Harrogate Town F.C.
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| Harrogate Town | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Harrogate Town Association Football Club |
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| Nickname(s) | The Sulphurites The Sulphur and Blacks Town Hotstuff |
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| Founded | 1914 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Wetherby Road Ground Harrogate |
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| Capacity | 3,800 (450 seated) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Bill Fotherby |
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| Manager | Neil Aspin |
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| League | Conference North | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Conference North, 5th (playoff semi-finalists) |
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Harrogate Town F.C. is a semi-professional English football club from Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1914 and continues on today, they currently compete in the Conference North league.
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[edit] History
The club was founded as Harrogate AFC in 1914. Previously the town of Harrogate had tried to put together a football team as far back as 1907 but nothing emerged until 1914. They were entered into the Northern League upon their year of founding, and were set to play their home fixtures at the County Ground. However, due to World War I all fixtures were postponed.
After World War I ended, a meeting was held around the idea of putting the club back together. A man named Robert Ackrill Breare instigated this, he later became the Secretary of the club. Harrogate were entered into the West Riding League.
[edit] Early years
Harrogate AFC finally played in their first competitive fixture on 30 August 1919 at Starbeck Lane Ground against Horsforth. They won the name 1-0 and the scorer was L. Craven with a headed goal. They were entered into the FA Cup the same year. Harrogate also won their first trophy; the Whitworth Cup with a 4-0 victory against Ripon City.
For the 1920/21 season they were one of the founding teams in the new Yorkshire League, yet they also continued to field a team in the West Riding League. The club had relocated to a new ground; Wetherby Lane. Around the holiday periods, they took part in friendlies against higher league opposition including Liverpool at their Anfield ground, and another at fellow Yorkshire side Sheffield United in front of 15,000 fans.
They moved league once again for their third season, leaving the West Riding League and moving into the Midland Football League. It included the reserve teams of Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley F.C.. The club remained in the Yorkshire League, fielding a reserve team. However, the club resigned from the Midland's league after only one season and reverting to fielding a first team in the Yorkshire League. The West Riding County Challenge Cup was won by Harrogate in 1925, with their 3-1 victory against Fryston Colliery at Elland Road.
League victory was secured in 1926/27, as Harrogate became the Yorkshire League champions, with Bob Morphet scoring 44 goals. Gaining promotion to the Northern League. Their second West Riding County Challenge Cup was won the same season against against Selby Town. The team disbanded in 1932.
[edit] Climbing the Pyramid
The town's club was brought back in 1935 as Harrogate Hotspurs. After World War II, the club was renamed as Harrogate Town and played in the West Yorkshire League. Harrogate Town joined the Yorkshire League again in 1957. They spent many years in the Yorkshire Leagues, through the 1960s and 1970s. They became a founding member of the new Northern Counties East Football League. The club looking to climb the newly instated football pyramid began to improve their ground, installing flood lights. Under them they played a friendly against Leeds United, Eddie Gray was the first to switch on the lights.
After gaining promotion from the Northern Counties East league, they became founding members of the Northern Premier League First Division in 1987-88. They would spend many years in this league, all through the 1990s. Finally ebing promoted after the 2001-02 season, during Northern Premier League Premier Division. During their first season in that division they finished sixth, they also won the West Riding County Cup for the first time since the 80s. Also for the first time in the clubs history they reached the First Round proper of the FA Cup.
They became founders of the newly established Conference North league in 2004. During the first seaon they finished an impressive sixth, the following season in 2005-06 they finished fifth winning entry into the Conference North play-offs; they lost the play-off semi-final 1-0 to the eventual play-off winners Stafford Rangers.
During their FA Cup run in the 2005-06 season, Harrogate were drawn to play away at Torquay United, their first ever cup game against Football League opposition. The game was played on Saturday 5 November and Harrogate achieved a 1-1 draw to reach the 2nd round draw for the first ever time. In the replay on Tuesday 15 November, Torquay United won 6-5 on penalties after the game finished 0-0 after extra-time. The crowd was a record with 3,300 packing into the ground.
[edit] Recent times
The current manager of Harrogate Town is Neil Aspin, formerly a player with extensive league experience with Leeds United, Port Vale and Darlington. The 1st team coach is Lee Philpott, another player with substantial football league experience including spells at Leicester City and Cambridge United. The current chairman of Harrogate Town is Bill Fotherby, the former chairman of Leeds United.
The club has had a good start to the 2006-07 season. A 4-0 thumping of Workington FC on December 9 proving their credentials as Conference North title contenders.
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Current staff
[edit] Board of Directors
- Chairman: Bill Fotherby
- Deputy Chairman: Andrew Thirkill
- Vice-Chairman: Howard Matthews
- Commercial Director: Robert Hassell
- Director of Football: Phillip Sanderson
- Director 1: Roy Abel
- Director 2: Bernard Fotherby
- Director 3: Cameron Hardcastle
- Life President: George Dunnington
- Vice President 1: David Batty
- Vice President 2: Dave Callaghan
- Vice President 3: Clive Dunnington
- Vice President 4: Alan Williams
[edit] Coaches
- Head Coach: Neil Aspin
- Player/Coach: Lee Philpott
- Physio: Steve Bradbury
[edit] Notable former players
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See also, Category:Harrogate Town F.C. players
[edit] Honours
- Conference North
- Play-off Semi-finalists - 2005-06
- Northern Premier League First Division
- Champions - 2001-02
- Yorkshire League
- Champions - 1926-27
- Runners-up - 1962-63
- Yorkshire League Division 2
- Champions - 1981-82
- Yorkshire League Division 3
- Promoted - 1971-72, 1980-81
- West Riding County Challenge Cup
- Winners - 1925-26, 1926-27, 1962-63, 1972-73, 2001-02, 2002-03
- Whitworth Cup
- Winners - 1919-20
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Fixtures and results
- Harrogate Advertiser sports news
- BBC Radio York Match Audio Reports
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