football Archives - Page 19 of 20

Ticketing problems at Harrogate Town leave some fans unable to attend

Ticketing problems at Harrogate Town left some fans unable to attend today’s home game against Stevenage.

At around midday the club posted on its social media channels that their online ticket booking system was down so they could not sell any more tickets.

It led to disappointment for fans who were yet to buy a ticket for the game. The club’s box office closed at 11am.

One fan, who had hoped to attend the game but was unable to buy a ticket, told the Stray Ferret the situation was “a farce”.

The club apologised for any inconvenience caused.

https://twitter.com/HarrogateTown/status/1441705641282658308

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly dedicates England goal to late dad Martyn

Harrogate’s England football star Rachel Daly last night dedicated a goal to her dad Martyn, who recently died.

Daly, who went to Saltergate and Rossett schools and now plays in the United States for Houston Dash, scored the final goal in a 10-0 win against Luxembourg.

After the match Daly, who has 168,000 Twitter followers, dedicated the goal to her dad.

"I dedicate that to my Dad." ❤️

Amazing, @RachelDaly3. pic.twitter.com/46v5KPB7Sz

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) September 21, 2021

Martyn Daly died days before two recent England fixtures.

Daly started in both matches, including an 8-0 win over North Macedonia in which the players wore black armbands in memory of her father.

Speaking to the BBC, England manager Sarina Wiegman praised Daly:

“How she has performed this week and been focused on football is really incredible”.

Defender Millie Bright scored twice against Luxembourg and dedicated the goals to best friend Daly and Martyn.

She said:

“One was for Rach and one for her pops. She’s done him proud.”.

The Stray Ferret met Martyn shortly before the Tokyo Olympics and he beamed with pride talking about his daughter’s journey from Killinghall Nomads boys team to the pinnacle of her sport.

Mr Daly, who lived in Harrogate and worked in IT in Leeds, played football semi-professionally for Harrogate Town and Knaresborough Town in his younger days.

He said in July:

“She’ll never realise what she’s done in the game until it’s over.

“Every pro has a cockiness about them but she’s down to earth too, she’s just my daughter.”

Harrogate Town rearranges first game after coronavirus outbreak

Harrogate Town have rearranged their first game after a coronavirus outbreak in the squad.

The club will now play Leyton Orient away on Tuesday, August 24 with kick-off at 7.45pm.

Away tickets will be available to purchase from the ticket office at the Breyer Group Stadium

It comes a week after Harrogate Town said “a number of individuals” were unable to play or train due to a positive test or contact with someone who has had one.

At this time it is currently unclear when Town will play the postponed Crawley Town game.

However, the club were forced to bow out of the Carabao Cup because they were unable to rearrange the Rochdale game before the second round.

A spokesperson for the club said previously:

“It means a number of individuals are unable to play or train due to either a positive test or the requirement to self-isolate in line with government and English Football League guidance.

“The club will continue to work with covid protocols as set out by the EFL to ensure the safety of our players and staff.”

Harrogate Town removes ticket sales from website for tomorrow’s match

Harrogate Town have taken down a link to purchase tickets for their Carabao Cup first round game against Rochdale AFC tomorrow night.

The move has led to speculation that the club has again run into problems with North Yorkshire County Council around ground safety.

Fans had been able to purchase tickets for tomorrow’s match through the club website until the option was removed. Rochdale fans are also unable to buy tickets through their website.

Some fans have reported online that they were able to purchase tickets at the club’s shop on Commercial Street today.

The Stray Ferret approached Harrogate Town for comment several times this afternoon but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

We also asked the county council if it has issued the club with a safety certificate for the game but did not receive a response.

It is the latest twist in the safety saga, which it appeared had been resolved.

North Yorkshire County Council banned fans from attending a friendly against Sunderland on July 24 after identifying 17 “unacceptable risks” for fan safety at the club’s EnviroVent Stadium on Wetherby Road.

These included problems with the CCTV system, the ground’s control room and stewarding.

With less than three days to go until the club’s first league game of the season on Saturday, which coincidentally was also against Rochdale, the county council issued a safety certificate and fans from both clubs were able to attend.

Supporters had hoped this was the end of the matter but the situation appears confused again now.

Delight for fans as Harrogate Town allowed spectators on Saturday

Harrogate Town have been given the all clear to allow home and away fans into the ground for the opening match of the season against Rochdale on Saturday.

The announcement will come as a relief to supporters of both clubs as speculation mounted that the game would be played behind closed doors.

This was after North Yorkshire County Council identified 17 “unacceptable risks” at the club’s EnviroVent Stadium, including issues with the CCTV system, control room, and stewarding.

It appears the issues have now been resolved after the club issued a statement this afternoon saying it had now been given permission to sell tickets by the council’s safety advisory group, which has the final say on whether supporters can attend.

Visiting Rochdale supporters will be housed in the Myrings stand and EnviroVent seated terrace.

The club also apologised to both sets of fans for the uncertainty.

“We would like to thank our supporters for their patience at this difficult time and to those who have sent positive messages of support.

“We would like to apologise to both our supporters and Rochdale supporters for the delay in confirming arrangements at Saturday’s fixture and the subsequent inconvenience this has caused.

“It has been a difficult process but the safety of everyone at the stadium is paramount and cannot be compromised.”

Tickets for the game, as well as a Carabao Cup fixture on August 10, also against Rochdale, are available to purchase here. No tickets will be sold at the turnstiles.

Rochdale fans frustrated by ‘embarrassing’ ticket situation at Harrogate Town

With fans still in the dark about whether they will be allowed to attend Harrogate Town‘s opening match of the season, supporters of opponents Rochdale have given a damning assessment of the situation.

Town’s League Two campaign is set to kick off on Saturday at the EnviroVent Stadium on Wetherby Road against the Lancashire club.

There’s about 72 hours to go and it’s still unclear whether fans will be allowed inside the ground after North Yorkshire County Council identified 17 “unacceptable risks” at the stadium, including issues with the CCTV system, control room, and stewarding.

The council’s refusal to issue a safety certificate meant fans were unable to attend the friendly against Sunderland on July 24. Home fans were permitted to watch the final pre-season friendly against Doncaster Rovers on Sunday but no away fans were let in.

No tickets are on sale yet for this weekend’s Rochdale match. A club spokesperson told the Stray Ferret last night it was working “tirelessly and vigorously” behind the scenes to resolve the situation.

But the uncertainty so close to kick off has frustrated Rochdale fans who are unsure whether to plan to make the trip across the Pennines.

Josh Dolan told the Stray Ferret he hoped to take his 18-month old daughter to her first game.

Mr Dolan said the English Football League should intervene and questioned whether Town’s off-the-field operation is set up for the rigours of the professional game. He said:

“How can the EFL not get involved because if this was any other team, like Barrow, Rochdale or Oldham they’d be on us like a ton of bricks? It makes me think are they even ready for the football league? It’s embarrassing for your club really”.

Mr Dolan said Harrogate Town should have communicated the situation better to supporters:

“I would like to say let the fans know in advance due to people that have booked hotels and travel. In a nutshell, they need to liaise with the fans instead of keeping them in the dark”.

Another Rochdale fan, Nathaniel McNulty, is also looking forward to visiting Harrogate for the first time.

He said:

[It’s a] new ground for many, if not all of us, and I was going to make a day of it. I’d not bought tickets for the train just yet, but, like many other Dale fans, I think this is where my frustrations lie. I just want to get it booked and organised for the first game of the season.”

He said he understood that safety concerns needed to be addressed and was skeptical about fans being allowed in.

“It almost feels like delaying the inevitable.”

Scotton girls run 24 hours to raise funds after vandals strike

A junior football team from Scotton that was targeted by vandals has completed a 24 hour fun run to raise money for repairs.

Vandals damaged the goals used by Scotton Scorchers under 14s girls team during lockdown.

This prompted the team to raise money towards creating safe storage for the goalposts and upgrading the clubhouse kitchen.

So at 2pm on Saturday the players set off, helped by coaches and parents, on the run in an attempt to raise £1,000.

At least two people were running at all times during the challenge, which was successfully completed yesterday.

The team beat its £1,000 target — at the time of publication the fundraiser is at £1,255. You can click or tap here to donate to the gofundme page.

Tinker the horse, an unlikely team mascot who wears the Scotton Scorchers’ number 10 shirt, even helped by guiding the runners home.

It will cost more than £5,000 to complete the works so the club has more fundraising events planned.

Wayne Latimer, the under-14s girls coach, told the Stray Ferret:

“It has been a difficult year for the team but they have come back and not only have the under-14 girls team won their league but so have the under-16 girls team.

“I am sure quite a few of them will still be resting up in bed today but I am incredibly proud of all of the girls who took part in the 24-hour fun run.

“They have absolutely smashed the target of £1,000 and it will make a big difference for the club.”

Anyone who would like to join the team can find out more information on the club website. Or send an email to the club secretary Mike Collier.

Harrogate Town fan groups locked in bitter dispute over new supporters trust

Two groups of Harrogate Town fans are locked in an increasingly bitter dispute over the launch of a new supporters trust.

Last year Town ascended to the English Football League for the first time in the club’s history and chairman Irving Weaver has ambitions to fill the club’s newly improved Envirovent Stadium on Wetherby Road with 5,000 fans.

But the club’s success and increasing professionalism on the field is being accompanied by growing pains off it.

In recent weeks, a group of Town fans has launched a trust called the Harrogate Town Supporter s Trust to give supporters a voice.

Other football league clubs, such as Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City already have fans trusts, which are democratically run and governed by the Financial Conduct Authority.

However, members of the Harrogate Town Supporters Club, which has been running for several years, believe the trust is an attempt to undermine their work.

Leaflets about the newly-formed trust were circulated to Town fans at Sunday’s pre-season friendly against Newcastle United under-23s at Wetherby Road. This alarmed many members of the supporters club, with some accusing the trust on Facebook of underhand tactics.

There was also anger that the newly-formed trust plans to put on coaches for away games, which supporters club committee member Jordan Ford has organised for many seasons.

However, the chair of the trust has said alternative away travel is needed because some fans’ drunken behaviour deters some families and fans from travelling.

Pain and heartache

Phil Holdsworth is the fan liaison officer at Harrogate Town. It’s a volunteer position aimed at improving relations between the club and fans.

He told the Stray Ferret that the trust, which says it is independent of the club, will help the club appeal to a wider supporter base and attract new supporters from as far afield as Malaysia and Vietnam.

Much of the supporters club’s anger towards the trust is due to a disagreement over when it learned of the trust being set up.

On Monday, the supporters club committee issued a statement saying it had only become aware of the trust’s formation six weeks ago.

However, Mr Holdsworth said he had a meeting with members of the supporters club in November last year when he explained how it could apply to become an affiliate of the FSA , the national body that represents football supporters.

He claims the supporters club decided not to proceed with the idea.

He said:

“I assumed they would consider it but I never heard or saw anything, Why are they not giving their members the full picture?”.

Mr Holdsworth was also advising a different group of fans on how to become a trust, which led to the formation of the new organisation. He said the fallout has led to “aggressive” criticism of him online.

He praised Mr Ford, of the supporters club, for organising away game travel but said many fans “don’t appreciate their drinking habits”.

He added he hoped the two sets of fans’ differences could be resolved:

“Nobody wants this pain and heartache. Animosity will cause division. It’s in everyone’s interests to work together.”

Best interests of the club

Clare Bridge, chair of the newly formed trust, told the Stray Ferret she too hoped the two groups could put aside their differences for the good of the club.

However, she said she would not take her 12-year-old son on the supporters club’s bus due to what she called “drunken behaviour”.

She said:

“Lots of families are being put off. I would never, ever, get on the bus.”

Ms Bridge said members of the trust were approached by Harrogate Town about forming the organisation and a more collective voice would give fans greater influence in how the club is run.

“It’s happening so it would be nice to work together. There’s always a solution.”

Lack of communication

Supporters club committee member Katherine Swinn released a statement on behalf of the committee on Monday that aimed to assuage fears the group would be replaced.

She told the Stray Ferret members were unhappy about a “lack of communication” over the way the trust had been set up.

She said:

“[It was] essentially due to the lack of communication, the way it has been set up and the continued insistence that we were informed in advance prior to the meeting in early June.

“The supporters club was not approached at any stage about becoming a trust either by Phil Holdsworth, the club or anyone else.”

She said there was “room for both” a supporters club and a trust.

“It is common for league clubs to have both trusts and supporters clubs. They are able to exist and run side by side. Ultimately whether it’s a supporters club or trust the main aims are to support the club, look after the fans and also grow the fan base too. There is room for both.”

Ms Swinn said for the past three seasons the club has put on family-friendly coaches alongside its usual coach for many away games. For the upcoming season, this will also include most games in the north of England.

“Our supporters are fully aware that they are representing both the club and the supporters club when travelling to away matches and the committee will act on behaviour which we consider to be inappropriate and/or which may impact on the reputation of the club, or supporters club.”

Harrogate Town declined to comment.

Italian Harrogate restaurateur backs his country to win

The owner of an Italian restaurant in Harrogate is backing his national team to win the 2020 European Championship against England.

The owner of Al Bivio, Daniele Bojo, said his employees are also excited . He said:

“It (Euro 2020) makes people who are not usually interested in football more interested.”

Italy’s football team didn’t qualify for the World Cup in 2018 but have played spectacularly and mad their way to the final match.

Daniele described his country’s achievement as “amazing”:

“I thought England would be doing all right as they did all right with the World Cup, whereas Italy didn’t even qualify! But the fact they went to the final straight after a competition where they didn’t even qualify is amazing.”

Al Bivio customers Rosie and Chloe wearing Italy’s colours

In the Uefa Euro 2020 qualifying tournament the Italian team won every match and scored 100%, the last time this was achieved was by England back in 2016.

Daniele said that Italy’s accomplishments have inspired national pride but it won’t stop him from getting an early night:

“Being Italian, you obviously want your team to win, you know? I just hope it doesn’t go to extra time and penalties because I don’t want to be too late to bed.

“As long as it’s a good match and there’s no bad playing on either side, let the best team win.”

Daniele’s score prediction: 2-1 to Italy …..the winning goal sealed by the FC Torino Captain, Andrea Belotti… oh dear. Most of us will hope Daniele is wrong.

Harrogate Town manager looks up to ‘principled and honest’ Gareth Southgate

Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver has paid tribute to Gareth Southgate, who he said has paved the way for football managers to be “principled and honest”.

Weaver told the Stray Ferret that he first met at the England manager, who lives locally, at a gym and they have built up a friendship over the years.

Ahead of the National League play-off final at Wembley last summer, Weaver invited Southgate to give the Town players a motivational team-talk before the biggest game in their history.

Weaver said:

“His emotional intelligence is second to none.

“He’s obviously an outstanding communicator. His values show great honesty.”

The Town boss said that during his own playing career, managers wouldn’t always explain why he was left out of a game, which led to a loss of respect.

In a team full of superstars, he said it is a credit to Southgate’s man-management skills that the players are all firmly behind him, no matter who is chosen for the final 11.

He said:

“There’s no dissent in the squad. The buy-in from his players is second to none.”

But he said it’s a mistake to label Southgate as “just a nice guy”.

“He’s not controversial but has a steely edge.”

Weaver said Harrogate should “cherish and be proud” of Southgate, and said that he tries to run Harrogate Town with similar values.

Weaver added:

“He’s the perfect fit for an England manager, no job is too small. I look up to him and I can’t help but admire him.

“He’s paved the way to be principled and not have a big front.”

He also has an amusing anecdote. A couple of years ago, Weaver bumped into Southgate in a clothes shop in Harrogate and they had a long chat. Afterwards, the shop owner nudged the Town boss, not knowing who he was, and asked:

“Was that really Gareth Southgate?”

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Pain and heartache

Best interests of the club

Lack of communication

Read More:

Read more: