Flockton Football Club was re formed at a General Meeting held in the upstairs Concert Room at Flockton Green Working Men’s Club on the 17th July 1970.

The re formed team had played a number of friendlies in 1968/69 travelling to places like Pollington Borstal, Royston Fire Brigade, Midland Bank Leeds, Athersley Sports & Social Club, Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Club together with numerous other opponents and due to the amount of interest shown, it was decided to reform a football team in the village. There had been a successful Flockton Juniors team which played in the Huddersfield League in the 1940’s and early 50’s.

A well attended meeting proposed that we enter into a Saturday League and applications were forwarded to the Wakefield & District Football League and to the Huddersfield & District Association Football League.

A Committee was proposed and the following were elected to serve on the committee:
President Leonard Parker
Secretary Roy Mountain
Treasurer Kenneth Frost
Committee Rod Craig, Kenneth Woodhams, Stephen Parker, Glynn Parker, Arthur Beaumont, Kenneth Lee, Harry Marsden and Philip Hunter.
Stephen Parker was elected captain and Robert Wilcock vice captain.

The early ‘ friendly’ days of Flockton Football Club. Back Row Left to Right
Arthur Beaumont. Rod Craig, Stephen Parker, Jimmy Paxton, John Masters, Harry Marsden and Roger Lee - Front Row: Frank Sutcliffe, Gary Smith, Malcolm Smith, Glynn Parker, Kenneth Woodhams, Rod Appleyard, George Wilson and Kenneth Lee.

An interesting observation is the field to the left at the back which is the present pitch before it was developed

A letter was received from the Secretary of the Huddersfield & District Association Football League inviting us to their Annual General Meeting and Ken Woodhams and Stephen Parker returned to tell us that we were accepted into the League in Division 8. With the new season only 5 weeks away, this meant that a lot of hard work had to be done to ensure we were ready to start the new season.
Flockton School Field became the home ground and the cloakroom of the school became the changing rooms. Rowley Hill W.M.Club were contacted and a set of goal posts were purchased for £10.00

Off the field the Committee met once a week on a Friday evening, a ritual which continues to this day, come rain or shine.

The first game was scheduled for Wednesday 26th August 1970 against Leeds Road Conservative Club at Leeds Road Playing Fields and the new club started with a 5-2 victory, a reversal of the fixture the following week saw another victory this time 6-2.
The following side represented Flockton in the first game:
J.W.Paxton – J.Masters R.Lee – C.Castle H.Marsden S.Parker – G.Smith B.English G.Parker K.Woodhams R.Wilcock – Sub P.Hunter. Goals came from Parker(G) 2, English, Woodhams and Marsden

Success was evident in the first few matches but the first real test of the teams strength came on the 19th September 1970 with Scissett the visitors in the First Round of the Sheffield & Hallamshire County F.A. Junior Challenge Shield. Scissett were third in Division 2 and Flockton sent their many supporters wild with a well earned 3-2 victory.

The old ‘sky blue’ kit, which had been used in the many friendlies prior to joining the League was beginning to look shabby and money was found to purchase a new kit. Jack Ingham of Ingham’s Sports in Ossett provided the new ‘amber kit’ and this was the first of many purchases in a long association with Ingham Sports. The new kit purchased just before decimalisation is shown on the Balance Sheet as costing just
£32.8.3d.

The matter of running a football club was proving a costly business and it was in the fund raising department that one of the clubs stalwarts was to prove his worth. Arthur Beaumont spent many hours running raffles to ensure that the club had a healthy bank balance. The team had many supporter’s on match days and away matches saw the Club running a bus, the ‘Busy B’ Bus which was always full. The Lady supporters (forgive me if I have omitted anybody) – Lily Beaumont, Norma Parker, Ivy Lee, Anne Smith, and Doris Appleyard also helped the club raise money with the first of many of their Coffee Evenings, Jumble Sales and numerous fund raising events. How nice it would be to have them all back on the Committee today.

Roy Mountain, the Steward at the Working Men’s Club resigned as Secretary and Harry Marsden took over on the 30th October 1970, a position he still holds today. The vacancy on the Committee was filled by another club stalwart Arthur Spink, and early in December Jimmy Paxton joined the Committee.
In the first season trainer Harry Marsden worked the team hard and the hard work paid off with the club dropping only 4 points all season and winning their first trophy, the Division 8 Championship. The club also reached the Semi-Final of the Richardson Cup, losing out to New Mill W.M.Club 2-0 in front of a crowd of roundabout 400 at Emley.




The successful 1970/71 Huddersfield & District Division 8 Championship winning side.
Back Row(Left to Right) – Jimmy Paxton Kevin Smith Harry Marsden Robert Wilcock Rod Appleyard John Masters Malcolm Smith Roger Lee Arthur Beaumont
Front Row: Ken Lee Terry Wilson Gary Smith Brian English Stephen Parker mascot Shaun Woodhams Philip Hunter and Arthur Spink
League Division 8 Season 1970-1971.
Team Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
Flockton 26 23 2 1 148 38 48
Berry Brow Reserves 26 21 1 4 149 52 43
Indian Stars 26 17 3 6 87 55 37
Holmes Holset Reserves 26 16 3 7 112 61 35
St John F.C. Reserves 26 14 6 6 70 63 34
Leeds Road United 26 12 3 11 83 90 27
Leeds Road Con Club 26 10 4 12 108 87 24
Kirkheaton Rovers A 26 11 1 14 72 60 24
Little John S.C Reserves 26 10 4 12 80 90 24
Honley United Reserves 26 10 1 15 79 81 21
Scapegoat Hill Utd Res 26 6 5 15 45 82 17
F.S.Lawton’s S.C. 26 7 3 16 59 109 17
Salendine Nook S.C. Reserves 26 3 3 20 34 125 9
Britannia Works ‘A’ 26 2 0 24 29 180 4

Season 1970-1971
1970
Weds 26 Aug Leeds Road Con Club Away 5-2
Weds 2 Sept Leeds Road Con Club Home 6-2
Weds 9 Sept Britannia Works ‘A’ Home 11-4
Sat 12 Sept Little John S.C Reserves Home 7-0
Sat 19 Sept Scissett (Sheffield Jnr Chall.Shield) Home 3-2
Sat 26 Sept F.Lawton’s S.C. Home Post.
Sat 3 Oct Scapegoat Hill Utd Res Away 4-1
Sat 10 Oct Cartworth Moor (Sheffield Jnr Chall.Shield) Away 2-1
Sat 17 Oct Holmbridge (Invitation Cup) Away 1-6
Sat 24 Oct Kirkheaton Rovers A Away 1-0
Sat 31 Oct Holmes Holset United Reserves Home 6-2
Sat 7 Nov Salendine Nook S.C. Reserves Home 4-0
Sat 14 Nov Holmbridge (Sheffield Jnr Chall.Shield) Home 3-1
Sat 21 Nov Berry Brow Reserves Home 5-4
Sat 28 Nov Indian Stars Home 5-0
Sat 5 Dec Thornton Ross (Richardson Cup) Away 3-3
Sat 12 Dec Upper Cumberworth (Sheffield Jnr Chall.Shield) Home 3-4
Sat 19 Dec Thornton Ross (Richardson Cup Replay) Home 3-1
1971
Sat 9 Jan Paddock (Richardson Cup) Away 4-3
Sat 16 Jan Honley United Reserves Home 5-1
Sat 23 Jan Holmbridge (Richardson Cup) Home 2-1
Sat 30 Jan Leeds Road United Home 14-3
Sat 6 Feb St John F.C. Reserves Home 12-2
Sat 13 Feb Lindley A (Richardson Cup) Home 5-2
Sat 20 Feb Indian Stars Away 4-2
Sat 27 Feb Kirkheaton Rovers A Home 3-0
Sat 6 Mar Honley United Reserves Away 9-1
Sat 13 Mar Little John S.C Reserves Away 6-1
Sat 20 Mar St John F.C. Reserves Away 2-2
Sat 27 Mar Britannia Works ‘A’ Away 14-0
Sat 3 Apl Holmes Holset United Reserves Away 1-4
Tues 6 Apl Scapegoat Hill Utd Res Away 9-2
Thur 8 Apl F.Lawton’s S.C. Away 6-1
Sat 10 Apl Berry Brow Reserves Away 2-2
Thur 15 Apl New Mill Res (Richardson Cup Semi-Final) Emley 0-2
Sat 17 Apl Salendine Nook S.C. Reserves Away 3-2
Mon 19 Apl Leeds Road United Away 4-1

To be continued