Harrogate Town made £1m loss in first Football League season

Harrogate Town posted a loss of £1 million during its first season in the English Football League.

The club secured professional league status for the first time in its history in 2020 after winning the National League play-offs.

Town then played its entire 2020/21 season in League Two behind closed doors due to the covid pandemic.

According to accounts filed with Companies House, the club published a loss of £1.019 million for the 12 months to June 2021.

The club said it was not alone in struggling through the pandemic and added that growing its fanbase now that spectators are allowed into stadiums was “a priority”.

The accounts added that the club’s cash flow forecast for the next 12 months was dependent on Irving Weaver, chairman and majority shareholder, not requesting £3.7 million he has currently put into the club in order for it to meet its liabilities.

The accounts said Mr Weaver “does not intend to seek repayment of the amounts due for the period covered by the forecast”.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Town said:

“As with all sporting venues, entertainment and hospitality organisations, the club has had a challenging time during the pandemic with not being able to operate fully so we are obviously still playing catch up.

“As you would expect, as a relatively new league status club, and with fans allowed in for the first time this season since being promoted into the league, we are still growing our fan base and that will remain our priority.

“We have lots going on behind the scenes and will be announcing details of all new developments as soon as we are in a position to do so ahead of the new season but we are still in the planning and negotiations stages on various projects.”

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The club is currently in the process of improving facilities at the EnviroVent Stadium on Wetherby Road following promotion to the English Football League.

Last month Town officials applied to Harrogate Borough Council to build a new clubhouse at the stadium to meet demand from increased fans on match days.

Meanwhile, a new ticket office and turnstiles at the EnviroVent Stadium were approved by the council in April 2021.

Harrogate Town plans new clubhouse at stadium

Harrogate Town is planning a new clubhouse at the EnvioVent Stadium on Wetherby Road

The club has submitted a planning application to build the two-storey facility in the north-west corner of the ground.

It would be used to serve fans refreshments on match days and include an upper floor area for supporters to gather.

Officials at the club said in planning documents the facility is needed because the ground currently has no “enclosed spectator facilities”, apart from pay and go refreshment kiosks.

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It would also be needed for the club to meet its English Football League membership criteria, which requires all member clubs to provide refreshment facilities for home and away fans in separate areas of the ground.

A planning statement submitted by the club to Harrogate Borough Council said:

“The club’s ongoing success means that match days attract more spectators. 

“The new spectator facility will not only allow the club to meet its EFL membership requirements, but will also improve the match day experience for the club’s growing fanbase.”

Town have had a successful few years on the pitch, including a historic promotion to the English Football League in 2020.

The club has already seen a number of developments approved by the council since promotion, including a new ticket office and turnstiles at the EnviroVent Stadium which were backed by the council in April 2021.

‘Allez Allez Allez!’: Harrogate Town fans savour special Bradford trip

One chant was sung loud and proud by Harrogate Town supporters at Valley Parade last night.

Inspired by a song sung by Liverpool fans, it describes how they have been there from the days of National League North, beating minnows Telford and Darlington along the way, and references past heroes Joe Leesley and Dom Knowles.

“We are the loyal supporters and we come from Harrogate!

“Allez Allez Allez!”

When Town fans entered Bradford City’s stadium, they sat down opposite the imposing JCT600 Stand. It wouldn’t look out of place in the Premier League, nevermind League Two of the English Football League.

It showed how far the club has come, and seemed to spur the record number of Town away supporters to sing the song about the journey up the divisions even louder.

Valley Parade’s imposing JCT600 Stand.

A memorable night

Four Stray Ferret reporters were among over 700 Harrogate fans who made the short trip to West Yorkshire for what was one of the most memorable nights in the club’s history.

They made more noise than the relatively docile 13,000 Bradford City fans, which promoted the playful Town faithful to goad them with: “Is this a library?” and “Shall we sing a song for you?”

But when the home side took the lead in the first half it threatened to dampen the party atmosphere in the away end.

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For a while it worked, until Warren Burrell scored in first-half injury time to change the direction of the game.

In the second half, Town took the lead thanks to a Beckham-esque free-kick from Lewis Page. A cooly-taken finish from Jack Diamond made it 3-1.

Jack Diamond’s goal sparked mass celebrations.

It prompted an evacuation of Bradford City fans towards the exit doors and full throttle singing among the Town fans.

Special moments

Covid has robbed Town fans of many special moments — Wembley trips, glamorous away days and seeing the club play league football at the revamped EnviroVent Stadium.

After the final whistle, the bond between the playing staff and fans was evident. The squad, led by manager Simon Weaver, applauded the travelling fans, signed shirts and took selfies with young supporters.

It was a proud day for Jordan Ford, who organises away day coach travel for fans on behalf of Harrogate Town Independent Supporters Club.

Yesterday there were over 200 fans on his coaches — a far cry from the 25 or so when he first started several years ago.

Town player Jack Muldoon took to Twitter after the match to pay tribute to the fans.

https://twitter.com/J_muldoon11/status/1496280985389912064?s=20&t=5SoSRoWdTANHtOYDUxzXbA

 

Harrogate Town set for Bradford derby day showdown

Harrogate Town are set to face off against Bradford City today in the first Yorkshire derby of the season.

Simon Weaver’s men go into the game following a hard fought point against Mansfield Town on Tuesday night.

The two sides face each other for the first time after the fixture at Valley Parade was postponed on Boxing Day.

A bumper crowd is expected at the Envirovent Stadium as both teams look set to face each other twice in just over a fortnight.

Speaking to the media ahead of today’s game, Weaver said:

“We’re really looking forward to this fixture and been looking forward to it all season. We like the derby games, getting stuck into to the heat of the battle and they don’t come any bigger for us at this level than Bradford City.

“We’ve enjoyed them over the years, the battles with York City and now at this level we’re playing against the likes of Bradford with their rich history and the fanbase, they’ll bring in lots of fans.”

Simon Weaver after the win against Rochdale on the opening game of the season. Picture: Matt Kirkham, Harrogate Town.

Simon Weaver, Harrogate Town manager. Picture: Matt Kirkham, Harrogate Town.

Weaver confirmed that centre-back Rory McArdle and Lewis Richards face fitness tests after picking up injuries against Mansfield.

Ryan Fallowfield and Simon Power remain sidelined with injury.

Bradford looking to avenge last season

Meanwhile, Bradford head into the fixture just three points above Town in the League Two table.

The Bantams will be looking to avenge the two defeats they suffered at the hands of Harrogate last season.

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Bradford can expect a strong support at Wetherby Road after fans sold out their 550 ticket allocation within a minute.

City will be without Charles Vernam and Dion Pereira. But Nathan Delfouneso could make his debut and Luke Hendrie is available for selection.

Jamie Walker is also fit, despite going off injured against Leyton Orient.

Bradford manager Derek Adams said his side will be prepared for the occasion at Harrogate.

He said:

“We are looking forward to it, but we have to understand the environment of the game.

“We have a full capacity away crowd with us and they have a good following too. The atmosphere will be good.

“Harrogate have done really well since they have come up and will want to beat us, but we are going there to win the game.”

No. 12: Harrogate Town — a year of history and milestones

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at another remarkable year for Simon Weaver’s men.

Harrogate Town spent 2021 making history and setting new milestones.

Covid restrictions had prevented Town fans from watching their team at Wembley in 2020 and gain promotion to the English Football League for the first time ever.

So when the season began in August, thousands flocked to Wetherby Road to see the next chapter in the fairytale.

FA Trophy winners

Fans, however, were denied a second trip to Wembley in May for the FA Trophy final against Concord Rangers.

The final had been delayed for a year due to covid and Town were favourites because they had gained promotion in the period since the match was due to be played.

Josh Falkingham scored the only goal as Town ran out 1-0 winners to life the silverware,

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As the saying goes, winning becomes a habit and such was the case under head coach Simon Weaver that the club tied him down to a long-term contract in July.

The contract would see Weaver’s time at the club extended to 15 years if seen out, a feat which cannot be said for many of modern football clubs. He is already the longest serving manager in English football.

The consistent progress the team has made under Weaver continued when the new season began.

A good start, which put the club among the play-off positions, climaxed with a 6-1 hammering of Scunthorpe United in October in front of a record home crowd of 3,180.

Harrogate’s league form subsequently fell away, but a strong second half could yet see them feature in the play-offs.

FA Cup heroics

But the club has compensated for some poor results in the league with a sensational FA Cup run, which has seen it book a place in the third round for the first time in its history.

A last minute winner against two-time winners Portsmouth at Fratton Park had fans dreaming of a Premier League side visiting Wetherby Road.

But it was not to be. Instead the club will try to write history once again by playing Luton Town for a place in the fourth round.

If 2022 is half as exciting, Harrogate fans can look forward to another 12 months of milestones.

Covid postpones Harrogate Town’s second festive fixture

A coronavirus outbreak in the Mansfield Town squad has forced the English Football League (EFL) to postpone the second of Harrogate Town’s festive fixtures.

Harrogate Town were due to welcome in-form Mansfield Town to the EnviroVent Stadium on Wednesday, December 29.

It is unclear at this stage when the game between 11th place Harrogate Town and 9th place Mansfield Town, will be played out.

Town’s away clash with Bradford City which was scheduled for Boxing Day was also postponed due to coronavirus cases in the rival’s squad.

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A spokesperson for the EFL said:

“Mansfield Town’s forthcoming Sky Bet League Two fixture against Harrogate Town on Wednesday 29 December has been postponed.

“Mansfield informed the EFL that it would be unable to fulfil the fixture at the EnviroVent Stadium due to a number of positive COVID-19 cases in their squad.

“In light of the increased transmission rate of the Omicron variant, the EFL will now review the circumstances surrounding the postponement.

“In addition, it will assist affected clubs throughout this challenging period to help them mitigate against the risk of infection amongst players and staff, while ensuring their obligations to the EFL regulations are maintained.”

Town are next due to play Port Vale on New Year’s Day

Delight for fans as Harrogate Town allowed spectators on Saturday

Harrogate Town have been given the all clear to allow home and away fans into the ground for the opening match of the season against Rochdale on Saturday.

The announcement will come as a relief to supporters of both clubs as speculation mounted that the game would be played behind closed doors.

This was after North Yorkshire County Council identified 17 “unacceptable risks” at the club’s EnviroVent Stadium, including issues with the CCTV system, control room, and stewarding.

It appears the issues have now been resolved after the club issued a statement this afternoon saying it had now been given permission to sell tickets by the council’s safety advisory group, which has the final say on whether supporters can attend.

Visiting Rochdale supporters will be housed in the Myrings stand and EnviroVent seated terrace.

The club also apologised to both sets of fans for the uncertainty.

“We would like to thank our supporters for their patience at this difficult time and to those who have sent positive messages of support.

“We would like to apologise to both our supporters and Rochdale supporters for the delay in confirming arrangements at Saturday’s fixture and the subsequent inconvenience this has caused.

“It has been a difficult process but the safety of everyone at the stadium is paramount and cannot be compromised.”

Tickets for the game, as well as a Carabao Cup fixture on August 10, also against Rochdale, are available to purchase here. No tickets will be sold at the turnstiles.

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Match Preview: Harrogate Town vs Bolton Wanderers

Ten years ago this week, Harrogate Town and Bolton Wanderers were five divisions apart, with the Lancashire club plying their trade in the Premier League and Town in the National League North.

That year, 2010/11, was Simon Weaver’s first full season as player/manager of the club and Bolton’s side was littered with internationals including future England stars Daniel Sturridge and Gary Cahill.

But sport can be a great leveler and the two clubs will face each other for the first time in a competitive fixture at 3pm today. The game will be played at Town’s temporary home of the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster.

Simon Weaver’s men have been in buoyant form so far in League Two and are unbeaten after three games. They made an immediate statement, beating Southend 4-0 on the opening day of the season, and last Saturday they secured a battling point against the fancied Port Vale.

Bolton were relegated from League One last season and are one of the favourites for promotion – however, they have so far failed to pick up a win.

Simon Weaver said he hopes his team can build on their good form.

He said:

“The Bolton game is a huge one for us. They’re a massive club, with history, a big fan-base and a fantastic stadium, but they haven’t had the best of starts and they’ll be desperate to put that right this weekend.

“We can’t allow them to do that. We have to be on the front foot, making life difficult for them and all-energy with and without the ball. We’ve made a positive start to the season and we have to be relentless in trying to build on that.”

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Bolton manager Ian Evvet was full of praise for Town ahead of the game.

He said:

“They put you under pressure and they’ll put the ball into areas that force you to defend. They’re very good from set pieces as most League Two teams are, and we have to be at the races it’s as simple as that. We have to make sure we’re better with and without the ball than we were last Saturday.”

Town midfielder Jack Muldoon missed out on the trip to Port Vale with a minor muscle injury and he could come back into contention today.

Goalkeeper James Belshaw continues to progress in his recovery from a hand injury but he’ll most likely be unavailable, with Joe Cracknell continuing to deputise.

Bolton manager Ian Evatt said new signing Lloyd Isgrove will miss the game against Town because of an injury. Arthur Gnahoua is fit and available and could come into contention for a start.

Antoni Sarcevic and Shaun Miller returned to training this week and could be available for a place in the matchday squad.

Town fans can stream the game live through the club’s website for £10.

WATCH: Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver on a ‘whirlwhind’ few weeks

Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver said this morning’s League Two fixtures announcement “brought home” the scale of the club’s historic promotion to the English Football League.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret this afternoon, Weaver described the weeks since their Wembley triumph on August 2 as a “whirlwind”.

Fixtures for the upcoming EFL campaign were released this morning and Town fans can now prepare for trips to the likes of Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers.

Watch our interview with him below:

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Town will make the 220 mile trip to Roots Hall to play Southend on September 12 for their opening fixture in League Two.

The first few home games of the season will be played at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium as the artificial 3G pitch at the CNG Stadium is replaced with grass due to EFL regulations.

Harrogate Town to begin new season in three weeks

Harrogate Town will begin the 2020/21 season on September 5 in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

The team have not had long to bask in promotion glory and will play again on September 8 or 9 in the EFL Cup before kicking off their first-ever campaign in League Two on September 12.

The season will conclude on 8/9 May 2021 with the play-off final taking place at Wembley Stadium over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend May 29-31 2021.

Because the season is starting six weeks later than usual there will be 11-midweek fixtures.

If the team wins their first-round Carabao Cup clash on September 5 it would put them into the hat for a mouth-watering tie with Premier League outfits Manchester City, Liverpool and newly promoted Leeds United.

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Manager Simon Weaver has been busy in the transfer market since their historic win at Wembley less than two weeks ago, adding Jake Lawlor, Tom Walker and Connor Kirby in recent days.

Town fans are anxiously awaiting the announcement of who they will play in the league next season which will be released by the EFL on August 21 at 9am.

Town will play the first few games of the season at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium due to the artificial 3G pitch at the CNG Stadium being replaced with grass due to EFL regulations.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret last week about the 3G pitch being replaced, Town managing director Garry Plant said “it’s time to say goodbye to a very old friend that’s done brilliantly for the club.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed yesterday that fans can begin to return to football stadiums from October 1, pending no spikes in coronavirus infections.