Gallery: Harrogate Town fans return for start of season

Harrogate Town fans flocked to Wetherby Road in numbers today for the return of league football.

Supporters packed inside the EnviroVent Stadium to welcome back Harrogate Town as they opened their 2020/21 League Two campaign against Rochdale.

Town fans were robbed of the experience of visiting Wembley stadium for the National League play-off final, which coincidentally was a year ago this weekend.

Fans were then left to follow the club through their laptop and mobile phone screens for most of last season as the covid pandemic saw football played behind closed doors.

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But, after a record number of season ticket sales, the Town faithful are back and hopefully for the entirety of the League Two campaign.

For many supporters, today was the first chance to watch Town play league football in the flesh.

Here’s a selection of pictures from the first EFL game back at Wetherby Road.

Harrogate Town fans returned to Wetherby Road for the start of the 2021/22 League Two season.

Harrogate Town given go-ahead for new ticket office and turnstiles

Harrogate Town have been given the go-ahead for a new ticket office and turnstiles at the EnviroVent Stadium.

The proposals, which were submitted last December, will see the current ticket office demolished and replaced with a new two-storey facility.

New turnstiles would also be in place at the north and wes of Wetherby Road.

Now, Harrogate Borough Council has given the club permission for the development to go-ahead.

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It comes as Town have had a successful past year on the pitch with a historic promotion to the English Football League.

As a result, the club have had to put measures in place to abide by the EFL admission criteria. They include a new pitch and increased capacity at the ground.

Harrogate Town grounds

The current view of The Envirovent Stadium, Wetherby Road.

In documents submitted to the council, the club said the new planning application was necessary because of an increase in office staff and the need for a better flow of supporters on match days.

The club has also submitted plans for a new two-storey club house and corporate suite.

Meanwhile, Town are set for another Wembley appearance on Monday in the FA Trophy Final against Concord Rangers.

The club have announced a new all-black kit which the players will wear for the game. It will also be used as a third kit for the 2021/22 League Two season.

The Stray Ferret social media accounts will not be posting any updates this weekend about the FA Trophy Final in solidarity with football clubs withdrawing from platforms in protest against online racial abuse.

Former Harrogate soldier’s football ground run delayed by lockdown

A former Harrogate soldier is raising money for a children’s brain tumour charity by running to all 92 Premier League and EFL stadiums in England and Wales.

Nathan Richardson had planned to run from Leeds United’s Elland Road to Harrogate Town’s Wetherby Road ground today, until his plans were curtailed by the new national lockdown.

Nathan began his epic adventure in March 2020 and, once it is completed, he will have run between 2,000 to 2,500 miles on the tarmac, the equivalent of 95 marathons.

He remains optimistic that he’ll be able to complete his challenge once restrictions are eased:

“I’m disappointed but I know it’s the right thing to do. I will get going again.”

Born in Bury, Nathan began his army training at the Army Foundation College as a 16-year-old in 2007. He said he is looking forward to returning to a town he knows well:

“But we didn’t get let out much back then! It’s obviously a nice town and I spent quite a bit of time there. It will be good to go back.”

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He started the challenge before Town’s historic promotion to the EFL last summer, so he had to add a stop on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road into his itinerary, making it the 80th ground he’s visited so far.

He’s raising money for the mental health charity Mind, as well as The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity, which supports children who have or have had a brain tumour.

When he finally makes it to Harrogate he will then run north east to Middlesborough’s Riverside Stadium, which he said will take him a few days.

To donate to Nathan’s fundraising, click here.

Harrogate Town fans criticise number of people allowed in stadium

Harrogate Town supporters have raised concerns about the number of people allowed in the club’s home ground on Saturday to watch the team play.

With spectators banned from attending matches due to covid, many fans paid £10 to watch a livestream of the game against Barrow.

Town won 1-0 and many fans in the Harrogate Town Supporters Facebook group hailed the team’s performance at the EnviroVent Stadium.

But 15 fans posted comments in the group about what they considered to be an excessive amount of people in the stands.

Although fans are not permitted to attend fixtures, club directors and staff, media and match volunteers, such as ballboys and girls, are allowed in.

One fan said it “was an absolute joke the amount of people in the ground today”.

Another said it was “not fair on the fans” and one described it as a “kick in the teeth”.

Harrogate Town declined to comment when approached by the Stray Ferret.

The club has won a lot of praise recently for its off the pitch initiatives as well as its performances on the pitch.

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Earlier this month, club chairman Irving Weaver told the Stray Ferret it was a “big loss” not having supporters in attendance during the club’s first-ever season in the English Football League.

Do you think there were too many people at Wetherby Road on Saturday? Watch the highlights below and judge for yourself.

Harrogate Town: Project Big Picture should be ‘seriously considered’

Harrogate Town managing director Garry Plant has said proposals that could see the club potentially receive millions of pounds in funding from the Premier League should be “seriously considered”.

Details of Project Big Picture, which would radically overhaul the way finances are distributed down the football pyramid, were leaked to the media over the weekend.

Under the proposals, put forward by Liverpool and Manchester United, the top nine clubs in the Premier League would get more control in return for giving an immediate £350m rescue fund to the English Football League, plus 25% of revenue from future deals.

This would give EFL clubs, who have struggled financially since the lockdown, a much-needed cash windfall. Currently, each EFL club receives £430,000 a season from the Premier League as a “solidarity payment”.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret yesterday, Mr Plant said:

“Any assistance that the clubs can get has to be seriously considered otherwise there might not be some clubs in the EFL for much longer.

“The club is being guided by and trusts the EFL to arrive at the very best solution for the football family.”

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The proposals would also see the League Cup scrapped, which Mr Plant suggested would be a small price to pay if it guaranteed the survival of EFL clubs.

Mr Plant warned if communities lost their football clubs it would have a lasting impact that would run deeper than purely sport.

He added:

“The key important thing is the survival of football.

“Bury and Macclesfield have already closed and it would have a massive impact on local communities.”

Harrogate Town to stream games online for £10 a game

Harrogate Town supporters will be able to watch the club’s fixtures in League Two online for £10 a game.

The EFL said the streaming offer is temporary and will be in place whilst clubs operate at a zero or reduced capacity due to social distancing measures. It will cover any game that is not shown live by Sky Sports and the service will be reviewed in early October.

The government has said a limited number of fans can return to sports stadiums from October 1, subject to coronavirus infection rates.

Harrogate Town said they have decided to not include the streaming service in a season ticket, and will rather encourage supporters to purchase games as they wish for £10. Season ticket holders will not be charged for games they can’t attend.

EFL chief executive David Baldwin said:

“It’s important that whilst the doors remain fully, or part shut, we ensure there is the ability for fans of all EFL clubs to be able to gain access and watch their team and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sky Sports for their support in this matter.

“Collectively, it’s not our preferred situation but given the circumstances covid has presented us it gives us a temporary option whilst we finalise our plans for fans returning.”

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Town’s first-ever campaign in League Two kicks off on September 12 with a trip to Southend.

The first few home games of the season will be played at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium as the artificial 3G pitch at the CNG Stadium is replaced with grass due to EFL regulations.

Harrogate Town supporters were able to watch their team play in person for the first time since March last night as Brighouse Town allowed 100 Town supporters to attend a pre-season friendly, which ended 0-0.

Harrogate Town to play Southend in first ever EFL fixture

Harrogate Town will play Southend United in their first ever game in the Football League.

Fixtures for the upcoming EFL campaign were released this morning and Town fans can now prepare for trips to the likes of Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers.

Town will make the 220 mile trip to Roots Hall to play Southend on September 12 for their opening fixture in League Two.

The first few home games of the season will be played at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium as the artificial 3G pitch at the CNG Stadium is replaced with grass due to EFL regulations.

The club will welcome Walsall to the Keepmoat on September 19. Town will then play Port Vale away before welcoming former Premier League side Bolton Wanderers to the Keepmoat on October 3.

A Yorkshire derby awaits a week later away at Bradford on October 10. The first ever EFL campaign for Town will end away at Cheltenham Town on May 8.

Manager Simon Weaver said he and the players are looking forward to the season getting underway.

He said:

“It’s a long way to go, but we all get along so will enjoy the trip and look forward to what is a really big fixture for us in Southend away, the start of an intriguing season for us.

“It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for all the staff and players, there’s been so much to sort in such a short space of time, but when the excitement levels are high we manage it and look forward to the prospect of competing in the Football League.”

“You look right down the fixture list and it is new territory for us all, we have to learn fast, stay together and ride the punches at times, who knows where we may end up at the end of the season!”

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Just weeks after celebrating promotion, Town also learned of the cup competitions which await them in the Football League.

Earlier this week, the group stage for the EFL Cup was drawn and Town will be pitted against Hull City, Grimsby Town and Leicester City Under 21s in Northern Group H.

A trip to Prenton Park against Tranmere in the Carabao Cup also awaits. The competition is expected to host first round fixtures on September 5.

Harrogate Town to begin new season in three weeks

Harrogate Town will begin the 2020/21 season on September 5 in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

The team have not had long to bask in promotion glory and will play again on September 8 or 9 in the EFL Cup before kicking off their first-ever campaign in League Two on September 12.

The season will conclude on 8/9 May 2021 with the play-off final taking place at Wembley Stadium over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend May 29-31 2021.

Because the season is starting six weeks later than usual there will be 11-midweek fixtures.

If the team wins their first-round Carabao Cup clash on September 5 it would put them into the hat for a mouth-watering tie with Premier League outfits Manchester City, Liverpool and newly promoted Leeds United.

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Manager Simon Weaver has been busy in the transfer market since their historic win at Wembley less than two weeks ago, adding Jake Lawlor, Tom Walker and Connor Kirby in recent days.

Town fans are anxiously awaiting the announcement of who they will play in the league next season which will be released by the EFL on August 21 at 9am.

Town will play the first few games of the season at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium due to the artificial 3G pitch at the CNG Stadium being replaced with grass due to EFL regulations.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret last week about the 3G pitch being replaced, Town managing director Garry Plant said “it’s time to say goodbye to a very old friend that’s done brilliantly for the club.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed yesterday that fans can begin to return to football stadiums from October 1, pending no spikes in coronavirus infections.

Harrogate Town fans to send cut-outs to crucial game

Fans of Harrogate Town will be able to send a cardboard cut-out version of themselves to the club’s crucial play-off game later this month.

The cut-outs, which cost £20, will be placed in prominent locations within the CNG Stadium. Some will even be put inside changing rooms to inspire the players.

The game will be played behind closed doors and will also be shown live on BT Sport. The date is still to be confirmed, with Town set to play the winner of Halifax Town vs Boreham Wood.

The first 25 fans who buy a cut-out will have theirs signed by the entire first-team squad. Every fan who buys a cut-out will be able to collect it after the game as a memento.

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Harrogate Town assistant manager Paul Thirlwell said the cut-outs could spur the team on to victory.

He said:

“It will definitely make a difference to see our fans in the stands – albeit cut-out ones!

“Our fans have been incredible again this season, and I’m sure many of them will continue to support us on our journey, hopefully towards play-off success.”

Jordan Ford from the Harrogate Town Supporters Club told the Stray Ferret the cut-outs are an “excellent idea and one which I hope the Town fans embrace”.

He also said the supporters club has organised a 20ft x 10ft flag to display at the stadium which includes pictures of fans.

Several sports team around the world have asked fans to buy cut-outs so they can feel part of the action whilst bringing in much-needed revenue. However, last weekend Leeds United were forced to apologise after an Osama Bin Laden cut-out was spotted at Elland Road.

Visit this website to purchase a cut-out.

Harrogate Town ‘delighted and relieved’ at play-off confirmation

Harrogate Town managing director Garry Plant said he is “delighted and relieved” after the National League confirmed last night that the club will enter the play-offs for the chance to win promotion.

The decision ends an agonising three-month wait for the club and its supporters who have been waiting to find out how the season will be concluded since the season was paused in March.

National League clubs agreed to send Barrow AFC up as champions with the second to seventh-placed teams competing for the final promotion place in a play-off competition in July.

It means Town, who finished in second place, will play for the chance to compete in the English Football League for the first time in its history. It’s estimated that promotion could be worth between £1million to £1.5million to the club.

Harrogate will play the winners of Boreham Wood vs Halifax at Wetherby Road in July, with the final played at a neutral venue later that month. All games will be played behind closed doors.

Mr Plant told the Stray Ferret that the club is especially pleased for the supporters who “have been anxiously awaiting the outcome” of the vote.

He added:

“We are advised that the semi-final will be broadcast by BT Sports and now we are firming up on all the contingency plans we have been working on over the last 10 weeks.”

Even though the club’s supporters would miss out on an unforgettable day out at Wembley if they reach the final, they still hope to be able to watch the play-off games together, albeit socially distanced.

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Jordan Ford from the Harrogate Town Supporters Club told us that a big screen could be put up on the Stray to allow fans to watch the televised games together two metres apart.

But another Town Fan, Rob Nixon, told the Stray Ferret that watching the play-off away from Wetherby Road will take some getting used to.

He said:

“It will be strange, especially if I can’t watch it with other people. The greatest thing about watching Town is the atmosphere at matches.”