Former Halifax Town player Gerry Priestley dies

Born in Halifax on 2 March 1931, Priestley began playing football with Bank Top Boys in the Bradford League but graduated from Army football and was signed by Nottingham Forest in December 1950, though never destined to make a first team, appearance in his two and half years at the club.

In June 1953 he transferred to Exeter City, making his league debut on the right wing in the 2-1 victory over Leyton Orient on 19 August 1953. Priestley went on to make 33 league appearances that term, scoring five goals, one of which came in the 7-0 rout of Crystal Palace.

He went on to make 42 League appearances and score six goals for the club before joining Grimsby Town in June 1955, becoming something of a crowd favourite over the course of the next three seasons. He missed only one game in his first season at Blundell Park as the Mariners clinched the Third Division (North) title, and served the club well, a constant threat in his favoured right wing position whilst also being adept at inside-forward, where he appeared through much of the 1957-58 campaign.

Priestley made a total of 110 league appearances and scored eleven goals for Grimsby before signing for Crystal Palace in November 1958, though it was a move that never really worked out. He made just 28 league appearances, scoring twice, before returning home and signing for Halifax Town for what was described as a ‘substantial fee’ in July 1960.

He spent three seasons with the club, a first team regular, a flying winger who could deliver crosses with unerring accuracy for the likes of George Whitelaw and Frank Large, helping the side to a commendable ninth place finish in his first season. On 16 November 1961 he was part of the side which took on OFK Belgrade at the official switch-on of the Shay floodlights, a game which ended 1-1, whilst Priestley had the misfortune to miss a penalty in that match.

There was disappointment, too, the following season as Priestley suffered relegation for the first time, and upon his release from the club he retired from the game, having made 105 league appearances and scored 23 goals for the Shaymen.

He settled in the area, living in Hipperholme, and whilst he will be fondly remembered as a classy performer on the pitch, it is also worth noting that he was no mean clarinet player.