Yemi’s Food Stories: Are you game for game?Harrogate Town welcome Bradford City tomorrow in crunch Yorkshire derby

A bumper crowd is expected at Harrogate Town tomorrow as they welcome Bradford City in a crunch Yorkshire derby.

Town are on on a poor run of form and haven’t won in League Two since beating Gillingham away on August 16.

It’s been even longer since they last tasted victory at home, when they beat Swindon 3-0 on July 30.

The squad had a major overhaul during the summer, with 15 new signings, but it’s taking longer to gel than manager Simon Weaver would have liked.

Despite all he’s achieved during his 13 years in charge, Weaver’s position is being questioned by some fans.

In a pre-match interview, he said:

“We expect Bradford will bring lots of fans. There’s lots of interest from a Harrogate point of view and we expect a buoyant crowd. It should be an eventful game.”

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Attendances at the EnviroVent have been down on last season but around 2,500 tickets have been sold for the game so far, which includes 600 Bradford fans.

The game kicks off at 1pm.

Tickets are on sale from the club’s Commercial Street store until 4pm today. There will be no further sales after this point.

St Aidan’s new 3G pitch set to be open until 8pm

St Aidan’s Church of England High School’s new floodlit artificial sports pitch is set to open from 6pm to 8pm for community clubs to use.

The school has launched a consultation on when the FIFA-approved pitch can be hired, as well as the type of floodlights that will be built.

Last January councillors gave the school permission to build the pitch, despite the council’s own report recommending refusal.

Some nearby residents had complained that the 15-metre high floodlights would cause light pollution to their homes and the Stray.

However, the application attracted a huge amount of support from Harrogate residents, with some hailing “people power” for helping to influence councillors’ decisions.

Hours of use

The consultation document proposes the pitch will be available from 6pm to 8pm from Monday to Friday.

On Saturdays, it would be available for hire from 9am to 5pm and on Sundays from 10am to 2pm.

During school holidays, the pitch would be available to be booked from 9am to 4pm.

It says prices will be similar to other council-run facilities in the Harrogate area.

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The school will employ its own staff to manage and operate the facility and a committee will review its hours of use every year.

There has been a lack of 3G pitches available in Harrogate since Harrogate Town were forced to remove theirs following promotion to the English Football League two years ago.

Harrogate Town’s longest-serving player to retire

Harrogate Town‘s longest-serving player, Lloyd Kerry, will retire at the end of the season and join the club’s staff.

The hard-working midfielder, 33, signed from Tamworth in 2014 and has been a key cog in the team’s rise up the divisions and into the English Football League for the first time.

He’s played over 220 times and helped the club win promotion from the National League North and the National League, starting in the memorable Wembley play-off final against Notts County in August 2020.

He lifted a trophy at Wembley again last year in the FA Trophy and manager Simon Weaver said in a statement he will go down as a “club legend” for his achievements and service.

Kerry’s last game will be on the final day of the season when Harrogate Town host Sutton United on May 7.

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He will take up a new role at the club as head of player recruitment, scouting players for the first team and the academy.

Kerry said:

“I look back to when I first joined this football club in 2014 to where it is now eight years on and it’s unbelievable how far we’ve come and the success we’ve had! I’m grateful to have been on that journey which has created so much history for this club, I can always look back with pride of what we achieved together.

“We’ve made memories that will last us a lifetime and to have played my part is something I’ll never forget.”

Chairman, Irving Weaver also paid tribute to the midfielder. He said:

“Together we have enjoyed some great moments, particularly promotions and winning the FA Trophy. Lloyd moves on to a new roll with the club, now responsible for scouting and recruiting new players and he’s already beginning to make his mark, just like he has in 220+ games for Town.”

Pannal Ash under-11s football team set for cup final

Pannal Ash Whites under-11s football team will play in the Leeds and District cup final tomorrow.

A total of 98 teams entered the competition in September 2021 and the road to the final has seen the team beat Leeds City, Pontefract Collieries, Farsley Celtic, Chapeltown and Whitkirk.

Pannal Ash have scored an impressive 34 goals and only conceded 3.

The team will play Hunslet Club in the final.

Head coach Andy Pears said:

‘’I am immensely proud of the boys on what they have achieved in reaching the cup final.’’

‘’Myself and Simon Evans started the Whites team last season and despite disruption due to the pandemic, the way they have progressed and developed is a credit to the group we have.

‘’A talented group that always want to learn, they have really matured this year.”

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The final will take place tomorrow at Whitkirk FC, Selby Road, Leeds, LS15 OAA.

Kick-off is at 10:30 and there is a small entrance fee for anyone that wants to come and support the team. It’s £4.00 for adults and £2.00 for concessions.

A good season for the club

It has been a good season for Pannal Ash as its under-14s and under-16s have also made cup finals.

The under-14s will play in the Leeds FA District cup final against Wortley FC on March 27. They will also play in the County Cup final against Yorkshire Amateur Juniors on April 24.

The under-16s will play in the Harrogate FA Final against Pannal Sports JFC on a to-be-confirmed date. They will also play in the County Cup final against Horsforth St Margarets on April 1.

Bilton bowling club to open new clubhouse

Bilton Dragon Bowling Club is due to open a new clubhouse next Sunday.

The crown green bowls club was founded in 1909 and has members aged 14 to 93. The club plays on a green behind the Co-op on Skipton Road.

Its first clubhouse was a wooden pavilion erected in 1910 at a cost of £17 and 10 shillings.

The new one has been funded by a £20,000 grant from Sport England and fundraising by members.

The club had hoped to open it last year but it was delayed due to covid.

Players at the club.

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Mayor of Harrogate Trevor Chapman will be there today to cut the ribbon.

The club is also looking for new members. If you’re interested in playing or have any questions, email the club’s chairman Trevor Whincup here or call John Archer on 07715030832.

Mr Whincup said:

“Bowls is perceived to be an older person’s sport, but we have members of all ages. It’s good exercise and it’s a good game.”

Disabled people to help run new Harrogate cafe

A new cafe will open in Harrogate next month to help people with disabilities learn skills and get into the job market.

Artizan International will open the South-American themed cafe in the former Game unit on Cambridge Road, just around the corner from its shop on Oxford Street.

The charity has taken on a large space set over three floors. The ground floor will be the main cafe and craft area, the first floor will have more cafe seating and the second floor will be for offices and storage.

With such a big space, the cafe will be run by four to six staff and volunteers who are there to support up to four adults with disabilities.

When it opens the cafe will serve its speciality of Peruvian hot chocolate. All of its coffee, tea and sugar will come from Fairtrade sources. It will also stock a range of soups, paninis and cakes.

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Susie Hart, who founded Artizan International, told the Stray Ferret why she wanted to invest in the cafe:

“We are going to be training young adults. The idea is they get training here and get to a level of proficiency where we could then help them find work in other cafes in town.

“At the minute everybody in the hospitality industry is desperate for workers. Meanwhile there are loads of young people with disabilities who would love to have a job in a local business.

“It really could be a win-win for those who want the work and those who need the workers, it is a really exciting time for the charity.”

Ms Hart was originally planning to replicate the success of cafes she ran in Tanzania which were staffed by deaf people.

She worked with North Yorkshire County Council and found that local deaf people were managing to find work.

However, she found out that there were “countless” young people with other disabilities on the council’s records looking for practical training, work experience and employment.

Artizan International is looking for more volunteers to join the team and help run the cafe, which will be open Monday to Saturdays from 9am to 5pm.

Are you interested? Send an email to Sarah Davis by clicking or tapping here. Alternatively call 01423 561556 more more information.