Wakefield Athletic's four teams for 2025-26 season start their preparations

The club that was founded in 1983 enter their 42nd season after a fairly successful campaign last term with their first team finishing in a respectable fifth spot in Premiership One.

Surprise package Wakefield Athletic A, who played in Premiership Two, proved to be the cup masters for the second successive season, reaching four semi-finals and two finals, including lifting the Seymour Memorial Trophy.

Athletic’s A team also won promotion to the Sunday League’s higher tier by finishing in second spot in Premiership Two, joining the first team in Premiership One.

This has forced a change in the club's structure as the Standard Code of Rules set out by the FA do not allow two teams from the same club to play in the same division.

The club will now have four teams under their umbrella – Wakefield Athletic, Wakefield Athletic B and Wakefield Athletic C (a new Old Boys team) with Wakefield Athletic A now affiliated under the name of WYCO Athletic FC – the new name has been approved by the West Riding County FA.

Athletic B made a poor start to the season last term, but rallied with a string of wins to finish ninth in Championship One to retain their status in this division.

The club’s pre-season training is held twice weekly on Sunday (10am-12 noon) and Wednesday (6.30pm-8pm) until the end of the July when a series of planned Sunday friendlies for all their four sides take place to step-up their match fitness and conditioning.

All training sessions take place at West Yorkshire Sports & Social Club (WF2 6ER) apart from Sunday, July 13 and Sunday, July 27 when training will take place at Stanley Royd Playing Fields (WF1 3SF).

New and unattached players in all positions are welcome to join the club, contact Sal Habib on 0796 772 7773 or [email protected]

A trio of coaches in the shape of Dave Whittaker (goalkeeping) Davy Jones (tactical) and Jonny Wootton (conditioning) undertake Athletic’s structured training and build-up conditioning programme.

Wakefield Athletic's awards presentation evening will take place on Saturday, July 26 at 7:00 pm at their home venue.

A series of pre-season friendlies start on Sunday, August 3 with two home games and two away games against Cricketers Arms FC, AFC Royal, Stanley United Juniors and Mirfield Parish respectively.