Former Halifax Sunday League football team Bradshaw Groundhogs reuniting for special 50th anniversary celebration

The team began in 1972 when a match was arranged between the two generations that played cricket for the local club and was based at the Bradshaw Tavern, home of Bradshaw CC.

Dozens of former players will be reunited at the event at Halifax Golf Club on April 30 at 7pm.

The club finished fourth in their first season, though promotion was gained due to a team in a higher division dropping out.

This was followed in the club winning the third and second divisions in consecutive seasons and establishing itself as one of the leading amateur football clubs in the town.

"The team had regular social weekend trips to Whitby or Blackpool whilst also enjoying many events held in the Bradshaw Tavern.

"They even attracted former Halifax Town star Bill Atkins, who scored against Manchester United in the Watney Cup in August 1971, to play for them.

Former Groundhogs player Mike Fletcher, who has helped organise the reunion, said: "In the mid to late 1970’s, the club had an away West Riding Cup semi-final in Harrogate, when we needed two coaches to accommodate all the players and supporters.

"The coach the players used still had the kit of Halifax Town in the boot after their away match at Bournemouth the previous afternoon!

"We had originally planned to hold an event at the Bradshaw Cricket Club - our spiritual home - to mark 50 years since this special local amateur football club was founded, however the interest we created mainly through our Facebook page, then word of mouth, snowballed.

"We had earmarked approximately 50 attendees which would still have been a tight squeeze at the club, and we very soon surpassed that figure.

"We thus decided to move it to Halifax Golf Club where we now have 88 confirmed and paid-up attendees, although unfortunately, we are no longer taking bookings due to catering reasons.

"The organising of this event has been challenging living over 200 miles away, but the support of many of the originals has been brilliant and the wish to touch base again after all these years has confirmed that I was not the only one who felt it was a special time in our lives.

"Sadly, there are many who are no longer with us.

"It was a privilege to have spoken with former players in recent weeks whom I haven’t been in touch with or spoken to in more than 40 years.

"To achieve the commitment of 88 people to attend this event is something Steve Ellis, an original founder, who still lives in Halifax, and myself and several others, have worked hard to achieve, find very rewarding and also special.

"It will be a very special evening. It is not a charity event as such but any funds raised on the night will go to the charity Cure Parkinson’s as a couple of the former players are suffering from the disease."