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Jun
Ex-Harrogate Railway chair becomes joint MD at Knaresborough Town
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Former Harrogate Railway chairman Rob Northfield and Neil Reaney, the son of former Leeds United and England footballer Paul, have been appointed joint managing directors of Knaresborough Town.
The club, which was founded in 1898, has the highest-ranking men’s team in the district after Harrogate Town.
The semi-professional team finished ninth of 21 in the Premier Division of the Northern Counties East Football League last season — the ninth level of the English football pyramid.
Harrogate Town will start the 2026/27 season in the fifth level and Harrogate Railway are in the 10th tier.
Mr Northfield resigned from Railway in January after a fallout with committee members with the team second in the league.
He said he was approached about the role at Knaresborough at a sportsman’s dinner last month and was excited about the challenge.
He added he and Mr Reaney were there to help manager Simon Parkes by overseeing operational matters.
Asked what the club could achieve, he said:
The potential is whatever the club wants it to be. I won’t know that until the season starts. The manager has asked for a budget and he has got it. The goal has got to be the play-offs, but every team wants to win the league.
I’ve given them a commitment for one season. My only promise is they will be better off when I leave than when I join.
Knaresborough have been boosted by a sponsorship deal, described by Mr Northfield as the biggest the club has ever had, by Ashleigh Signs.
Players will be taking part in the Harrogate parkrun on the Stray on Saturday as part of their return to pre-season training.
Mr Northfield said:
“My style is about fun and respect so we are cutting out any disrespect shown to anyone who comes through the gates, whether it’s referees or spectators. These are paid athletes so they should be fit and their behaviour should be good."
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