How Are They Doing
Season 22/23 Harrogate finished 19th on 52 points, 9 points above the relegation places.
Harrogate are currently in 12th place with 37 points
January Results
Harrogate 3 Doncaster 1
Morecambe 2 Harrogate 2
George Thomson with his Community Champion Award.
One to Watch
31 year old George Thomson was born in Melton Mowbray. He has played for Jerez & FC United of Manchester. He joined Harrogate in 2017 and despite being a midfielder is their current top scorer.
George Thomson was named as the Professional Footballers’ Association Community Champion for his contribution to the Community Foundation activities during the 2022/23 Season.
Last season’s top scorer Luke Armstrong joined Carlisle on 1 January 2024.
Current top scorers George Thomson – 9 goals, Sam Folani 6 goals, Jack Muldoon 5 goals, Abraham Odoh 5 goals.
Manager and Club History
Simon Weaver became manager of Harrogate Town in May 2009. He is the longest serving EFL manager. Irving Weaver, his property magnate father, then bought the club in 2011. In 2011 the club had sold 7 season tickets for the season (they’re up to nearer 1000 now). At that same time they only narrowly managed to escape relegation from the National League North due to financial irregularities elsewhere.
Three years ago they became a full-time professional team, and in May 2018 won promotion to the National League by beating Brackley Town 3-0 in the play-off final.
Two years later, in August 2020, Harrogate were in the National League play-offs after the season was curtailed. They went on to beat Notts County 3-1 in the final at Wembley and won promotion to the EFL for the first time in their history – the EFL’s newest member!
A new stand had to be built to increase capacity to 5000 and bring their Wetherby Road ground (the Envirovent Stadium) up to EFL standards. They played their first few EFL home games at Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium while their own synthetic 3G pitch was being replaced with grass.
Harrogate Town have been around for over 100 years (since 1914) but, until recently, have always played non-league football. Harrogate are known as the ‘Town’ or the ‘Sulphurites’ due to the town’s famous sulphur springs. That is probably why their shirts are yellow with a blue away strip.
Manager – Simon Weaver
Josh March
Rovers Connections
Ex FGR Josh March was signed by Harrogate (14 appearances) on loan from Rovers (75 appearances). Josh scored several times for Harrogate during his stay in Yorkshire. He joined Stevenage in January 2023 but returned permanently to Harrogate in September 23.
Harrogate-born Liam Kitching, now Coventry, played for Harrogate (43 appearances) on loan from his then parent club Leeds before he joined FGR (44 appearances).
After goalkeeper James Belshaw’s (Bristol Rovers) emergency loan ended at FGR (10 appearances) he joined Harrogate on emergency loan. He previously played for them 2017 to 2021 and was part of their team that was promoted to the EFL.
Liam Kitching
Mascot
The Harrogate mascot is an Alligator called Harry Gator – see what they have done there.
To set your mind at rest; alligators are not a native species of Yorkshire.
Harrogate Facts
- Harrogate 1982 hosted the Eurovision Song Contest which was won by Germany with UK’s entry Bardo coming 7th with ‘One Step Further’.
- Charles Dickens said,‘Harrogate is the queerest place with the strangest people in it, leading the oddest lives of dancing, newspaper reading and dining.’.
- Agatha Christie went missing in 1926 and turned up in Harrogate at the Old Swan Hotel.
- The First Stage of the 2014 Tour De France ended at Harrogate.
- Harrogate spa water contains iron, sulphur and common salt.
- ‘Years and Years’ singer Ollie Alexander was born in Harrogate but brought up on Gloucestershire.
