Mark Simpson's 30 goal haul this season has earned him 8th place in the 2016-17 NCEL Premier Division top scorers table. Seeing a Garforth player in the table doesn't happen very often, and it's believed to be the first time since Tom Greaves finished in the Evo-Stik League North Division top ten back in 2009-10 (sadly records on this are lacking).

More impressive is the table where only league goals are counted. This lifts Mark up to joint second, level with Albion Sports' Danny Facey and behind only Handsworth's Aaron Moxam at the top. Indeed Mark is the only player in the table where all of his goals came in the league. Furthermore, playing away from the hallowed turf of the J.S. White & Co. Community Stadium hasn't fazed him, with 15 goals each home and away.

Where the club's records are concerned, the total of 30 league goals in a season is a club record, surpassing Tom Greaves' 25 back in 2009-10. In all comps however he is one short of the record which is still held by Darren Falk who grabbed 31 goals back in 1997-98. In the all-time top scorers list Mark remains in 7th place with 54 goals (105 appearances), four behind 6th placed Paul Thompson's 58, although I estimate Paul's total to be higher as there are goalscorers missing from the archive around the time he played for the club as a striker (mid-late 70s).

Offers from other clubs for Mark are sure to follow over the summer, and one wouldn't begrudge him another move up the pyramid, but here's hoping he'll be in similar form in a Town shirt next season.

Up the Miners!