against Old Boys

AFTER a longer than anticipated break Otley Town AFC now look to the New Year and a derby game to start off proceedings when they entertain Rawdon Old Boys on Saturday kicking-off at 2.15pm.

On paper this would appear to be no contest with Town topping Division One of the West Riding County Amateur League and the Old Boys currently in one of the relegation spots.

However, with two former Old Boys in the Town ranks in Andrew Pickering and Gareth Reynolds, and maybe one or two old Town lads in the Rawdon side, the homesters will not be expecting anything but a real test that a derby game can bring.

Town's league record so far is very impressive with 12 victories, a loss and a draw with 40 goals scored against only 12 conceded. Rawdon have two wins and a draw from 11 games played. A disappointing exit was made by Town from the County Cup but two more cup-ties await in January.

On the 15th a visit to Baildon is scheduled for a quarter-final tie in the District Cup - kick-off for this is 1.30pm, whilst the week after a League Cup-tie at Pudsey Liberals awaits with a 1.45pm kick-off. The month finishes with a league game at home to Overthorpe.

Scoring wise James Firth leads the way with 13 closely followed by Michael Jordan who has 12. Tom Dixon has eight, Lee Grice seven and Carl Kenick five, and with five others hitting the target scoring has been of a consistent nature throughout the first-half of a very satisfying season which Town hope to resume and finish in a similar vein.

Off the field the year 2000 will see the club solely involved, at present, with football following the unfortunate demise of the cricket club. Hopefully the on-field success will be supported off the field as financial pressures increase.

Building work is currently being finished off to the clubhouse before work starts on changing rooms and showers. This latter expense is a compulsory one if Town wish to retain their status in the County Amateur League whose ground and accommodation regulations become stricter from next season.

Anyway, promotion is the first priority and hopefully three points towards this target will ensure that this weekend. More importantly let's hope for a good game to start the new century.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.