Brighouse Town change name of post-season tournament

By Jon Couch

BRIGHOUSE Town have changed the name of their post-season football tournament – but only after issuing a grovelling apology.

The Northern Premier League Division One North West side ran on online poll recently to choose the name of the competition organised in the wake of the curtailed season at Steps 3-6.

As a result, the tournament was christened the Covid Cup after it edged out the alternative suggestion of the Yorkshire Isolation Trophy by 186 votes to 180.

However, Brighouse have since decided that the references to the coronavirus pandemic were inappropriate in light of the current global situation, and have declared that the competition will instead be known as the Yorkshire Trophy.

A club statement explained: “Due to the pandemic, we at Brighouse Town feel that the recent online poll to determine the tournament name was not thought through properly and that the implications of the suggested names were ill-considered and insensitive to the ongoing situation.

“Therefore, the tournament will be now known as The Yorkshire Trophy and all branding will be updated and redeveloped.

“We apologise for any offence this may have caused, it was not our intention as a community football club.”

Twelve teams have entered the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from April 13 to May 29.

However, unless the government allow fans to attend the matches, it will not go ahead.

The teams have been split into two groups of six with each team playing their fellow group opponents home and away with the top two going through to a two-legged semi-final.

The final will then take place, on May 29, at Town’s Yorkshire Payments Stadium.

The first Yorkshire Ytophy group contains Campion, Eccleshill United, Thackley, Steeton, Silsden and Garforth Town, with the other sees organisers Brighouse take on the likes of Liversedge, Emley AFC, Golcar United, Ossett United and Penistone Church.