‘Bright day’ for Harrogate Town fans as stadium could reopen soon
by
Last updated Nov 24, 2020
Harrogate Town grounds
The EnviroVent Stadium, Wetherby Road

Harrogate Town supporters could finally be allowed to watch their next game next month after a painful nine-month absence that saw them miss out on a historic trip to Wembley and their first fixtures in the EFL.

Prime minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday that spectators can return to outdoor stadiums depending on which tier they are located in. The club and their supporters will be anxiously awaiting what tier Harrogate will fall into when the announcement is made on Thursday.

The following rules will apply depending on the tier:

Tier 1: Either 4,000 spectators or 50% of a stadium’s capacity, whichever is smaller.

Tier 2: Either 2000 spectators or 50% of a stadium’s capacity, whichever is smaller.

Tier 3: No spectators

The club have averaged around 1,500 supporters for their homes games at Wetherby Road over the last couple of seasons. The capacity is 5,000 after their new Main Stand was built over the summer.


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Town have home fixtures against Forest Green Rovers, Salford City and Carlisle United in December, which could all potentially have spectators.

Harrogate Town managing director said it was a “bright day for supporters” and said he is looking at the fixture against Forest Green Rovers at the EnviroVent Stadium on December 5 as potentially the first game back for fans.

He said:

“We have a home match against Forest Green at The EnviroVent Stadium on December 5 and so we are already reviewing the detail of the announcement and are in discussions with The Sports Ground Safety Authority, North Yorkshire Safety Advisory Group and Harrogate Borough Council on how we make this happen.

“We will advise the number of supporters that we will be able to welcome back, which will be subject to social distancing calculations and how we arrive at which supporters will be offered a place.”

Jordan Ford from the Harrogate Town Supporter’s Group told the Stray Ferret he was “delighted” at yesterday’s announcement.

He said:

“It will be a proud moment to watch our first live game as an EFL club. Everyone is itching to get back, and there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel.”

Harrogate Town supporter Rob Nixon said being able to go back to watch his team play will be a “great relief” after so long away.

He said:

“It’s a shame we couldn’t have been there for the historic first league and cup matches, but this will be a whole new chapter and I’m sure both the players and fans will both be really looking forward to it. I know I am.”


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