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06
Sept
Interview: Rob Youhill on 'Little old' Harrogate Railway's unbeaten start
Eight games into last season, Harrogate Railway had 11 points and sat mid-table having won three, lost three, and drawn two. They went on to finish 12th.
Eight games into this season, The Rail are second and the only unbeaten team in the Northern Counties East League Division One.
With 20 points and a game in hand on leaders Dearne and District – who have 21 points – Railway could reclaim top spot today.
Rob Youhill’s side has the best defensive record in the league, having conceded only five goals, and the third best attack, having scored 19.
The Stray Ferret caught up with Railway co-manager Rob Youhill this week to find out how he’s got the team firing on all fronts.
‘As positive as the results suggest’
In their six wins and two draws, Harrogate have scored in every game so far, although 1-0 wins against Appleby Frodingham and Louth Town came late on.
Youhill told us the performances have been “just as positive as the results suggest”.
So how have Railway improved so much in such a short period? Youhill said:
We work harder than every other team and do lots of fitness work in training. We have more energy in midfield now and have a lot of key players in good areas. We also like to play into good areas.
Me and Fraser [Lancaster, Railway’s other co-manager] went to watch a few Harrogate Town games to see how they operate, and they do a lot of that – playing into good areas and winning the second balls. We’ve tried to adopt their style of play.
New signings brought to the Dagger Diving Stadium have had a big impact. Ben Parkes, Harry Lee, and Dom Creamer all joined from Knaresborough Town in the division above and have looked sharp. Elliott Holmes and Alex Burton have hit the ground running.
Dom Creamer got off the mark for Railway last weekend, scoring a brace against Route One Rovers. Photo: Harrogate Railway AFC
Youhill added that he has seen a real mentality shift over the summer:
Last season, the player fines pot was so big that the whole team could afford to go abroad. I had a player belly laugh when I spoke about promotion. I couldn’t believe he didn’t believe we could do that.
Now, it’s all we talk about. There’s been a clear mentality shift and the lads are backing it up with their performances.
Experience vs youth
Every good team has a healthy balance of young and experienced players. Harrogate Railway seem to have found the sweet spot.
Alongside the experience of players like Parkes, 16-year-old Ollie Holt, 17-year-old Charlie Lack, and 18-year-old Harris Eggleston bring the young tenacity and hunger that every team needs.
Youhill said people on the sidelines are saying Holt is the best of his age in the area, and lavished praise on Eggleston. He said:
Harris has absolutely lit the league on fire. I honestly think he’ll go on to be a professional footballer. He doesn’t believe it yet, though. He’s had interest from teams all over, but he wants to stay here and is very focused.
We want to win the league, but we also want to be a part of these players' journeys. We’re a weird stepping stone club into professional football. Players like Josh Windass and John McLaughlin both played here.
Harris Eggleston scored an 88th-minute winner against Louth Town in August.
Being a former winger for Harrogate Railway, Youhill helps to coach Eggleston's game, and tells him how to use his blistering pace effectively.
‘Little old Harrogate Railway’
In an interview with the club in August, Youhill commented that they would continue being “little old Harrogate Railway”.
We asked him what he meant by that. He said:
I don’t think we get the respect we deserve. It was sparked from a few comments made by opposition players – someone said “they’re not that special”. We’re not, but we make sure we work harder than anyone else for our rewards. I also overheard players saying they should be coming here and taking the points.
I don’t think people are respectful of our history. We’ve spent seasons in leagues much higher than this, and had some unbelievable FA Cup runs. But maybe we have to earn that respect. I’d like to think we’re doing that this year.
Harrogate Railway travel to 19th-placed Glasshoughton Welfare today for a 3pm kick-off. If The Rail can maintain their recent run of strong performances, they might just earn the respect of another opponent by day's end.
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