History-makers making headlines

The history-making EVO-STIK League East club's fans, players and officials are reading all about themselves ahead of hosting Mossley in the preliminary round on Saturday after BBC Sport published a major feature looking ahead to their day of destiny following the successful merger of Ossett Albion and Ossett Town this summer.

Albion and Town joined forces in June after 74 years of rivalry to create a new 'super' club in the West Yorkshire market town capable of reaching the Football League and they look to be well on their way having hosted a crowd of 502 at Ingfield on Tuesday night for their first home league game against Cleethorpes Town - almost 300 more than last season's average league gate at both former clubs.

The club's new motto is 'Stronger Together' and Ossett United Supporters' Club chairman Luke Swinden tells BBC Sport: "Normally when you walk through Ossett, you see people wearing Manchester United shirts. Now there's a sea of Ossett United sky blue shirts."

James Rogers, Town's former chairman and now a United director, is convinced the merger will ensure the people of Ossett will soon have a team capable of climbing the football pyramid. "We've probably got 90 per cent of the fan base from both clubs behind what we are trying to do," he said. "I know the challenges of running a Non-League club, particularly one in a town as small as Ossett.

"Town's turnover last year was in the region of £200,000. Maybe half of that came through the bar - the other half from contributions, sponsorship, gate receipts and advertising just to compete and stay safe. If you want to push for promotion and do much more then you are looking at investment over and above what we were able to do last year."

United chief executive Phil Smith added: "Albion and Town only managed to sell a combined 111 shirts in their history. United have sold more than 360 since 1 June. Albion sold four season tickets last season. United have sold 130-plus for 2018-19. Our target is to get 500 fans to every game, and every primary school pupil in Ossett has been given a free season ticket."

To read the full unabridged article click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45171971.

Images courtesy of @ossettunited/Twitter

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