Stu_Saint Posted 4 August, 2020 Share Posted 4 August, 2020 My "local team" have been promoted to the football league for the 1st time in their history through the playoffs. It's the same team that Bompey unfortunately beat in the FA Cup. I got into following the saints through my cousin who lives in Sholing and as families do got "corrupted" into following them, although a 500 mile round trip I only get down a few time a season but do get to a few away games given the chance cold wet Tuesdays in November that's usually me and digital radio /podcasts are great for keeping up-to-date. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suewhistle Posted 5 August, 2020 Share Posted 5 August, 2020 For some reason seeing Harrogate in the league makes me think of away fans taking Betty's! I've been a few times to the town as a friend lived there and got the train to Leeds (I think) to watch Saints. It's not your typical gritty northern town so it'll be interesting to see how they do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 6 August, 2020 Share Posted 6 August, 2020 hi Stu, Harrogate town are my local club as well. I moved up here 7 years ago, been going fairly regularly since a they were in the conference north. You will see my son at games sometimes in a Town shirt wearing saints shorts. Usually go with another Saints fan who lives in the area. It's a great club, my son was playing at their kids academy before lock down & also goes to their summer camps. Josh Falkingham runs it and is also the captain of the first team. What they have achieved is fantastic in a short space of time, two promotions in three years, playing great football with the same manager and a core of the same players. With redeveloping the ground and the made the locals realise there is a football club in the town. Its absolutely ridiculous though that promotion has cost them the best part of £1m to replace the pitch plus playing the first 3 or 4 games at Doncaster over an hour away along with all the revenue they make from having the pitch in use pretty much every day of the year, the Football League really do need to move with the times, clubs in these leagues need all the cash they can get. Be interesting to see how Harrogate do next season, after the Notts County game one of the commentators said they could see them going up from league two but that is going to be a tall order, a small town with a 5k capacity are going to have a ceiling and i think league 2 may be it, but it's been a great few years for the club and town. Crowds up from a couple of hundred to 1500, had 3,000 there for the conference north play off final and the Pompey game so be interesting to see if they can continue to grow and how much impact Leeds being back in the premier league will have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_Saint Posted 9 August, 2020 Author Share Posted 9 August, 2020 On 06/08/2020 at 09:09, Turkish said: hi Stu, Harrogate town are my local club as well. I moved up here 7 years ago, been going fairly regularly since a they were in the conference north. You will see my son at games sometimes in a Town shirt wearing saints shorts. Usually go with another Saints fan who lives in the area. It's a great club, my son was playing at their kids academy before lock down & also goes to their summer camps. Josh Falkingham runs it and is also the captain of the first team. What they have achieved is fantastic in a short space of time, two promotions in three years, playing great football with the same manager and a core of the same players. With redeveloping the ground and the made the locals realise there is a football club in the town. Its absolutely ridiculous though that promotion has cost them the best part of £1m to replace the pitch plus playing the first 3 or 4 games at Doncaster over an hour away along with all the revenue they make from having the pitch in use pretty much every day of the year, the Football League really do need to move with the times, clubs in these leagues need all the cash they can get. Be interesting to see how Harrogate do next season, after the Notts County game one of the commentators said they could see them going up from league two but that is going to be a tall order, a small town with a 5k capacity are going to have a ceiling and i think league 2 may be it, but it's been a great few years for the club and town. Crowds up from a couple of hundred to 1500, had 3,000 there for the conference north play off final and the Pompey game so be interesting to see if they can continue to grow and how much impact Leeds being back in the premier league will have. That's fantastic that we have some more supporters up here and it's great your son is involved. They are a great community club so will be interesting to see how they do against the established football league sides but a good journey for them. I was watching the game from the Empress pub up the road against Pompey the power cut didn't help especially as had work the next morning 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_Saint Posted 9 August, 2020 Author Share Posted 9 August, 2020 On 05/08/2020 at 10:07, suewhistle said: For some reason seeing Harrogate in the league makes me think of away fans taking Betty's! I've been a few times to the town as a friend lived there and got the train to Leeds (I think) to watch Saints. It's not your typical gritty northern town so it'll be interesting to see how they do. Definitely, afternoon tea and scones 😂 I can't believe they are playing the likes of Bradford and Bolton fairly recent Premiership sides. Yeah I am hoping Leeds away will be at a time when crowds are allowed as that will be my local away match, makes a change from either Manchester or Newcastle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 18 September, 2021 Share Posted 18 September, 2021 Lost their first game this season today. My son is at their young players academy (u9s), the first team manager turns up to most sessions and chats to the parents, too bloke. A really great club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint1977 Posted 18 September, 2021 Share Posted 18 September, 2021 Saw their FA Cup win at Torquay a few years back when Harrogate were National League North and Torquay League 2. Great to see them doing well. Mind you, to show how fortunes shift in sport, Saints beat Southend in 2007 to confirm their Championship play off spot. Today Southend lost 1-0 at Plainmoor in the National League. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 18 September, 2021 Share Posted 18 September, 2021 11 minutes ago, saint1977 said: Saw their FA Cup win at Torquay a few years back when Harrogate were National League North and Torquay League 2. Great to see them doing well. Mind you, to show how fortunes shift in sport, Saints beat Southend in 2007 to confirm their Championship play off spot. Today Southend lost 1-0 at Plainmoor in the National League. I remember going to see Harrogate v Leyton Orient in the conference only 7 years (I think) after going to see saints play Orient away in league 1 when both play off contenders. Like you say how fortunes shift 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 4 December, 2021 Share Posted 4 December, 2021 What a great result today! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted 4 December, 2021 Share Posted 4 December, 2021 46 minutes ago, Turkish said: What a great result today! Just seen the BBC highlights looks as if they had numerous chances to win it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59479806 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 25 February, 2022 Share Posted 25 February, 2022 Done the double over Bradford this season. Amazing achievement considering they get crowds 6 times more than us. What a club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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