Harrogate Town fans dreaming of Wembley again

Hopes are rising for a Harrogate Town appearance at Wembley this year — and this time fans might be able to watch.

Three wins on the bounce have pushed the club up the League Two table and they are now just four points off the play-offs.

The government has said that up to 10,000 fans can return to stadiums from the middle of May. The play-off final is set to be held at Wembley on the weekend of May 29-31.

Town are also in the final of last season’s postponed FA Trophy against Concord Rangers, which will also be held at Wembley, with the FA keen to see the fixture played once fans can return.

Jordan Ford, from the Harrogate Town Supporter’s Club, said fans are starting to dream of making the trip to Wembley after they were cruelly denied the experience last season.

He said:

“I’m not getting carried away yet but anything can happen. We’ve shown that over the last two seasons and there is no reason why we can’t get promoted. We’re mixing it with some big teams.”

Read more:

Town beat Barrow 1-0 last night and Mr Ford said recent shrewd signings had given Simon Weaver’s squad the strength in depth to compete at this level.

Besides some matches in December when tier two rules allowed about 500 fans to watch games at Wetherby Road, supporters have been forced to watch games via an online stream this season.

In normal times, Mr Ford organises coach trips for fans to away fixtures around the country. He hopes to be able to resume this from next season.

As fans have been starved of the experience of travelling to new grounds, trips to the likes of Bolton, Tranmere and Walsall could be seen as glamorous for a club that is used to playing less illustrious non-league opponents.

He added:

“It’s about getting up at 5am and getting a taxi to the ground to get on the bus. We’re missing exploring these new grounds.”

Frustration as Harrogate Town game abandoned after 10 minutes

Harrogate Town’s game against Carlisle last night was abandoned after just 10 minutes when the referee decided the pitch was unsafe.

The club had asked volunteers to clear snow at its ground on Wetherby Road before a 5pm pitch inspection,

Their efforts appeared to be rewarded when referee Martin Coy agreed to let the match kick off at 745pm.

There was more good news for the 576 home fans when midfielder Connor Kirkby scored in the first minute to give Town the lead — but minutes later the match was abandoned due to the icy conditions.

Manager Simon Weaver described the referee’s decision as “frustrating”. He added:

“At 5.15pm the game was clearly on in the mind of the referee, five minutes after kick-off it didn’t look to be putting players at risk, no one was playing with any trepidation or hesitation, there was no slipping and we felt the condition had actually improved since 5.15pm.

“Our players were happy after the warm-up and it was taking the stud. It’s frustrating because in the summer in pre-season you can play on much harder pitches.

“I feel for the volunteers who have been here all day clearing the snow off the pitch and doing an amazing job. There were fathers, sons, daughters, mums all on the pitch and it just shows what a close knit group of fans we’ve got with us.”

Read more:

Jordan Ford, of Harrogate Town Supporters Group, was at the game. He told the Stray Ferret the referee should not have started the match if he had doubts. He said:

“I thought it was ridiculous to even start the game. The conditions didn’t change within the nine minutes the game was being played.

“It’s a shame as we were playing well and on top. At least the supporters got to witness a live goal, albeit it counts for nothing.”

If the Harrogate district is placed in a higher tier today, it would mean last night’s fixture was the final match supporters could attend until restrictions are eased again.

BBC in Harrogate tonight for FA Cup draw coverage

BBC cameras will be in Harrogate tonight as part of its coverage of the FA Cup second round draw.

Presenter Mark Chapman will speak to Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver and chairman Irving Weaver live from the EnviroVent Stadium to get their reaction to the draw as well as discussing their meteoric rise into the English Football League.

Harrogate’s story has captured the imagination of the football world in what has been a bleak year for the sport.

Town beat semi-professional Skelmersdale United 4-1 on Friday night to book their place in the second round and earn £25,500 in prize money.

Harrogate are ball number 21 and another victory would put them into the third round for the first time in their history.

The draw itself will take place in a studio in London from 7pm on BBC2.

Read more:

The third round would potentially pit them against Premier League opposition, such as Manchester City, Liverpool or even local favourites Leeds United.

For a more straightforward route to the third round, Town could hope to draw one of the non-league sides that are left in the competition, such as Canvey Island, Marine and Boreham Wood.

But tough fixtures against former Premier League clubs Hull City, Bradford City and Portsmouth could also await.

Town have reached the second round once before. In 2012/13, they agonisingly lost to Hastings on penalties in a second round replay.

Match Preview: Grimsby Town vs Harrogate Town

Harrogate Town will be looking for a third league win on the bounce tonight when they head to the east coast to play Grimsby Town.

Town have taken confidently to life in League Two of the English Football League and recorded victories over Barrow AFC and Bradford City in their last two fixtures. The club is currently in 7th place, which is in the playoff positions and just two points behind leaders Cambridge United.

Grimsby, who are managed by the popular Ian Holloway, are also looking for a third win in a row after recent victories against Cheltenham and Leyton Orient.

The two clubs have already played each other this season in the EFL Trophy. That game at Blundell Park ended 2-2 with Grimsby winning on penalties.

Read more:

Town manager Simon Weaver has largely stuck with the same team that won promotion last season, minus Jack Diamond, who has been replaced by former Celtic midfielder Calvin Miller.

There is competition for places between veteran striker Jon Stead and Aaron Martin, who joined the club from Guiseley just before lockdown.

Weaver opted for the lively Martin in the first few games but in the last two games has picked the more experienced Stead.

Grimsby have had a recent run of misfortune with injuries, and James Hanson, Max Wright, Elliot Hewitt and Danny Rose all expected to miss out tonight.

Match Preview: Harrogate Town return home

Harrogate Town will play in Harrogate for the first time since July, when they face fellow EFL newbies Barrow at the EnviroVent Stadium this afternoon.

There will, of course, be no fans in attendance at Wetherby Road due to coronavirus restrictions, but fans can stream the game for £10 through the club’s website. The game kicks off at 3pm.

Work has now been completed on the new grass pitch after the former artificial 3G surface was removed due to EFL regulations. The club said goodbye to their temporary home of the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster with a 3-1 win against Leicester City’s under-23 side earlier this month.

Whilst recent competitive fixtures against Bolton, West Brom, and Bradford were firsts for the club, Barrow is altogether more familiar territory, having played Town 23 times previously.

They were the two best sides in last season’s National League, with Barrow going up as champions.

However, the Cumbrian outfit have made a faltering start to the season and are currently in 22nd, with no wins in any of their first five fixtures.

Read more:

Town will be looking to build on an excellent victory over Bradford City in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Monday night.

Jack Muldoon’s assist on Monday night saw him become the most prolific player in the division so far this season, with a goals and assists ratio of 1.37 per 90 minutes.

Barrow manager David Dunn will assess the fitness of striker Scott Quigley who was forced to miss last weekend’s game against Leyton Orient after picking up a knock in training.

Town manager Simon Weaver said he expects a tough game this afternoon.

He said:

“We had a good win against them at the start of last season and 3-0 flattered us a little bit. But after that, they went on an unbelievable run to win the league. They have strengths all around but, hopefully, ours on the day outweigh theirs.”

Match Preview: Bradford City vs Harrogate Town

When Harrogate Town won promotion to the English Football League, Bradford City away was the fixture many fans were looking forward to most.

Harrogate are no strangers to the city, having recently played in the National League North against Bradford Park Avenue.

However, Bradford City’s 25,000 all-seater Valley Parade is worthy of a higher division and would have been a special day out for fans.

Instead, they will have to make do watching the game, which kicks off at 7.45 pm tonight, live on Sky Sports.

Muldoon set to return

Both clubs have five points so far, with Town having played one more game than their West Yorkshire rivals.

City beat Stevenage 2-1 in their last league fixture whilst Town’s good start to the season faltered when they went down last week 1-2 against Bolton Wanderers.

Town missed Jack Muldoon against Bolton but Simon Weaver has confirmed that the free-scoring forward is likely to return after recovering from a recent injury.

Weaver could give a start to experienced striker Jon Stead, who played for Bradford on loan in 2014/15.

He said:

“The fixtures do not come much bigger for us at this level. We are looking forward to it and have been doing since the fixtures were released.

“Bradford have an experienced manager who Paul Thirlwell knows very well in Stuart McCall, who is a club legend.

“We have looked at their games and they have some really experienced players, so it is sure to be a big challenge.”

Read more:

City manager Stuart McCall said he is looking forward to the game:

“Harrogate have started very well and are a good footballing side.

“They have two guys in Simon Weaver and his assistant Paul Thirlwell – who I know well having played with him at Sheffield United – who have done a fantastic job. We are really starting to see the emergence of the football club as a whole.

“They play some very good football and are a strong team. It is a match I am really looking forward to.”

Harrogate Town manager and player up for EFL awards

Harrogate Town’s impressive start to life in the English Football League has been recognised with manager Simon Weaver and striker Aaron Martin nominated for League Two manager and player of the month awards.

Town picked up five points from their first three games, beating Southend on the opening day 4-0 and drawing against early pacesetters Walsall and Port Vale.

They lost at the weekend 1-2 to Bolton Wanderers, which may dampen Weaver’s chances of winning the managerial award but the nomination shows that Town’s bright start to the season has not gone unnoticed.

The other managers nominated are John Askey (Port Vale), Mark Bonner (Cambridge United) and Mike Flynn (Newport County).

Read more:

Striker Aaron Martin, who has scored twice so far this season, is a contender for player of the month.

Martin was signed from Guiseley just before lockdown in March and made his debut for the club in the National League playoff semi-final against Boreham Wood in July.

Also nominated are Ian Henderson (Salford), Paul Mullin (Cambridge United) and Adam Phillips (Morecambe)

The winners will be announced on Friday morning.

Town’s next league fixture is a hotly anticipated local derby at Bradford City on Monday evening. The game will be shown live on Sky Sports.

BT Sport to broadcast Harrogate Town documentary tonight

Harrogate Town’s fairytale ascent into the English Football League will be the subject of a major TV documentary tonight.

Proud To Be Town will be premiered on BT Sport at 10pm and will be available on the BT Sport app on Saturday.

BT Sport is billing the 90-minute programme as the first full-length documentary to highlight the “profound impact” of the Covid pandemic on football.

Filming for the documentary began in June when the club began preparing for the National League playoffs after the season had been curtailed in March due to the lockdown. Town went on to win a historic Wembley playoff final against Notts County 3-1 in August.

The behind-the-scenes film traces the club’s exploits on the pitch as well as exploring how coronavirus hit the club’s finances.

Read more:

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said:

“This is not just the story of one club. It reflects aspects of almost every football club in the country amid the Covid pandemic.

“A large proportion of the film was self-shot by members of the team and club staff on phones and tablets, who enthusiastically recorded their experiences of lockdown, getting back into action and making their historic bid for promotion.

“We are grateful for the club’s collaboration.”

Harrogate Town 2020/21 season preview: the fairytale continues

Harrogate Town’s fairytale summer continues tomorrow as they kick off their first-ever campaign in the football league at Southend United.

The Harrogate Town story has captured the imagination of the wider footballing world, with manager Simon Weaver interviewed on BBC Breakfast, the Guardian and BT Sport — but the time for basking in the glory of Town’s Wembley win is now over with League Two, League Cup and FA Trophy fixtures coming up thick and fast.

There are some big dates in the diary approaching, including a trip to Premier League outfit West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup on Wednesday. They then play Notts County away on Thursday in the FA Trophy semi-final, with the winner going on to play at Wembley.

Other key fixtures for the season include Bradford City away on October 11 and a trip to Bolton Wanderers on April 10.

The club’s first few home games will be played at Doncaster Rovers due to Town’s 3G pitch being relayed at the newly-renamed EnviroVent Stadium.

New signings

Weaver has strengthened his promotion-winning team, picking up four new signings: Connor Kirby from Sheffield Wednesday, Jake Lawlor from Wrexham, Tom Walker from Fylde, and Kevin Lokko from Dover. But the club failed in their pursuit of Chester left-back Joel Taylor, which stung.

Weaver admitted to the Stray Ferret last month that players have increased their wage demands now they are a football league club so he will have to box clever in the transfer market.

More signings are mooted, and fans are hoping that last season’s on-loan star winger Jack Diamond will be replaced, as it now looks like he’ll be part of Sunderland’s plans this season.

Read more:

The Weaver factor

Harrogate will fancy their chances of staying in the league. None of the last 20 teams to gain promotion from the National League were relegated from League Two in their first campaign, with some, including Luton Town and Burton Albion, going on the play in the Championship.

The bookmakers expect Town to finish comfortably mid-table in 14th and they are even a short-priced 8/1 to gain promotion. Unlike the National League, four teams have the chance to win promotion to League One.

The job Weaver has done at Harrogate since taking over in 2009 has not gone unnoticed, and a good start in the league will doubtless see bigger clubs taking an interest in him.

Harrogate Town could be heading to Wembley….again!

Harrogate Town are one game away from playing at Wembley for the second time in two months — and this time fans would be able to enjoy a special day out.

The government confirmed that last season’s FA Trophy final at Wembley will go ahead on September 27 as a pilot event for the safe return of fans to sporting events.

Town are due to play Notts County, who they beat in the National League play-off final 3-1, in a one-legged semi-final with the winner going on to play the winner of Halesowen Town vs Concord Rangers. A draw will take place to decide whether Town’s semi-final will take place at Doncaster Rovers, which will be hosting Harrogate Town until their new grass pitch is laid, or Notts County. The date is to be confirmed.

The government has not said how many supporters Town could bring if they reach the final, but non-league grounds were opened last weekend with an initial 15% capacity, which will rise to 30% from Monday, August 31.

As Wembley has a capacity of 90,000, it could potentially mean all Town fans who want to attend would be able to if the government allows the stadium to be 30% full.

Read more:

It was uncertain whether the FA Trophy would be finished when the season was curtailed in March due to the lockdown. The government warned that the fans pilot could not happen if coronavirus rates rise.

Harrogate Town supporter Rob Nixon told the Stray Ferret that having another chance to go to Wembley would be a “dream”.

He said:

“Being able to go watch us play at Wembley would be a dream for all town fans, especially after missing out last time round. We still have a tricky tie against Notts County to negotiate, but it’s a huge incentive for the players knowing that they’ll get to play in front of a crowd this time if they win.”

On Tuesday, Harrogate Town supporters were able to watch their team play in person for the first time since March as Brighouse Town allowed 100 Town supporters to attend a pre-season friendly, which ended 0-0.