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05
Feb
Irving Weaver seeks investors for relegation-threatened Harrogate Town
Harrogate Town chairman Irving Weaver has said he is seeking new investors for the relegation-threatened club.
Weaver, who has overseen Town's rise from the National League North to League Two since he bought the club in 2011, made his comments in a statement issued tonight (February 5).
He said he shared fans' "deep disappointment and frustration with where we currently sit" and pledged to work hard to try to survive in League Two.
He added:
To support our ambition to continue to grow and progress, I have been actively working for some time on finding suitable investors. Conversations are ongoing and I can reassure you that every decision made will be in the best interests of the club and its stakeholders.
This is extremely important to me in safeguarding the future of our club given the number of high-profile examples of ownership in football leading to the demise of clubs even more established than ours.
The announcement comes as Harrogate are five points adrift at the bottom of League Two.
Weaver admitting the increased spending of competitors has seen Harrogate’s overall league ranking diminish while its budget has increased.
He also referred to the club’s injury crisis, which has seen 1,824 player days lost to 32 injuries, as a major factor in Town’s struggles, but added:
This is not an excuse and is a situation we have worked extremely hard to resolve. We have been consulting with industry experts and working with some of the most experienced football medical professionals.
Stephen Duke McKenna was Harrogate's top scorer before a broken foot put him out for several months.
Although the government passed legislation to introduce an independent regulator in July last year, which aims to make football clubs financially sustainable, Weaver said “the timescale of this action is outside our control".
‘Let’s stay united’
Harrogate’s performances this year have left many fans disgruntled as they face the increasing likelihood of life outside of League Two.
But the chairman implored people to support their team in its time of need:
It would be foolish to make promises other than to say with sincerity that everyone here is determined to ensure our survival. It has taken a lot of people, united in support, to achieve what we have done with many challenges along the way.
We need your support more than ever before so please, let’s stay united get behind the team and continue to do our town proud.
You can read the full statement here.
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