Thackley sharp-shooter Ben Grech-Brooksbanks, the joint top goal-scorer in the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division is this week’s Player Profile.
Name
Ben Grech-Brooksbank
Current Club
Thackley
Previous Clubs
Liversedge, Ossett Albion, Worsbrough Bridge, Eccleshill United
Position
Attacking midfielder
Age
27
Day Job
Events & Promotions Manager in Leeds
Best Mate in Football
All the Dennyboys, great set of lads!
Team You Support
Manchester United
Football Idol
David Beckham
Biggest influence on football career
Parents taking me all over the country when I was younger.
Career Highlight
Scoring for Scunthorpe United against Manchester United U16s at Glanford Park in the FA Youth Cup.
Most Memorable Game
Playing away at Salford City for Ossett Albion after the Class of ’92 had taken over.
Lowest moment in football
Having to leave Ossett Albion after a long-term reoccurring shin injury.
Biggest regret in football
Not getting back in to the pyramid after being dropped at Scunthorpe United and going back to Sunday league at 16
Funniest moment in football
Scoring a hat trick for Worsbrough after the chairman bought me a Mars Bar and every game after him walking in giving me a Mars Bar hoping I’d score another (I didn’t haha).
First semi-professional manager
Eric Gilchrist (Liversedge)
Non League Debut
Debut at Liversedge at 18.
First Red Card in Non League
Never been sent off but did get my first sin bin this weekend.
First and Best Non League Goal
First was for Liversedge from outside the box (ed. possibly a 59th minute strike against Pickering Town in a 4-0 win on the 29th September 2013).
Best goal was probably this year in the FA Cup for Thackley against Wythenshaw when I scored from the halfway line.
What do you want to achieve in football in the future?
Play as high as I can for as long as I can.
Favourite Non League Ground
Ossett United’s, good memories there and loved playing there in derby days with the big crowds and atmosphere.
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Take a look at our previous Player Profiles HERE
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.