Ossett has been United

Who knew non-league football could be so captivating!

Football in Ossett has always been a bit of an odd thing to me. For context, Ossett is a little town about five minutes away from Wakefield. If you still don’t know where that is, it’s near Leeds (I’ve spent my whole life justifying my hometown’s existence that way). For as long as I can remember, Ossett has always had two football teams; Ossett Town and Ossett Albion. Many places have more than one football team, London has at least four, Manchester has two and even Dundee’s footballing allegiances are split in half but these places all share one thing in common: they’re large cities with a sizable population. In contrast to this, you can drive from one end of Ossett to the other in roughly 3½ minutes (provided you avoid speed bumps and traffic lights), it’s such a small town that I could never understand the need for two football teams.

In school, the break time football matches were always “Town Vs Albion” and as we grew older, those that were good enough began to play for the respective youth teams. As kids, the rivalry between Town and Albion seemed to matter more though none of us really knew why. Fights would break out between those who played for Town and those who represented Albion (by fights I mean stick swords were crossed) but as we left junior school and moved to secondary school, the relevance of either team seemed to slip away. The only reason I knew Ossett Town still existed was that I drove past their ground in the centre of town nearly every day. I can’t say I ever heard of either team really achieving much (though I could be wrong).

But boy have things turned around this year! I only discovered the merger purely by accident when Twitter pulled up Ossett Town’s account as one that I should add. I figured I might as well take a look and see if anything was going on and that’s when I learned that both Albion and Town had come together and created a brand-new franchise, Ossett United. Intrigued, I found my way to United’s Twitter account and was amazed at how much I liked what I saw. A new logo, a new kit and a new livery for the stadium and it seems that Ossett’s footballing prospects are all but rejuvenated. I don’t understand why this didn’t happen years ago!  It makes so much more sense to get an entire town behind one football team, rather than dividing their allegiances between two! But while most folks are preoccupied with the results on the field, it’s the effect on the town itself which caught my eye.

Because for the first time in a very long time, people are actually talking about football in Ossett. I don’t just mean the grizzled old flat-cap-wearing inhabitants of the nearest pub who loved nothing more than a pint of Tetleys and a grumble, I mean everyone. People in the street, kids in school, even national newspapers are all taking notice of the Ossett merger. I’ve seen people walking around wearing their replica Ossett United shirts which was something I’d never seen happen with Town or Albion. I’m not entirely sure if they even did replica shirts, let alone if there was a demand for them. It’s all down to the fantastic way the merger has been handled.

To me, the way Ossett United has exploded onto the scene, it doesn’t feel like your typical non-league side. It comes across more like a fully-fledged franchise (I’m going all American) with its sights set on greater things. I think that’s one of the reasons why the community at large has engaged with the new team as much as they have. There’s a recognition of the work that’s gone into Ossett United both behind the scenes and on the pitch. United has its own line of merchandise for sale, air-fresheners, notebooks, mugs that kind of thing. They’ve had an active presence at community-based events and their social media pages have been working overtime to keep its ever-growing fanbase in the know. These are all things which one might expect of a big-league team and it sets United apart from its respective competitors in that regard. Just look at the wall outside Ingfield and you can see the positive effect this merger has had on the surrounding area with the number of local organisations willing to get involved.

And what better way to announce your arrival on the block than with a friendly against Leeds United! Ossett’s results speak for themselves both on and off the pitch with a string of positive performances earning them a sack full of goals and a stream of regular supporters pouring in to cheer them on. For the first game of the new season, United drew in a crowd of over 500 people almost doubling Town and Albion’s average attendance last year. Time will tell if those numbers grow or not, but I imagine they will, especially if Ossett manage to progress well in the FA cup.

I’ve always enjoyed football (preferably American, but that’s another blog) and while I’ve supported a couple of teams over the years, I’ve never really found a team that I’d refer to as “my team” but it seems they’ve turned up on my very doorstep! Their engagement both in the community and in schools speaks of an organisation invested in the longevity of its future and the success of its endeavours, and I for one can’t wait to put on my Ossett United shirt and support my hometown’s team as it continues to grow!