Season Preview
NPL Division One East
Pontefract Collieries
The Colls have gone back to the future by bringing back Craig Rouse and loads of the double-promotion-winning heroes from yesteryear. Hopes are high they can bring back the good times after a tough 12 months. Can Yorkshire’s best Non League success story of the last few years add more chapters to the story?
The Manager
Craig Rouse
Rouse is back in the Ponte dugout but this time as manager after replacing Andy Monkhouse in January.
The stalwart has served the club as a player and assistant manager – most notably as number two to Craig Parry during the unforgettable rise from the Toolstation NCEL Division One to the Northern Premier League.
Opening Five Fixtures
Ossett United (h), Pickering Town (a), Goole AFC – FA Cup (a), Cleethorpes Town (h), Dunston (a).
Notable Movement
In: Kane Reece (Emley), Eli Hey, Ryan Musselwhite, Spencer Clarke, Mikey Dunn, Jack Greenhough, Vaughan Redford, Derry Robson, Jack Vann, Noah Stokes, Jake Greatorex, Callum Brook, Layton Swaine (Hemsworth Miners Welfare).
Out: Matty Nebard (Brighouse Town), Sam Tingle (Hemsworth Miners Welfare), Mikey Emery.
One to Watch
Mikey Dunn
Magic Mikey was a star for Ponte during his original spell with the club and he’s bound to be a key man again.
Interview
Craig Rouse would love to add more success to the Pontefract Collieries fairytale.
Rouse returned to Pontefract in January to assume command of the club and immediately brought back many of the players who helped them win two consecutive promotions.
Although promotion is not a word Rouse is using, the Colls chief wants his team to be a tough nut to crack.
“When we came back to the club the expectation was just to bring a feel-good back factor and just improve on the previous season,” Rouse told Non League Yorkshire.
“We have our expectations of wanting to be in there competing.
“We don’t just want to be in there to make the numbers up.
“We want to attack every side and see where it takes us.
“We like to keep our expectations private within the changing room and that’s what’ll do but we’re certainly not there to make the numbers up and we want to have a go at every team.”
Asked how much of an achievement getting promoted to the NPL Premier Division would be, he added: “I know we have the two seasons which have been curtailed – but when you look at them:
“In the first one we were in a title race and in the previous season to that we lost in the play-off final and before that we had two consecutive promotions.
“So in the last three completed seasons we have had two promotions and a play-off final.
“If we got anywhere near (the NPL Premier Division) that it would be a massive achievement for the club.
“Not only that, it would be a massive achievement for the area.
“In four completed seasons we’d have gone from the North East Counties Division One to the Northern Premier League so it would be a dream come true.”
The idea of Pontefract playing NPL football several years ago would have been laughed at by many.
In 2016 the Colls were relegated from the NCEL Premier Division and were struggling for volunteers.
Fast forward to 2021 and the club is thriving.
The Colls have a big volunteer workforce, hundreds of junior footballers, ever-improving facilities, education programmes and Rouse agrees it is amazing to see.
“People didn’t want to be involved (in 2016),” he said.
“We were having to sell it to people to build a competitive squad.
“We managed to do that and off-the-pitch we had limited volunteers.
“We have openly spoken about that during the (2015/16) season when the club got relegated, we went to one away game and we had a wet kit – it hadn’t been dried.
“We have turned up to away games with no balls (in the bad times).
“It is chalk and cheese and you look back to that time and you look at time now and it is a world away.
“Long may it continue and the more we get through the gate will help us grow the number of volunteers.
“That will help grow the club.
“I know we take a few knocks around the area and social media for the fact we were in the league and the facilities weren’t keeping up with it.
“But I think that is something that is changing now.
“You can see the work that is happening on-and-off-the-pitch.
“I think it is for other people to judge whether we are a success story but I like to think we have made enough waves to be judged that way.”
Beechnut Lane is set to be packed for the appetising opening day clash with Ossett United.
Over 500 people could very easily turn out for the occasion and Rouse admits it is a cracker.
“There’s no hiding from it (that it is mouth-watering),” he said.
“You can play it down but both clubs will be happy with that.
“If you’re ever going to open with a game that is going to generate a lot of interest then that’s the one.
“I think it is going to be a competitive game.
“They have built a really good squad over there and added some really good players over the summer.”
Prediction
Potential play-offs contenders
If you have enjoyed reading Non League Yorkshire over the past few months, please consider making a donation to the not-for-profit organisation NLY Community Sport which provides sport for children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties. CLICK HERE to visit the JustGiving page. There is a video at the bottom of the page showing our work.
NLY Community Sport, run by James Grayson and Connor Rollinson, has always had combatting social isolation at the top of our objectives when running our Disability Football teams.
Our work is playing an important role in reintroducing our players, who have disabilities and learning difficulties, back into society.
We have six teams, a mixture of Junior and Adult teams – Nostell MW DFC, Pontefract Pirates, Selby Disability Football Club and the South Yorkshire Superheroes (Barnsley) – across Yorkshire.
We have enjoyed great success over the past three years. Several of our players have represented Mencap GB in Geneva, including Billy Hobson from Selby and Greg Smith, whose story is quite inspiring.
You can learn more about the organisation HERE and on our Facebook page.
Watch the video below to see highlights from our three years as an organisation. The video was produced for our players at the end of March to remind them of good memories from the last three years.
