Harrogate Town releases seven players

Harrogate Town have cut their squad ahead of the new season letting seven first-team players leave the club.

Jake Lawlor, Brendan Kiernan, Ed Francis, Melvin Minter and Jay Williams have not been offered a new contract and have left the club.

Calvin Miller and Scott Brown, who spent time out on loan at Notts County and Warrington respectively, will also be departing following the end of their contracts.

38-year-old striker Jon Stead announced his retirement after the club’s final game of the season against Cheltenham Town last weekend.

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The winger Kiernan was a popular member of the squad and he featured heavily in the 2019/20 campaign that saw the club promoted to League 2. However, he found opportunities more limited this season.

The club paid tribute to him on Twitter as did former teammate Ryan Fallowfield who called him an “unbelievable character on and off the pitch”.

https://twitter.com/RyanFallowfield/status/1393239020210204674?s=20

Harrogate Town to play Premier League club in friendly

Harrogate Town fans will be treated to a glamour fixture in July when Premier League outfit Newcastle United comes to the CNG Stadium for a pre-season friendly.

The game will take place on Sunday July 18 and fans are expected to be able to attend if the government’s roadmap out of lockdown continues as planned.

The club said they will release ticketing information at a future date. It will be the first home fixture of the 2021/22 season.

Newcastle are currently 16th in the Premier League table and have a host of international stars including England’s Callum Wilson.

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Newcastle United is arguably the biggest club to play in Harrogate in many years.

Leeds United used to be a regular for pre-season friendlies at Wetherby Road which they stopped when Town installed its artificial pitch.

The last Premier League club to visit Harrogate for a friendly was Hull City in 2013 who were coincidentally also managed by Newcastle manager Steve Bruce.

Harrogate Town shop finds permanent home on Commercial Street

Harrogate Town’s shop on Commercial Street is to become a permanent fixture after the club signed a lease to stay.

The store opened in April, initially as a one-week pop-up shop to sell club merchandise and provide information on community initiatives.

It’s being run by the club’s community foundation in a unit previously occupied by Scandinavian lighting company Nordium.

The shop has proved popular and has also given fans the chance to see the National League play-off final trophy and the FA Trophy, plus meet members of the first team and club mascot Harry Gator.

Shops on Commercial Street were decorated in yellow and black bunting last week in honour of Town’s Wembley heroes, who beat Concord Rangers in the FA Trophy final.

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No open top bus celebration for Harrogate’s Wembley heroes

Harrogate Town have decided not to hold an open top bus parade to celebrate the club’s FA Trophy success.

Discussions had been taking place about a parade after Town beat Concord Rangers 1-0 last week to take home the silverware at Wembley.

Despite support from the bus company Transdev, the club said today released a statement saying it would not happen. It said:

“Due to lockdowns in 2020 the players only had a two week break before embarking on pre-season training in preparation for our first English Football League campaign.

“In effect they have played back-to-back seasons. After the match against Cheltenham they will be going their various ways for well-earned planned family breaks.

“Despite our socially distanced and covid-compliant parade after the promotion final last August, the club came under unwarranted criticism from some elements of the media.

“We are guarded against similar criticism as we all emerge from the latest lockdown.”

The club added “we sincerely hope our loyal supporters understand and appreciate our decision not to hold a parade”.

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Body found in search for ex-Harrogate Town player

A body has been found in the search for former Harrogate Town player James Dean, 35.

Mr Dean, who was with the club in 2008-09, was last seen in Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire at about midnight on Wednesday.

Lancashire Police issued a statement last night saying a body was found in the Moscow Mill Street area of Oswaldtwistle at about 2.25pm yesterday. It added:

“While the body has yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be Mr Dean. His family have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this time.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.”

Centre forward Mr Dean, who was born in Blackburn, signed for almost 20 clubs, including Bury and FC Halifax Town, as well as Harrogate, in a career lasting more than 15 years.

Harrogate Town said in a statement:

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of former Town player James Dean at this incredibly sad time.”

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Harrogate’s Commercial Street decked out for Town

Shops on Commercial Street have been decorated in yellow and black bunting today in honour of Harrogate Town’s Wembley heroes.

The club, which has a pop-up shop on the street, supplied the bunting and Town scarves to celebrate the 1-0 defeat of Concord Rangers in yesterday’s FA Trophy final.

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Sue Kramer, who owns Crown Jewellers and is manager of the Commercial Street retailers group that has arranged many of the recent improvements on the street, praised the community spirit of the street’s retailers, saying:

“We’ve been here for 21 years and this is the first time I’ve known the street really come together for something.”

According to Ms Kramer, the street’s shop owners have been working closely together with the local council to improve the street.

Harrogate Borough Council recently replaced a bench in the street, while Harrogate Business Improvement District has added the street to its watering round for hanging baskets.

Alex Clarke, owner of Foxy Antiques and Interiors, watched Town beat Concord Rangers 1-0 from the teepee at Cedar Court Hotel on Monday:

“It was freezing, but there was a great atmosphere.”

Gemma Aykroyd, owner of The Cheeseboard, said that footfall had been “great” since the shops reopened. She had bunting up in her windows, as well as black and yellow balloons that she bought herself.

 

Harrogate Town captain on ‘incredible feeling’ of Wembley winner

Harrogate Town’s Josh Falkingham came with a real captain’s contribution to win the FA Trophy in what was a tough game at times.

The skipper was alive to the opportunity when Jack Muldoon’s effort came off the post and managed to tap the ball in from close range.

At 75 minutes it was the only goal of the game against non-league Concord Rangers. It means that town brings home more silverware in the FA Trophy.

Fresh from the high of scoring the winning goal, Josh Falkingham told the Stray Ferret:

“I can’t put into words how I am feeling. It’s a special time for a special club and it will live for a long time in the memory of the players and staff.

“We are obviously gutted that the fans couldn’t be here with us. But we have been here before and we have managed to get another win at Wembley.

“This is an incredible feeling, we are delighted. Goals are not really my forte. I get a lot of stick for not scoring as many as I should.

“But it is about the whole team who have worked really hard to achieve this.”

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The first half was quite frustrating at times for Harrogate Town, who struggled to break down a fresh team in Rangers.

Town manager Simon Weaver said after the game that he “let rip” on the players at half time. That talk clearly had an affect on the team that came out for the second half.

Josh conceded that the team was not good enough in the first half and said:

“It was simply not good enough. We were nowhere near where we should have been. The gaffer came in and told us how it was.

“We were much more on the front foot and took the game to Concord Rangers. We were able to finish strong and get the goal at a key time.

“So happy days. We have another trophy to take home to Harrogate. I am sure we will have a fair few beers tonight and a few sore heads in the morning.”

Harrogate Town win at Wembley as fans celebrate at home

Fans may have missed out on another Harrogate Town trip to Wembley but they certainly enjoyed the win.

Harrogate Town’s 1-0 win over Concord Rangers means that the side will be bringing back more silverware in the form of the FA Trophy.

It was not the walk in the park that some had expected and a few lucky fans who managed to grab a place in the tipi at Cedar Court Hotel were certainly nervous at times.

Those nerves were blown away by captain Josh Falkingham’s goal 15 minutes from time to leave a carnival atmosphere despite the wet and windy weather.

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Match preview: Harrogate Town vs Concord Rangers

Harrogate Town are heavy favourites to beat Concord Rangers at Wembley Stadium in the final of the 2019/20 FA Trophy this evening.

It will perhaps be one of the most unusual English cup finals to ever take place, as Harrogate Town are no longer a non-league club but are playing in one of non-league football’s showpiece events.

The game was supposed to take place last year but was delayed due to the covid pandemic.

Concord Rangers play in the National League South, which was cancelled in January due to the pandemic. It means they’ve not played a competitive fixture since January 2.

Forward Alex Wall was their top scorer in the league with seven goals in 11 fixtures.

Experienced winger Danny Green is another player to watch and comes with football league pedigree. He played most of his career for league clubs including Dagenham & Redbridge, Charlton, Luton and MK Dons.

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Manager Simon Weaver told the Stray Ferret his squad won’t be taking the opposition lightly.

He played a weakened team against Cambridge United on Friday night to rest some of his key players ahead of the final.

He said:

“We’ve seen hundreds of teams bitten by smaller clubs. People expect us to win but it’s not as easy as that. This group of players won’t take things lightly.

But we have a strong resolve and belief we can win.”

The game kicks off at 5.00pm and will be shown live on BT Sport, with the channel deciding to show the game for free both online and on TV.

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.
Concord Rangers: Who are they and how did they get to Wembley?

From playing friendly matches on the seafront to stepping out on to the pitch at Wembley, Concord Rangers are set for a milestone in their 54-year history.

Monday’s game against Harrogate Town will see the club hoping to overcome the odds and defeat the Football League side to lift the FA Trophy.

After no competitive fixtures since February due to the pandemic, Rangers will be hoping they can pull off an upset.

But who are Concord Rangers and how did they get to Wembley?

History

Formed in 1967, the club were initially set up as a bunch of boys playing friendly games on a pitch on the Canvey Island seafront.

Nicknamed the Beach Boys, the club picked up several honours throughout the 1970s including being the first to win the Essex Sunday Junior Trophy in 1979.

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Most of their games were played at Waterside Farm on Canvey Island until 1985, when they secured land to build their current ground at Thames Road.

After success in the Essex Senior League, the Beach Boys finished fifth in their first season in the Ryman League Division One North in 2008/9.

Manager Danny Cowley, who is now in charge at Portsmouth, took the club to a promotion in 2009 and then led them to their highest ever league position with another promotion to the Conference South.

Concord Rangers and Harrogate Town have waited eight months to play at Wembley.

Concord Rangers and Harrogate Town have waited eight months to play at Wembley.

The club has remained at that position ever since, but has also reached the quarter finals of the FA Vase and the first round of the FA Cup on two occasions.

How did they get to Wembley?

Concord Rangers’ day at the England team’s home ground will be the biggest game in their history.

The final, which has been delayed since last year due to covid, will see the Beach Boys pitted against EFL opposition in Town.

Rangers’ route to Wembley stretches back to November 2019.

The club overcame the likes of Bath City, Leamington and Royston Town to set up a semi-final against Halesowen Town.

Rangers scored in the 80th minute against Halesowen to reach the final.

That was back in September and both Concord and Town have had to wait eight months to walk out at Wembley.

To put a further dampener on the occasion, no fans will be allowed inside the stadium for the historic game.