Harrogate Town managing director Garry Plant said he is “delighted and relieved” after the National League confirmed last night that the club will enter the play-offs for the chance to win promotion.
The decision ends an agonising three-month wait for the club and its supporters who have been waiting to find out how the season will be concluded since the season was paused in March.
National League clubs agreed to send Barrow AFC up as champions with the second to seventh-placed teams competing for the final promotion place in a play-off competition in July.
It means Town, who finished in second place, will play for the chance to compete in the English Football League for the first time in its history. It’s estimated that promotion could be worth between £1million to £1.5million to the club.
Harrogate will play the winners of Boreham Wood vs Halifax at Wetherby Road in July, with the final played at a neutral venue later that month. All games will be played behind closed doors.
Mr Plant told the Stray Ferret that the club is especially pleased for the supporters who “have been anxiously awaiting the outcome” of the vote.
He added:
“We are advised that the semi-final will be broadcast by BT Sports and now we are firming up on all the contingency plans we have been working on over the last 10 weeks.”
Even though the club’s supporters would miss out on an unforgettable day out at Wembley if they reach the final, they still hope to be able to watch the play-off games together, albeit socially distanced.
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Jordan Ford from the Harrogate Town Supporters Club told us that a big screen could be put up on the Stray to allow fans to watch the televised games together two metres apart.
But another Town Fan, Rob Nixon, told the Stray Ferret that watching the play-off away from Wetherby Road will take some getting used to.
He said:
Harrogate Town’s football league dream inches closer“It will be strange, especially if I can’t watch it with other people. The greatest thing about watching Town is the atmosphere at matches.”
Harrogate Town’s dream of playing in the English Football League could move closer this week.
The National League is expected to end the current campaign via points-per-game with Town entering the play-offs for the chance to win promotion.
The club was in second position when the 2019/20 season was curtailed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 24 clubs in the National League voted over the weekend on how to conclude the season which is widely expected to send Barrow AFC up as champions with the second to seventh-placed teams competing for the final promotion place in a play-off in July. Confirmation of the vote is expected later this week.
It’s estimated that promotion to the EFL could be worth between £1million to £1.5million to Town, who have played in the lower leagues since they were formed in 1919.
Harrogate Town Supporters Club spokesperson Jordan Ford told the Stray Ferret that it’s been a “frustrating” few months but he is pleased a decision will soon be made on how the season will end.
“I’ve been following the club avidly for seven or eight years. I never thought we’d be in this position but it would be absolutely brilliant for the local area to have a club achieving league football. It would be excellent.”
The playoffs will be broadcast live on BT Sport which will give the club a much-needed cash windfall following the abandonment of the season in March. It is believed the broadcaster pays clubs between £5,000 and £10,000 for each National League game they show live on TV.
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Harrogate Town was eligible to apply for a share of a £125m coronavirus support fund launched by the Premier League for clubs in the lower divisions struggling financially with the football shutdown.
A new 880-seater stand is currently being built at Wetherby Road to meet EFL regulations should they be promoted. The club would also need to replace their artificial 3G pitch with grass.
Harrogate Town will play the first play-off semi-final at Wetherby Road on at an unconfirmed date in July with the winner moving on to the final which will be played at a neutral venue before July 31.