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.

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.”