Harrogate Town captain Josh Falkingham has signed a two-year contract extension.
The 32-year-old, who joined from Darlington in 2017, has made more than 150 appearances for the club in three separate divisions.
The deal will see Falkingham lead Town until the end of the 2024/25 season.
Falkingham said:
“I am absolutely delighted to have extended my stay for another two years. I really want to play my part in pushing the club forward in that time and together hopefully we can keep improving and pushing up the table.
“For me, it has always been about working hard and constantly trying to improve. I always push myself to give everything for this club and I will continue to do that.”
The 32-year-old has led Town to two promotions in his five-year stint.
Famously, Falkingham captained the side to a 3-1 play-off final victory over Notts County in 2020 which saw the club promoted to the English Football League for the first time in its history.
Town manager Simon Weaver said:
“Josh has played an instrumental part in the climb the club has been on in recent years. We are delighted that he has signed this extension.
“Players, teammates, staff and supporters can all see how much this club means to him and that passion and determination is a great attribute to have in any dressing room.”
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Harrogate Town to sell match-worn shirts tonight to fund defibrillator
Harrogate Town hopes to raise £1,500 tonight to fund a defibrillator on Commercial Street in central Harrogate by selling match-worn shirts.
Shirts signed by captain Josh Falkingham and long-serving midfielders Lloyd Kerry and George Thomson are among those on sale.
A club statement today said:
“The 2020/21 campaign was a historic one for Harrogate Town as it marked the club’s debut season in the English Football League.
“Now you have the chance to own a bit of Harrogate Town history.”
Shirts will be available online from 7pm today on the Harrogate Town club shop. They will be split into categories of £20, £50, £70, £100, and £150 and sold on a first come, first served basis.
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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.”