Town stalwart Wormald honoured for services to game

He received the prestigious Edward Hebblethwaite trophy at Halifax town hall from the mayor of Calderdale, coun Howard Blagbrough.

Wormald, 64, began his love affair with football back in 1972 when he helped with the running of The Pear Tree football team at Norwood Green. Although never playing apart from at school, he then became secretary of the team in 1975 before taking up refereeing in 1979 and seriously from 1982.

Married to Maxine with three sons, Andrew, Matthew and Ben, and now two grandchildren, he was always ‘in the middle’ for the Brighouse and District Sunday League until it folded in 2012 when the clubs merged with the Halifax Sunday League.

He also took matches in the Saturday Halifax and Huddersfield Leagues and officiated for three seasons between 1988-91 in the Northern Counties East League.

When former Brighouse Town chairman Bob Walker heard he was retiring, he asked him to join the committee of which he has been a valued member ever since and has just prepared for his fourth year of accounts for the club’s AGM which takes place this evening.

He took over from now club president John Crowther who now also assists him on match days with the catering side of things in the Town clubhouse on match days.

At the presentation ceremony, Eddie Hebblethwiate’s son Graham said to Wormald that there might be one more recipient next year before the award is mothballed, but he will invite all past winners who are still alive.

Town’s former secretary, Malcolm Taylor, was also a recipient several years ago.