It is back to league action on Saturday for Thackley when they take on Grimsby Borough at Dennyfield. This will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs, Grimsby having gained promotion to the Premier Division at the end of last season finishing as Division One Champions. ‘The Wilderness Boys’ (I presume they picked up the nickname because they spent a couple of years looking for a suitable ground to step up to the league system) are a relatively new club formed in 2003. They won promotion to the NCEL in 2008 and spent eleven seasons in Division One before moving up. After a good pre-season, they stuttered rather when it came to the first couple of competitive matches, losing their first two. Since then they have won all four of the games they have played, three in the league, Bottesford (5-1); Staveley (2-1) and Athersley (5-0) and last weekend Winterton (2-1) in the opening round of the FA Vase, a win that gives them a home tie in the next round against Dronfield Town. Their three league wins puts them at the top of the league on goal difference with nine points from their four games.
Thackley are currently going through a purple patch, winning their last three games, two hard fought local derby’s against Silsden and Albion Sports. Last week they beat Carlisle City to progress into the second stage of this season’s FA Vase when they will travel to Thornaby on 14th September. With seven points from the four league games they have played, Thackley currently occupy sixth spot in the table. Their recent run of results has obviously boosted everyone at the club and the players are brimming with confidence. However, the same can probably be said about Grimsby, another tight competitive game is envisage at Dennyfield on Saturday.