Pontefract Collieries F.C.

Pontefract Collieries

Full name	Pontefract Collieries Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Colls
Founded	1958
Ground	Beechnut Lane, Pontefract
Capacity	1,200 (300 seats)
Manager	Vacant
League	Northern Premier League Division One East
2023–24	Northern Premier League Division One East, 4th of 20
Home colours Away colours

Pontefract Collieries Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. The team currently plays in the Northern Premier League Division One East. The club is affiliated to the West Riding County Football Association and Castleford & District Football Association. Founded in 1958 and nicknamed 'The Colls', they have traditional local rivalries with neighbours Glasshoughton Welfare, Hemsworth Miners Welfare and Selby Town. More recently, a rivalry has developed with Ossett United, including a promotion play-off at the end of the 2018–19 season.

Ground

The Norman Manley Memorial Stand in 2022.

Pontefract Collieries play their home games Beechnut Lane, situated near to the site of the former Prince of Wales Colliery.

The ground is fully floodlit with a capacity of approximately 1,200 spectators and comprises hard standing area around the perimeter of the pitch. One stand behind the goals has a terrace with cover. The main stand holds the seating provision, with the seats obtained from Manchester City's old Maine Road ground when it was demolished.

Recent history

2012–13

The season ended with only one defeat in the last ten games including victories over Askern Villa of 9–0 and 10–2. The club finished 5th for the third season in a row.

2013–14

This was a season of consolidation which ended in a disappointing 9th place but with a clear plan in place for the 2014–15 season.

2014–15

The plan was delivered as The Colls finished as runners-up in North Counties East League Division One and were promoted back to the NCEL Premier Division after a 15-year absence. Along the way they recorded the highest away win, best aggregate score, most goals scored (joint with Louth Town), 2nd best defense and the most clean sheets.

2015–16

The latter part of the season saw the Colls with a new management team of Craig Parry, Manager and former Colls Keeper, assisted by Craig Rouse and Nigel Danby. The Colls fought to the bitter end but ended up third from bottom and back in Division One.

2016–17

A great start to the season led by Manager Craig Parry, Assistant Manager Craig Rouse and Head Player/Coach Luke Jeffs saw the Colls win 9 from 9 (including pre-season friendlies) The League performance saw some brilliant runs of form including one of 21 games with only one defeat. With the Colls fate in their own hands they only needed to win away at Worsborough Bridge in the final game. This they duly did and returned to the NCEL Premier Division at the first time of asking.

2018–19

After two consecutive promotions the Colls had an extremely successful first ever season at Step Four of non-league in the NPL Division One East finishing as runners-up to Morpeth Town. A good pre-season saw the Colls gain 2 pieces of silverware – The Bill Cook Memorial Trophy against Glasshoughton Welfare and the Inaugural Colliery Cup from a keenly contested game against NPL Division One West side Atherton Collieries. The Colls narrowly lost out on promotion to the NPL Premier Division at the first time of asking after losing to Brighouse Town in the Play-offs.

2019–20

A successful pre-season saw the Colls again retain the Bill Cook Memorial Trophy against Glasshoughton Welfare (winning 9–2) and also retain the Colliery Cup against the 2018–19 NPL Division One West champions Atherton Collieries (winning 6–1).

Pontefract Collieries playing at Tadcaster Albion in January 2022.

Pontefract Collieries playing North Shields FC in October 2022.

Honours

• Northern Counties East League
  • Premier Division champions 2017–18
  • Division One North champions 1983–84
  • Floodlit Cup winners 1987–88, 1988–89
  • Wilkinson Sword Trophy winners 1995–96
• Yorkshire Football League
  • Division Three champions 1981–82
• Castleford & District FA Embleton Cup
  • Winners 1982–83, 1986–87, 1995–96, 1999–00, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	POL	Sebastian Malkowski
2	DF	ENG	Jack Greenhough
3	DF	ENG	Connor Smythe
4	DF	ENG	Jameel Ible
5	DF	ENG	Jake Picton
6	DF	ENG	Spencer Clarke
7	MF	ENG	Cody Cromack
8	MF	ENG	Jamie Williams
9	FW	ENG	Joe Lumsden
10	FW	ENG	Vaughan Redford

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
11	MF	ENG	James Baxendale
12	DF	ENG	Fabien Bailey
13	GK	ENG	Adam Lax
14	MF	ENG	Alex Starcenko
15	MF	ENG	Gavin Rothery
16	MF	ENG	Bradley Docherty
17	MF	ENG	Michael Dunn
18	DF	ENG	John Cyrus
19	DF	ENG	Luke Jeffs
—	FW	GIB	Adam Priestley

External links

• Official website