Park Life: Every team should have a Pontus Jansson in their back line

The Sweden international, for whom the phrase “no nonsense” could have been invented, has caught the eye with some timely tackles and crucial interventions which has restricted United’s opponents to just four goals in their last seven games.

Looking at the results over a busy weekend of league and cup action, a few of our local Saturday and Sunday sides could have done with man-of-the-moment Jansson at the back for them.

In the West Riding County FA Challenge Cup first round, Field put 15 past Morley Town, where the final score of 15-3 wouldn’t have looked out of place down at Scatcherd Lane, home of Morley’s rugby union club.

In the Castleford Sunday League First Division, leaders Pontefract & Castleford United hammered Kings Head FC Pollington 15-0, with Daniel Roughley, Adam Bakali and Rikki Banks bagging trebles.

In the same division Redhill Sports & Social easily beat Halfpenny Lane WMFC 11-0.

There were goals galore in West Riding County Amateur League’s Division 1 where Golcar United Reserves defeated Route One Rovers 6-2 and Wibsey shared 10 goals with Holmfirth Town in a 5-5 draw. In Division 2, Bradford FC and Thornton United Reserves also saw 10 goals with the hosts earning a 7-3 verdict and TVR United beat Lower Hopton 8-5 in the highest scoring game of the day in that league.

Elsewhere, Saville Arms scored 15 goals, Peacock nine, Woodkirk Valley eight and Linthwaite seven, on a goal-laden Sunday.

So it’s clear, if anyone fancies themselves as the new Jansson, there are plenty of our local Saturday and Sunday sides looking for an enforcer to tighten up their porous defences.