Clayton Donaldson in action for Farsley Celtic. Photo: John McEvoy
By John Baron
Farsley Celtic have tonight announced the shock departure of head coach Clayton Donaldson and assistant coach Danny Ellis.
WLD understands the duo have been relieved of their duties due to ‘football reasons’.
In a statement issued on the club’s website tonight, chairman Paul Barthorpe said: “When making decisions of this kind, a large number of contributory factors are taken into consideration, but ultimately the board works solely for the benefit of Farsley Celtic FC, its development and its future. That’s where our loyalties are and will always be.
“Danny and Clayton are both registered as players with the club, and we still retain that registration.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank both Danny and Clayton for their efforts and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”
Director of Football Pav Singh will take over the reins as manager, and will be assisted by club captain Chris Atkinson as well as UEFA ‘A’ licensed coach and vice captain Conor Branson.
The Celts are enjoying a positive start to the season, by winning three of their first six league games in National League North and sitting just outside the playoff positions in tenth place.
More than 100 homes are set to be built at a former mill complex after permission was granted by the council.
Buildings at Canal Mills, next to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in Armley, will be demolished to make way for the scheme.
Developer Countylarge sought permission to build 102 homes in six terraced blocks of townhouses at the 19th century industrial site.
Canal Mills, pictured from Armley Road in Leeds. Picture from Google Streetview (July 2022)
A Leeds City Council planning report said: “The design of the properties could be seen as a modern interpretation of the Victorian terraced properties characteristic of the area and is considered appropriate.”
Existing buildings at the site include derelict a former spindle works attached to derelict warehouses and factory buildings.
The planning application includes a change of use of a grade II-listed building at 66 and 68 Armley Road to provide cycle storage.
The scheme also includes 53 parking spaces, along with grassed and landscaped areas, the report said.
Concerns were raised by Leeds Civic Trust over the future of wooden murals by the artist Graeme Wilson at the site.
The Civic Trust said: “The murals should be easily visible from the canal towpath as originally intended and the design of the buildings facing the canal should allow for this.”
The report said planning conditions included the murals being safely stored for inspection by the council before demolition work could go ahead.
Plans to incorporate the murals into the development would then be agreed.
Permission was also subject to affordable homes being included in the scheme, along with contributions to travel schemes and employment opportunities.
A design report said the scheme sought to preserve the character of its surroundings.
It said: “The proposal aims to create a high density development of very high quality. Houses are on the canal frontage to maximise views where possible.”
A senior police officer will be asked to explain a ‘worrying’ increase in the number of burglaries in the Calverley & Farsley ward to local councillors.
Speaking at the outer west community committee at Farnley Hall today, Cllr Craig Timmins (Lab, Calverley & Farsley) expressed concerns about a 73% increase in crime compared to last year.
Figures debated by councillors said there had been 50 more burglaries between January and August this year in the ward – a total of 111 compared to 61 for the same period last year.
There has also been an increase in shoplifting to 125 incidents, an increase of 66 from the 59 reported incidents last year.
“I am really concerned about the increasing number of burglaries,” Cllr Timmins said. “I see burglary is a force-wide priority and I would like to know what they are doing to tackle this at a local level.
“It would be good to have some information we could share with local residents.”
His calls were backed by Councillor Andrew Carter (Cons, Calverley & Farsley) who expressed concerns over the number of both criminal and anti-social behaviour/nuisance incidents.
It was agreed to ask a senior police officer to attend the next outer west community committee meeting in November to explain the rise and pass on any tips on how to tackle the incidents and highlight any trends.
Councillors also approved a grant for Calverley United Football Club towards replacement machinery to maintain the football pitch in Victoria Park.
They also approved a bid by Swinnow Community Centre for £3,750 towards items like crockery to support the new cafe.
Councillors also agreed to pay £1,500 towards Music Box Youth’s application towards delivering music workshops with young people at Swinnow Community Centre and building on the success of their youth choir at Pudsey House.
A bid for £2,750 by Music Box for music-related activities in Pudsey and Swinnow by Music Box was deferred to await more information.
Pudsey Greenside Greenway’s retrospective application to fund railway information boards at the former Greenside and Lowtown were refused.
A £34,000 application install a lift at Pudsey Community Project’s base in Fartown was deferred until November pending the completion of a legal agreement. The lift would allow the foodbank and Reduce Reuse Kids’ Clothes to move downstairs to create a dedicated clothes area.
The outer west community committee is made up of nine councillors from three wards: Calverley & Farsley, Farnley & Wortley and Pudsey and has five Labour, three Conservative and one independent councillor.
Plans for the first ‘electric forecourt’ in Yorkshire designed to charge electric vehicles has been withdrawn by the applicant.
Developers Gridserve last December submitted proposals to transform Diamond House and the adjacent car sales area on Henconner Lane, Bramley, into a series of electric vehicle charging stations, with new access, car parking for 35 vehicles and landscaping.
Existing buildings on the site would be demolished and replaced by new hub building, which will include retail and food and drink.
But the proposals have now been withdrawn. It’s unclear whether the developer will return with revised proposals.
A planning statement accompanying Gridserve’s application states: “The site has been selected as the first site in Yorkshire and will serve both passing traffic, local residents and businesses.
“In particular, the facility will make it possible for people living in flats and terrace housing without charging points to own and operate an electric vehicle. It will help to respond t the 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol/diesel engines.”
Plans to transform parts of grade II Listed Burley Methodist Church Hall into offices and an area for community use have been approved by Leeds City Council.
The church spans across 49, 51 and 53 Cardigan Lane, with Leeds Property Group owning both 49 and 51. This change of use application applies to 49 and 51 Cardigan Lane only.
Originally, the building was used as a Sunday school before being converted to offices in 2000 and consequently the different parts of the church were renamed to Burley Methodist Church (No. 53), Burley Hall (No. 51), and the annex becoming Burley Lodge (No. 49).
Burley Methouist Church Hall was later converted back into a place of worship in 2012. The smaller annex, Burley Lodge, was also converted back to a place of worship in 2014.
The proposal involves the change of use to become the main office space for Leeds Property Group, housing eight staff members. The proposal also requests for 49 Cardigan Lane to become a community space, “available for anyone in the local area”.
A planning statement accompanying the application states: “There are no alterations to the external of the building or the site layout, no changes to be made to the internal aside from the addition of general office furniture, and the site will retain its eight car-parking spaces.”
A council planning officer’s report approving the plan this week stated: “The development is considered acceptable in principle and would bring back into use a vacant listed building, providing office accommodation and a ‘community facility’ both of which are compatible with the mixed commercial and residential status of the surrounding area and the current building.
“Furthermore, subject to conditions, the proposal is not considered to pose a greater threat than the current use when assessing impacts from traffic generation, noise and privacy etc.”
Leeds 13 will soon be home to another gym specialising in Thai Boxing, or Muay Thai.
As previously reported by WLD, Horsforth’s Richard Smith and his wife Lisa are relocating Bad Company from York Road to the former Dogs 4 Uspet shop behind Bramley Shopping Centre.
“We’re delighted to announce the next stage in Bad Company’s development,” said Mr Smith.
“We’re bringing a brand-new combat sports performance facility to West Leeds. It’s going to be big, 12,000 square feet or over 1,100 square metres and we hope to have it up and running by December.”
The new venture is a partnership with professional world champion Liam Harrison along with Jay Parker, owner of Gym King.
The facilities will include two boxing rings, and an area dedicated to MMA centred on a fighting cage. There will also be a complete strength and conditioning gym managed by experienced performance coaches with personal training available. Mr Smith is including physio and treatment rooms, and there will be onsite parking for 35 cars.
Since setting up Bad Company in 1993 the Smiths have coached over twenty world champions out of Bad Company and are currently Head Coaches for Team EnglandWBC Muay Thai Amateur.
Bad Company is the only UK gym with three WBC Muay Thai professional World Champions in Andy Howson and Mateusz Duczmal in addition to Liam Harrison, 38, who fights Thailand’s Saeksan Kwanmuang in Denver next Saturday on One Championship.
Some 100,000 people in Britain train regularly at Thai Boxing gyms.
On bank holiday Monday the footballing gods were smiling on Farsley Celtic fans, who celebrated a 92nd-minute Ben Atkinson winner at Warrington to snatch a 2-1 win.
Just five days later those same gods were frowning on the travelling Celt Army as a 94th-minute Alfreton free kick found the bottom corner of Farsley’s goal to inflict a smash and grab 2-1 defeat.
It was harsh – very harsh – on the village team from West Leeds. But that, as the saying goes, is football for you.
For much of the game the well-organised Celts defended heroically against Alfreton’s traditional aerial bombardment.
The Celts took the lead through Tom Allan mid-way through the second half. The hosts grew stronger as the second half progressed and equalised through Max Hunt with 14 minutes to go.
But deep into stoppage time in-form Jed Abbey fired in from a free-kick to give Alfreton all three points.
It was a game of few chances, and certainly not one for the purists. Farsley were lucky to survive on 22 minutes as Adam Lund had two efforts blocked on the edge of the area before David Moyo’s strike smashed the post.
But Farsley snatched the lead just four minutes later as Allan’s excellent strike flew past keeper George Willis to put the visitors ahead in the contest with their first attack of note.
Alfreton’s aerial blitz-like bombardment would make the Wimbledon ‘crazy gang’ sides of old blush, and while their football is not attractive to watch, it is highly effective. It will be a surprise if this well-drilled and well-run Derbyshire outfit – who, like Farsley, have a modest fanbase – aren’t pushing for the playoffs again this season.
The hosts’ per centage football dominated after the break, without really threatening Leeds United loanee Ombang in the Farsley goal until Alfreton pulled level on 76 minutes when Hunt volleyed home to make it 1-1.
The Celt Army came agonisingly close to clinching the three points themselves when substitute DJ Campton-Sturridge’s rasping effort from a threatening run at the edge of the area cannoned off the post on 88 minutes.
Three minutes into stoppage time striker Robbie Fox should have won it for Farsley. But the substitute could only fire his first time shot straight at the Alfreton goalkeeper from inside the six-yard area.
The Celts would be left to rue the miss.
Less than a minute later, the hosts countered and Rudy Misambo conceded a needless free kick on the edge of the area. Abbey hit the set-piece past a poorly set up wall and some questionable goalkeeping to gift Alfreton a late victory and leave Farsley fans wondering how their team had lost that game.
Post-match reaction
Gaffer Clayton Donaldson was left frustrated with the defeat. He said: “We’re obviously disappointed with the result. I don’t think we deserved to lose. I thought the point was the absolute least that we deserved with the way we performed.
“I thought we played well overall. Had two moments where we just switched off and it cost us. It’s hard to take because we did have chances to increase our lead in the game. We hit the post, the keeper made a couple of good saves but I think that was their only two moments out of three they had in the game.
“They bombard you with long throws and set pieces so you have to be resilient and stay focused, which we did for 80 minutes and then we switched off and we were punished.”
Despite the defeat, pitchless Farsley’s form has been good this season and they sit just outside the playoff spots on nine points, with three wins and three defeats from six tough away games.
The grass pitch has been removed at The Citadel, but work on installing a 4G surface has stalled. Photo: John Baron
Home comforts?
Fans will this week be hoping for some sort of clarity from the club over work on laying a new state-of-the-art pitch at the Citadel.
After the removal of the old grass pitch over a month ago work stalled due to an unspecified ‘historic’ problem at the site.
According to the most recent update issued nine days ago – chairman Paul Barthorpe had agreed terms and ‘signed off on a solution for this’ and an update on a start date had been due in the past few days.
Farsley’s first home game could be against Spennymoor on 19 October and not the Leamington game on 21 September as first planned. If the date is met, the Celts will have faced 11 straight National League North away games in a row, plus at least one FA Cup tie.
Next up
Pitchless Farsley will look to bounce back from the defeat on Tuesday evening with a trip to Southport as they face their seventh consecutive away game of the season. Kick off is 7.45pm.
Looking ahead to the game, Donaldson said: “We go again. If you’re going to lose then you want to lose playing well for the majority of the game and we did that so that’s the main positive we can take which we will do going into the next game.
“Onto Tuesday now and Southport away is a game in which we can try and put things right. We played well there last year and got a decent result [1-1] so we’ll be looking for the same again.
“We’ll obviously watch and analyse where we went wrong on Saturday but at the same time we’ll move on quickly and make sure everyone is ready for that by picking a side that can take all three points.”
Places are still available on the supporters’ club bus. Contact John Stubbs on 07904 187327.
Pudsey Scarecrow Festival returns for 2024. Photo: Damon Sugden
By community reporter
Pudsey Park will be devoid of crows and other feathered friends on Sunday (September 1) as the annual Pudsey Scarecrow Festival takes over.
The event, which runs 10am-4pm, has a theme of Olympics and sport, with dozens of scarecrows made by West Leeds residents of all ages on display in the park.
Trail maps are available, with thanks to sponsor Ison Harrison Solicitors and are available at Pudsey Community hub/library today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday, 31 August) during their opening hour. They will also be available in Pudsey Park during the event.
There’s also a chance to win a voucher for The Bearded Sailor fish and chip takeaway and 25 Pudsey Pounds to spend in the town, courtesy the Pudsey Lottery.
Visit as many scarecrows as possible, write the name of your favourite one on your trail map along with your contact details and return it to the information desk in Pudsey Park during the event, or to Pudsey Library by 5pm on Monday, 2 September to be entered into a prize draw.
Today (Friday, 30 August), marks the 200th anniversary of Pudsey Parish Church.
To mark the event, the church is holding special open days today and tomorrow (Saturday) for people to look around the building and join a guided tour to see parts of the building they wouldn’t normally be able to.
Visitors will be able to look at the church’s magnificent stained glass windows, the organ, and balconies.
There’s a unique opportunity to have a close look at, and even a selfie taken with, one of the clock faces. The eight-foot high face normally sits up on the church tower overlooking Pudsey Park but has currently been taken down for maintenance.
There’s something for all the family. As well as special tours aimed at younger people, there are games and colouring sheets and the opportunity for children (and adults) to dress up in Victorian and Edwardian costumes.
There are special flower arrangements and displays of wedding memories from people who were married at the church, as well as an gallery of designs for stained glass windows done by children at local primary schools for the church’s Bicentennial Art Competition.
A video of the church’s bells ringing is being shown, and a recording of the bells ringing to mark the occasion will be broadcast this weekend on Radio 4’s Bells On Sunday, and can also be listened to afterwards on the BBC Sounds website.
Entry to the open days, and refreshments at the church cafe are free.
The church has launched an appeal to raise money to restore the clock tower, and donations would be welcomed. Proceeds from this weekend’s Pudsey Scarecrow Festival are being given to the clock appeal, which the church would like to thank the Scarecrow Committee for.
The Bicentenary weekend will conclude with a special service on Sunday at 10am, with the Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines speaking. The church will then be open again on Sunday afternoon, linking the celebrations into the Scarecrow festival.
