There’s half price entry on offer on Friday night at Nethermoor as we welcome Stocksbridge Park Steels to LS20 for our third pre-season friendly, writes Adam Bridson.

Fresh from a 2-0 win at Tadcaster on Tuesday night Ian Richards’ side will be hoping to record a first victory on home soil against their opponents from the Pitching In Northern Premier League East Division. Kick-off is at 7:30pm.

Tickets will be available to purchase from our turnstiles on Friday priced at:

• Adults: £5
• Concessions (Over 66s/Students/Registered Disabled): £3

U18s and 2026/27 GAFC season ticket holders can watch the game for FREE.

All turnstiles will accept card payment for entry except turnstile 4 which will be cash only, if you are wanting to pay with cash you must use turnstile 4.

‘The Lions’ magazine will be on sale for £3 from sellers near each turnstile and our Club Shop.

Cash payments are accepted for magazines and 50/50 cash draw tickets, although if wanting to pay by card for the magazine you can do so in the Club Shop with selected 50/50 sellers also accepting card.

Food and drink from The Lions’ Diner can be paid for by cash or card and the clubhouse accepts and prefers payment by card.

Team News

Will Longbottom, Jack Emmett and Frankie Sinfield are yet to be named in the squads so far this pre-season.

Richards will be hoping to have Jordan Thewlis available following the striker’s early withdrawal on Tuesday night.

Aaron Martin made his first Lions appearance in over six years on Tuesday and will be hoping to feature again at Nethermoor.

The Opposition

Stocksbridge finished bottom of the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division last season but finished just seven points away from safety.

The Steels are yet to announce any new signings but have retained 11 of last season’s squad as they look for a quick return to step three.

They are marking their 40th anniversary this year and face new opposition with Beverley Town, Guisborough Town, Liversedge and West Auckland Town moving into the league as well as another meeting with Morpeth Town who were also relegated from the Premier Division at the end of last season.

Previous Meetings

Stocksbridge earned a 1-1 draw at Nethermoor last season on a sweltering hot August Bank Holiday Monday. Guiseley Academy graduate Oliwier Grzelak got his side off to the best possible start lobbing Joe Cracknell with a minute on the clock. Lebrun Mbeka headed in an equaliser to share the spoils.

The reverse fixture saw Ian Richards and Elliot Owen haunt their former club with a 3-1 win. In the fortnight prior to the game Richards moved to sign Owen who headed in two goals to set his side on the way to victory before Archie Christie-Crainie struck on his debut to wrap up the win. Luke Rawson had levelled the scores earlier on in the New Year’s Day clash.

Follow the game

If you cannot make it to Nethermoor we will be providing live match updates on X (formerly Twitter).

What they’re saying

Following the friendly with Harrogate Town David Bridson caught up with Elliot Owen who said: “It is brilliant to be back, you don’t realise how much you miss it until it stops for a few months. It has been a lon break for us and I thought we gave a pretty good account of ourselves in the heat.”

Speaking about the team togetherness Owen said “Everyone works hard, that’s our identity. We will be a hard-working team, an organised team as well. We started to see the patterns of play today which is a good to see already.”

Owen has praised the recruitment and thinks the increased competition will be a positive thing “That will drive everyone up, the standards – you cannot let up for one minute because there’s going to be a hell of a player behind you, it is great that we’ve got that.”