31/07/08

Mossley travel to Cleckheaton based KoolSport Northern Counties East Leaguers Liversedge on Saturday for the first of three successive away pre season friendlies.

Liversedge, who have UniBond League ambitions play at:-

Clayborn Ground, Quaker Lane, Hightown Road, Cleckheaton, WF15 8DA. Tel: (01274) 862108

Liversedge Football Club was founded in 1910 following the demise of the old Liversedge Rugby Club which had been a member of the Northern Union which, in turn, was the forerunner to the Rugby League. It was one of a number of clubs which switched codes around that time. The club was a founder member of the West Riding County Amateur League in season 1922-23 and went on to be the most successful club in the league’s infancy, taking the league title three times in the first five seasons.

The long association with the County Amateur League was maintained until the early 1970s by which time the club had kept up their position as a top local side. The decision was taken to apply for membership of the Yorkshire League and the club’s acceptance for season 1972-73 was followed by immediate promotion from Division Three.

While not winning trophies around this time, success did come the club’s way as promotion to Yorkshire League Division One was achieved prior to the amalgamation of the Midland and Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties East League in 1982.  The early years in the new set-up saw ‘Sedge struggle both on and off the pitch but good strides were made in the late 1980s.

In 1988-89, they were promoted to NCEL Division One but a lack of floodlights the following season saw them miss out on promotion to the Premier Division. A great club effort the following season by players, officials and supporters alike saw them promoted to the Premier Division. The disappointment of missing out the previous season had been tempered by the winning of the West Riding County Cup for the first time in the club’s history.

Life in the top flight has brought fluctuating fortunes and relegation has been flirted with on a couple of occasions but Sedge is still proud of their record of never ever being relegated.  Recent seasons have brought league stability and the club’s placing of 6th in 1999-2000 was emulated two seasons ago as the club maintained it’s improvement under Manager Eugene Lacy. The high spot of 2004-2005 however, was undoubtedly a fine FA Cup run to the Fourth Qualifying Round, beating three higher-ranked opponents along the way. 

The 2005-06 season saw a new look to ‘Sedge’s ground, as the famous “Clayborn Slope” was removed. The club’s epic FA Cup run had enabled the club to finance, with the help of the FA, the levelling of the playing area, a fitting reminder of their FA Cup exploits.

On the field also brought success, by way of the winning of the NCEL League Cup for the first time and Sedge’s highest ever placing of runners-up spot in the NCEL Premier Division behind Buxton.  Unfortunately promotion was not to be gained, as the club’s changing rooms were not to the satisfactory sizes needed by the Unibond.

The players and Management, as well as the committee were devastated and at the start of the 2006-07 season, spirits were low at the club but the merger of Sedge and a large local junior club, Gomersal & Cleckheaton F.C., was a step in the right direction.

This partnership is well matched, as Sedge significantly increased its membership almost overnight and Gomersal & Cleckheaton were provided with a home after building a substantial club but not having a home, as such. This meeting of two similar thinking and ambitious clubs promises well for the future development of the club. 

On the pitch though, an indifferent start to the season however led to the resignation of Eugene Lacy in December and at the start of 2007, the club appointed Gerry Quinn, the former Emley, Ossett Albion, Altrincham and Ashton United Manager as their new boss. This proved to be a short-lived encounter with Quinn struggling to make the most of an NCEL playing expense budget.  So in June 2007,

Steve Newton, the current Manager, was invited to spearhead the club’s ambition to join the Unibond League and with the new committee, strengthened by our junior club colleagues, now putting together plans and resources for a new clubhouse which will be built in phases, the future looks bright, with a new club lottery and high team spirit all around Clayborn.