Here is the 35th in our weekly series profiling players across the region. Each week a different player will reveal their best (and worst) moments. This week it is the turn of Farsley Celtic playmaker Lewis Nightingale.
It is a big few weeks for Nightingale, who is hoping to win promotion with Farsley on Saturday in the play-off final with Ossett Town. He is also preparing for his annual family charity match in memory of his grandfather from which he hopes to raise £1000 for Cancer Research UK.
Farsley Celtic midfielder Lewis Nightingale. Picture: alexdanielphotos.co.uk
Name: Lewis Nightingale
Age: 26
Position: Midfielder
Current Club: Farsley Celtic
Previous Clubs: Bradford (Park Avenue), Harrogate Railway, Curzon Ashton, Mossley, Darlington.
Day Job: Head Foundation Phase Coach at Bradford City.
Based: Leeds
Favourite Team: Liverpool
All-time favourite player and why?: Steven Gerrard – the guy had a bit of everything!
Best mate in football: Conor Sellars.
Conor Sellars is a good mate of Lewis Nightingale’s
Description of Career Highlight: Signing professional forms at Huddersfield Town aged 18 or my goal against Spennymoor for Farsley last year (above).
Lowest Moment in Football: Lowest moment was dropping out of professional football and struggling to get games in Non League initially.
Description of Most Memorable Match: Probably the Spennymoor game for Farsley when we went up there and won 4-0 and to score the best goal. It was top draw!
First semi-professional manager and at which club: Simon Collins (Bradford Park Avenue).
Biggest influence in football: My dad.
Description of First Red Card (at semi-professional level): My only red card was this season against Burscough, Two yellows cards (inside the first 11 minutes) and i don’t think either were.
Description of First Goal (at semi-professional level): Think my first goal was for Harrogate Railway away at Trafford in 2011. (NLY thinks it may be a goal for Farsley against Arnold Town in 2011) when Lewis cut inside from the right before scoring with a composed finish)
Description of favourite goal (at semi-professional level): Favourite goal was the Spennymoor goal last year where i managed to beat 3-4 before putting it past the goalkeeper.
Nightingale won the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division title with Farsley in 2011
NLY believes this goal (against Arnold Town in 2011) to be Nightingale’s first in Non League football
Lewis Nightingale in action for Farsley during an FA Cup win over Frickley in 2014
Lewis Nightingale has had three spells with Farsley
Lewis Nightingale in action for Darlington during pre-season during his brief spell in the North East
Every year, Lewis Nightingale organises a family charity match in memory of his grandfather. He has helped raise over £10,000 in seven years.
What do you want to achieve in football in the future: I want to play as high and for as long as I can, whilst developing my coaching to see where that takes me.
Favourite Non League Ground I’ve played at (barring your own club): Curzon Ashton, purely because of the pitch.
How much have you raised for charity in the past few years?: Over the last 7 years I think we have raised just over £10k
How long do you think you’ll keep fundraising for in the coming years?: I think we will continue to raise until we reach 10 years!
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Take a look at our previous Player Profiles HERE