Glasshoughton manager Jon Miles says the Rugby League Challenge Cup final is massively important to the area of Castleford
The Toolstation NCEL have rejected a request from Glasshoughton Welfare to postpone next week’s Premier Division trip to Tadcaster Albion.
Rugby League side Castleford Tigers are playing the Leeds Rhinos in the Challenge Cup Final next Saturday – their first appearance at Wembley since 1992.
The match is the biggest thing to happen to Castleford in recent memory and Welfare manager Jon Miles admits he could potentially struggle to field a team.
Castleford is traditionally a Rugby League town and Miles said: “We did ask for it changing, but the league have refused saying if they swapped it, they would have people asking for games swapping for the Open Golf and every Tom, Dick and Harry event going off.
“I think when your town is playing in something like that it is a bit different.
“Castleford will be deserted next Saturday. It’s huge for Castleford as an area.
“They reckon 20,000 people (from Castleford) are going down to Wembley.
“We have been told that we could ask Tadcaster to move the game to Friday night, but we haven’t done so yet.”
Glasshoughton have won one and lost two of their opening games to the season.
Welfare were beaten 6-0 at Handsworth Parramore last week, but won at Maltby before the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round defeat to Knaresborough Town yesterday.
Glasshoughton went down to a goal from former player Liam Tuck and Miles, who was critical of referee Dean Bradshaw’s decision to send Simon Leach off late-on, felt his team ran out of steam.
“It wasn’t the best of afternoons,” he said.
“It started well, but it’s very hard when you get your two centre-midfielders booked in the first 15 minutes.
“I thought it was slightly over-the-top.
“We were chasing shadows for a lot of the second half and we went down to ten men and I thought the red card was shocking because the lad completely pulled out of the challenge.
“There were far worser tackles in the game.
“The plan is to be tight, organised, not concede and catch someone out of the break and score, like we did.
“Then we’re looking to hold on and try get another in the last 20 minutes and I think we were quite comfortably holding until their first goal.
“We did drop quite deep.
“But, we had the legs run off us at Handsworth, who are a great team.
“We had to go out again at Maltby which was a great win.
“I think it was too big a turnaround and we haven’t got a big enough squad.”
On a positive front, Glasshoughton are in a position in the league that Miles wanted to be in after two games.
He added: “We know exactly our level is.
“You could say your Handsworth, Taddy, Shaw Lanes and a few more with their financial side, their organisation, are going to be in the top six.
“We know the teams who should be down at the bottom and we know where we should be battling.
“I’m quite happy after two league games.
“You don’t want to lose games, but we are where we expected to be points-wise after two games.”