Harrogate Town hit Scunthorpe for six

Harrogate Town had one of their best days ever today when they destroyed Scunthorpe United 6-1.

In front of a record home league crowd of 3,180, Town were 5-0 up by half time as the visitors from Lincolnshire were cut apart time and again.

Scunthorpe pulled one back in the 79th minute but had a man sent off two minutes later and then conceded a sixth when Danilo Orsi fired home an 83rd minute penalty.

The result puts Town second in League Two, just a point behind leaders Forest Green, who lost today.

Two goals each from Jack Muldoon and Alex Pattison, plus one from Jack Diamond, put Harrogate fans in dreamland by half-time.

Read more:

 

Harrogate Town urges fans to buy tickets to Saturday’s game in advance

Harrogate Town is urging fans to buy a ticket for Saturday’s game against Scunthorpe United in advance to avoid disappointment.

The game kicks off at 3pm at the EnviroVent Stadium on Wetherby Road. It’s been an excellent start to the League 2 campaign for Simon Weaver’s men who are in 2nd place and have only lost one of their opening 10 games.

The team plays struggling Scunthorpe who are bottom of the table.

Tickets will be available online until midnight on Friday October 8 and available in the club’s Commercial Street shop until kick-off on match day. Tickets will also be available from the ticket office window at The EnviroVent Stadium from 9am to 11am on Saturday.

There will be no sales or collections on the turnstiles on the day of the game.

A club spokesman said:

“We are anticipating a big crowd and would advise supporters to book their tickets early to avoid disappointment.”

Read more:

Hot Seat: Harrogate Town’s new CEO aims to take club to new heights

Sarah Barry is Harrogate through and through.

She grew up in the town, attended Granby High School and worked for Stray FM from almost the start of its existence in 1994 until its closure last year.

In her first media interview since becoming the club’s new chief executive officer three weeks ago, she told the Stray Ferret there are some surprising similarities between running a local radio station and a football club.

“When I was running Stray FM, our unique selling point was ‘local’. Our stakeholders were our community, listeners, advertisers, regulators and owners. It’s exactly the same with the football industry.”

The jump to league football

On the pitch, Simon Weaver and his players have brought Harrogate Town into the English Football League for the first time in their existence and have captured the imagination of the footballing world for their team spirit and style of play.

However, in some respects it’s been a difficult summer off the field.

Multiple safety issues at the ground forced the council to ban fans from attending a friendly, their online ticket booking system went down on the day of a match and there has been a public row between two rival fan groups.

Ms Barry said suggestions that the club was not prepared for the off the field rigours of league football are “grossly unfair”:

“It’s easy to say that on the outside looking in but I’ve been with the club three weeks and I’ve picked it up really quickly. I’m really protective of my team now. We’ve made some errors but we had to prioritise and make sure the team was ready to play football. It’s like having 20 tennis balls thrown at you, you can only catch so many of those.”

Wetherby Road

Key to Ms Barry’s role will be growing the fanbase and attracting more fans to the EnviroVent Stadium. It’s often said that Harrogate is not a “football town” but she believes there is potential to double their regular attendance to 6,000 people.

“We’re not [a football town]. That’s a fact. But we have the Harrogate district. Nearly 150,000 people live here and we can can reach out to them.

“We have got football fanatics, the schools and community who we really want to work strongly with.

“Leeds United have done a lot of work around here, but most people have two teams. They’ll have a bigger team and they’ll have a local team. Not everyone can afford to go off to Manchester United or Liverpool.”

The stadium is in a residential area and flanked by the busy Wetherby Road. The ground has been transformed after some serious investment from the club but it’s hard to ignore some well-documented issues.

It’s difficult to park, they’ve had to close the 1919 bar on match days, and fans spill out onto the road at the end of games. So will the ground be able to cope with 6,000 fans?

Ms Barry said “there are no immediate short-term plans” to move the ground but conceded it has challenges which she believes they can overcome.

She said:

“There has been a lot of work in years gone by to potentially move the ground. There are so many challenges [at the EnviroVent], we won’t hide from that.

“A decision was taken and there’s been a lot of investment. If we can make it happen to stay where we are that will be the first choice at the moment. 

I’ve been to a stadium recently and the capacity was 20,000 but they had 5,500 fans in that. It looked empty, what would you rather have? A jam packed ground full of energy and atmosphere bouncing off every corner, like we had at Newport. I thought the atmosphere was electric. That’s what we’re after week-in week-out. I’d rather have that than a ground thats three quarters empty.”

Read more:

Communication

As part of the restructuring at Harrogate Town, Garry Plant will move from managing director to commercial director with Ms Barry overseeing the whole operation.

Mr Plant has been the public face of the business side of the club and has been the scapegoat for some issues fans have had with the club, particularly around communication.

Ms Barry strongly defended his work.

“I’ve known Garry since he started at the club. He’s a great guy and has done so much that is unseen. He’s come in for some stick. I’ll defend him. 90% of the stuff he does is unseen. You see what happens on the football field, but what goes on behind that and the hard work, nobody sees that. I’m here to support him and he’s doing a great job.”

Ms Barry also stressed the importance of the club’s supporter liaison officer (SLO) Phill Holdsworth, who like Mr Plant, has faced criticism from a section of the fanbase. She wants to improve communication between the club and fans.

She said:

“I’m new to this and don’t know whether [the criticism of the SLO] is warranted or not. Some of it is not defensible in any way shape or form. I want to help him as well improve those relationships. It’s fundamental to have an SLO. It will really help us as a club. We need to nip some of these things in the bud and understand if there’s any upset or hostility and try and prevent it. Everyone is in this for the same reason.”

The Weavers

Ms Barry said her role at the club came about through the friendship she forged with Simon during her time at Stray FM.

It’s clear the reverence she has for both him and his dad, the club chairman and owner Irving Weaver.

I almost daren’t broach the subject of what would happen if a club higher up the leagues approached them about Simon Weaver becoming their new manager. She said: “You’d have to ask Simon that question. I’d obviously like him to stay!”

She wants to help the club achieve further success and reward the Irving family for what they’ve put into the club over the past decade.

“Simon is amazing and inspirational full stop. He’s probably the reason I’m sat here. Listening to him speak, he’s eloquent and has this sincerity that is genuine. He’s got respect and there’s no spin.

“I want to see all the effort money, and time come to fruition over the past years for the owner.”

New Harrogate Town CEO: ‘Ticketing system not fit for purpose’

The new chief executive of Harrogate Town has said the club’s online ticketing system, which led to some fans being unable to attend last weekend’s match, is “not fit for purpose” and is giving the club a bad reputation.

At about midday on Saturday, the club posted on social media that its online ticket booking system was down.

The club had already closed its box office at 11am to avoid long queues forming on Wetherby Road so disappointed fans yet to buy tickets were unable to attend.

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

‘We’ve got a problem’

Sarah Barry, who was appointed chief executive last month, was on a panel at a Harrogate Town fans forum at the Cedar Court Hotel last night.

The panel, which also included first-team manager Simon Weaver and managing director Garry Plant, answered questions submitted by fans.

Ms Barry said:

“The ticketing system is not fit for purpose. It’s one of the priorities I have to fix.

“It wasn’t tested during the pandemic. We’ve got a problem.”

Ms Barry defended some of the criticism levelled at the club and said many of the ticketing problems were outside its control. She said the club was working on a Plan B that could see it move to a new online ticket booking provider.

She said several other clubs in the English Football League had encountered similar problems with Town’s current provider. She did not say which ones.

Ms Barry added:

“It’s not an overnight fix. There have been different problems all outside of Harrogate Town.

“It’s a rotten experience and gives us a bad reputation. Give me a chance to find a solution.”

Read more:

‘Perfect storm’

Ms Barry said the ongoing closure of the 1919 bar at the ground meant some fans had been drinking in pubs away from Wetherby Road and coming to games nearer to kick off, causing long queues.

This contributed to the club’s decision to stop selling tickets in-person from 11am to encourage fans to buy online.

However, Ms Barry conceded that the 11am announcement “was not communicated enough” and led to a “perfect storm” due to the online system being down.

Ms Barry said from the next home game against Scunthorpe on October 9, the club will sell tickets from its shop on Commercial Street until 3pm to allow fans to purchase tickets in-person closer to kick off.

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

Read more:

 

Harrogate Town Supporters Trust admits mistakes in early days

Harrogate Town Supporters Trust has admitted making mistakes in the early days of its existence, which led to a fierce backlash from some Town fans.

The trust was set-up by the club in July to give fans a say in running the club.

But some members of the independent Harrogate Town Supporters Club, which has been in existence for more than a decade, believed the trust was an attempt to undermine its work.

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.

Tensions emerged in July when Clare Bridge, chair of the trust, told the Stray Ferret the group would put on coach trips to away matches due to the “drunken behaviour” of members of the supporters club on their coaches — a claim the supporters club disputed.

Communication ‘could have been better’

Leaked minutes of a trust meeting on September 2 reveal the group has 45 members so far, including one fan in Toronto.

Much of the meeting was take up by discussion of the two fan groups. The minutes say:

“It was acknowledged that the existing supporters club are feeling threatened. We are not working against them but we are hoping to work with them to grow the supporter base and to encourage more away supporters.

“It was acknowledged that the communication could have been done better, especially with the supporters club. Time and covid were major hurdles we were trying to overcome, and in hindsight, things could’ve been done better.

“The teething problems setting up the trust were acknowledged.”

Read more:

The minutes add that Murgatroyd Coaches would subsidise away travel to encourage take-up and that trust members should expect to “receive some stick” from the supporters club on away days.

They add there should be an effort to “build bridges” with the group:

“There has to be willingness on the part of every party to communicate. A lot of work will need to be done to build a bridge. However, we will have to accept that some individuals will not change their minds.”

Fans Forum

Next Wednesday evening, the Cedar Court Hotel will host a fans forum. Fans will be able to hear news from club representatives, the community foundation, the independent supporters club, the supporters trust and first team manager Simon Weaver.

For information on attending, email Phill Holdsworth, supporter liaison officer, on phillholdsworth@harrogatetownafc.com

Harrogate Town to host first fans forum

Harrogate Town is set to host its first fans forum this month.

Taking place at the Cedar Court Hotel, fans will be invited to hear updates from club officials and manager Simon Weaver as well as ask questions.

Doors will open at 6.30pm and the forum will start at 7pm. The forum will be held on Wednesday, September 29.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Town said:

“The forum will provide attendees the chance to hear all the upcoming news from club representatives, the Community Foundation, the Independent Supporters Club, the Supporters Trust, and first team manager Simon Weaver, who will be discussing a wide range of topics and will be available to answer any questions you may have.”

Read more:

Town currently sit second in League Two with 14 points from six matches and have a game in hand.

Fans wishing to attend the forum must email Phill Holdsworth, supporter liaison officer, on phillholdsworth@harrogatetownafc.com to reserve a seat and submit questions.

Harrogate Town boss nominated for Manager of the Month

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver has been nominated for the manager of the month award in League Two of the English Football League.

It’s been a dream start to the new campaign for Town despite a covid outbreak forcing the club to postpone two league fixtures.

Weaver’s men are currently sitting pretty at the top of table, with four wins and one draw from their opening five games.

August saw home wins against Rochdale and Barrow and a 1-1 draw with Exeter.

Their only defeat last month came in a 0-2 loss to Leyton Orient.

Read more:

The winner will be announced on Friday. The shortlist is below.

Dave Challinor (Hartlepool United)

Rob Edwards (Forest Green Rovers)

Ben Garner (Swindon Town)

Simon Weaver (Harrogate Town)

Wembley hero Jack Diamond rejoins Harrogate Town

Wembley hero Jack Diamond has returned to Harrogate Town on loan until the end of the 2021/22 season in a transfer deadline day deal.

Diamond, 21, scored at Wembley in the 3-1 National League play-off final defeat of Notts County last year — a result that secured Town’s promotion to the English Football League for the first time in its history.

The winger first joined the club in September 2019 on a loan deal that was eventually extended until the end of the 2019/20 season due to his impressive performances.

The Sunderland loanee accumulated 35 appearances in a season cut short by covid, scoring five goals and providing eight assists in Town’s promotion campaign.

He said:

“The move presented a good challenge for me, I’ve already done a lot here and finished off on a high when I left so the challenge now is to replicate what I have done.”

“I grew a lot as a player in my last spell and was able to find consistency, all the lads helped me so much with advice.

“There’s no time in football to stay still, you have got to keep improving yourself so coming here on loan was a great option for me.”

Read more:

 

Harrogate Town bars fans from stand due to lack of stewards

Harrogate Town’s EnviroVent Stand will be closed to home and away fans for their League 2 game against Exeter tomorrow due to a shortage of stewards.

The club tweeted this morning that they are facing “operational difficulties” around stewarding for the game which kicks off at 3pm tomorrow afternoon.

They added there is a national shortage of qualified stewards and other football clubs and events are having the same difficulties.

Fans who had booked tickets to watch the game in the stand, which is on the Wetherby Road side of the ground, have been offered spaces in the Black Sheep Brewery Stand.

A map of the ground. Credit – Harrogate Town.

Read more:

The club added:

“After Saturday we are confident that stewarding issues will be resolved and we can operate as normal. Please accept our sincere apologies for this inconvenience and we look forward to seeing you all at the game.”

Recent issues at the EnviroVent Stadium have led to a difficult summer for the club.

They were forced to play a pre-season friendly against Sunderland behind closed doors after North Yorkshire County Council found 17 “unacceptable risks” at the ground, including inadequate stewarding.

It threw the fan’s hopes of attending the opening game of the season against Rochdale into doubt, although the club were able to overcome the issues with the council in time.

Yesterday, the club appointed former Stray FM boss Sarah Barry as their new CEO. She will begin in the role next month.