Match Information

• Ilkley Town 1-0 Thackley
• When: Saturday 2nd July 2022
• Kick-off: 3pm
• Where: MPM Stadium, Ben Rhydding Sports Club, Leeds Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 8AW
• Competition: Pre-season friendly
• Attendance: 136

Ilkley Town have the totally unique nickname of The Baht’atters and this has some long-standing personal intrigue for me.

It dates back to a vivid memory from my first ever excursion to watch Non-League football in the lovely county of Yorkshire some 40 years ago. That was a trip to Farsley Celtic FC back in March 1982.

When a club official heard that I had travelled up from London that day, he started literally serenading me with a magnificent folk song called ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at’. The lilting words of dialect include:

Wheear ’ast tha bin sin’ ah saw thee, ah saw thee? 
On Ilkla Mooar baht ’at 
Wheear ’ast tha bin sin’ ah saw thee, ah saw thee? 
Wheear ’ast tha bin sin’ ah saw thee? 
On Ilkla Mooar baht ’at 
On Ilkla Mooar baht ’at 
On Ilkla Mooar baht ’at

He told me that this was the recognised anthem of Yorkshire and it described a woman walking on blustery Ilkley Moor without a hat (baht ’at).

Then in 2021, this song popped right back into my head when Ilkley Town FC joined The National League System (that is, Steps 1 to 6 of the Non-League football pyramid) having won promotion from the West Yorkshire League to the North West Counties League First Division North. So I decided that I must visit the club at my earliest opportunity!

In March this year, Ilkley hosted a Sunday afternoon fixture as part of a NWCL groundhopper weekend. I got up really early and set off with great anticipation.

But 100 miles up the A1 near Grantham, my car started shuddering drastically and I had to pull over into a lay-by. It was a simple ignition coil problem which was repaired quite quickly under my breakdown cover.

However, this meant that it was too late to go to the match at Ilkley. Therefore I had no alternative but to turn around at the next junction and return home. 

But I vowed to myself that I would make another attempt to visit Ilkley Town as soon as possible.

So when this pre-season friendly against Thackley cropped up – with the added attraction for me of a printed match programme on sale – I embarked on the 400 mile round trip.

Naturally I breathed a sigh of relief as I sailed passed that aforementioned A1 lay-by and eventually arrived at the MPM Stadium an hour before kick-off. 

Ground Description

This is located next to the River Wharfe and is part of Ben Rhydding Sports Club, which is an expansive facility with 900-plus members.

It caters for bowls, cricket, croquet, football, hockey and lawn tennis. Ilkley Town’s ground has a 3G artificial pitch which was opened in 2018.

Spectator facilities consist of a covered standing enclosure on the halfway line and a newly-installed seated stand behind one goal.

Programme Details

Very commendable that Ilkley made the effort to produce a printed programme for this friendly.

It sold at £2 and contained plenty of interesting reading material. I particularly liked the thoughtful interviews which included a really good focus on the club’s recently appointed scholarship manager David Cope.

The Match

A tight affair between two clubs based just eight miles apart as the crow flies but who play in different leagues.

Thackley from the Northern Counties East League Premier Division started brightly and created a host of good chances in the first half.

However it was Ilkley who scored the only goal when Tom Fleming crisply slotted home on 59 minutes.

As if by magic for the benefit of my ears, a home supporter immediately started loudly singing the Ilkla Moor Baht ’at song as soon as the ball hit the net.

Apart from that, play was briefly held up at one point due to a dog invading the pitch!

The People

Ilkley Town’s matchday secretary Billy Hutchison afforded me a very warm welcome and spoke with real pride about his football club’s extensive community links.

Billy spent the whole game running around retrieving footballs that had been kicked out of the ground and that strenuous exercise means he is very fit looking indeed!

Ilkley also have two young and extremely enthusiastic press officers - Evan Seaman and Matthew Lambe. Both lads would eventually like to pursue a career in journalism.

I chatted at length with Evan and I was impressed by the work he does on Ilkley’s Twitter account. Matthew was away but Billy asked him to email me some questions about my life as a reporter which I happily answered.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 6th July 2022

Expert Steve Mullington gives his daily racing tips, including a NAP, NB and a Longshot. Scroll down now to find out horse racing tips Friday 8th July at Newmarket and York...

Today's NAP (Best Bet)

2.25 Newmarket – Queen Olly

The David Loughnane-trained Queen Olly was unable to follow up on her impressive debut at York but ran a creditable race in defeat in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The filly was purchased for €300,000 at Goffs Orby by Alex Elliott/Ben McElroy for Amo Racing and her breeding is pretty special too, being a No Nay Never out of a Galileo mare.

Her first two runs will stand her in good stead for a really good crack at this 6f Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes and I can see her dominating proceedings from the moment these fillies jump from the stalls.

Forecast punters may want to side with the course and distance winner Lazoo under Frankie Dettori.

Today's NB (Next Best)

2.40 York – Gale Force Maya

The Michael Dods-trained Gale Force Maya was a winner for this column one month ago at York and there is every reason to believe that she can follow up again here on the Knavesmire.

Six-year-old Maya is probably one of the best mares Dods currently has in training and she never lets her connections down whenever she races at any of the Yorkshire racecourses.

Those of you placing your horse racing online bets with us on Friday may want to consider taking our early price of 12/1 for Gale Force Maya, as she is sure to be a popular pick come race time.

Today's Longshot

3.00 Newmarket – Sam Cooke

A well fancied 11/2 shot in the Royal Ascot betting of 2021, Sam Cooke never made it to the Royal meeting this season and has been a little slow in coming to hand thus far this term. 
He was however the big Sky Bet Handicap winner at York last season and a reproduction of that form would make his current 14/1 quote look very silly. 
Dangers: Contact and HMS President.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 4th July 2022

• Matt Parkinson has been around the England team for a long time

• Parkinson got his first Test chance against New Zealand this summer

• England must give the Lancashire wrist spinner further opportunities

Matt Parkinson has spent a lot of time carrying the drinks for England over the last couple of years.

The Lancashire leg spinner was given his first Test cap as a concussion replacement for Jack Leach earlier this summer.

The England Test team has been in the spotlight. In the window where there is limited debate about Premier League winner betting, cricket takes centre stage.

The Bazball era under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes has resulted in four straight wins, all chasing hefty fourth innings totals. England are drawing sell out crowds for fifth days, and smashing records along the way.

This is a far cry from the one win in 17 under Joe Root and Chris Silverwood. It’s a fresh, revolutionary attitude to the longest format.

This new era of the men’s Test team has got off to a barnstorming beginning, and it’s bound to continue against South Africa later this summer.

What follows is a winter dominated by white-ball cricket with another T20 World Cup. There are a couple of Tests in New Zealand in early 2023, and potentially a red-ball series in Pakistan, though the dates are yet to be confirmed.

As such, the spin bowling attack is not going to be under scrutiny in the near future, particularly with Jack Leach performing well. 

That should not stop McCullum and Stokes reintroducing Parkinson against South Africa or when they face the Kiwis next year.

A leggie who gives it a rip is the aggressive style of cricket befitting of Bazball. Parkinson may need to bowl quicker in Tests, but his best chance of developing is to play under the freedom of this new regime.

It will not be long before England are again required to play two spinners, and it’s vital that Parkinson is given ample opportunity to settle into the international game before being thrown into the cauldron in Asia.

England are a long way from being betting favourites for the World Test Championship. If they are to reach those dizzy heights, though, spin is going to be crucial.

As well as Leach has bowled this summer, the Parkinson avenue is worth exploration. The mystery of leg spin could prove invaluable when playing abroad.

Stokes has taken to being England cricket captain better than even the most optimistic could have hoped. His management of Leach has been spot on, and it’s clear this is an environment where players feel comfortable.

Young leggies must be utilised correctly, and Stokes has shown the nous to suggest he can do so with Parkinson.

Yet to turn 26, the Bolton-born wrist spinner is still a work in progress, but his domestic numbers (a First Class bowling average under 25) illustrate what a talent England have on their hands.

Calls for Parkinson have been common from cricket commentators over the last couple of years. Where the past regime was cautious by default, wary of leaking runs which often come with leg spin, Bazball is focused on taking 20 wickets.

Parkinson can help Stokes’ England do that on flatter pitches, which will be crucial when there is less lateral movement for the quicks.

Leach is the man in possession and deservedly so. England shouldn’t forget about Parkinson over the coming months, though.

He will have a big role to play in the future of this team, and Stokes’ recent performances with the ball make playing two spinners a far more realistic prospect.