Silsden AFC - The Cougar Park Years
Wed 21st April 2010 | Silsden | By Ian Templeman
On Saturday April 24th Silsden will play their final game at Cougar Park, Keighley.Â
Jim Rosser looks back over their years of groundsharing with their Rugby League landlords Keighley Cougars.
The Cobbydalers, having reformed in 1996 from an under 17's side, moved into the Craven League Division Two, gaining promotion and eventually moving into the West Riding County Amateur League. In 2002-03 the team went through the season without losing a game, and the following season both the WRCA League title and the West Riding Challenge Cup were retained.
It was clear that the team was capable of more and an application was put forward to join the NWCFL, but due to the lack of facilities at the Keighley Road ground, a move to Cougar Park was needed. The club would like to put on record our thanks to the Cougars for allowing us to use their facilities for the last five and a half years.
The visitors on Saturday will be Winsford United, who provided the Silsden outfit with their greatest challenge in modern times. In their first season in The North West Counties Football League the Cobbydalers and Winsford were fighting for the second promotion spot, behind runaway leaders, Cammell Laird.
It was April 2005 when the Cobbydalers travelled to Winsford. The Cobbydalers produced a lacklustre performance losing 4-0, meaning that to gain promotion in their first season, they had to win their remaining seven games. The run-in has been well documented but, having won the first four, Silsden were left to beat Cammell Laird twice (the champions who had narrowly beaten Silsden in the League Cup), and Daisy Hill in the space of five days.
The Cobbydalers won on Merseyside 2-0, then, on May Day Bank Holiday Monday, surrendered a two goal lead at Daisy Hill, before winning 4-3. Two days later, the Cobbydalers faced the Lairds at home. Having lost at home on the Saturday, the Lairds were like a wounded animal and took the lead early in the game.
James Gill scored the equaliser, whilst keeper Martin Foulger kept the Cobbydalers alive, and Martin Bland headed the winner in the 74th minute.. What a game! What a season. The crowd of 332 was double the second highest for a league fixture in season 2004-05. May 4th 2005 will long be remembered in Silsden. And the player of the year that season was......Martin Bland!
If promotion was the highlight of the Centenary Season, there were some other memorable moments. Silsden's first F.A Cup run saw them make progress by defeating both Hebburn away, and Hallam in a replay at football's oldest ground still in use. An away trip at Holker beckoned. With the home side hanging on by booting the ball out of the ground, Silsden eventually scored a late equaliser in the 6th minute of stoppage time.
Silsden, with the prize of a home tie against Harrogate Town going to the victors, went two nil down in the replay before laying siege in the Holker half. A crowd of 525 cheered Silsden on, but the Cobbydalers luck had run out. Jamie Longley's 90th minute goal came too late. A great run in the Vase ended at Bedlington Terriers and several other scalps were taken in the Yorkshire Senior Cup.
No season could match that, but many other notable games have taken place during the tenure at Cougar Park. Two meetings against FC United of Manchester were watched by crowds of 1,564 and 1,148 in 2006/07 and a West Riding County Cup tie versus Halifax Town FC attracted over 700.
In the last fourteen years the Cobbydalers have had only three managers, Andy Geary (ably assisted by Mick Hook) from 1996 to 2006, Paul Schofield (with help from Richard Chattoe and Dave Morgan) from 2006-2009 and present incumbent Chris Reape assisted by Mick Tillotson. The club have continued to try and build on a youth policy with players like Simpson, Longley, Hird, Rishton, McNulty, Matthew and Martin Bland, and occasionally, Foulger, who are all still playing, and the likes of Rhodes, Bentham, Nettleton, Holden, Holmes, Hoyle, Hedges, Reed, Rosser, Reilly, Finn, Lund, Gill, Airey, Thompson, Richardson, Ward, Akroyd, McClennon, Appelbee, Spencer, Hollindrake.
The list is endless and the club would love to see any ex-players who are free on Saturday for our final game at Cougar Park.
Next season the Cobbydalers hope to start a new chapter in their history, when they return to their spiritual home on Keighley Road.
Silsden AFC - The Cougar Park Years
Wed 21st April 2010 | Silsden
By Ian Templeman
On Saturday April 24th Silsden will play their final game at Cougar Park, Keighley.Â
Jim Rosser looks back over their years of groundsharing with their Rugby League landlords Keighley Cougars.
The Cobbydalers, having reformed in 1996 from an under 17's side, moved into the Craven League Division Two, gaining promotion and eventually moving into the West Riding County Amateur League. In 2002-03 the team went through the season without losing a game, and the following season both the WRCA League title and the West Riding Challenge Cup were retained.
It was clear that the team was capable of more and an application was put forward to join the NWCFL, but due to the lack of facilities at the Keighley Road ground, a move to Cougar Park was needed. The club would like to put on record our thanks to the Cougars for allowing us to use their facilities for the last five and a half years.
The visitors on Saturday will be Winsford United, who provided the Silsden outfit with their greatest challenge in modern times. In their first season in The North West Counties Football League the Cobbydalers and Winsford were fighting for the second promotion spot, behind runaway leaders, Cammell Laird.
It was April 2005 when the Cobbydalers travelled to Winsford. The Cobbydalers produced a lacklustre performance losing 4-0, meaning that to gain promotion in their first season, they had to win their remaining seven games. The run-in has been well documented but, having won the first four, Silsden were left to beat Cammell Laird twice (the champions who had narrowly beaten Silsden in the League Cup), and Daisy Hill in the space of five days.
The Cobbydalers won on Merseyside 2-0, then, on May Day Bank Holiday Monday, surrendered a two goal lead at Daisy Hill, before winning 4-3. Two days later, the Cobbydalers faced the Lairds at home. Having lost at home on the Saturday, the Lairds were like a wounded animal and took the lead early in the game.
James Gill scored the equaliser, whilst keeper Martin Foulger kept the Cobbydalers alive, and Martin Bland headed the winner in the 74th minute.. What a game! What a season. The crowd of 332 was double the second highest for a league fixture in season 2004-05. May 4th 2005 will long be remembered in Silsden. And the player of the year that season was......Martin Bland!
If promotion was the highlight of the Centenary Season, there were some other memorable moments. Silsden's first F.A Cup run saw them make progress by defeating both Hebburn away, and Hallam in a replay at football's oldest ground still in use. An away trip at Holker beckoned. With the home side hanging on by booting the ball out of the ground, Silsden eventually scored a late equaliser in the 6th minute of stoppage time.
Silsden, with the prize of a home tie against Harrogate Town going to the victors, went two nil down in the replay before laying siege in the Holker half. A crowd of 525 cheered Silsden on, but the Cobbydalers luck had run out. Jamie Longley's 90th minute goal came too late. A great run in the Vase ended at Bedlington Terriers and several other scalps were taken in the Yorkshire Senior Cup.
No season could match that, but many other notable games have taken place during the tenure at Cougar Park. Two meetings against FC United of Manchester were watched by crowds of 1,564 and 1,148 in 2006/07 and a West Riding County Cup tie versus Halifax Town FC attracted over 700.
In the last fourteen years the Cobbydalers have had only three managers, Andy Geary (ably assisted by Mick Hook) from 1996 to 2006, Paul Schofield (with help from Richard Chattoe and Dave Morgan) from 2006-2009 and present incumbent Chris Reape assisted by Mick Tillotson. The club have continued to try and build on a youth policy with players like Simpson, Longley, Hird, Rishton, McNulty, Matthew and Martin Bland, and occasionally, Foulger, who are all still playing, and the likes of Rhodes, Bentham, Nettleton, Holden, Holmes, Hoyle, Hedges, Reed, Rosser, Reilly, Finn, Lund, Gill, Airey, Thompson, Richardson, Ward, Akroyd, McClennon, Appelbee, Spencer, Hollindrake.
The list is endless and the club would love to see any ex-players who are free on Saturday for our final game at Cougar Park.
Next season the Cobbydalers hope to start a new chapter in their history, when they return to their spiritual home on Keighley Road.
