are mostly Pakistani, but they are overwhelmingly Muslim. Not Sikh or Hindu, certainly not Buddhist. But our feeble authorities are still terrified of using that common link. I doubt there’s anything holy about these creatures anyway, which makes this religious protectionism even more absurd. But the reason the establishment persists with the ‘Asian’ label, speaks to exactly why the problem existed in the first place. The race riots of Oldham, Bradford and beyond were all labelled as involving ‘south Asian’ youths. It’s even used to describe the riots over Salman Rushdie’s book Satanic Verses. Ridiculous.
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That was the British Muslim community flexing its muscles for the first time but combined with the rampant Political Correctness already infecting every element of British public life before and since, it created a toxic get-out-of-jail-free card. No number of children’s lives were worth causing offence to Muslim communities. When their Imams and community leaders should have been called on to tackle the root causes, it was more convenient for everyone to put their heads in the sand. And the result, as we’ve seen, was police officers rubber stamping rape gangs. Let me be clear – I’m not ‘blaming’ the religion here. But whether those predators’ self-justification is cultural misogyny or a perverted interpretation of their holy book, the evil remains. It’s a shame that British Islamic scholars offer comforting words after a terrorist atrocity, yet on this subject the cat seems to have all their tongues. So I’d like to call on the wisdom of Mufti Mohammed Amin Pandor, the brother of Kirklees Council leader Shabir Pandor. Mufti Pandor is a faith counsellor at the universities of Huddersfield and Bradford, both areas beset by this epidemic. He must have some insight into why this issue is besetting his specific community. Dozens of Huddersfield men have been through the rape trial process; over 100
suspects from Dewsbury and Batley remain on bail, under investigation. By propagating this generic ‘Asian’ label, the state simply reinforces its pathetic fear of upsetting the community on whose doorsteps the guilt falls. But while it’s belatedly reassuring that the victims are finally being taken seriously, it doesn’t right the grievous wrongs of police officers who are as guilty now as Derek Bentley was judged then. T’S ironic, the police appetite for witchhunts of celebrities and public servants over the most tenuous historic sex ‘crimes’, when they’ve presided over systemic abuse of children themselves. I doubt they see the irony. But where the identities of individual officers are known, it is indefensible that they are given effective absolution from justice. Civil cases are being prepared, I understand. Good – but not enough. If the police want to earn back our trust, then they should be leading the hunt for the guilty. It’s like letting a child steal sweets because you don’t want to upset it. All you’re in fact doing is incubating a bigger problem – which when you look at so many issues from electoral fraud to industrial scale criminality and no-go police areas, is what has been bred. This story cannot end here.
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Three cheers for heroic copper OD bless Det Sgt Hathaway! What, Locky hailing a copper? Well, not a real one. Just the excellent Laurence Fox from the TV show Lewis. Firstly, I’m not a Ricky Gervais fan, but wow, did you see him dish out a serving to the pimped and preened Hollywooders at the Golden Globe Awards? Bravo! Ricky shot the lights out of their virtue-signalling pomposity. But Laurence Fox (pictured) didn’t just rumble the PC-brigade during the ever up-itself Question Time, he shoved their weasel words down their throats. They called him a ‘privileged white male’ – and he whacked their brazen racism, sexism and general bigotry right back at them. Better still, when the predictable Twitter/social media trolls began their banshee wails, he gave them a serving too. Buy that man a drink on me because it’s time someone called out these proto-fascists for what they are. PS: Whether either Gervais or Fox ever gets to
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work in television/film again is another matter. Directors and producers are probably blocking their agents’ calls as we speak. I for one will happily contribute to a crowdfunding page for you to put a play on, Laurence. Viva la revolution! WAS invited on to BBC2’s Newsnight (again) on Monday night, to discuss the resignation of Beeb Director General Tony Hall (they know what I think of the Beeb). I declined . But it strikes me that the BBC is much like the police who threw untold resources at persecuting upstanding members of the establishment, based on the flimsiest fantasies of damaged creatures like Carl Beech. The BBC couldn’t get helicopters in the air fast enough when Sir Cliff Richard was a target of their giddy fixation with historic sex crimes – the vast majority of which have proven to be expensive wastes of everyone’s time. You can’t give back the years of agonies those innocent souls have had taken from them. And again, no-one is made to pay.
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ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
Spen contractor named By Steve Martyn A CONTRACTOR has been appointed to build the new £15million Spen Valley Leisure Centre. Kirklees Council has agreed a deal with Kier, a major construction and infrastructure services company. They’ll start the construction phase of the project next month when the foundations for the new leisure centre in Liversedge will be laid. The old Spenborough Pool was demolished at the end of 2019 after serving the community for 50 years, paving the way for building work this year. The new centre will include an eight-lane 25-metre main pool; a 20m x 10m activity pool with a moveable floor; spectator seating in the pool areas; a large fitness suite; two fitness studios and a
The centre will include facilities for people with disabilities, design which is dementia-friendly and a cafe where groups using the whole Princess Mary Activity Complex can meet and socialise. The existing fitness suite, studios and athletics track next door will remain open for use for the duration of the build. The new facilities should be open for use in autumn 2021. Further information about the developments can be found at www.spen valleyleisurecentre.co.uk.
cycling studio. There will also be two changing villages with family cubicles, baby change and large team changing areas. Council leader Shabir Pandor said: “Kirklees Council is committed to helping people to be healthy, achieve their ambitions and live independently in their
communities for as long as possible. The exciting new leisure centre will contribute massively to achieving those outcomes for the local people.” He added: “I look forward to seeing the developments on site as Kier begin the construction phase.”
Drunk refused re-entry kicked off A PARTY-GOER attacked two bouncers and lashed out at a policewoman after being refused re-entry to a Batley nightspot, a court heard. Macauley Donaghue, of West Street, Batley, had been drinking in the TBC nightclub, on Bradford Road, with his girlfriend on the evening of December 21. But he was barred from going back inside by staff members
because he was too drunk. The 21-year-old responded by throwing punches at the employees and kicked a female police officer in the stomach as she attempted to put him in a police van. He pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and two counts of assault by beating. Steven Higgins, mitigating, said: “He had no keys or money to get home and he was initially
pleading with the bouncers to try and get back into the club so that he could get some means of getting home. “He wants to apologise to everyone concerned. “He’s extremely embarrassed and ashamed.” Magistrates ordered a full probation report before sentencing can take place on February 6. Donaghue was granted unconditional bail in the meantime.
Pictured: Coun Graham Turner, Dawn Stephenson of Kirklees Active Leisure and Coun Shabir Pandor THE Royal Voluntary Service has a number of activities planned with the weekly movement and games session back at Batley Community Centre from 10.30am to 12pm on Monday, plus pilates on Tuesday (12-1pm). A ukelele workshop is also happening on Tuesday, following pilates, at 1.30pm-3.30pm. Prebooking is required. On Wednesday there is the knit and natter group at the community centre from 12.30pm-2.30pm and on Thursday the lunch club (11.30am-1pm), booking required. Also on Thursday is ‘groovy grannies’ at St Andrew’s Community Hall in Purlwell from 10.30am-11.30am. Friday sees the movement and games session at Birstall Community Centre from 10.30am to 12pm.
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News In Brief Three teens sought for knife robbery CLECKHEATON: Three teenagers armed with knives robbed a convenience store in the town last week. Police are appealing for information following the incident at Westgate News on Monday January 13 at around 4.30pm. Three males, aged between 16 and 17 years old, entered the shop on Westgate armed with knives and made off with cigarettes. One of the males is described as having curly ginger hair. A 15-year-old boy was arrested as part of the investigation but has been released. Anyone who witnessed the incident or who saw any suspicious behaviour in the area is asked to contact police via 101, quoting crime reference 13200022107.
Ravy school’s a gem RAVENSTHORPE: A primary school has been rewarded for its work with parents. Diamond Wood Community Academy, on North Road, was runner-up in the ‘communication with parents’ category at the National Nursery Recognition awards. Staff members from the former Ravensthorpe Infant & Nursery School attended the awards ceremony in Leicester on Saturday where they were recognised for their extensive programme of parental events and parental support.
History group date BATLEY: The next Batley History Group meeting is on Monday (January 27, 7pm). Barbara Dixon will give a talk called ‘Lies, Damned Lies and Registrations’. It costs £2 for members, £4 for non-members and everyone is welcome.
CALL NOW FOR YOUR 2020 BROCHURE FEBRUARY Sat 1st Skipton Market & Boundary Mill Wed 5th Bury Market Sat 15th Scarborough or Filey or Bridlington Sun 16th Whitby Tue 18th Chester or Chester Zoo (transport only) Thu 20th Blackpool or Blackpool Zoo (transport only) Fri 21st Hull or The Deep (transport only) Sat 22nd Bury Market Sun 23rd Southport Sat 29th Durham or Beamish (transport only) MARCH Sun 1st Whitby Wed 11th Bury Market Sat 14th Scarborough or Filey or Bridlington Sun 15th Blackpool or Cleveleys or Fleetwood Sat 21st Southport Sun 22nd Whitby Wed 25th Bury Market Sat 28th Skegness Sun 29th Llandudno APRIL Sat 4th Bury Market Sun 5th Scarborough or Filey or Bridlington
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ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
They continue to ride roughshod over us WHEN will councillors and MPs realise that they should fully represent and support the views of their local electors and not act in accordance with their personal views, the views of their party or even in line with flawed Government housing directives? The recent housing development application for land adjoining Steanard Lane brought overwhelming well-founded protest from local residents. The land is subject to regular flooding as it forms part of a historic flood plain, there would be further loss of attractive green space, the narrow and winding access roads are totally unsuitable for the additional volume of traffic likely to be created, and the development could alter the path of existing watercourses. Yet, the application has been bulldozed through! I know for a fact that a group of councillors who visited the site did
Brexit arguing has to stop From: Arif Ahmad, trustee at Batley Food Bank In mid-December, the Conservatives won a decisive
Letter of the Week: Rod Fisher, Mirfield not even bother to leave their vehicle, even when challenged by a local resident. They could not possibly get a clear view of the site from where they were parked. The proposed housing development at Northorpe is another contentious matter. It would irreparably damage the character and identity of a historic hamlet, the roads are unsuitable for additional traffic and, again, the residents are vehemently opposed to any development. Their views should prevail. Why are the local councillors not speaking up against such develop-
majority in the General Election – Labour lost convincingly. The Withdrawal Bill has been passed and we are leaving the European Union on January 31. So why are politicians still arguing over Brexit? Boris Johnson is planning
ments and mirroring the overwhelming view of their electors? This is not how democracy should work. Our local MPs do not appear to be much better. Paula Sherriff, the former Dewsbury Labour MP, has publicly stated her hope that her Tory successor Mark Eastwood will be an independent voice and will not just act at the behest of his party. This is a very rich statement from a former MP who voted against the majority view of her electorate regarding Brexit! Tracy Brabin, the Batley & Spen MP, who also failed to vote on Brexit in accordance with the majority view
to ban ministers from using the word ‘Brexit’ which, according to some, may be the start of a Stalinist purge. A Liberal Democrat peer recently claimed the UK could become reminiscent of 1930s Germany following Brexit. Meanwhile, others are battling for Big Ben to
of her electorate, has now stated that she will be “the loudest critic of this Tory government for our towns”. Does that mean that, instead of judging government proposals on their respective merits she will oppose them all on party lines, even
“bong on Brexit” and are holding parties. Back in the real world in Batley & Spen, and all around the country, many families are struggling to feed themselves. In the first two weeks of January, Batley Food Bank provided nearly 1,000 meals’
LATEST PLANNING APPLICATIONS Mr & Mrs Sikandar, front and rear dormers, 8 Millers Croft, Birstall. T Bresnan, first floor extension and exterior alterations, 114 Hartshead Lane, Hartshead. Mr Siddiq, two-storey and single-storey rear and side extension and front porch, 3 Churchbank Way, Thornhill Lees. Caddick Developments Ltd, reserved matters application persuant to application no 2018/90802 for removal of condition 31 (B8 floorspace) and variation of conditions 23 (Residential) (Road Safety Audits) and 30 (Industrial) (Road Safety Audits) on previous application 2014/90688 for outline application for erection of commercial floorspace (B1c, B2, B8) including details of engineering operations to form serviced employment plots and full application for the erection of 166 dwellings, relating to phase 2 development-units 2-6 and associated infrastructure and landscaping, land at Slipper Lane, Mirfield. L Jenkins, two-storey side extension and single-storey rear extension, 12 Tenth Avenue,
Hightown. M Lockwood, single-storey side extension and exterior alterations, 12 Lady Heton Drive, Mirfield. S Walker, single-storey side extension, 92 Church Road, Roberttown. L Waind, conversion of existing attached garage to living accommodation and erection of detached garage, 119 Quaker Lane, Hightown. N Adam, single and two-storey rear extension and alterations to convert integral garage to extend living accommodation, 12 Caldermill Way, Thornhill Lees. J Dunn, work to tree TPO 50/90, Prospect House, 159 Norristhorpe Lane, Liversedge. Roche Healthcare, work to trees in CA, Hartshead Manor Nursing Home, 817 Halifax Road, Hartshead Moor. Co-op Food, advertisement consent for erection of illuminated and non-illuminated signs, Millbridge Service Station, 364 Bradford Road, Littletown. Star Pubs & Bars Ltd, advertisement consent for erection of illuminated and non-illuminated
signs, Airedale Heifer, 53 Stocks Bank Road, Mirfield. S Craven, Listed Building consent for installation of clear polycarbonate sheets to ground floor windows, Holy Innocents Church, Vicarage Road, Savile Town. Fernbrook Associates Ltd, variation condition 7 (landscaping) and removal of condition 15 (turning head) on previous permission 2019/91678 for erection of detached dwelling (within a Conservation Area), rear of 7/9 West Park Street, Dewsbury. M Khan, part change of use from Sui Generis nightclub to A3 restaurant/cafe and exterior alterations, Eden Banqueting Hall, 297 Bradford Road, Batley. Miller Homes and Kirklees Council, engineering application for roundabout, spine road, two dual use drainage basins/public open space with associated landscaping, and the formation of the Lees Hall Road Green Gateway consisting of an underground drainage tank and associated landscaping, land off Lees Hall Road, Dewsbury. N Christodoulou, reserved matters application pursuant to
outline permission 2019/91604 for erection of two semidetached houses and formation of shared private drive and turning area, adjacent to 43 Mortimer Street, Healey. McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd, advertisement consent for erection of illuminated signs, Centre 27 Business Park, Birstall. M Hutton, single-storey extension to rear and external alterations, 18 Follingworth Road, Soothill. Y Patel, single-storey rear extension, 12 Cowper Street, Savile Town. B West, two-storey extension to side and external alterations, 8 Laburnum Grove, Gomersal. K Ahmed, two-storey side and rear extension, single-storey front extension, garden shed to rear, railings to front wall and external alterations, 8 Manor Road, Westtown. A Frost, work to tree TPO 01/02, Castle Hall Academy, Richard Thorpe Avenue, Mirfield. Hollybank Trust, work to TPO 34a/97, Hollybank School, Roe Head, Far Common Road, Mirfield. B Morrill, two-storey side and
single-storey rear extension, 23 Whitehall Grove, Birkenshaw. A Bosnan, two-storey extension and alterations to garage to form living accommodation, 52 Deighton Lane, Healey. A Wheatley, variation of condition 2 (plans and specification) for change of use on previous application 2018/93295 for change of use of office to residential and erection of detached garage, extensions and alterations, 138 Scholes Lane, Scholes. S Howard, certificate of lawfulness for proposed single-storey rear extension, 35 Oakfield Drive, Lower Hopton. S Ali, the proposal is for erection of single-storey rear extension. The extension projects 5.1m beyond the rear wall of the original dwellinghouse. The maximum height of the extension is 4m, the height of the eaves of the extension is 2.5m, 23 Cowper Street, Savile Town. M Majid, single and two-storey extension and exterior alterations, 234 Headfield Road, Thornhill Lees. Hudson, work to tree(s) TPO 48/80, 36 Field Head Lane, Birstall.
though this could be to the detriment of her electorate? Only time will tell, but if our local councillors and MPs continue to ride roughshod over their electors they should expect to be removed at the next ballot!
worth of food to service users. All politicians say they want to help people. Feeding your citizens is a basic duty that all politicians should ensure happens. I would urge politicians everywhere in the UK to take a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror and ask if they are genuinely going to help their constituents or are they going to keep arguing about Brexit? PS: I should point out that although I am a trustee at the food bank, the views expressed above are my personal views and not the official view of the organisation.
Tick the boxes and you’re in From: TR Moorhouse, Cleckheaton A probable application form for BBC presenters and editors: Please tick the correct box... • Did you vote to remain in the European Union in the 2016 referendum? • Did you vote Lib-Dem or Labour in the General Election? • Do you consider yourself ‘politically correct’? • Do you want a second referendum? • Would you like to rejoin the EU? • Do you believe in mass immigration?
• Were you born in Scotland, Northern Ireland or abroad? The BBC’s reply: “You have ticked yes to every question. Your application has been successful.”
I want to read their version... From: Anthony Doyle, by email I have tried several book stores and online book suppliers without success. I am looking to source the Highway Code Taxi Driver Edition. Clearly there are a set of rules of the road for us mere mortals and a further set that only apply to taxi drivers. Having just returned from dropping my son at Dewsbury Railway Station, I have been forced to stop twice and to brake suddenly. When giving way to two emergency vehicles I was overtaken, only for the taxi driver to suddenly anchor on and force me to slam on the brakes again, and all this in the space of six miles and 25 minutes travelling time. So if anybody has a copy of this elusive volume, I would dearly love to read it.
Time to focus on the council From: Harry Teale, Mirfield Now that a pro-national gov-
ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
From page 8 ernment has been elected, the voters should concentrate on the local government authorities. Here in Kirklees, I believe there will be 22 councillors up for election in May. Since the formation of Kirklees in 1973, anti-British parties have held control and gradually introduced policies contrary to Christian morals and laws. Marie Ibberson’s ‘Letter of the Week’ in last week’s edition of The Press assumes the controlling party have the intelligence to think! This is the same party that will provide a green bin – delivered free of charge – but insists that a grey
bin will be subject to a £25 delivery charge, even if it’s delivered with the green bin! When I asked for a grey bin (having never had either of the bins) I offered to collect it from Huddersfield, but was denied the chance! Even my local ward councillor was denied the facility of collecting a bin for me! This is the mentality of the current majority party. In order to break the deadlock, the Conservatives (the nearest challenging party to the current majority) needs to gain around 27 councillors. The voters can only hope to effect a ‘no overall control’ on the largest party until 2021 and then, hopefully, inflict the ‘coup de grace’ in 2022!
Teens walk for charity FOUR Mirfield teenagers walked 20 miles through the night to raise more than £1,000 for charity. Huddersfield Town fans Jacob Barr, Spencer Dalby, Ed Hennell and Tom Hirst trekked from Huddersfield to Barnsley to watch the two clubs compete in their recent Championship derby. The Mirfield lads, all aged 15, set off from the John Smith’s Stadium at 7pm on the Friday night and made their way to Oakwell for the
match on Saturday afternoon. A total of £1,400 was raised between the boys which will now be divided between several charities. Amongst the beneficiaries are Candlelighters, which supports families facing child cancer in Yorkshire; Kirkwood Hospice; Dementia UK and the Huntington’s Disease Association. Tom wrote on his Gofundme page: “My grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago and my grandad
was diagnosed with vascular dementia earlier this year. “It’s heartbreaking watching them decline day by day, knowing there is nothing I can do to help them get better. “However, I have decided that there is one way I can help by raising money for the charity (Dementia UK) to help people suffering with this horrendous disease.” Spencer revealed the boys amassed 42,000 steps, with the walk taking them a total of six hours to complete.
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Council will focus on dementia care By Tony Earnshaw Local Democracy Reporter TWO new day centres are to be created in Kirklees as the local council redesigns how it tackles dementia care. Health boss Richard Parry (right) unveiled the plans last Wednesday as part of a wider strategy built on engagement with people experiencing dementia as well as carers, friends and neighbours. In a presentation packed with sometimes blunt and alarming statistics he said putting people with dementia at the centre of the council’s policy, and understanding their experiences, would provide a vital insight into their behaviour. Currently Kirklees Council runs two day centres – Knowl House in Mirfield and The Homestead in Almondbury – providing
opportunities to help people with complex dementia to continue to live in their own homes and remain as independent as possible for longer. Day opportunities can also give carers or family a break. The council is looking
to commission two new purpose-designed day centres for people with complex needs associated with dementia. Mr Parry, the council’s director for commissioning, public health and adult social care, said: “Being a social worker I
believe in the social model of disability. “It’s not about the individual. It’s not even about the wheelchair. “It’s about the environment in which someone lives. It’s the way we’ve designed our places. “If we put the person at the centre and understand their experience we get insight into why the person might be behaving in a particular way. “We need to continue to remember that everyone is unique – and everyone living with dementia is unique.” Mr Parry’s team has been working with the University of Stirling and its internationallyrenowned research centre that looks at the impact of environment on the experience of people living with dementia. He added: “It advises on a whole series of sometimes quite simple design changes that can assist independence and improve quality of life.”
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ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
News In Brief Memorial events NORTH KIRKLEES: Mirfield Library is hosting events starting today (Fri) to commemorate the Holocaust. This morning (10am-11am) Auschwitz survivor Susan Pollack MBE will recount her experiences via webcast. And on Monday January 27 (11am), there will be a short talk on the Yugoslavian conflict from Mirfield resident Major David Pinder and the ex head of police reform in the former Yugoslavia, Philip Tolson. All are welcome to attend the free events, and an exhibition will be available to view during library opening hours. For more details contact Alan Burton on 07860 995008 or email burtonalan@tiscali.co.uk.
Help care leavers OSSETT: A charity is appealing for urgent donations of unwanted toys, toiletries, gifts, bric-a-brac, jewellery and empty bottles. The Samantha Sykes Foundation Trust, which supports looked-after children in Kirklees and its surrounding areas when they leave care, has a stall at Ossett Market selling various goods from craft and hand-knitted items to second-hand toys and light bottles. All the money raised goes to the charity and donations can be dropped off at the stall on market days in Ossett Town Hall every Tuesday and Friday.
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Join the awesome foursome and help By Zoe Shackleton A SMALL group of Ravensthorpe residents are doing their bit to make the area a nicer place. Community-minded volunteers Karen Mayfield, Lynn Holland, Stuart Sinclair and Anne Blackburn make up the Ravensthorpe Residents Action Group. And while they might be small, they’ve done some pretty big things to help clean up the environment. In 2019 alone they collected 515 bags of rubbish from local grotspots, plus several vans full of fly-tipping. And they don’t just focus on picking up litter, they’ve planted hundreds of flowers and trees throughout Ravensthorpe – including in St Saviour’s churchyard, Holroyd Park and near Clarkson Street. The Press met with the group on Wednesday to talk about their most recent project at the ‘Children’s Forest’ area on Park Road, close to Dewsbury Country Park, where they are planting daffodils, clearing rubbish and cutting down overgrown hedges and trees. Mrs Mayfield, who started the group around 13 years ago, said: “We work at different locations but we try and work where the council workers don’t clear. “We are concentrating on Park
ACTION STATIONS: L-R Karen Mayfield, Lynn Holland, Stuart Sinclair and Anne Blackburn Road because we’re trying to get people to come to Dewsbury Country Park and see what a fantastic asset it is for the area. “We’ve got lovely green spaces around here and residents don’t seem to know about them, so we’re trying to get people to come out more.”
The group meets every Thursday morning to target different areas of Ravensthorpe, and they are always on the look-out for new members. Next week they’re meeting at St Saviour’s Church, Huddersfield Road, from 10am (January 30). Everyone is wel-
Good rating for independent primary AN INDEPENDENT Muslim primary school in Dewsbury has been rated as ‘good’ by education bosses – just a year on from a ‘requires improvement’ judgement. Al-Furqaan Preparatory School, on Bath Street, received a glowing report from Ofsted after officials inspected it back in December. It was rated as ‘good’ in all areas, apart from
“behaviour and attitudes” and “personal development” where it was given an ‘outstanding’ rating. The report said: “Teachers plan activities that support pupils in becoming kind, thoughtful and responsible citizens in modern Britain. “Much of the day is devoted to promoting pupils’ personal development, for example
DOUBLE GLAZING PROBLEMS? FOGGY SEALED UNITS? WHY NOT CONTACT THE WINDOW DOCTOR! Before
come and Mrs Mayfield said: “We enjoy it. It’s very rare we’re not out on a Thursday every week. The weather has to be really bad to stop us!” The group can also be contacted by searching for Ravensthorpe Residents Action Group on Facebook.
After
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through citizenship, assemblies and personal, social and health education.” It added that “Pupils achieve highly in all subjects. Planning ensures that pupils remember what they have learned,” and “even the youngest children in nursery begin to learn to recognise, letters, sounds and how to write them.”
Compost guinea pigs wanted KIRKLEES Council is giving away a new generation of composters to 1,000 residents as part of its commitment to reduce waste. The composters on offer dispose of much more than vegetable and garden waste. There are four separate types available and 250 of each to give away. Residents are now able to apply for the composter trial and then 1,000 people will be selected at random to receive one. Recipients will be asked to complete two short surveys about their experience – one after three months and again after six months – to see how effective they are in real-life situations. Coun Rob Walker, cabinet member for environment, said: “This scheme will help the council learn more about the types of composter available on the market by understanding how they work in real-life situations. “Manufacturer’s guides can only tell us so much, we want to know the good, the bad and the ugly reality behind these innovative composting systems.” To apply visit http://bit.ly/ KirkleesCompostCrew.
ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
Scholes Cricket & Athletic Club 5.30pm & 7.30pm Tel Lily 07507 204210
Dewsbury Town Hall 9.30am, 11.30am Tel Amber 07471 826774
Cleckheaton St Pauls Church Cleckheaton 9.00am & 11.00am Tel Tracey 07970 722726
Thornhill Social Club Edge Top Road 5.30pm & 7.30pm Tel Sarah 07539 452622
The Trinity Centre Batley Carr 9.00am Tel Hameedah 07983 445501
Hunsworth Scout Headquarters Cleckheaton 5.30pm & 7.30pm Tel Paul 07848 958798
Earlsheaton, Dewsbury District Sea Cadets (behind Earlsheaton WMC) 9.00am, 5.30pm & 7.30pm Tel Amber 07471 826774 Staincliffe Cricket Club Halifax Road 5.30pm Tel Diane 07961 631257 Tingley Methodist Church Westerton Road 5.30pm & 7.30pm Tel Lyn 07792 032170 Mirfield Zion Baptist Church Mirfield 5.30pm & 7.30pm Tel Claire 07768 311351
TUESDAY Heckmondwike Comrades Club 9.00am, 11.00am, 5.00pm & 7.00pm Tel Sue 07790 590763
Roberttown Community Centre 5.30pm 7.30pm Tel Kathryn 07906 118636 Mirfield Trinity Methodist Church Hall 5.30pm & 7.30pm Tel Claire 07768 311351
THURSDAY Batley Town Hall 9.00am & 11.00am Tel Lynne 07988 662052 Batley Town Hall 5.00pm & 7.00pm Tel Lynne 07988 662052
Gomersal Public Hall Gomersal 5.30pm & 7.30pm Tel Sharon 07904 650476
Westborough Ratepayers Club Dewsbury Moor 5.00pm & 7.00pm Tel Lucy 07730 264938
Shaw Cross Boys Club Leeds Road 3.30pm, 5.30pm, 7.30pm Tel Lynne 07988 662052
Millbridge Sports Bar Liversedge 5.00pm & 7.00pm Tel Kathryn 07906 118636
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Battyeford Christ The King Church 5.00pm & 7.00pm Tel Mandy 07793 732268
FRIDAY Thornhill Social Club Edge Top Road Friday 9.30am Tel Sarah 07539 452622 Battyeford Christ The King Church 9.00am Tel Mandy 07793 732268
SATURDAY Liversedge St Andrews Methodist Church 7.30am & 9.30am Tel Emma 07786 513072 St. Pauls Church Hall Hanging Heaton 8.30am & 10.30am Tel Lyn 07792 032170 Heckmondwike Comrades Club 9.00am Tel Sue 07790 590763 Cleckheaton Howard Park Community School 8.00am, 10.00am & 12noon Tel Paul 07848 958798 Mirfield Trinity Methodist Church Hall 8.30am & 10.30am Tel Angela 07745 894238
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ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
Over the next 12 months we will be following on from our series on life between the wars to take a look at wartime and post-war life in both the Heavy Woollen District and Britain at large, writes MIKE POPPLEWELL. We are entering an era that I can personally recall and, as always, comments and memories from readers are welcomed. This year’s theme is ‘2020 vision’, where we will look at historical events from today’s viewpoint and, as ‘the person with hindsight has 20-20 vision’, we will be taking an ‘if only we had known’ look at events...
Rationing meant that you rarely got the full Monty.... N 1942 one of the most successful battles of the war saw General Montgomery’s Eighth Army defeat Rommel’s German forces in North Africa at El Alamein.
I
This success was to link Montgomery with North Africa for the rest of his life, especially as far as the Germans were concerned. And this fact was a vital element in one of the most incredible acts of subterfuge perpetrated in the whole of the Second World War – and it was brought to my mind after a conversation with my late uncle many years ago. I had two uncles who fought in North Africa with Montgomery. Uncle Tom joined soon after the battle of El Alamein, but in his later years he told the tale of the day he was visited in hospital by the legendary general. It was information I took at face value – until the story of Clifton James came to mind. ME Clifton James was a British actor serving in the lower ranks of the British Army when his remarkable likeness to General Montgomery became increasingly apparent to everyone around him – not least those at the highest level. As a result he was recruited to impersonate Montgomery in the later years of the war to
throw Hitler off the scent when it came to the D-Day landings in 1944. While James carried out many of Montgomery’s public duties in the field, the general was at home in England plotting the invasion. As German intelligence constantly placed him in Africa or southern Europe there was no suspicion of a direct attack being imminent. The story was subsequently told by James in his book ‘I Was Monty’s Double’, in 1954, and again in the film of the same name four years later when he played himself. Uncle Tom carried his memory of the day he met ‘Monty’ to his grave – but did he meet ‘Monty’ or Clifton James? We are unlikely to ever know! Meanwhile, back in Dewsbury at Kathleen Hey’s shop on Heckmondwike Road, everyone was still battling with food shortages and rations. The situation was exacerbated by u-boat attacks on merchant ships, and the government began a campaign to get people digging up grassland and wasteland to grow their own vegetables. In Dewsbury, as everywhere else, any patch
DOUBLE: Actor Clifton James
THE REAL DEAL: General Bernard Montgomery
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of wasteland was turned into allotments and vegetable patches in order to ease the shortage. Apart from the food shortages Kathleen Hey’s wartime diaries carried snippets of conversations between customers and the entry from August 12, 1942 was particularly interesting. “Mr P says he offered to take any sort of bet that the war would last seven years. “Auntie says someone told her of having her fortune told at Blackpool and they said the war would be over by February, Germany
would collapse, and Hitler would commit suicide. Some hopes! “Sirens again last night for an hour. Eight times in a fortnight.” Well, that only goes to show how hit and miss fortune-telling is. Though not exact there were hints of pertinence in those prognostications. The war with Germany was to last five years, and not seven, and while the Blackpool mystic didnt quite get the timing right – they were 18 months out – Germany did collapse and Hitler did commit suicide...
ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
Experts set to finish council review today By Tony Earnshaw Local Democracy Reporter KIRKLEES Council is undergoing its second peer review in less than a year. This time experts from the Local Government Association (LGA) will look at the authority’s planning and delivery services, including highways. It will be the first LGA planning team peer review since 2013. Last summer a sevenmember team from the LGA carried out an independent corporate peer review and drew up a series of recommendations to help the council on its “improvement journey.” The latest three-day visit, which started on Wednesday (Jan 22) and concludes today (Fri), will involve input from council chief executive Jacqui Gedman down to grassroots staff as well as mem-
INPUT: Staff from all levels of Kirklees, including chief executive Jacqui Gedman, are involved in the peer review bers of the council’s decision-making Cabinet and planning committees. Other individuals and bodies expected to take part include developers, planning agents, town centre developers, resi-
dents’ groups and activists’ groups. Involvement in the review, which is not an inspection, is by invitation only. Among those expected to attend is Cheryl Tyler,
chairman of the campaign group Save Mirfield, which was successful in preventing pastureland at Balderstone Hall Fields in Mirfield being turned into a housing estate. Save Mirfield is part of Kirklees Community Action Network (KCAN), an umbrella group of campaign groups across the borough. “This is an opportunity for us to lay out our experiences over the last couple of years,” said Mrs Tyler. “We want to ensure that they understand how we feel about the way that planning applications are dealt with.” In an email seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service the council’s head of planning, Mathias Franklin, reached out to some residents and asked them to participate. He wrote: “We have identified you as someone who interacted with the service areas and as such your input into the assess-
ment is vitally important to help shape our service over the next few years. “We are particularly interested in your role within community groups who may have made representations during either the Local Plan process or specific planning applications.” Coun Rob Walker (Lab), the council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment, said: “Our teams are always looking at making sure the services they deliver are of the very best standard. “This is best practice. “Our planning department has invited the LGA to conduct a review, which will specifically look at this service. “They will look at how we deliver planning to residents, as well as developers and local community groups.”
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News In Brief Clothes prop spat HECKMONDWIKE: A man who threw a clothes line prop at his neighbour’s home told a court he was provoked after their 14-yearold son threw eggs at his window. Lee Glynn, 28, smashed an outer pane of glass on his neighbour’s property during the incident on November 30, 2019. Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard there had been growing tension between the two households on Carlton Road, Heckmondwike. Vanessa Jones, prosecuting, said: “It’s alleged a male from the property has thrown some eggs at the window of the address where Mr Glynn was living. “He (Glynn) became angry because of what had happened and, as the young man went into the house, Mr Glynn threw a clothes prop and it hit a window, smashing the outer pane.” Glynn, now of Moorcroft Road in Dewsbury Moor, was arrested and co-operated with police. The court heard he told officers that he threw the prop in anger but maintained he didn’t intend to cause any damage. The 28-year-old was fined £80 and ordered to pay £100 compensation to his former neighbour. He will also have to pay £50 court costs and a £32 victim surcharge.
Car in gas explosion HECKMONDWIKE: A car exploded close to the Ponderosa farm attraction when a man in the vehicle lit a cigarette lighter which ignited gas from a refill cartridge. Emergency services scrambled to the scene on Smithies Lane at 12.30pm on Wednesday. It has been reported that two people were inside the vehicle at the time, including a 10year-old boy. Both occupants were taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident and will be interviewed by officers.
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ThePress
Friday January 24, 2019
Ramblers’ corner FORTHCOMING walks with the North Kirklees Group of the Ramblers – non-members are always welcome. Please call the walk leader for more details.
SATURDAY JANUARY 25 YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK Starts at 10.30am at Church Street car park, Emley (near cross) (HD8 9RE, SE244130) 8 miles – moderate Contact: David Parkinson 07704 813715 david.parky@tiscali.co.uk
Search for accompanist MIRFIELD Choral Society is seeking a piano accompanist. The role is a paid position, with remuneration according to experience. Rehearsals are held at Trinity Methodist Church, Huddersfield Road, Mirfield on Monday evenings from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. The successful applicant would be expected to accompany the choir for rehearsals and for the three concerts during the year – in spring, summer and December. The post is subject to a three-month trial period. If you are interested in applying please contact the secretary on 01924 494708 for further details or email mirfieldchoral@gmail.com. The closing date for applications is February 29.
MONDAY FEBRUARY 3 OAKWELL COUNTRY PARK Starts at 1pm at Oakwell Hall car park (WF17 9LG, SE217271) 4 miles – moderate No dogs please Contact: Kathleen 01924 471473 kathleenoshea5@aol.com
An extraordinary trio
Faberge workmasters THE Antiques Circle group is hosting a presentation by Susan Rumfitt, a jewellery expert on the BBC Antiques Roadshow, on Tuesday February 4. The meeting, at Healds Hall Hotel in Liversedge, starts at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £6 are available by calling 07999 727971.
Two more walks RAMBLERS: The Dewsbury and District Rambling Club have two walks planned this week. On Sunday there’s a walk in Askern, meet at the Wellington Road car park for 9am. Then on Wednesday (January 29) the walk is in Thorner and Kidhurst Wood, park at Main Street in Thorner.
Our Edward’s art dazzled enemies SPEN Valley Historical Society’s next meeting is on Wednesday February 12 when David Bland will give a talk titled ‘The Life Story of Edward Wadsworth – Razzle Dazzle Artist of Cleckheaton’. Meetings are held in the Catholic Church Parish Hall on Dewsbury Road, Cleckheaton, starting at 7.30pm, with refreshments served from 7.15pm. The cost is £2 per meeting for members, £4 for guests and membership is £10 per year. For more information email scooper@ thecoopersonline.org.uk.
No audition needed to sing for pleasure DEWSBURY Concert Society is on the lookout for new members. The friendly group of singers meets on Wednesday evenings at Longcauseway Church Hall from 7.30pm to 9.30pm to rehearse a varied programme of songs for concerts throughout the year. New members are always welcome for all singing parts, but especially tenors and contralto singers. No audition is required and all are welcome. For details contact Keith on 01924 443196.
Dewsbury Arts Group’s Hound of the Baskervilles at the David and Judith Wood Theatre until Saturday Review by Paul Goulden ANYONE going to see Dewsbury Arts Group’s first offering for 2020 expecting to see a Victorian melodrama will be bitterly disappointed. If you are open to some brilliant comic acting, you will be delighted.
Playwrights Canny and Nicholson have taken the settings, some of the characters and the outline story of Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles, reduced the cast to three and produced something extraordinary. Is it a farce? Is it a spoof or just an excuse for grown men to act daft for a couple of hours? Whatever it is, I loved it. Group stalwarts Malcolm Parkinson, Chris Ward and Matt Bailey play over a dozen parts and also come out of character to talk to one another or the audience. They combine delivering their lines with impressive timing, and a range of bizarre
accents, coping with quick costume changes and moving the set. Tony Fox’s clever multi-level stage serves as everywhere from Baker Street to Dartmoor. Watch out for the flying fireplace of Baskerville Hall. The whole effect is enhanced by atmospheric lighting and spot-on sound effects. Directed by Mark Bailey, the show runs until tomorrow (Sat). Cheer up your winter evening with a good laugh. Bookings at www.dewsburyartsgroup.info.
Revamp will help you on your fitness journey Advertorial Feature FITNESS fanatics across North Kirklees are being urged to try out the newly-refurbished MP Fit Gym in Birstall. The fitness suite unveiled their new facilities last weekend and invited new faces to try their classes for free. The downstairs area of the gym has been completely refurbished, with new changing rooms for men and women and brand-new equipment, including stair masters, all being installed. Two new exercise studios will also be ready for use in the near future, meaning the gym on Gelderd Road will be adding further fitness classes to its timetable. A second open weekend is due to take place in February, so keep your eyes on the gym’s Facebook page for the confirmed dates. Lauren Pachniuk, sales and promotions manager at MP Fit in Birstall, said: “We’re so happy with our refurb and so are a lot of our current members. “If you’d like to pop down and see the facilities for yourself we’d
be happy to show you around and chat about membership. “We still have some January
deals up for grabs and we’d love to help you on your fitness journey!”
For more information on the upcoming open weekend, call 01924 422566.
ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
15
Council praised, but still areas to improve upon By Tony Earnshaw Local Democracy Reporter
Bloomin’ great! GREEN-fingered Mirfield volunteers are celebrating being nominated to represent Yorkshire in the nationwide ‘Britain in Bloom’ competition. The Mirfield in Bloom group recorded a clean sweep at the annual Yorkshire in Bloom competition in September 2019, after sprucing up numerous grotspots and transforming streets into a riot of colour. The group’s volunteers were awarded a prestigious gold medal and to round off a terrific season, the town was recognised with a Yorkshire in Bloom discretionary award for ‘Best Large Community.’ Now, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has revealed the 70 finalists vying to win the UK’s largest community gardening competition, with Mirfield set to represent Yorkshire in the ‘Large Town’ category. Finalists have been put forward for the national competition based on their progress regionally and compete across 11 categories including village, town and coastal.
Participants will be visited by a pair of RHS officials in August and will be judged on horticultural skills, as well as community and environmental efforts. More than 140 organisations and individuals have come together under the Mirfield in Bloom banner, led by a dedicated team of eight. One of the organisers, Christine Sykes, said: “The successes have made all the hard work worthwhile. We worked as a community to achieve this wonderful result and people who had been acquaintances are now friends. Bring on 2020!” Preparations are already underway for this year’s competition, with bulbs and trees being planted, hanging baskets ordered and even bridges being painted. Entrants have until the end of the month to enter their business, neighbourhood or small open space into the competition. For more information on the application process, contact Ruth Edwards on 07840 395096.
A SINGLE clinical commissioning group to manage the borough’s healthcare and a return to inhouse management of council homes. They are just two of the recommendations being considered by Kirklees Council following an independent review of the authority by a team of local government experts last summer. The report, compiled by a seven-member team from the Local Government Association and delivered free of charge, was presented at the first 2020 meeting of Kirklees Council by Council Leader Shabir Pandor. It praised the council as being ambitious and a catalyst for regeneration and investment as well as saying the leadership is highly regarded. But the report also set out eight key recommendations to assist the council on its “improvement journey”. They included better communications, listening to residents, collaborating with the community, streamlining decision-making, reviewing the “destabilising” electoral cycle, reclaiming management of its housing stock and establishing a single clinical commissioning group. Addressing the chamber Coun Pandor said: “We were very confident from an early stage that we were on the right trajectory. “The report is positive albeit there are some lessons that we need to learn moving forward. “Our residents are ambitious with our plans and everybody has a powerful desire to transform all the services that we deliver to make sure that we get the maximum impact. “The investment plans that we have put in place are moving in the right direction. “What we need to do is put some capacity into the organisation, because over the last 10 years local government has faced
unprecedented cuts.” He added that the council’s staff was passionate, communities were strong and that the council’s children’s services had improved. In a cross-party debate members gave their thoughts on the review. Coun David Hall (Con, Liversedge & Gomersal) described the council as a body as being “very Huddersfield-centric” and that branding championing “We are Kirklees” was “weak” as most people in the borough did not consider themselves to be from Kirklees. He said in terms of capacity the council “had let the wrong people go” leading to a shortage of skills in some areas. And on the council’s communications he commented: “If we want to craft and sell our story we have to be careful. “Residents do not like to be told how brilliant their council is when they’re faced with the poor state of the roads and the execrable state of bin collections over Christmas.” Coun John Lawson (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton) said few people identified strongly with Kirklees as a brand. He said the council needed to get out and have “proper discussions” with people “even if they don’t like us. In fact, especially if they don’t like us because that’s how we get that full picture.” And he added that there was “a timidity” within the administration when it came to engagement “and the distance that that creates. “It’s why the playground scheme had to be re-started. It’s why the green bin scheme was such a mess. Making decisions from a distance doesn’t and isn’t working,” he said. And he backed a formal merger of Greater Huddersfield and North Kirklees clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) into one entity with the words “Yes, absolutely. Crack on.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT...
Big, bold flavours ... and it only takes 15 minutes ASTA is everything. It’s here for you now and it will be here for you always... It can give you a big comforting hit of flavour, it can give you a speedy yet delicious supper and it can give you a clean, refreshing evening meal. My king prawn linguine with chilli, garlic and lemon does all three. Big bold flavours of chilli and garlic are balanced with fresh lemon and herbs to create a really satisfying dish, that’s surprisingly light and clean tasting. And it only takes about 15 minutes. Jackpot! It’s one of those dishes that looks and sounds super complicated, but it really couldn’t be easier. A simple butter sauce, flavoured with lemon, chilli and garlic, tossed with perfectly cooked linguine and juicy prawns. This dish is perfect for linguine, which is slightly
P
wider and flatter than spaghetti. It’s great for oily, light sauces that can coat each individual strand. Any long pasta will work well here, but I would steer clear of tubes and shells like penne. I like to use raw prawns as opposed to cooked ones – they stay juicy and hold their flavour better, but already cooked or frozen ones work just fine. Then it’s all about big flavours, cooked quickly and simply, combining to make a great-tasting and really addictive meal. As always, this can be tuned to your taste. Spice freak? Up the chilli content or add some chilli flakes. Prefer lime instead of lemon? Get it in, it’s all good stuff.
What you need: 1 Red chilli; 2 cloves garlic; 300g raw king prawns;
package instructions until al dente. • Slice your chilli into rings, finely slice the garlic and roughly chop your coriander. Add the olive oil to a frying pan on a medium heat and add the chilli and garlic. Sauté for two minutes, until the garlic starts to soften. • Add your prawns and coriander, tossing regularly. Add the salt, pepper, knob of butter, the juice of half a lemon and coriander and cook the prawns for three to four minutes, or until cooked through, tossing frequently in the sauce. • Drain your pasta, and add to the pan. Toss everything together. • Serve with a squeeze more lemon juice and some fresh coriander.
peeled; 1 lemon; Handful fresh coriander; 1 tbsp olive oil;
Knob of butter; 200g linguine; Good pinch of salt; Good pinch of pepper.
Method: • Place your linguine in a large pan of salted boiling water, and cook per the
• I have my own food blog, called Dan’s Always Hungry, which is packed with my own recipes and even more ramblings about food. You can check it out over at dansalwayshungry.com, and follow me on Instagram at @Alwayshungrydan.
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ThePress
Marketplace Turn your unwanted items
into cash £££s 1) Ring Angela on 01924 470296 (9.30am-4.30pm). Have your advert ready and you can pay by debit card (30p surcharge). 2) Call into the office at 31 Branch Road, Batley WF17 5SB and pay by cash, cheque or debit card (30p surcharge). 3) Post your advert and include your name and a contact number, along with cheque for payment. ADVERTS must be no longer than 50 words. (We cannot accept the following items: Motor vehicles, caravans, livestock. All listings will stay in Marketplace for a maximum of two months. If you wish to amend your listing, or cancel when sold, contact or call 01924 470296. NEW 3 x winter warm oil filled radiators 1600 watt £25 each. Tel 01924 469537. (2542) 2 x Canterbury office chairs, black, unassembled in box, £40 each. Tel 01924 469537. (2542) 7 x metal scaffold poles 250cm long (former garden pergola) £21 Tel 01924 465760. (2543) 2 mirror backed display cabinets in silver. One corner, one straight unit. As in current Argos catalogue £60 each or £100 for both. Buyer to collect Tel 07746 245435. (2544) Ikea pendant light, 35cm, white and copper, £25. Tel 07746 245435. (2544)
dition. Colour light brown, £200 ono. Tel 07563 968522. (2549) Goldring Lenco GL72 record player turntable. Amplifier, 2 speakers + microphone. Excellent working order, £225. Tel 07720 958377. (2549) BEAUTY Light box for drying gel nail polish. Only used once. In excellent condition, £10. Tel 01924 450919. (2514) ELECTRICAL Beko fridge freezer. Good condition, £50. Tel 07533 209056. (2539) Six outdoor post lights, Georgian style, white (mains only), very good condition, £24. Tel 07943 114801. (2534)
Copper and white light shade, £10. Tel 07746 245435. (2544)
40-inch Bush flat screen TV with remote control and manual, £40. Tel 07933 422024. (2526)
Kirby vacuum cleaner with tools. £20. Tel 01274 876997. (2545)
Glass TV stand to match above Bush TV, £10. Tel 07933 422024. (2526)
Upright fridge freezer suitable for kitchen or garage. Good condition and good working order. £20 Tel 01274 876997. (2545)
Toshiba 28 wide screen television with stand and remote control. Excellent condition, can deliver locally, £50. Tel 01924 471758. (2524)
Two seater sofa, scroll arms style with chocolate and beige chenille fabric cushions. Eight months old (size 58” L x 35” D). Very good condition. £100 ono, buyer to collect. Tel 07508 580211. (2546)
FURNITURE Phoenix 3ft single adjustable electric bed base (no mattress). Good condition. Buyer to collect, £100. Tel 07740 717701. (2541)
Electric garden shredder, £20. Tel 01924 524232. (2547) Hood motorcycle jeans, unworn, waist 36” L29”. Complete with knee and hip armour. Navy blue. Retail £160, will accept £100. Tel 07563 968522. (2548) Harris Dry walking boots, size 8, colour brown. Guaranteed waterproof & washable. Hardly worn. Retail £70, will accept £35. Tel 07563 968522. (2548) Clarke Torque wrench 3/8” drive. Unused, still in box. Retail £24, will accept £12. Tel 07563 968522. (2548) Two-seater sofa, a little dated but very seldom sat on. Very good con-
Three-seater leather settee. Good condition, £45. Tel 07533 2090. (2539) Small corner settee, black and grey. Good condition. Buyer to collect, £30. Tel 07426 575196. (2537) Two x three-seater settees with beige dralon velvet seat cushions. One sofa has 5 large orange/ gold scatter cushions. The other sofa has two beige back cushions plus four orange/ gold scatter cushions. Plus brown leather-effect foot stool. £200 ono, buyer to collect. Tel 01924 430088. (2536) Attractive Italian leather 4-piece suite comprising of 3-seater, 2-seater, chair and storage pouffe. Black with red trim (bought from DFS), £550. Buyer to collect. Tel 07876 411694. (2535)
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? ITEM bands
Cost per item
Up to £7: £8 - £25: £26 - £50 £51- £100 £101-£200 £201-£500 £501-£1450 £1,451 plus Dropleaf oval dining table with four chairs. Medium wood colour. Buyer to collect. £100 ono. Tel 01924 401280 (Heckmondwike). (2533) Black glass TV stand with two shelves. Suitable for 43 TV. Good condition £20 Tel 07876 536335. (2529) 6 x French hardwood dining chairs with white legs and ladder backs. Complete with seat cushions. £25 each or will sell in pairs. Tel 01924 408171. (2522) HOBBIES Small collection of unworked tapestries with wools plus other embroidery articles, from £5 each. Tel 0113 253 4632. (2532) HOUSEHOLD Focus HE slimline gas fire. Good condition. Serviced £100 Tel 01924 474062. (2528) Central heating control, Salus RT510TX with instructions. Only 12 months old, £25. Tel 07939 599381. (2527) Adey Magnaclean filter (for central heating), £35. Tel 07939 599381. (2527) 12 ltr expansion vessel (for central heating), £20. Tel 07939 599381. (2527) Green/pink/peach lined full length curtains (fits floor to ceiling). Each curtain measures 10ft 6ins W x 7ft D. Includes matching pelmets, tracks, fixtures & fittings plus brass holdbacks. Very good clean condition, £75 ono. Tel 07475 109308. (2525) Love heart mirror 650mm W (25.5 ) x 720mm H (28.5 ) £45. Tel 01924 408171. (2522)
£1 £2 £3 £4 £5 £7 £9 £11
KITCHEN/DINING Electric cooker. Good condition, £45. Tel 07533 209056. (2539) Kenwood Chef Gourmet shredder FP596. Never been used, £60. Tel 01924 490266. (2538) Glass punch bowl set for 12 people. Complete. No chips or damage. Boxed. Ideal for parties, £25. Tel 07773 875472. (2517) MISCELLANEOUS Gaming equipment. Black Jack shoe, 400 casino chips, gaming board etc. £20 ono. Tel 01274 876814. (2523) MOTORING New Ultimate Speed bottle jack. Lifts 3.000kg £12 Tel 01274 876814. (2523) MUSICAL Very nice Reynolds Bb tenor trombone In its original hard case showing Reynolds USA logo. The gold lacquer is about 90% full & nice inner legs of the slide. Ideal for a beginner to professional player, £145 ono. Tel 01924 477016 (cash only). (2531) Technics Electronic Organ. 2 Keyboards, floor standing. Complete with stool. Excellent condition £60. Tel 01924 490266. (2520) SPORTING GOODS Cannon 57 two-piece snooker cue. Complete with original case. Hardly used, £40. Tel 07508 162369. (2540) TOYS/ CHILDREN’S GOODS Thomas the Tank Engine item. Various engines, track, towers and pirate ship. £120 for the lot or will split if required. Tel 01274 600402 (2518)
Friday January 24, 2020
ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
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Friday January 24, 2020
HOCKEY
GOLF
Slaz ladies win thrilling match Great year for HH golfers SLAZENGER’S ladies first team edged a thrilling game away at Harrogate Seconds last weekend. The side won the reverse fixture earlier in the season and were determined to prove that it was no fluke, taking the game to Harrogate from the start. The first goal of the game came from a short corner as Katie Minchella set up Jess Rudge to fire in the opener, and it was soon followed by a second as Hannah Field and Sarah Cooper played to the whistle to find the goal. Knowing that a two-goal lead had been thrown away on more than one occasion previously this season, captain Frankie Tyrell’s half-time team talk was once again inspiring. A breakaway goal shortly into the second half gave Harrogate the opportunity to get back into it, but this was quickly cancelled out by Cooper as she put the ball through the keeper’s feet. On a high, Slazenger allowed their standards to slip and the opposition took advantage, scoring twice to take the score to 3-3. It would have been easy to settle for a point, but the Slaz spirit kicked in. Minchella found the top corner from the back line to put them back in the lead, and Field then struck the ball home from a short corner to seal the victory. Slazenger’s second team were less
Slazenger’s Under-10 Girls A team earned promotion from Division Two by finishing top of the table in last weekend’s tournament at Weetwood. successful against Harrogate 3rd, going down to a 3-0 defeat, while the 4th team were beaten 3-1 at home by Leeds 6th despite May Bailey’s goal. The men’s first team came up against a strong Rotherham side who took their chances to get a 3-2 win. In the absence of centre-forward Richard Tuddenham, the goalscoring fell to Danny Perry who netted twice, but it wasn’t enough to prevent defeat in a well-contested game. The Slaz men’s second side hosted Hull 2nd for a hotly-contested battle between the top two teams in the division but, while they played
Sport In Brief Ossett derby rout FOOTBALL: Ossett United Ladies’ reserves earned a 5-0 win over Dewsbury in an allHeavy Woollen clash last Sunday. United were ahead within three minutes as Amelia Bloomer got on the end of a through ball to score, and Emily Burton made it 2-0 when she calmly found the bottom corner after good work by Chloe Denton. Ossett continued to dominate in the second half with Georgia Sykes finishing excellently and Burton adding a fourth. There was one final goal with 10 minutes to go as Tiya Harewood did brilliantly to find Faye Allen, who fired in to complete the win.
Horbury win in cup FOOTBALL: Horbury Town progressed to the next round of the Cyril Craven Cup as Gibril Bojang, Ben Parkinson and Mohammed Sadiq strikes helped beat Royston Cross 3-0. In West Yorkshire Division One, Hartshead beat Wetherby Athletic with Nathan Foster, Jonjo Haley, Blake Maude, Jamie Wasley and Andrew Wood contributing to a 5-2 success. In Division Two, Overthorpe Sports Club suffered a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Tingley Athletic and were knocked off top spot thanks to a win for Brighouse Sports Old Boys, who saw off Howden Clough 4-2 despite Dominic Nelson and Daniel Chadwick goals for the Batley outfit.
Date set for O’Regan BOXING: A date has been confirmed for Cory O’Regan’s fifth professional bout. The 24-year-old Heckmondwike super lightweight, who has earned points wins in all his previous four fights, will be back in the ring at the Elland Road Pavilion Suite on March 6 for Bateson Promotions. Meanwhile, Dewsbury boxer Michael Smith is set to make a comeback after nine years away from professional boxing. Smith, 28, fought four times in 2010 and 2011 and is set to be granted his pro licence back for an expected March return as a middleweight.
some of their best hockey of the campaign, they still came up short against stronger opposition. In the dying minutes of the first half, a break saw Damo Grieg’s cross converted by Alex Stacey for a 1-0 lead, but Hull battled back in the second half with two well-worked short corners and a late third. The men’s fourth team lost 3-1 on the road to Scarborough with Harry Buttery scoring their only goal, the fifth side suffered a 5-1 defeat at Brigg 4th, and Slaz 6th lost 2-1 to Ben Rhydding despite Luke Minchella scoring in a second-half fightback.
BOWLS
OLD AND NEW: Trevor Hooley (right) is congratulated for a highly successful year by the 2020 Rabbits’ captain, Steve Halloran, at Hanging Heaton’s AGM and presentation HANGING HEATON Golf Club’s 2019 Rabbits’ captain Trevor Hooley reported on a brilliant golfing year at their recent AGM and prize presentation. The main highlight of the year was the winning of the Yorkshire Rabbits Graham Wood Trophy, a knockout competition played throughout the season against other clubs in the region. It was only the second time in the history of the competition that
Hanging Heaton had won the trophy. The prize winners on the night included Chris Smith, who was named as Rabbit of the Year and also presented with the John Bell Knock Out Cup. George Harris and Alexander Croft won the Stuart Littlewood Trophy, Mick McGowan claimed the Rabbits Captain’s Prize and John Newsome was awarded the Rabbits President’s Prize.
RACING PREVIEW WITH MIKE SMITH
Kez sweeps up Who can lay Cheltenham marker? HERE’S an exciting lineup at Cheltenham this weekend as contenders lay down their credentials for the Festival in March. Punters will be watching how the likes of SANTINI and PAISLEY PARK perform in their pre-Festival examinations, but tomorrow’s (Saturday) card has some cracking handicaps that may also prove great pointers for the future. Gold Cup hope SANTINI has done little wrong in his eight starts and a win in the Cotswold Chase would continue trainer Nicky Henderson’s purple patch – he had eight winners last week. He was third in the Albert Bartlett two years ago before finishing second in last season’s RSA. This strapping eight-year-old has always been held in high regard at Seven Barrows and his clean jumping style clearly handles Cheltenham. There’s also a great day of racing in store at Doncaster, where a competitive looking Sky Bet Handicap Chase is the feature on Town Moor. Nicky Richards expects to be double-handed with MY OLD GOLD and CHIDSWELL. The Greystoke trainer has yet to get his name on the trophy for a race formerly run as the Great Yorkshire Chase, but his father Gordon won it three times – including twice in succession, in 1996 and 1997, with Addington Boy and General Command. The mare MY OLD GOLD came to the game a bit late
T
SPEN CHAMPION: Kez Smith (left) with Peter Ellis KEZ SMITH came out on top in week 12 of Spen Victoria’s winter sweep, beating Simon Walder in the final. There were a few surprises in the first round. Last week’s epic run to the final by Thomas Scorah was not to be mirrored as he went out first round to Ash Tattersley. Karen Hill looked to have one of the hardest games against Mark Regan but, after being 13-6 down, Karen then went on to score 15 with the loss of just two in reply to win. For the first time this year, and for only the second time in 20-plus attempts, Paul Holt made it to the quarter-finals. The quarters saw Kez just pip Ash 21-20, Antony Rukin and Walder dispatched Holt and Hill with graceful ease, Chris Mordue played as he does and, in a well-fought game, Michael Sweeney just missed out to Hynes. Kez Smith went behind to Rukin 7-2 in their semi-final before pulling it back and taking the lead. It went back and forth to 16 across then Kez threw in two doubles and a single to win it in reply to Rukin’s single. In the other last-four tie, Walder produced a solid performance to dispatch Mordue 21-10. In the final, Kez showed some great concentration and adjusted to the changing speed of the green as the sun went down and the lights came on. He played a respectfully good game and Walder struggled, eventually winning 21-13 despite a late Simon rally.
and was seven before she ran in a point-to-point but she made up time by scoring over course and distance last time out, beating Cloth Cap, while CHIDSWELL won the Grimthorpe Chase at the track last March. “At the moment I’m intending to run them both, because the ground should be fine for the pair of them,” said Richards. Of the lightly-raced CHIDSWELL, Richards added: “He’s not had that much racing either for one of his age and is in grand fettle now. “He’d probably been on the go too long when we took him to the Perth Gold Cup in June, so we left him out at grass a bit longer than the others. “He blew up first time – but he’ll come on for that and he’s got plenty in his favour, too.” But fellow handler Alan King says DINGO DOLLAR has been waiting for this race since finishing fifth in the
Ladbrokes Trophy Chase at Newbury in November. He won at Doncaster as a novice and seems to be well-suited by a flat left-hand track. Tom Cannon is jocked up and is unlikely to make the same mistake as last year when, as the 3-1 favourite, he was dropped in and his jumping went to pieces. He’s expected to be on the money this time from what looks like a workable mark. Tom George is one of the most profitable trainers on the South Yorkshire track with a 15 per cent strike rate (20137). His MANOFTHEMOMENT goes in the 2m3f novice handicap chase at 12.40 and looks open to improvement. Drying ground will help him overcome an 8lb higher mark following his Warwick win last month. Later in the day it will take a good one to stop LADY BUTTONS winning her second successive Yorkshire Rose Mares Hurdle. It could be a good day for her trainer Phil Kirby who also runs TOP VILLE BEN, who can make the frame in the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham. CARRIGILL’S NAP: (money back as a free bet if it finishes outside top four. Write Augur on your slip to qualify): CHAMPAGNE WELL, Doncaster, Saturday, 2.05. AUGUR’S BEST BET: DINGO DOLLAR (e/w), Doncaster, Saturday, 3.15.
ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
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FOOTBALL
Successful start to County Cup defence West Riding County Cup
OSSETT UNITED GARFORTH TOWN
2 1
Stephen Ibbetson at Ingfield OSSETT UNITED began their defence of the West Riding County Cup with victory over Garforth Town on Tuesday night. Tom Greaves gave them an early lead and an own goal put them deservedly 2-0 up at the break, yet Ossett were left hanging on in a mediocre second half to progress from the second round of a competition that they defeated FC Halifax Town and Guiseley to win last season. “It was probably below-par but I wasn’t too fussed about that,” reflected United manager Wayne Benn. “These types of nights are sometimes just about getting the job done. (Garforth) have come and given everything. “Ultimately I’m pleased with my lads that, far from a great performance, they were again resilient, stuck at it and worked hard, and that was a much-changed side.”
Charlie Marshall skied a big early chance for Garforth and instead it was Ossett who took a sixth-minute lead. Brodie Litchfield headed the ball on for Greaves, who saw goalkeeper Toby Wells charging at him and expertly lobbed over him and into the net for his 25th goal of the season in all competitions. As the half went on United continued to play the better football, moving the ball well and creating numerous opportunities for further goals. Elliott Harrison scuffed a shot into the side netting, Nick Guest struck a Luke Porritt lay-off tamely at the keeper, and Greaves could only head wide a good cross from Litchfield. Neither Greaves or Guest could turn in a fantastic Harrison cross from the left but Garforth didn’t learn their lesson as, a few moments later, the ball was won back in a dangerous position by Ossett, Porritt found Harrison down the flank again and his brilliant delivery could only be turned into his own net by Dan Williams. The Garforth midfielder was hardly at fault but he redeemed
HOT SHOT: Ossett striker Tom Greaves lobs the keeper early in the game for his 25th goal of the season in all competitions PHOTOS: John Hirst himself before half-time nonetheless, standing resolutely on the goal-line to clear Porritt’s strike from close range after Wells had been unable to hold Guest’s initial low effort. As dominant as the home side were in the first half, the tables turned in the second. Garforth came out with belief that the game
was far from over and, against a United side falling into some sloppy habits, were given a route back into the game. The goal that halved the deficit came just past the hour mark. The ball was kept alive from a corner, goalkeeper Brett Souter punched one delivery back into the middle and then made a superb save, but
United earn the points in relegation battle Northern Premier N/West Division
OSSETT UNITED WIDNES
4 2
OSSETT earned three crucial points last weekend with four goals in an action-packed second half to defeat relegation rivals Widnes. There were few chances of note in a goalless first half but the best of them fell to Ossett. Jack Stockdill headed wide early on, Aaron Haswell twice aimed just the wrong side of the post, and Tom Greaves struck over after good work from Luke Porritt. Marko Basic could only stab wide when Jake Maltby’s cross came to him at an awkward height, while the closest that the visitors came was in the final minute before the break when Ben Hodkinson’s powerful header went wide. The deadlock was broken only four minutes
ON THE BALL: Luke Porritt against Widnes into the second half. Haswell crossed from the right touchline and Porritt did brilliantly to firstly bring the ball down, then to hold off the defender before finally turning it into the net. Sam Sheen was booked in the aftermath of the goal and, six minutes later, was given his marching orders for a trip on Porritt. With the
man advantage United searched for further goals, and got another when goalkeeper Tom Scott had a rush of blood as he charged out of his net to bring down Porritt after Basic had played him through. Greaves dispatched the penalty to make it 2-0. Three minutes later they were guilty of switching off after the ball hit the referee, and that allowed former Ossett man Anointed Chukwu to chip the ball in and halve the deficit. Ossett’s cushion was soon restored when James Knowles got ahead of his man at the near post to head in a Corey Gregory corner, but Knowles then ensured a nervy final eight minutes when his trip allowed Hodkinson to make it 3-2 from the penalty spot. Only in the first minute of added time could United finally breathe a sigh of relief. Nick Guest intercepted a poor Widnes pass and lifted the ball over the top for Greaves to run onto, taking it past keeper Scott to finish the job.
Goal-crazy Liversedge break into the top three NCEL Premier Division
KNARESBOROUGH LIVERSEDGE
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LIVERSEDGE moved into the automatic promotion places with their fourth victory in a row, scoring four goals for the fourth time in succession to see off struggling Knaresborough. Joe Walton scored a brace while Joe Kenny also netted in a spell of three goals in the space of five minutes in the first half, before Alfie Raw continued his fine goalscoring form to seal the win. Hemsworth Miners Welfare’s defeat saw Sedge move into the top three in the league, level on points with second-placed Staveley and just two behind leaders Penistone Church with three games in hand. Liversedge came into the game full of confidence but Knaresborough sent a warning shot in the very first seconds, attacking down the left from the kick-off and only just clearing the
bar with a Phil Milsom break. The hosts were defying their lowly position with a bright start and took the lead after six minutes as Daniel Thirkell got the slightest touch on a Jack Carr free-kick to divert it past Gary Stevens. Sedge began to establish some control, playing some neat football which resulted in a quick blast of three goals, started by the 19th-minute equaliser when Walton slotted in following good work from Raw. Just a few minutes later the game had been turned on its head, with a quick break down the left wing seeing Jack Hardacre overlap and cross the ball in for Kenny to nudge home. Walton then struck again after brilliant build-up play involving Paul Walker, Raw and Kenny, which resulted in a cross rebounding off the far post with Walton the quickest man to react in the box. There was good play from both sides as the first half went on, with Kenny slicing a great chance high and wide after fine
play from Raw, before a dubious penalty was awarded for a foul on Colin Heath and Thirkell scored his second of the game from the penalty spot. Liversedge made a fast start to the second half, hitting the post within a minute as Walton was a whisker away from blasting in for a hat-trick, and having a goal disallowed moments later as Kenny’s free-kick found its way into the net but the assistant referee had a flag raised. At the other end, Colin Heath was given a free header nine yards out but somehow failed to punish the slack defence as he nodded wide after Carr and Milsom combined. Defender Jack Steers failed to divert a Raw free-kick the right side of the post and Gary Stevens made a brilliant save one-on-one to deny Knaresborough’s Carr before the key moment of the second half. Walton was played through in behind the defence and the home side’s captain, Will Lenehan, appeared to pull the striker back as he looked to race in for his tre-
ble. Lenehan was sent off to the dismay of his teammates, who pleaded that the contact was accidental, but the decision stood. With the man advantage, Liversedge looked to put the game to bed and did so in the 74th minute as Raw scored his seventh goal in five matches, coolly slotting past Dominic Smith when sent through one-onone with the home goalkeeper. With the three points in the bag, there was time for a late debut cameo for Mark Simpson following his signing from Garforth Town last week, reminding the rest of the league of the remarkable striking prowess now at the club as they look to continue their promotion push. Sedge return to Clayborn for two matches in the coming week. Tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 3pm) they take on Handsworth, who are in the bottom half of the table, before entertaining Thackley, who go into the weekend in eighth place, on Tuesday night (January 28, kick-off 7.45pm).
Ossett lost possession again moments later and Sam Barker was slotted in behind and found the bottom corner. Lee Turner volleyed over as Garforth looked to threaten further, but the side a division below in the league ladder failed to offer a sustained threat on goal as Ossett’s defence held firm. Litchfield was fortunate to stay on the field following a studs-up challenge on Sam Leach which only earned a yellow card, and Garforth pushed forward in the final 10 minutes with substitute Sean Hunter blazing over and United full-back Ross Hardaker in the right place to make a crucial block and divert Dan Coupland’s effort away from goal. The final chances came instead to the cup holders on the break, with Corey Gregory curling narrowly wide of the post and Litchfield running in on goal only to see his strike denied by the legs of Wells. Ossett will play away at Thackley in the third round on February 4. Their next game is back in the league away at Runcorn Linnets tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 3pm).
Littletown narrow gap on the leaders IN THE Yorkshire Amateur League, Littletown closed the gap on Supreme Division leaders Farsley Celtic Juniors to six points with a 5-0 win at home to Toller. Matthew Bugg scored twice while Reiss Brook, Scott Lightowler and Thomas Ramsden added further goals last weekend. Lower Hopton remain bottom of the division after a 3-1 defeat at Route One Rovers. In the Championship, Arista Llewellyn’s goal wasn’t enough to prevent Dewsbury Rangers from slipping to a 2-1 loss at Colton Athletic. Norristhorpe extended their gap at the top of Division Two to five points by edging a thriller with Prospect, 5-4. Jason Collinson scored a hat-trick for the Liversedge side with Matthew Taylor and Daniel Gannon also on target. Norristhorpe’s reserve side enjoyed a big win in Division Three, consolidating their top-three place with a 6-4 win at Lepton Highlanders thanks to Edward Ferns (3), Thomas Boocock, Callum Wheatley and Brad Wild goals. In the same league, leaders Littletown Reserves were 8-1 victors at Morley Town 3rd with Austin Broadbent (3), James Blane (2), Lewis Boddy, James Goodall and Matthew Thompson scoring, while a Hamzah Rawat hattrick, Mohammed Numan Ali brace and Adil Ravat goal earned Savile United a 6-0 win over Ealandians 3rd. In Division Four, Old Batelians remain second-bottom as Farnley Sports beat them 6-3. West End Park extended their gap at the top of Division Five to 16 points with a 5-1 success over Old Centralians as Jonathan Asquith, Nathan Clarke, Kyle Kershaw, Lyndon Wells and Nathan Williams all found the net, while Dewsbury Rangers Under-23s went down to a 3-2 defeat at home to St Bedes Academy. In the Wakefield League’s Jim Callaghan Cup, Ossett Dynamoes enjoyed an 11-0 rout of Fieldhead Hospital. Tom Kilgour scored four, Ben Butler added a double and Brad Jackson, Luke Mitchell, Arron Spencer and Michael Lemm also bagged goals. Thornhill United also had an easy passage to the next round, thrashing Crofton Sports Reserves 7-1 with Ryan Laffey (3), Rob Spiers (2), Ashley Edmundson and Luke Teece goals. Howden Clough moved up to second in the Wakefield and District Division One with a 2-0 win at United Power Castleford, secured through Warren Carr and Shane Thornton strikes, while Overthorpe Sports Club were 8-1 winners at City of Wakefield in Division Two.
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ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
RUGBY UNION
Six wins in a row for Cleckheaton North One East
CLECKHEATON RUFC MOORTOWN
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CLECKHEATON scored six tries against Moortown to earn a sixth win in a row and consolidate second spot in the league table. Thiu Barnard’s side raced into a 17-0 lead and scored three more tries to see off any threat of a second-half comeback and continue a winning run that stretches back to mid-November. Cleckheaton hosted Moortown to Moorend for the first time in many years and welcomed Tom Austin back after missing six games through injury, while Gus Milborne came back into the team after being unavailable since Christmas. Brad Marsden and Joey Carley were unavailable for the match. The home team started brightly and took the lead inside two minutes when prop Andy Piper forced his way over the whitewash for his fourth try of the season after a lineout 10 metres from the line. In a bizarre passage of play, both of the visitors’ centres were shown yellow cards on 10 and 12 minutes to reduce the visitors to 13 players. Then, moments later, the Moortown touch judge was ordered from the field after offering his
opinion to referee Chris Binnie. Cleckheaton took advantage of the gaps in the backline immediately when right wing Jack Marshall blasted over in the corner for his ninth try of the season, expertly converted by Dale Breakwell to make it 12-0. Moortown put in some telling runs but the Cleckheaton defence was rock solid with Jack Seddon and Josh Plunkett putting in big hits and, when in possession, Austin, Tom Lillycrop and Milborne making the hard yards downfield. Hooker Ben Thrower was next on the scoreboard when he controlled a maul and crashed over the line on 27 minutes to record his seventh try of the campaign, although Breakwell struck the upright with the conversion. Moortown opened their account on 39 minutes when the loose-head prop found himself in space to score a try and pull the half-time score back to 17-5. Cleckheaton got the bonus-point try four minutes into the second half when Seddon got on the end of a great break by Austin, who handled twice in the move to score out wide on the left. Breakwell added a difficult conversion to extend the lead to 24-5. Moortown applied considerable pressure on the Cleckheaton line
Sport In Brief Programme binned RUGBY LEAGUE: Dewsbury Rams have decided not to continue the club’s matchday programme ‘Rampages’, revealing that the publication “did not deliver the profits needed to make it sustainable”. A statement from the Rams said: “The club did look into various other programme ideas that could have been more cost effective, however these didn’t turn out to be the case. “Whilst this decision is not one we wanted to be taken it does open up the opportunity for the website to be used more. “Therefore if anyone who has been contributing to the programme would like to contribute to the website with your article don’t hesitate to get in touch by email.” They added that “new for this season will be the sale and distribution of team sheets. These will be sold in the usual outlets around the ground, it will contain the actual team listings for the game on the front and on the back it will have each player’s photo and the name of their sponsors.”
Noble leads Kestrels RUGBY UNION: Cleckheaton’s second-string Kestrels secured an impressive 42-5 win away at Skipton last weekend. Richard Noble was unstoppable on the day, running in five of the side’s eight tries in the game. The Kestrels led 27-0 at half-time and added three further scores in the second half, with Harry Sutcliffe, Liam Goldthorpe and man of the match Drew Judge-Clark also crossing and Ben Dearing adding a conversion. Cleck, who are third in the Northern and Western League, have a home game tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 2.15pm) at Moorend against Yarnbury. Ossett’s second team remain top of the standings in that league after a 50-3 thrashing of Yarnbury last week, and will look to strengthen their grip on top spot when they travel to Barnsley tomorrow (kick-off 2.15pm).
FINAL FLOURISH: Olly Depledge goes between the posts for Cleckheaton’s last try PHOTO: Gerald Christian and, after the home team were penalised, the scrum option was taken and the number eight picked up at the base to score the visitors’ second try. Chris Piper and Archie RikaRayne entered the game, replacing Thrower and Jackson, and Cleckheaton put the game to bed on 67 minutes when Olly Depledge intercepted and raced away to score under the posts and Breakwell converted for a comfortable 31-10
scoreline. Andy Piper then saw the referee’s yellow card after an adjudged high tackle on 70 minutes but the visitors couldn’t take advantage until a series of scrums close to the Cleck line saw Chris Piper dispatched to the sin bin himself, for not keeping the scrummage straight, and the referee awarding Moortown the penalty try. There was just time for another attack by Cleckheaton but a for-
ward pass ended the threat and the game finished with Cleckheaton convincing victors. The bonus-point win kept Cleckheaton in second place, six points behind York with a five-point gap to Driffield behind, heading into the rest weekend. Cleckheaton travel to West Hartlepool on February 1 (kick-off 2.15pm) and a coach will be provided for supporters wishing to make the trip, with details to be confirmed shortly.
Ossett resurgence halted by clinical Knottingley OSSETT remain in eighth place in Yorkshire Division Three after going down to their first defeat of 2020 away at Knottingley. Hampered by the absence of several players through injury and unavailability, Ossett improved on their showing in the reverse fixture earlier in the season but were unable to build on wins in the previous two weeks. Ossett made a solid start with plenty of phases through their pack but were unable to break
through the defence. When Knottingley got hold of some possession they looked dangerous and they got the opening try when quick hands allowed Joe Winstanley down the wing to pass back inside for Adam Jones to score. Ossett showed attacking prowess with some deft kicks through to keep the defence on its toes, but again it was the hosts who got the next points as Benny Tucker nipped over for 12-0.
Penalties allowed the visitors to get back into the game with some good territory but it was from a Knottingley attack that they scored their only points. The ball came loose following a break and the ball was quickly kicked downfield by James Wood, who regathered to score under the posts and then converted his own score. With the wind against them after the break Ossett faced a tougher challenge, and Dale Ferguson shot out from the base of the scrum and
beat several defenders for a third Knottingley try. Ossett struggled to get out of their own half for much of the second half but they defended resolutely, with only a Tucker penalty shifting the scoreboard on until late in the game. Only in the final minutes did Knottingley secure a bonus-point try through Mark Tiffin, leaving Ossett to refocus for tomorrow’s (Saturday, kick-off 2.15pm) home match against Old Otliensians.
RUGBY LEAGUE
Local derby win keeps Stags top of table MIRFIELD STAGS recovered from their first defeat of the season to secure a comprehensive 38-14 win over Hanging Heaton in Division One of the Pennine League. The Stags returned to league action following defeat to Illingworth in the League Cup the previous week, and produced an improved display on the 3G pitch at Dewsbury Rams’ Tetley’s Stadium to make it seven league wins out of seven and regain a four-point gap at the top of the table. Man of the match Ben Kendall powered over for a hat-trick, including a spectacular 90-metre effort straight from the kick-off, while Brad Delaney grabbed a brace.
Hooker Casey Canterbury and centre Dom Flanagan also crossed the whitewash for Richard Silverwood’s side, with Delaney also kicking five goals from seven attempts. Despite only winning three games out of eight this season in the top flight, Hanging Heaton remain third in the table ahead of tomorrow’s (Saturday) home match with Drighlington, while Mirfield can extend their gap at the top when they travel to Sharlston Rovers. In Division Two, Shaw Cross Sharks’ winning run was halted as they lost their top-ofthe-table clash with Fryston Warriors 11-10. In their first home match of 2020, the
Sharks were beaten by Andy Speake’s lastminute field goal to see their perfect record come to an end. The sides were level at half-time with Ben Spaven scoring the Shaw Cross try, and after going behind in the second half Marcus Stocks replied with Brad Baines’s conversion levelling up. But Fryston nabbed the decisive drop goal to extend their lead at the top to four points, although the second-placed Sharks have four games in-hand. Shaw Cross head to Seacroft Sharks tomorrow while Thornhill Trojans, who are fourth in the standings, host Fryston.
Thornhill prepare for reunion of Challenge Cup shock team THORNHILL TROJANS are holding a reunion on February 1 of the team which famously shocked Sheffield Eagles in the Challenge Cup 20 years ago. The Trojans triumphed 16-14 at the Don Valley Stadium on January 30, 2000, with the following side selected by coach Johnny Harpin:
Andrew Smith, Barry Drummond, Jimmy Gittins, Jason Firth, Andrew Field, Martin Fox, Ian Bates, Steve Naylor, Rob Simpson, Rob Hoyle, Chris Woodcock, Anthony Broadhead, Sean James, Richard Sedgwick, Sean Senior, Abe Phillips and Tony Allerton. There will also be a reunion of
the Thornhill Trojans Under 13s team which beat Sheffield Schools in the curtain raiser to the big match. The evening gets underway at 7.30pm and a souvenir brochure is being prepared for the event. Everyone is welcome to attend but the club is especially keen for all
former players from that era to come along. The club are having trouble tracking down Martin Fox, Sean James, Abe Phillips and Tony Allerton. If anyone has contact details for them, please contact Andrew Byram on 07860 939238.
ThePress
Friday January 24, 2020
23
RUGBY LEAGUE
Spirited ‘Dogs swept aside as Hull show Super League class Pre-season friendly
BATLEY BULLDOGS HULL FC
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Stephen Ibbetson at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium BATLEY BULLDOGS put in a spirited performance but were out-muscled by a full-strength Hull FC side. After narrow successes against two other second-tier sides, Halifax and London Broncos, in their first two friendlies, Hull fielded their best side yet in 2020 and found their stride in attack to earn a comfortable win. The outside backs benefited from the work done by a dominant forward pack, with Ratu Naulago scoring a hat-trick, opposite winger Bureta Faraimo crossing twice and centres Carlos Tuimavave and Josh Griffin also getting on the scoreboard. Batley only had a late Anthony Bowman try to show for their efforts on the scoreboard but head coach Craig Lingard found positives to take from this game following a draw with Dewsbury and defeat at Hunslet in their previous two fixtures. “That’s their strongest side, we’re playing against a team that I think will be up there near the top of Super
MATCH STATS DEWSBURY RAMS: Joe Martin Andy Gabriel Will Oakes Matty Fleming Davey Dixon Morgan Punchard Michael Knowles Sam Moorhouse Dom Speakman Martyn Reilly Sonny Esslemont Liam Johnson Chris Annakin Subs: Jon Magrin Sam Day Frazer Morris James Thornton Tommy Brierley Rhys Davies Luke Nelmes Tries: Morris (33), Magrin (38, 47), Martin (53). Goals: Oakes 4/4. Drop goal: Punchard (72).
7 7 6 6 7 6 7 6 7 6 6 6 6 7 6 6 6 6 6 7
BRADFORD BULLS: Joe Brown 7 David Foggin-Johnston 7 Kieran Buchanan 6 Ross Oakes 7 Greg Johnson 7 Rowan Milnes 6 Harry Shackleton 6 Steve Crossley 6 Jordan Lilley 7 Liam Kirk 7 Adam Rooks 6 Brad Gallagher 7 Evan Hodgson 6 Subs: Levy Nzoungou 6 Sam Barlow 6 Bradley Ho 6 Tom Doyle 7 Connor Wynne 6 Charlie Graham 6 Charlie Patterson-Lund 6 Cobi Green 6 Tries: Kirk (56), Rooks (70). Goals: Milnes 2/2. Referee: N. Bennett Half-time: 12-0 Penalties: 9-10 Man of the Match: Michael Knowles (Dewsbury) Attendance: 1,290
League, so I’m pleased,” he said. “Certainly in the first 20 minutes I was really pleased, we gave as good as we got and looked pretty competitive. Then we started making a few errors, (giving them) repeat sets and penalties. But there were a lot of positives to take out of it; certainly a lot more positives than negatives.” Hull debutant Manu Ma’u made an impact for the first try after an opening 13 minutes littered with errors. His big drive took them close to the line and, on the next play, the ball was moved left through the hands of Marc Sneyd and Griffin for Faraimo to go over in the corner, with Sneyd adding the first of four conversions. The USA winger was in for a second time nine minutes later as quick play from star pivots Sneyd, Jake Connor and Albert Kelly proved too much for the Dogs defence. Hull wasted little time in getting a third try, this time thanks to brilliant work from Tuimavave. He claimed a Connor pass and shrugged off defenders before setting off, getting round the whole defensive line and sprinting clear to score. Faraimo might have had a first-half hat-trick had he been able to keep hold of an inventive Sneyd flick, but FC got one more score on the board before half-
time as Griffin received a Sneyd pass and snuck inside his man to go over. Naulago had little to get his teeth into in the first half but he scored twice in the first six minutes of the second period to put Hull 32-0 up. The first saw him display all of the power and pace that marked his breakthrough in Super League last year as he somehow managed to blast himself into the corner. Then he was the beneficiary of good work down the opposite wing involving Andre Savelio and Faraimo, with the ball then being sent back across the field and Ma’u finding the Fijian winger for a second try. With some of the biggest names replaced by less experienced players as the second half went on, Hull’s momentum was halted for a spell, but Naulago had a hat-trick to celebrate when Mahe Fonua’s offload and Savelio’s assist saw him over the line again for a try converted by Connor. The restart was allowed to bounce down the hill and behind for a drop out, with two consecutive penalties giving Batley their best chance of the game to attack. They made the most of it, with Ben White’s inside pass allowing Bowman to drive over and give the Championship side something to show for their efforts with nine minutes left. Faraimo could have had a treble of
his own had Connor’s long cut-out pass, which found the winger in acres of space, not been ruled to have gone forward by the referee, but Hull could be satisfied with their afternoon’s work. “We definitely got what we needed in terms of what we spoke about prior to the game,” said Hull boss Lee Radford. “There were some cobwebs to dust off for a few blokes.” A DUAL-REGISTRATION partnership between Batley Bulldogs and Hull FC may not have come to fruition, but both clubs remain open to the possibility of loan moves being arranged this season. Bradford Bulls were chosen in favour of Batley by the Super League side for a dual-reg arrangement, but Bulldogs boss Craig Lingard hopes that Hull could still prove useful in adding to his squad. He said: “We’re hopeful. There are still discussions between (Batley chief executive) Paul Harrison and the Hull hierarchy but obviously they’ve now got a dual-reg partner in Bradford so any players that we’re looking to have, Bradford would have first refusal on them.” Hull FC coach Lee Radford said: “I think there’s a chance that one might come on loan possibly. That’s up in the air at the moment. It (the dual-reg) didn’t happen but it’s just one of those things.”
MATCH STATS BATLEY BULLDOGS: Luke Hooley 7 Wayne Reittie 6 Keenen Tomlinson 6 Lewis Galbraith 6 Dale Morton 6 Ben White 6 Danny Yates 5 Toby Everett 5 Shaun Lunt 6 James Brown 7 Dane Manning 6 Lucas Walshaw 6 Anthony Bowman 6 Subs: Dave Scott 6, Nyle Flynn 6, Joe Taira 6, Alistair Leak 6, Michael Ward 6, George Senior 5, Sam Bowring 5, Johnny Campbell 5. Tries: Bowman (71). Goals: Morton 1/1. HULL FC: Albert Kelly 8 Bureta Faraimo 7 Carlos Tuimavave 7 Josh Griffin 8 Ratu Naulago 9 Jake Connor 8 Marc Sneyd 8 Scott Taylor 8 Joe Cator 6 Ligi Sao 7 Josh Jones 7 Manu Ma’u 8 Gareth Ellis 6 Subs: Chris Satae 6, Jordan Johnstone 6, Masi Matongo 6, Brad Fash 6, Jordan Lane 6, Andre Savelio 8, Mahe Fonua 7, Jack Brown 6, Eldon Myers 6, Jack Sanderson 6. Tries: Faraimo (13, 22), Tuimavave (35), Griffin (38), Naulago (43, 46, 66). Goals: Sneyd 4/6, Connor 1/1. Referee: L. Moore Half-time: 0-22 Penalties: 6-10 Man of the match: Ratu Naulago (Hull FC) Attendance: 920
Dewsbury end pre-season on a high Pre-season friendly
DEWSBURY RAMS BRADFORD BULLS
25 12
at the Tetley’s Stadium TWO TRIES from Bradford old boy Jon Magrin helped Dewsbury to victory in their third and final pre-season game. After a draw against Batley on Boxing Day and a disappointing defeat at League One side Keighley seven days beforehand, Rams coach Lee Greenwood had said that many players were still to confirm their places in the side which kicks off the Championship against Leigh on January 31. But after this four-tries-to-two success, he hinted that he is now much closer to inking in the teamsheet as his 20-man squad, without both regular half-backs Paul Sykes and Liam Finn, overcame a youthful, eager but perhaps slightly toothless Bulls outfit. At the previous Monday’s Championship pre-season launch John Kear, on finding that the league’s main sponsors Betfred were offering 25/1 for a Bulls Grand 2020 Final win, suggested in jest that it might be a “good bet” for someone. Greenwood could be excused for feeling that Dewsbury, at 66/1, might also be worth a punt, once evergreen veteran Sykes, who will be 39 in August, and Finn, 36, are restored to the attack. Dewsbury, designated as the home side against their 2020 ground-share partners, threw away an 18-point lead at Keighley but, having carved out a 240 advantage on an initially sundrenched but rapidly cooling afternoon, never seemed likely to make the same
mistake two weeks running. Bradford, occupying the visitors’ changing rooms which will this season become the home side’s changing rooms when the Bulls are in residence (confused yet?), began brightly but faded with the light as Dewsbury took their chances when they happened. The Bulls made much of the early running with Harry Shackleton almost bursting through before being called back for ‘crossing’. Davey Dixon nearly went over in the corner at the other end but was adjudged to have a foot in touch. Brad Gallagher was held up on his back as play switched from end to end, partially due to a glut of 12 penalties in the opening 28 minutes. The deadlock was finally broken when Frazer Morris took a short pass and crashed over from close range with seven minutes of the half remaining, Will Oakes landing the first of his four conversions. Magrin then helped double the Rams’ lead when reaching out to score after a high kick came loose deep in Bradford territory. The Rams extended their lead to 18-0 when Sam Day put a charging Magrin over for his second. And unlike at Cougar Park the previous week, the Rams refused to take their feet off the gas as a Liam Johnson offload put Joe Martin over for their fourth try. The Bulls hit back to get off the mark when Liam Kirk scored from close range before a Jordan Lilley kick deflected off a Dewsbury man for Adam Rooks to take over and instil a modicum of belief in a comeback. Rowan Milnes added both conversions but, despite stepping up the pressure, the Bulls were unable to make
Minor injury setback for Walton Continued from back page had the Keighley game to go off. “We’re hoping that a lot of the good stuff that the lads have done in pre-season, the type of lads that they are and the culture that we’re bringing in, that will transfer into league points.” Jason Walton has received a further minor setback in his bid to
return to full fitness. The former Featherstone centre has been sidelined for the past year and will have another minor operation on Monday, with a view to coming back into contention around four weeks later. Sam Day (ankle strain) and Michael Knowles (thumb) picked up minor knocks in the Bulls clash but are expected to be available for next week’s season opener.
further inroads and Morgan Punchard made certain of the win with a late drop goal. Kear’s frustration with the perform-
Meanwhile, prop Tom Garratt has been on leave for personal reasons over the past month and any return remains uncertain. “The door is totally wide open for Tom,” said Greenwood. “We’ll be in contact with him but there’s no pressure on him to return. He’ll come back when he’s ready and if that means next week or next season then so be it.”
ance was increased by the loss, midway through the second half, of recent signing Sam Barlow with a broken bone in his lower arm.
BULLDOGS SET FOR LILLYCROP BOOST
BACK TO THE BULLDOGS: Tom Lillycrop on the ball for Cleckheaton RUFC against Moortown last weekend
By Stephen Ibbetson Sports Reporter sport@thepressnews.co.uk
BATLEY’S squad looks set to be boosted by a familiar face, with Tom Lillycrop returning to training with the club. The prop, who has made 98 appearances for the Bulldogs over the past five years, decided not to continue for the 2020 season due to work commitments. However, a lightening of that workload and a change in training schedule have presented the opportunity for him to return after a successful spell in rugby
PHOTO: Gerald Christian
union with Cleckheaton. He was expected to have his first session back at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium last night (Thursday). “He’s got quite a demanding job and it was taking up quite a lot of his time last year,” explained Batley coach Craig Lingard. “That’s settled down a little bit and our training times have changed as well from last year; we’re training on a Saturday morning which helps him as well as it’s only affecting his work two times a week instead of three. “He’s spent a bit of time playing union at Cleckheaton and he now wants to get back into league so he’ll be back with us. He said
he wants a good four or five weeks of training to get himself back into rugby league-playing condition so we’ll be keen to get him back in. “He’s a fit guy anyway. He’s been doing his own unofficial pre-season at the gym so he’s been getting himself into as good a shape as he can and he looks in good condition. He’s always been a fit guy so I don’t think it’ll take him long to get back to the standards required in the Championship. “I’ve watched a couple of his games (at Cleckheaton) and he’s gone well down there. It’s a different game with different strengths and attributes that you
need but I think he’s taken to it quite well.” Lingard also remains hopeful of adding to his squad before the Championship season kicks off with the potential for some players to come available from Super League clubs today (Friday). “Anybody who’s not in those squads aren’t going to be playing first-team rugby at their parent clubs so there might be a few people who are available,” he said. “I’ll be keeping a close eye on the final squads that the Super League teams submit. There are certainly some targets we have in mind that we don’t think will be in the final Super League squads.”
Players give Lee selection headaches LEE GREENWOOD is pleased to have positive selection headaches following Dewsbury Rams’ victory over Bradford Bulls in their final pre-season friendly last weekend. After defeat to League One side Keighley the week before, the Rams boss challenged his players to prove they were capable of playing at Championship level, and he got the desired response in a 25-12 win at the Tetley’s Stadium. With the league season set to start next Friday (January 31) at home to Leigh Centurions, there are now decisions to be made on team selection after a simplified game plan against Bradford allowed individuals to show their abilities. “It was a bit reactionary off the back of the Keighley performance, because what I wanted to do was just give individuals the chance to show a bit more,” said Greenwood. “Sometimes when you play a certain type of game plan, they’re reliant on the ball going out or going to a certain area for them to get their hands on it, but it was quite basic so it was up to the players to get their hands on the ball. That allowed people to get stuck in and not think too much about technical stuff. “There was nothing flashy about it, it was a 20-man effort where they all got stuck in and put a good shift in for each other. That’s probably something that we didn’t have on too many occasions last year and it’s something that we’ve alluded to in pre-season. “Some of them needed to produce something to get themselves into the reckoning for the start of the season. A lot of them did that and it means that we’ve got a few selection headaches coming up next week, whereas it was a different type of headache if we’d just
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Last chance to impress against weakened Giants BATLEY BULLDOGS players have one more chance to prove themselves before the Championship season gets underway as Huddersfield Giants visit the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium this weekend for the final friendly of pre-season. After facing the might of a full-strength Hull FC in last week’s 38-6 defeat, the Bulldogs will square up to a second-string Giants outfit in the last of four friendlies on Sunday (kick-off 2pm). Huddersfield begin their Super League season six days later and have confirmed that none of their first-choice players will take part in the friendly, having fielded their strongest side at Wakefield Trinity on Wednesday. Giants head coach Simon Woolford said: “Sunday will be for those guys who don’t play round one. It will be an opportunity for those to get some game time to make a claim for a starting spot down the track.” For his part, Batley boss Craig Lingard says that he will continue to try out different players,
combinations and systems as he looks for the winning formula to take into the first league game of the season the following weekend, at home to Featherstone Rovers. “We’re still looking at players and different options,” he said. “We’re still experimenting and working out what the best combinations are, and it might be two or three weeks into the season before we decide what those combinations are going to be.” Lingard will hope to see more players follow the lead of his most recent signing, former Halifax and Oldham utility Anthony Bowman, who has made an immediate impression in his first two weeks at the club. “I think Anthony Bowman has come in and in his first two friendlies has made a real impact. He’s certainly put his hand up to be in the first 17 of the season, and that’s what you’re wanting. You want people to say ‘look at me’ and get noticed.” After a Boxing Day draw with Dewsbury and
defeat at League One outfit Hunslet, last week’s Hull clash provided more positives for the Bulldogs boss. “It was good to see us on our own field and throw some shape out there,” Lingard said. “Playing against a lesser team than Hull we might have caused a few more problems, and we still poked our nose through quite a few times. “I don’t think we’ll play a better side than that all year and we were competitive for large parts of that game, but then you switch off for a few minutes and you’re stood behind your sticks a couple of times. That’s how ruthless Super League teams are and that’s what we need to try and attain for the Championship.” Forwards Tyler Dickinson (back) and Shaun Pick (wrist) missed the Hull game with minor complaints and will be assessed ahead of Huddersfield on Sunday, while centre Lewis Galbraith came through his first game of preseason last week following an ankle injury.
DECISIONS TO MAKE: Lee Greenwood