‘Finally a bit of luck’: Harrogate’s Liam Kitching reacts to Premier League promotionThe Harrogate lawyer who became English football’s most powerful figureHarrogate’s Harry Gray, 16, makes Leeds debutEx-England footballer fined for speeding in HarrogateEx-England footballer Micah Richards fined for speeding in Knaresborough

Former England footballer Micah Richards has been fined for speeding in Knaresborough.

Richards, 34, of Nidd, near Harrogate, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday charged with the offence.

He pleaded guilty to speeding in excess of 30 mph on the B6165 at an address listed as Howe Hill in Knaresborough on August 3 last year.

A separate charge of failing to identify the driver of a vehicle in relation to another traffic offence on December 27, 2022, was withdrawn.

The 34-year-old, who was driving a Rolls Royce at the time, was fined £666 and his licence was endorsed with three penalty points.

The magistrates also ordered Richards to pay a victim surcharge of £266 and court costs of £90.

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Richards was previously banned from driving for six months in 2013 after he failed to respond to two speeding notices sent to his home address.

The former footballer made 203 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa and Manchester City, where he won the league in 2012 and FA Cup in 2011, before retiring in 2019.

He also won 13 caps for England between 2006 and 2012.

Richards now works as a pundit for Sky Sports and BBC Sport.

Harrogate’s Archie Gray signs professional deal with Leeds United

Archie Gray has signed his first professional deal with Leeds United.

Gray, who turned 17 last Sunday, agreed the two-and-a-half year deal with the club until the summer of 2025.

The midfielder is yet to make his debut for the club, but was named as an unused substitute for the Whites five times in the Premier League last season.

Gray completed his GCSEs at St John Fisher Catholic High School in Harrogate last year.

He is also great-nephew of Leeds legend, and Kirkby Overblow resident, Eddie Gray.

In a statement following Gray’s signing, Leeds United said:

“Everyone at Leeds United would like to congratulate Archie on signing his first professional deal and we look forward to his future progress.”

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Harrogate youngster watches Leeds drama from bench…before sitting GCSEs today

Sixteen-year-old St John Fisher Catholic High School student and talented footballer Archie Gray enjoyed jubilant scenes in the Leeds United dressing room yesterday after the club secured their Premier League status.

But the celebrations didn’t last long as he had to be at school for 9am this morning to sit a geography GCSE.

Archie was an unused substitute in Leeds United‘s dramatic win over Brentford yesterday.

He’s in year 11 at the Harrogate secondary school and is still two years from legally being able to have a celebratory alcoholic drink with teammates.

Less than 24 hours after celebrating survival in Brentford with star internationals like Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips he was back in Harrogate to sit in a silent exam hall for his GCSEs.

St John Fisher deputy head Matthew Flanagan said Archie’s quick progress in his football career has been a “fantastic achievement”.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“From the school’s perspective, what impresses us about Archie is not just his sporting aptitude. He is polite, engaging and has a real humility about him.”

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The midfielder is yet to make his debut for the first team but scored a wonder goal for the under-23 team against rivals Manchester United earlier in the season.

In April he also captained England under-16s at a tournament in France.

Mr Flanagan called him a “wonderful ambassador” for St John Fisher.

“There is no sense of arrogance, he is popular with his peers. He’s a nice young man who deserves all the accolades and success that will come his way.”

Archie is highly rated by the club and was just 15 when former manager Marcelo Bielsa put him on the bench for a Premier League game.

He’s the great-nephew of Leeds legend, and Kirkby Overblow resident, Eddie Gray.

Premier League appoints Harrogate solicitor as chair

The Premier League has appointed a Harrogate-based solicitor as its interim chair for the second time.

Peter McCormick OBE will step into the role on February 1 when the current chair Gary Hoffman steps down.

Premier League clubs unanimously approved his temporary appointment. The clubs will now look for a permanent replacement.

The new role comes for Mr McCormick shortly after he stepped down as the temporary chair of the Football Association. He was succeeded Debbie Hewitt MBE.

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Mr McCormick will remain as chair of the Premier League’s Football Board and Legal Advisory Groups. He previously acted as the chair for the Premier League from 2014 to 2015. He said:

“I am delighted to receive the confidence and approval of the 20 Premier League clubs and the Board as they work to recruit the new chair.”

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said:

“On behalf of the Premier League and clubs, I would like to welcome Peter to this role. He is well known to us all and a trusted pair of hands who will see us through this transition period.

“The board’s aim is to have a new permanent chair in place before the start of next season.”

A Leeds United fan, Mr McCormick is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment lawyers.

Former Harrogate soldier’s football ground run delayed by lockdown

A former Harrogate soldier is raising money for a children’s brain tumour charity by running to all 92 Premier League and EFL stadiums in England and Wales.

Nathan Richardson had planned to run from Leeds United’s Elland Road to Harrogate Town’s Wetherby Road ground today, until his plans were curtailed by the new national lockdown.

Nathan began his epic adventure in March 2020 and, once it is completed, he will have run between 2,000 to 2,500 miles on the tarmac, the equivalent of 95 marathons.

He remains optimistic that he’ll be able to complete his challenge once restrictions are eased:

“I’m disappointed but I know it’s the right thing to do. I will get going again.”

Born in Bury, Nathan began his army training at the Army Foundation College as a 16-year-old in 2007. He said he is looking forward to returning to a town he knows well:

“But we didn’t get let out much back then! It’s obviously a nice town and I spent quite a bit of time there. It will be good to go back.”

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He started the challenge before Town’s historic promotion to the EFL last summer, so he had to add a stop on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road into his itinerary, making it the 80th ground he’s visited so far.

He’s raising money for the mental health charity Mind, as well as The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity, which supports children who have or have had a brain tumour.

When he finally makes it to Harrogate he will then run north east to Middlesborough’s Riverside Stadium, which he said will take him a few days.

To donate to Nathan’s fundraising, click here.

Harrogate Leeds United fans prepare for Premier League

After 16 years outside English football’s top flight, Leeds United fans in Harrogate are preparing for a return to the Premier League and a first piece of silverware in 28 years.

The Whites confirmed promotion last Friday after an Emile Smith Rowe goal in the 86th minute for Huddersfield Town defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-1.

Less than 24 hours later, United clinched the title without kicking a ball as third-placed Brentford lost to Stoke City.

For Lai Lam, branch member and publicity officer at Harrogate and District Leeds United Supporters group, the moment on Friday night was special.

“I got loads of messages about going down to Elland Road but I’m trying to be responsible so stayed away.

“I saw the footage of the ones who did though, then saw the team on the steps of the East Stand on Facebook. It was brilliant.”

The supporters group, which was formerly Knaresborough branch until 1996, has around 150 paid members and usually follows the club home and away.

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Miss Lam, a season ticket holder for 30 years, joined the branch for the 1995/96 season and saw United relegated to the Championship at Bolton in 2004. She said:

“Most of us realised we were going down but we didn’t realise it was only the start of the rot that took us even lower.”

After a play-off final defeat to Watford in 2006, United dropped into the third tier for the first time in the club’s history the following season.

https://twitter.com/LUFC/status/1284470294263083008

Promotion back to the second division in 2010 was a ray of hope in dark times. But the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as head coach in 2018 proved to be the catalyst for a return to the Premier League.

Now, Miss Lam and fellow branch members are itching to get back into the ground to see the team for the first time since March. She said:

“We play some of the best football I’ve have seen in years. I’m looking forward to seeing how Bielsa’s ways work in the Premier League. 

“The man is a genius. He’s completely transformed football in two short years.

“When we can get into the grounds it’ll be great to see the atmosphere that our fans generate.”

Before that though, there is a small matter of lifting the Championship trophy, which United will be presented with following the Charlton game tonight.

Amid the pandemic, football fans have been forced to watch their teams away from the stadiums. Instead, Miss Lam will celebrate the Whites’ first piece of silverware since 1992 at home with friends. 

“It has ruined what should have been a fantastic end to the season. This is the first year the players and the club have been so approachable and we could really have enjoyed it with them.

“But we’re promoted with the best points tally for ages.”