Yahoo Finance Harrogate could lose Football League spot due to coronavirus - but boss Weaver insists it's all relative
Harrogate, a serene spa town in the shadows of the Yorkshire dales, is best known for its tea rooms, flower shows and England manager Gareth Southgate, writes Will Pickworth.
But there’s another coach becoming increasingly prominent in a town unaccustomed to footballing success.
Simon Weaver has managed 515 games for Harrogate Town since he was appointed player-manager in 2009, retiring from playing in his first season of the then-National League North side, and alongside his father Irving Weaver, who took ownership of the club in 2011, the pair have transformed Harrogate.
Before the coronavirus outbreak the second-placed team were on the verge of the Football League, lying just four points from the top of the National League table with the league announcing on Tuesday its campaign was indefinitely suspended.
“The circumstances are unforeseen, and you quickly change your perspective,” said Simon, who is currently home-schooling his two young children.
“The usual heroes are celebrities and Premiership footballers but that’s out the window and everyone’s heroes are the NHS.
“Then you shift your perspective back to football and you have to fight your corner because our lads depend on us and we don’t want to lose out from having had a really good season.”
Under the Weavers, Harrogate have soared from seven season-ticket holders and sub-300 crowds to averaging over 1,500 attendances last year.
They installed a state-of-the-art 3G pitch in 2016 and turned professional ahead of the 2017/18 season, the year they were promoted from the National League North.
Simon, currently the longest-serving manager in English professional football, received a budget of just £1,600 in his first year and said things were unrecognisable from today.
“It was the absolute baptism of fire,” he recalled. “I said to the chairman ‘Can you tell me what players I’ve got?’ and he said, ‘Well you haven’t got any players.’
“It was very difficult and I had to beg, steal and borrow that season.
“We trained in this park and it wasn’t great. As the nights grew darker there were no lights so we trained on our ground but it rained.
“It cut the pitch up. I tried to do it again and the general manager locked the gate and didn’t allow me or anyone else in.
“He said, ‘You’ve damaged the pitch, train on the car park behind us.’
“It was a doctors’ car park and I said ‘There’s no way you’re serious - we can’t train there.’
“One player said ‘I work at the squash courts. I can get us a couple of courts.’ And we did a circuit class in the court for 18 players, taking turns to run through the door.”
In 2011, Simon’s club was in financial strife so Irving decided to become involved but both Weavers were anxious with the intimate situation.
Irving said: “I never had the intention of going into football.
“Simon was in very difficult circumstances but he never lost enthusiasm.
“I had supported his elder brother in my main business and I couldn’t deny Simon the same opportunity because he had shown real grit.”
Nepotism claims are natural, but it doesn’t faze either Weaver.
“It motivates me even more,” riposted Simon. “I think we’re just similar minded,” added Irving. “We’re not soft and we want to have good values. It’s that kind of club. It breeds an honesty and loyalty, it’s not big-time.
“It’s a business with structure and a strategy, rather than a dad and son kicking a ball about.”
That structure has been key to Harrogate’s sustainable and gradual growth, with the ultimate aim of self-sufficiency.
Installing the 3G pitch was a key milestone that enabled the team to play attractive football while also engaging the community. Numerous activities now take place on the pitch, generating around £200,000 a year for the club.
“It’s integral,” explained Irving. “It has use 49 hours a week which has encouraged people to come to matches.”
This community effort has been well received in Harrogate. Supporters Club committee member Jordan Ford said: “It’s fantastic what they’re doing.
“I used to take my lad in his Harrogate shirt into town and people wouldn’t know what it was and now you see other kids in Harrogate stuff.
“I’m really proud to be part of that. When we won promotion, five or six supporters went out with the players and we were in the nightclub until about five am with our flags. It was excellent.”
Despite their astonishing progress, the club’s ambition is unrelenting.
“It’s been an exciting journey. I’ve loved every stage,” said Simon.
“It’s a brilliant place to be but we’re still very hungry to go into the Football League and beyond. I want that for my chairman, my dad and our club.
“But why should anyone work to a ceiling? We always aspire to work at higher levels, and hopefully we can do it here.”
