Wembley Archives - The Stray Ferret

Strikers made in Harrogate set for FA Cup semi-finals

Two footballers who started out on pitches in Harrogate and Knaresborough will be bidding for a place in the Women’s FA Cup final this weekend.

Leah Galton and Rachel Daly have risen from local leagues to play as strikers for two of the biggest clubs in the country.

Galton, who began as a junior with Knaresborough Celtic and then played for Harrogate Railway, has banged in 29 goals for Manchester United Women since she joined them from Bayern Munich in 2018.

She is the joint third highest scorer in the Women’s Super League this season with eight goals.

Manchester United Women will line-up against Brighton & Hove Albion Women at 5.15pm today.

United, who have never won a major women’s trophy but are top of the Women’s Super League, will be fancied to beat lowly Brighton.

Tomorrow, Daly’s Aston Villa Women will take centre stage in the second semi-final against Chelsea Women at 2.15pm.

Daly, who started at Killinghall Nomads and won Euro 2022 with England last year, is second on this year’s leading scorer list with 13 goals.

If Manchester United and Villa win, it could result in the remarkable prospect of two local women playing up front in the cup final at Wembley.

Both semi-finals will be televised live on the BBC.

District girls’ football teams see rise in enquiries following Lionesses’ win

Enquiries to join girls’ footballs teams in the Harrogate district have surged following the Lionesses’ historic Euro 2022 victory.

The impact of the team’s success have been felt across the area, with coaches and players labelling England’s success as “inspiring”.

And it is hoped the win will now open doors for young girls in the future.

Rachel Daly’s pathway to the Lionesses began at Killinghall Nomads.

Rachel Daly (centre) with girls from Killinghall Nomads Junior Football Club and their manager David Terzza (right).

Ms Daly played and trained in a boys’ team, but the club now teams for both girls and boys.

The club also runs non-competitive weekly Wildcats sessions at Killinghall Moor. They allow girls, aged five to 11,to try out playing football before committing to a team.

David Terzza, Killinghall Nomads girls’ football manager, who was a coach when Rachel Daly played at the club, said:

“On Monday night I ran a session and there were six new girls who signed up straight away.

“We have up to about 32 girls who take part in the Wildcats sessions, which cost £3 and are run by qualified FA coaches. I give out information about clubs in the area. We hope they come to our club at Killinghall, but that’s not always the case.”

Chris Fahy, Boroughbridge Juniors Football Club’s chairman and coach, said England’s success was “massively important” for girls’ football.

A year ago he applied for tickets to the Euro 2022 final — and it paid off as 70 members of the club got to see the Lionesses beat Germany 2-1 at Wembley on Sunday.

Boroughbridge girls at the Euro 2022 final at Wembley.

He said:

“I’ve been doing girls’ football for eight years and at the moment we’ve got three teams – a small group aged from five upwards. I’m hoping what happened on Sunday will have an impact. We had a couple of enquiries just on Monday from people wanting to join.

“It’s good for the future. The publicity has been absolutely fantastic. There has been so much build-up and media attention.”

Mike Collier, women and girls football lead at Scotton Scorchers Junior Football Club, said the club was “so proud and emotional” about what it means for the Lionesses to win the Euros.

He said:

“It’s not just the winning but also the way they have gone about doing it.

“They are role models and superstars and yet still ordinary people in touch with their fans.

“This isn’t overnight success though and it’s great that the current players have given credit to everyone who has gone before them, including recognition for their grassroots clubs, reminding everyone that every England player started their football journey there.

“We hope the game continues to grow and become securely established so that players really can have football careers, but it’s also really important to remain accessible, relatable and likeable.”

Scotton Scorchers is the club of footy-mad Tess Dolan, eight, who was gifted tickets by the BBC after she was filmed dancing to the unofficial anthem Sweet Caroline following last Tuesday’s semi-final victory.

Scotton Scorchers under 14s girls team on a charity fun run last year.

The youngster stole the nation’s heart again when she was interviewed on TV before the victorious final on Sunday.

Mr Collier said:

“We have had many of our players at the games and are proud of all our girls, with good luck messages on social media and local radio etc.

“But also our little dancing superstar Tess, who summed up the nation’s great joy with her celebrations at the semi-final and went on to join the BBC on match day in the studio and lift the trophy too!

“We have over 150 girls and women playing football, we are all inclusive, and it’s about fun and friendship, respect, health and wellbeing. We also have some fantastic players and teams competing at the highest levels in the county. Our Women’s team trained recently with the Lionesses!”

Boroughbridge girls savour day to remember at Euro 2022 final

A gamble that the England would get to the final of Euro 22 paid off on Sunday for 70 members of Boroughbridge Juniors Football Club.

Chris Fahy, the club’s chairman and coach, wanted his girls teams to see top level football.

So a year ago he applied for tickets to the Euro 2022 final — and it paid off as they got to see the Lionesses beat Germany 2-1.

He said:

“Seventy from the club went to Wembley for the final, including girls and parents.

“I applied for tickets a year ago. I gambled that England were going to get to the final. Luckily it paid off! Even if it didn’t, I wanted the girls to see top level football.

“It was absolutely fantastic. The atmosphere is different from men’s football – it’s more family orientated. You feel there’s going to be no trouble, no danger, at the women’s game.”

Mr Fahy said the girls had an amazing time at the game, which saw the Lionesses clinch victory in extra time.

He said:

“The girls loved it. We were all really excited going down. We had a fantastic view – we were behind the goal where England scored twice.

“We stayed until the celebrations were more or less finished, about half an hour afterwards.”

The club is holding free taster sessions throughout August for girls aged five to 15, with the first session at Boroughbridge Football Club, on Aldborough Road, starting at 10.15am this Saturday, August 6.

‘That was for you’ – Harrogate Lioness’s tribute to late dad

Harrogate football star Rachel Daly has paid tribute to her late father after winning the European Championship final at Wembley.

The England player posted a picture of Martyn Daly on her Instagram account with the caption “That was for you” after the 2-1 victory over Germany last night.

Mr Daly had been a huge influence on and supporter of his daughter’s career until his death last September.

Speaking before an England warm-up game at Elland Road in June, she told the matchday programme his loss had affected her approach to the sport they both loved:

“It will be so awful to not have him there because I think it would have been one of his proudest moments.

“I have a different perspective towards football and life now. Football has always been the be-all-and-end-all for me, and it still is, but now I play for a different purpose as well.

“When I get on the pitch, it’s not just about me performing, it’s me performing to make my dad even more proud than he already was.

“I think I carry that weight with me, but it’s a nice weight to have because it’s every game I want to do better and better. I know I’m making him proud up there.

“But in a way, that’s what will make it even more special, having the rest of my family there knowing how big fans we are.”

In response to her post on Instagram, fans and friends told her he would be “so proud” of what she had achieved with the Lionesses.

Mr Daly lived in Harrogate and was himself a semi-professional footballer, playing for Harrogate Town and Knaresborough Town in the 1980s and 1990s.

Last summer, as the team prepared to compete at the 2020 Olympics, Mr Daly spoke to the Stray Ferret about his pride in his daughter, not just because of her achievements but also the role model she was to other young women and girls.

He added:

“She’ll never realise what she’s done in the game until it’s over.

“Every pro has a cockiness about them but she’s down to earth too, she’s just my daughter.”

This morning, Daly and her teammates were heading to Trafalgar Square for a victory parade, celebrating the first tournament win for any England football team since 1996.

Daly posted a photo of herself on Twitter with her winner’s medal.

Good morning pic.twitter.com/6e78642uM4

— Rachel Daly (@RachelDaly3) August 1, 2022

Italian Ripon restaurant owner thinks England will win

Ripon restaurateur Franco Fantoni has got the blues when thinking about the Azzurri’s chances at Wembley on Sunday.

The owner of Prima Ristorante Italiano in Kirkgate is pessimistic as he prepares for the big match.

He believes that Roberto Mancini’s team will be beaten by Gareth Southgate’s golden boys.

Mr Fantoni told the Stray Ferret:

“Sadly, I think we’re going to lose.

“England have played better football than us and I predict they will win 2-0.”

Will Gareth Southgate’s team have the last laugh against Italy on Sunday?

The lifelong football fan comes from Bergamo in the Lombardy region of northern Italy and is a seasoned student of football in his native and adopted countries.

Back in the place of his birth, he supports Serie A team Atalanta BC, but he also enjoys the English version of the beautiful game and said:

“Since moving to England in 1973, I’ve followed Leeds United and have been a season ticket holder for more than 30 years.”

Mr Fantoni, who has owned the multi-award-winning Prima Ristorante for 36 years, is convinced that his countrymen will taste defeat, but the four-times Fifa World Cup winners go to Wembley with an unbeaten run of 33 games behind them.

They were also the 1968 Euro Champions.

In contrast, England have just the 1966 World Cup win to their name in major international tournaments and are attempting to bring 55 years of hurt, disappointment and under-achievement to an end.

The Azzurri have been tactically astute when the heat has been on, most noticeably in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of quarter and semi-final games against Belgium and Spain respectively.

If Italy can serve up yet another winning Euro performance in the three lions’ den, Mr Fantoni will have to eat his words – but it’s a dish he will happily swallow.

Is it coming home? Ripon pub regulars give their verdict

The roars from Ripon’s Hornblower Tavern will be heard across Market Square if the men with three lions on their shirts beat Denmark tonight.

According to legend, Alfred the Great gave Riponians a ceremonial horn In 886 AD as thanks for seeing off a Viking foe.

Since then the Ripon hornblower’s nightly blasts have reassured generations of citizens that they are as safe and secure as the England defence.

Now, it’s up to Gareth Southgate’s well-marshalled team to defeat modern day Scandinavian invaders on Wembley’s hallowed turf .

Regular football fans at Ripon’s sports-mad pub will be behind England all the way as they battle to join Italy in Sunday’s Euro 2020 final.

For Shelly Burrell, who runs the pub with husband John, that would be a special birthday present, though she pointed out:

“I was going to take the day off, but there’s no way I could do that if we are in the final.”

Hornblower Tavern regulars Ian Dewsnap (left) and Steve Ambrose, predict the score in England’s favour.

But will England fall at the penultimate hurdle?

Mr Burrell points out:

“Denmark are a good side, they will be playing to win this for Christian Eriksen.

“It’s going to be a close game, but I think we’ll do it.”

Tonight’s attendance at Wembley will be 60,000, while the Hornblower Tavern’s will be limited to 70 to meet social distancing requirements.

To ensure regulars can find the space to safely watch, Mr and Ms Burrell have five televisions, plus two large projector screens strategically located throughout the premises.

Adding to the pre-match build-up, they will be playing Baddiel and Skinner’s Three Lions, along with Fat Les’s Vindaloo.

So far, for the white and red flag bearers, it has been a happy and glorious unbeaten route to the semi-finals.

The question is, can the winning run continue?

‘Yes’, say two Hornblower Tavern regulars.

Ian Dewsnap predicts England will repeat the 1966 World Cup winning score that saw Sir Alf Ramsey’s team beat West Germany.

He said:

“I think we will win 4-2, but Denmark will be playing for Eriksen, after what happened to him in their opening match of the tournament.”

Steve Ambrose believes there will be fewer goals and England will win 2-1.

He added:

“After that, all will be to play for in the final.”

One thing can be predicted without the assistance of Freddie the Ferret or Mystic Meg. For regulars of the Hornblower Tavern, it’s going to be a game of more than two halves, as they cheer on their heroes.

Harrogate Town win at Wembley as fans celebrate at home

Fans may have missed out on another Harrogate Town trip to Wembley but they certainly enjoyed the win.

Harrogate Town’s 1-0 win over Concord Rangers means that the side will be bringing back more silverware in the form of the FA Trophy.

It was not the walk in the park that some had expected and a few lucky fans who managed to grab a place in the tipi at Cedar Court Hotel were certainly nervous at times.

Those nerves were blown away by captain Josh Falkingham’s goal 15 minutes from time to leave a carnival atmosphere despite the wet and windy weather.

BT Sport to show Harrogate Town’s Wembley final for free

Harrogate Town’s FA Trophy final against Concord Rangers is to be broadcast live for free by BT Sport.

The match will be played behind closed doors at Wembley on Monday.

BT Sport usually charges to watch matches but has decided to show Harrogate’s game for free across all its platforms.

It will be available via BTSport.com, the BT Sport App, BT TV, the Sky Digital Satellite Platform and Virgin Media channel 100.

After the game, the channel will also show Proud To Be Town, its documentary on the rise of Harrogate Town that gives a unique insight into a football club during the first coronavirus lockdown.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

12.45pm – Live – FA Vase Final – Consett v Hebburn Town
3.30pm – The Grassroots Football Show
4.30pm – Live – FA Trophy Final – Harrogate Town v Concord Rangers
7.30pm – BT Sport Films – Proud To Be Town

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said:

“Following a period when many lower league football fans have been unable to watch their sides, we hope our coverage will provide them with an opportunity to watch an exciting non-league finals day live from Wembley Stadium.”

A fan campaign supported by Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones attempted to persuade the Football Association to let fans watch the match live.

But the FA confirmed this month it wouldn’t allow this, which means Town fans will be cruelly denied a trip to the home of English football for the second time in 12 months.

The Stray Ferret will be at the Cedar Court Hotel on Monday to watch the game with the fans and will be reporting throughout the day.

The club and the hotel have got together to show the game on a big screen to 42 supporters and are offering food and drink as part of the package. Click here to purchase a ticket.

Harrogate Town fans’ anger as FA confirms Wembley date can’t be moved

The Football Association has confirmed that it won’t move Harrogate Town’s FA Trophy final in May so fans can attend, despite a fan petition and the issue being raised in Parliament.

Last season’s postponed FA Trophy final between Harrogate and Concord Rangers will take place behind closed doors at Wembley on May 3, just two weeks before fans can return to stadiums.

It means Town fans will be cruelly denied a trip to the home of English football for the second time in 12 months.

Phil Holdsworth, the club’s fan liaison officer, set up a petition that called on the FA to move the date. It received over 1,000 signatures and support from all over the world.

He said fans were “disappointed and angry” with the decision but said due to a busy summer at Wembley, which will host several European Championship fixtures, it was always going to be a tough ask.

“All of us are disappointed and there’s a lot of anger at the FA’s treatment. But it was always going to be difficult to rearrange it with everything that is going on at Wembley over the summer.”

Harrogate & Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones backed his petition and asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson at PMQs earlier this month if he would ask the FA to move the date.

An FA spokesperson said it was unable to move the date due fixture congestion at Wembley.

They said:

“Despite our best efforts to accommodate limited spectators at these Buildbase FA Trophy and FA Vase Finals, a suitable date was sadly not available and both fixtures will be played behind closed doors. Fans are the lifeblood of our game, so we held detailed discussions with relevant stakeholders and explored all the potential options available to us.

“Unfortunately, due to the pandemic creating a large amount of fixture congestion, EURO fixtures being held at Wembley Stadium and other events after the tournament, the window to accommodate our showpiece events is particularly small this season. We want to make sure that as many fans as possible can enjoy these fixtures, so we believe it is very important that they are broadcast live, and are pleased that it has been possible to ensure they will be available to watch on BT Sport.

“Any other possible dates ahead of the autumn are mid-week but they would potentially create issues for the participating clubs and their fans as many would need to take time off work. A final option would have been to move these fixtures to the autumn, but this would mean playing them after the 20/21 competitions have been completed, create fixture challenges for the 21/22 season and was not preferable for all relevant stakeholders.”

Is FA considering moving Harrogate Town’s Wembley trip?

The Football Association has refused to comment on reports it is considering moving Harrogate Town’s Wembley FA Trophy final so fans can attend.

The club’s supporter liaison officer Phillip Holdsworth told the Stray Ferret he met Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Conservative MP Andrew Jones on Tuesday.

According to Mr Holdsworth, Mr Jones told him the FA is looking at the possibility of moving Harrogate Town’s game against Concord Rangers from May 3 to a date when fans are allowed to return to grounds.

Mr Jones even said he would be “on the train to Wembley” with the Town fans if it happens, said Mr Holdsworth.

Mr Holdsworth suggested a date of Sunday May 23, when there is currently no fixture at Wembley. On the day before, Wembley will host this season’s FA Trophy final.

However, he accepted that rearranging the fixture at such a late stage would be difficult, particularly as the venue is set to host several European Championship games this summer.

The Stray Ferret contacted the FA but they said they would not comment on the speculation.

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