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Fairbank United's open age team began in 1996 after local resident Mark Rodgers, impressed by the local pool of talent, recruited young footballers from Fairbank Road and the surrounding Girlington area. Having missed the deadline to enter the league the team embarked on a season of friendlies. They secured their first sponsor, The Dixon Motor Group, and played their first game at Scotchman's astroturf facitilty, losing 2:1 The team entered the Sunday Alliance League for the 1997 season, playing their first league game on the 31st August. The team has an impressive start to the season but infighting saw the strength of the team eroded, and the team ended at the bottom half of the table and disbanded at the end of the season. The team was relaunched in 2007 with the majority of the team made up from those who had come through the juniors. In 2009 They won the Bradford T&A League. The club moved to the Spen Valley League for the 2009/10 season, and sought to rebuild as many players left to form a new club. In 2013 the club set up a reserve team, in order to cater for the next batch of youngsters who had come through the junior system. The reserves missed out on the division 1 title on goal difference, but the first team managed to clinch the Sonder Heating Cup. The first team then merged with Bainbridge FC in order to access the Yorkshire Amateur League leaving the youngsters to carry the Fairbank banner. For the 204/15 season the team was disbanded as the youngsters stepped up to play for Bainbridge FC. For the 2015 season it was the Bainbridge FC name that was replaced by Fairbank United, in order to keep a link between the open age and junior sections. |
Open-Age Coaches
Shazad
Shaz has led Fairbank teams for over 25 years starting at the age of 16 back in 1996. Over a quarter of a decade later he is still regarded as the boss, having overseen many players coming through the juniors, and into his open age teams.
Shaz was instrumental in helping Fairbank claim the Charter Standard Club of the year award in 2012, with his own personal recognition coming in 2018 by being awarded the West Riding County FA Ces Caser award for coaching in the community.
Shaz continued to drive the club forward in his role as club chairman and 1st team manager, in a role we hope he occupies for many more years to come