BRIGHOUSE Town's season was played under a cloud following a tragic event on Monday, September 12.

It was just the ninth game of their campaign and they were hosting Evo-Stik Division One South side Shaw Lane in the preliminary round of the League Cup when the visitors’ Dan Wilkinson collapsed and died on the pitch.

The shock and trauma was felt throughout the Evo-Stik League but the two clubs involved in the game were the hardest hit.

Town were due to host Colne in a Division One North clash the following Saturday but were unable to fulfil the fixture after the harrowing evening just days earlier.

There were still floral tributes and scarves, laid where the young man had fallen, on the pitch at Brighouse’s Dual Seal Stadium on that Saturday.

The way both clubs, and the league, handled the tragedy was exemplary, and a bond was formed between Brighouse Town and Shaw Lane.

The Fabrice Muamba situation had super fit, professional athletes on high alert, and the sudden death of former Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote, who collapsed and died during a training session just days ago again highlighted the fact that fate can deal a cruel blow at any time.

It was mid-September when Town’s season recommenced and, in pure football terms, it was another promising one for Paul Quinn and his charges.

The manager led the club to ninth place in their step four league – the highest finish in the club’s history.

There were mixed fortunes in the cup competitions, with early exits in the FA Cup (3-0 at home to league rivals Lancaster City) and FA Trophy (5-2 at Witton Albion) but Town had a good run in the West Riding County Cup, suffering a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Tadcaster Albion.

As good as their league form was though, ending just four points outside the play-off places and with the joint fewest defeats, it was the number of drawn games that cost Town.

There were 17 victories but exactly as many stalemates, and the blow of missing out on the play-offs at the 11th hour was followed by the resignation of Quinn and his assistant Lee Ashworth just days later.

FINAL LEAGUE POSITION: Evo-Stik Div One North 9th

LEAGUE RECORD: P42 W17 D17 L8 F66 A48 GD48 Pts68