Harrogate Town F.C.

Harrogate Town
Full name Harrogate Town Association Football Club
Nickname(s) Town
Founded 1914 (as Harrogate AFC)
Ground Wetherby Road
Harrogate
North Yorkshire
Ground Capacity 3,800 (500 seated)
Chairman Irving Weaver
Manager Simon Weaver
League National League North
2014–15 Conference North, 15th

Harrogate Town Association Football Club is an English semi-professional association football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1914 and currently competes in the National League North.

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 the First World War all fixtures were postponed.

After the First World War ended, a meeting was held around the idea of putting the club back together. A man named Robert Ackrill Breare instigated this, and he later became the Secretary of the club. Harrogate were entered into the West Riding League.

Early years

Harrogate AFC finally played in their first competitive fixture on 30 August 1919 at Starbeck Lane Ground against Horsforth FC. They won the game 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 Road. 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. 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. The club then moved into the Northern League. Their second West Riding County Challenge Cup was won the same season against Selby Town. The team disbanded in 1932.

Climbing the pyramid

The town's club was brought back in 1935 as Harrogate Hotspurs. After the Second World War, 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 during the 1960s and 1970s, and then became a founding member of the new Northern Counties East Football League in 1982. The club was looking to climb the newly instated football pyramid and so began to improve their ground, installing floodlights. They played a friendly to mark the occasion against Leeds United, with Eddie Gray being the first to switch the lights on.

After a West Riding County Cup win in 1986, and five seasons in the Northern Counties East League, they became founding members of the Northern Premier League First Division in 1987–88, after having been invited to join the new league. In 1990 the club became a Limited Company to fund the construction of a new main stand, and in the same year the club won the Northern Premier League First Division Cup. They would spend fifteen seasons in this league, and on two occasions the club only narrowly avoided relegation back to the Northern Counties East League. However, they won promotion to the Premier Division in 2001–02 after finishing as champions. During their first season in that division they finished sixth, and for the first time in the club's history they reached the first round of the FA Cup, losing 5–1 to Farnborough Town of the Football Conference. Town also won the West Riding County Cup in both the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons.

Conference North

After finishing fifth in the Premier Division in 2003–04, the club became founders of the newly established Conference North in 2004. 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. After drawing 1–1 at Plainmoor, they lost 6–5 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in the replay.[1] At the end of the season the club finished fifth and qualified for the promotion play-offs, but lost 1–0 to eventual winners Stafford Rangers.

At the end of the 2009–10 season the club finished bottom of the Conference North and were due to be relegated. However, after Northwich Victoria were demoted due to financial problems, the club were reprieved.[2]

Before the start of the 2011–12 season, Bill Fotherby handed control of the club to Irving Weaver, father of manager Simon, Tad Nowakowski, father of player Adam, also joined the board to help improve community links. The 2011–12 season ended in a relegation dogfight, Harrogate saved on the last day thanks to a 4–0 away win at Corby.

The 2012–13 season saw the team's best ever run in the FA Cup. On 3 November 2012 they beat League Two team Torquay United 1–0 to go beyond the first round for the first time.[3] They drew Hastings United in the second round. The tie finished 1–1, with a replay being played at Hasting's this tie again finished 1–1, due to a late goal from Harrogate Tom Platt. However, Harrogate lost 5–4 on penalties.

League history

Stadium

Wetherby Road during a match against Bradford Park Avenue in January 2014.

The club play at Wetherby Road, also known as the CNG Stadium for sponsorship purposes. Opened on 28 August 1920, it has a capacity of 3,800 of which 500 is seated.[4]

Current squad

As of 24 July 2015.[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
England GK Peter Crook
England DF Matthew Bloomer
England DF David McGurk
England DF Lewis Turner
England DF Louie Swain
England DF Luke Shiels
England MF Joe Colbeck
England MF Paul Thirlwell
England MF Andy Gascoigne
England MF Brendon Daniels
No. Position Player
England MF Jack Emmett
England MF James Cadman
England MF Lloyd Kerry
England MF Ryan Fallowfield
England FW Dominic Knowles
England FW Jordan Thewlis
England FW Paul Beesley
England FW Paul Clayton

Current staff

Board of directors

Other staff

Coaches

Honours

Records

References

  1. ↑ Harrogate 0–0 Torquay (aet) BBC Sport
  2. ↑ Harrogate Town reprieved from relegation – BBC Sport Website
  3. ↑ BBC Sport – Torquay 0–1 Harrogate Town
  4. ↑ "Harrogate Town : Weatherby Road". Archived from the original on 30 July 2012.
  5. ↑ http://www.harrogatetownafc.com/team/the-team/the-players/

External links

Coordinates: 53°59′30.13″N 1°30′52.13″W / 53.9917028°N 1.5144806°W / 53.9917028; -1.5144806

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