Mark Brier - Head Coach & Founder

With over 17 years coaching experience, our Founder Mark has delivered sessions to all different kinds of players over the years, young and old.  Passionate, enthusiastic and with a collaborative style, Mark is an effective communicator and coach who has now gone full time in the business.

Mark is also an experienced and successful club manager, winning promotion twice with Halifax Town Ladies in the Yorks & Humberside League and also semi-professionally, with Brighouse Town's 1st team, taking them from the North East Counties League 1st Division to the NCEL Premier Division in only their second season at that level.

Darren Attwood, Coach

Darren joined Soccer Elite in 2007, after visiting with his son on Saturday mornings.  An ex professional footballer, Darren was an apprentice at West Brom and played professionally for Torquay but unfortunately his career was cut short by serious injury at the time.  

Another passionate and enthusiastic member of the team, Darren enjoys coaching and gained his qualifications and experience after enjoying watching and taking part as a parent during the coaching sessions from Soccer Elite.  As a result Darren worked together with Mark as a coach on Saturdays before joining Mark as his assistant at Brighouse Town.  Darren currently coaches Tingley Athletic in the West Riding County Amateur league.

Ashleigh Townsend, Coach

A former Halifax Town Centre of Excellence Central Defender, he played College Soccer in the USA with both Maryland and Wilmington Hammerheads and also played Semi-Pro with Liversedge, Brighouse Town, Wakefield and recently had spells at Guiseley and in Sweden.

"The Machine" (What we call Ash) coaches with the older age group on Saturdays and adds tremendous value to the players with his knowledge of both the game and also nutrition, conditioning and healthy living.  Check out his Healthy Life page here on our site.

Simon Wood, Coach

One of the quieter but still passionate and enthisiastic members of the team, "Woody" is on our Squad Coaching staff list.  He was part of the Saturday morning coaching team but unfortunately his commitments at the moment leave him unable to coach with us currently.

A former Halifax Town youth team player, with spells at Liversedge, Wakefield, Mossley and Brighouse Town, Simon plays in the Evostik Northern League currently with Harrogate Railway Athletic but now also an experienced Youth Coach, Simon has successfully managed and coached in the Northern u19 Alliance with both Halifax Town, Liversedge and more recently at Brighouse Town u19s, winning the League and Cup double and providing Mark & Darren with a superb youth platform to underpin the club's future.