Town Official matchday prograame 2021-22 - Issue 01 by pixelbuilders

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The EnviroVent Stadium, Wetherby Road Harrogate HG2 7SA Tel: 01423 210600 Email: enquiries@harrogatetownafc.com BOARD Chairman Vice Chairman Managing Director Directors Associate Director Strategy Director Finance Director Life President Vice Presidents

IN THIS ISSUE

Irving Weaver Howard Matthews Garry Plant Angus Taylor Dave Riley Mike Partridge Paul Stone Julian Davis George Dunnington Clive Dunnington David Batty

FOOTBALL First Team Manager: Simon Weaver Assistant Manager: Paul Thirlwell Goalkeeper Coach: Phil Priestley Chief Scout: Lee Barraclough Head Physiotherapist: Rachel Davis Assistant Physiotherapist: Cyra Smith Sports Psychologist: Phil Lee Fitness Coach: Darren Simpson

OPERATIONS Club Secretary: Abbey Smith Community Development: Iain Service Tom Blackburn Youth Development: Josh Falkingham Josh Walsh Child Welfare & Safeguarding: Dave Riley Supporters’ Liaison Officer: Phill Holdsworth Facilities Manager: Ady Fletcher Head Groundsman: Iain Bullock 1919 Venue Manager: Tricia Lightfoot Ticketing Manager: Hamilton Mattock Retail Manager Claire Kontominas Club Chaplain: Rob Brett PA Announcer Alan Tootill MEDIA Media Manager: Media Assistants: Club Photographer: Graphic Designer:

Hal Boxhall-Dockree Henry Whitaker Brody Pattison Danny Pugsley Matt Kirkham Rich Saltmarsh

The parent company of Harrogate Town Football Club is Harrogate Town AFC Ltd and the ultimate controlling party of Harrogate Town AFC Ltd is R.I. Weaver who is the significant shareholder. Company Reg. No. 2523873

MATCHDAY PROGRAMME Design: Rich Saltmarsh Contributors: Henry Whitaker, Leigh Edwards, Rich Saltmarsh, Hal Boxhall-Dockree, Iain Service, Mark Walker, Phil Harrison, Simon Weaver, Josh Falkingham Photography: Matt Kirkham Printed by: JJ Sports Promotions

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MANAGER’S NOTES

SIMON WEAVER We’ve reached the start of the Football League season and we come into it following what’s been a good pre-season. There’s been a really strong vibe in the camp, one of real collective effort. It’s been a hard pre-season for the players in the games we’ve played but especially the running but it’s been great to see everyone buzzing off each other’s efforts. We’ve strengthened the group this summer adding some seniority to the squad but also making sure we’re bringing in honest players who will put a shift in each and every session and game. They’ve all mixed into the squad really well and they’re adding to a group of really good characters.

more so how we organise and want to set up. We’ve managed to work on things a lot more so than at this stage last year. The biggest thing that we can take from last year’s debut campaign in the EFL is that we’re more expectant of what will happen in games at this level now. Throughout last winter it was a bit of a warzone for us so we had to bring in a more physical edge. We also lost a lot of games by one goal last year so we’ve brought in more fire power, with lads who have a proven track record of putting the ball into the back of the net, so in tight games we want it to go our way more often than not.

I think everyone can expect a more physical edge to us this season with the signings we’ve brought in. There’ll be even more energy, which has always been a trademark of ours, more purpose, more drive and a bit more seniority in squad depth from front to back.

It’s also important that we just to keep doing

After having a proper break this summer, I feel like everyone has come back more refreshed than at the start of last season. It’s been good to have a series of games throughout preseason and even with the defeats against Rotherham and Sunderland, there have been important lessons to learn because those losses weren’t about a lack of talent or energy, but

excitement could follow if we’re still as one, as a

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what we’re doing really, it’s not a case of ripping up any game plan, it’s about getting better at what we do well. This season, we want to get into a position where we’re building nicely towards Christmas and then who knows what unit and working together and still having that continual pursuit to get better each and every week. Our aim is to have everyone fighting in the same direction, on and off the pitch.

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CAPTAIN’S NOTES

JOSH FALKINGHAM The first day of the 2021/22 campaign is here and we’re really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve this year. Going into the season, personally I feel really good. The break and switch off during the summer was needed to recharge the batteries. There’s been an overall freshness to pre-season and we’ve been able to work on things we couldn’t at the start of last season. For the new lads especially, pre-season has been so important for them. It’s a chance for them to bed in properly and get to know how we play and what styles individuals in this group have. You want the new boys to push the old ones and vice versa and we’ve found that the freshness from the new arrivals always gives a boost to the rest of the squad who have been here for a few years and it gives that push to want to get better and strive for progression year on year. It’s what we’ve always done at this football club and hopefully the new lads can bring that added quality, the extra little bit we missed last year in certain periods of the season and hopefully, we can go into the campaign with a fully fit squad, everybody firing, everyone feeling good. When we feel like that before a game, we know that we can be a match for anyone in this league. We’ve played some top teams this pre-season and it’s made it a really good test for us. It’s probably the first time where the majority of teams we’ve faced were higher opposition and that meant the quality of players we were up against was higher. Of course though, we want to play in those games, not just to get the fitness levels up but to also learn how we can keep getting better.

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However, no matter who we’ve played it’s about making sure the mentality is right, sticking to what we’re good at and making sure we implement them in games and match scenarios. We know what’s to come and we’ve got to make sure we’re fully, fully at it. Throughout this preseason we’ve worked tirelessly knowing that the end is in sight and we’re ready for the first match of the league season against Rochdale. It’ll be a great test against a side who were in the division above last season and remember, we got off to a great start last campaign against Southend who had dropped out of League One. We know what to expect against Rochdale, they’ll be coming to make it difficult for us but we want to hit the ground running and our aim is the start the season with a positive result.

Falks

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PRE-SEASON ROUND-UP A su mmary of how Town have fared during pre-season...

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1-0 TOWN Saturday 10 July 2021

Town’s first pre-season game of the campaign ended in a narrow defeat to Championship side Huddersfield Town following Josh Koroma’s 13th minute goal. It was a tightly contested fixture throughout the 90 minutes and Simon Weaver named a side which included summer signings Mark Oxley, Rory McArdle, Alex Pattison and Danilo Orsi, while the Terriers had the likes of Jonathan Hogg and Frazier Campbell in their starting XI. Despite going behind early on, the reaction from Town was good and the vocal leadership from McArdle was noticeable, with the experienced defender keeping the defensive line tight. By the half hour mark, Weaver’s side was growing into the contest and creating a number of good chances. A host of changes were made by both sides for the second-half with the likes of George Thomson, Ryan Fallowfield, Will Smith and Mark Beck entering the contest for Town. Joe Cracknell was in goal for the second-half and was called upon twice in the opening five minutes to keep the deficit to just one. Lloyd Kerry and Jack Muldoon were introduced with 30 minutes left to play and Kerry was a shade unlucky not to level things up 10 minutes later with a clever 25 yard lob. Both sides were continuing to work hard as the game went on and the Terriers began to dominate possession in the closing stages and putting pressure on, but Town’s defence held firm.

BRIGHOUSE TOWN 0-1 TOWN Tuesday 13 July 2021

Town recorded their first win of pre-season with a trademark Mark Beck goal. It proved to be another valuable 90 minutes for Town against a resolute opponent and Simon Weaver again took the opportunity to give the majority of his squad a runout. After a goalless first half in which Town had the better of the possession and chances, Rory McArdle, Josh Falkingham, Simon Power and Jack Muldoon were introduced and then Mark Beck on 56 minutes. Town finally got the breakthrough on 74 minutes when Falkingham’s free-kick saw Beck rise above the defence to head home into the bottom corner.

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TOWN 2-1 NEWCASTLE UNITED U23s Sunday 18 July 2021

Aaron Martin’s late strike secured a deserved 2-1 win for Town as Simon Weaver’s side continued their preseason preparations with victory against Newcastle United U23’s. Town took an early lead through Connor Hall’s first-half header but saw their lead cancelled out by Kyle Crossley soon after the restart, before Martin’s winner on a hot afternoon that saw the return of fans to the EnviroVent Stadium. Town named a strong starting line-up including summer additions Mark Oxley, Nathan Sheron, Alex Pattison and Luke Armstrong and the superb pitch and great playing conditions, allowed Town to impose their passing game on the young Magpies and dominate possession for much of the the encounter.

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TOWN 1-3 ROTHERHAM UNITED Wednesday 21 July 2021

Town fell to a 3-1 defeat at home to League One Rotherham United as a Michael Smith brace and a strike from Michael Ihiekwe built a three-goal lead before substitute Luke Armstrong netted his first goal for Town. It was a scoreline that didn’t reflect the quality of Town’s play on the night with the home side taking advantage of the pristine playing surface to showcase the passing game that Simon Weaver has looked to impart. Lewis Page was named in the starting line-up, making his first appearance for the club since arriving from Exeter City. It was another valuable run out for the squad in preparation for the new season ahead and Town could take a huge amount of positives from the game including Armstrong’s sweet volley, which deservedly got Town on the scoresheet.

TOWN 0-4 SUNDERLAND Saturday 24 July 2021

A strong Sunderland side ran out comfortable winners at an empty EnviroVent Stadium, after a late announcement that the fixture had to be played behind closed doors robbing the game of what would have been a great atmosphere. Elliot Embleton got things going for the Black Cats with an early brace, with Carl Winchester adding a third just before half time. Simon Weaver used the second half to make changes and get his squad further up to speed ahead of the season start, but couldn’t prevent the visitors adding a fourth through Ellis Taylor. Town made seven changes from the midweek outing against Rotherham, with Ryan Fallowfield involved for the first time since the first fixture of pre-season whilst the Black Cats line-up included exciting former Town loanee, Jack Diamond.

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DARLINGTON 1-5 TOWN Tuesday 27 July 2021

Three-goals in as many minutes after half-time lit up an impressive 5-1 victory away at Darlington for Town. Simon Power’s perfectly executed free-kick after eight minutes secured a narrow lead at the break before goals from Lloyd Kerry and Connor Hall either side of a Will Hatfield strike marked a topsy-turvy start to the second-half. Jack Muldoon added a fourth on the hour mark before Aaron Martin rounded off the night when he headed home George Thomson’s corner on 65 minutes to overcome a spirited performance from the home side.

TOWN 2-3 DONCASTER ROVERS Sunday 1 August 2021

Doncaster Rovers edged a five goal contest at The EnviroVent Stadium as our final pre-season fixture ended with an entertaining defeat. The visitors went in ahead at half time through Kyle Knoyle’s volley, before four goals in the opening nine minutes of the second half, including Jack Muldoon once again finding the net, saw Doncaster 3-1 ahead. Luke Armstrong’s 65th minute finish made it a difficult end for the League One visitors, but Town couldn’t find an elusive equaliser despite a spirited finish. Simon Weaver made five changes from Tuesday night’s win at Darlington with Warren Burrell, Alex Pattison, Rory McArdle, Luke Armstrong and George Thomson back in the side.

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW RECRUITS Town have been busy over the Su mmer and in today’s edition of the progra mme, we’re profiling each of our new signings

MARK OXLEY

Mark Oxley

Age: 30

Position: Goalkeeper Previous Club: Southend United Goalkeeper Mark Oxley arrives at Town after spending the last five seasons at Southend United, making over 150 appearances for The Shrimpers across League One and Two. Born in Sheffield, Oxley started his career at Rotherham United, before a move to then Premier League Hull materialised in 2008. The keeper would feature for Walsall, Grimsby, Burton Albion and Oldham on loan before moving to Hibernian on an initial six-month loan in 2014. ‘The Ox’ then scored during his Scottish Championship debut when a long ball which was misjudged by his opposite number in the Livingston goal. The 30-year-old signed permanently with Hibs the following season. Oxley moved back to England in 2016 and joined Southend United. In his second season at the club, won fans Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season. He signed a new three-year deal in 2018 and was subsequently named captain of the Shrimpers. After making 169 appearances for Southend, the six-foot-three shot stopper turned down a new deal with the club in 2021 and instead joined Town. Town’s new goalkeeper has also been capped at international level for both England’s U18 and U20 sides. Here’s what the Gaffer had to say on Oxley’s arrival at the EnviroVent Stadium… “Mark has a really big presence about him and with the experience he has got in the game he’ll be able to communicate well and help others too. He’s very positive with his approach and really likeable, he collects crosses, kicks it a mile and is just the perfect fit for us.”

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RORY MCARDLE Age: 34

Position: Defender Previous Club: Exeter City Experienced centre-half and Northern Irish international Rory McArdle became our fourth signing of the transfer window. With well over 400 Football League appearances playing for the likes of Rochdale, Bradford City and Scunthorpe, 34-year-old McArdle joins the club with a wealth of experience under his belt. The defender started his career at Sheffield Wednesday before signing for Rochdale AFC and making more than 125 appearances in his three year stint with the Dale. McArdle then moved

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LEWIS PAGE

Rory McArdle

Age: 25

Position: Defender Previous Club: Exeter City Left-back Lewis Page started his footballing journey in West Ham United’s academy, joining at the age of nine and working his way through the Irons youth set up all the way for the first team.

north of the border to Aberdeen for two seasons and then joined Bradford City in 2012. Originally

The 25-year-old made his first team debut for the London club in July 2015, appearing against Lusitanos of Andorra in the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. Unable to break into West Ham’s Premier League team, Page was loaned out to Cambridge United in January 2016 and then to Coventry City the following season, where he made over 20 appearances for the Sky Blues. A permanent move to League One side Charlton Athletic was confirmed in January 2017 but the defender struggled for game time due to injury. The left-back made 27 appearances in his three years with the club before moving to Exeter City in September 2020. He made his debut for the Grecians in a 2-0 away defeat to Bristol City in the EFL Cup first round and featured over 30 times throughout the 2020/21 season.

signing on a two year deal, the Northern Irishman turned out to be a key figure for the Bantams, making just short of 200 appearances during his five years in West Yorkshire. In January 2013, McArdle was a part of the Bradford team which made it to the 2012/13 League Cup Final and during that run, McArdle scored against Aston Villa in the semi-finals before starting in the final at Wembley against Swansea City. In the same season, McArdle won promotion with Bradford City and scored in their 2013 Football League Two Play-off Final against Northampton Town. McArdle’s importance to the side continued to grow, winning their Player of the Season award for the 2014/15 campaign. Two seasons after that, McArdle moved onto Scunthorpe United, captaining the Iron and making 100 appearances before leaving in 2020 and signing for Exeter for the 2020/21 campaign. On the international scene, McArdle made his full senior debut in a friendly vs Turkey on 26 May 2010.

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Lewis Page

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ALEX PATTISON

Nathan Sheron

Age: 23

Position: Midfield Previous Club: Wycombe Wanderers With an eye for a cute pass and an engine that won’t stop running, Alex Pattison joins to provide competition in the middle of the park.

NATHAN SHERON Age: 23

Position: Defender / Midfield Previous Club: Fleetwood Town A footballer who can play across the back line or in the centre of the park, versatile player Nathen Sheron arrives following an impressive spell on trial at the club.

The Darlington born playmaker was part of Middlesbrough’s academy from nine-years-old and made it all the way up to their under 23s side. Pattison spent a brief spell on loan at York City before joining at the time League Two side Yeovil Town on a season-long loan. The midfielder made just short of 30 appearances for the Glovers in the 2018/19 season and prompted Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth to sign Pattison on a permanent deal. Pattison was a part of Wycombe’s historic promotion to the Sky Bet Championship, featuring in both play-off semi-final games and the final at Wembley. He found game time hard to come by in the club’s debut season in the Championship but Ainsworth was keen to keep hold of the midfielder as they readied for life in League One this season. It’s why manager Simon Weaver described the signing as a “coup” when Pattison chose to sign for Town.

Alex Pattison

During his academy days, Sheron was with Liverpool’s youth teams having joined the Reds at the age of just seven years-old. He spent 10 years with Liverpool but after deciding to look for first team football, Sheron left the Reds and joined Fleetwood Town in 2016. The 23-year-old would make 27 appearances in his first season with the Cod Army before spending spells on loan with Chorley, Chester, Southport, Walsall and St Mirren. Here’s how our new recruit describes himself… “I’m an honest player and I’ll play wherever the manager puts me. I wear my heart on my sleeve and won’t shirk out of a tackle so hopefully I can play as many games as possible and try to kick us up the league. It’s an upcoming club so hopefully there’s a lot more to come.”

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Danilo Orsi

LUKE ARMSTRONG Age: 25

Position: Forward Previous Club: Salford City Our third addition to the ranks this summer was the National League promotion winning striker, Luke Armstrong.

DANILO ORSI Age: 25

Position: Forward Previous Club: Maidenhead United A 25-year-old “fox in the box” who’s looking to add goals to this Harrogate Town team. The centre forward has joined from Maidenhead United following an impressive 2020/21 campaign with the Magpies, in which he scored over 20 goals and won their Manager’s Player of the Year and Supporter’s Player of the Year award. Half Italian, half English, Orsi grew up in the Enfield/Barnet area and at 18 years-old, made the move across the pond to play academy football for Fort Lauderdale in Florida, while studying a degree in business management. Orsi returned to England in 2018 and has made his way up the football pyramid. First, he played for East Thurrock United and Hungerford during the 2018/19 season before making the move to Hampton and Richmond in summer 2019. A successful campaign with the Beavers attracted interest from National League clubs and it was Maidenhead who won Orsi’s signature. The striker finished as the Magpies’ top scorer for the 2020/21 season, scoring the majority of his goal inside the 18-yard-box.

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The Durham born man signed on a permanent deal from Salford City, having spent the second half of last season on loan at Hartlepool United. The 25-year-old scored 15 times for the Pools in 32 appearances, including in their National League Play-off Final against Torquay United, a goal which helped them return to the Football League following a four year absence. As a youngster, Armstrong spent time at Middlesbrough and Birmingham before moving onto Blyth Spartans where he scored 23 goals in 42 matches. The striker then re-joined Boro in 2017 and spent time on loan at Gateshead and League One side Accrington Stanley before signing permanently for Salford City in 2019. As a centre-forward with a physical presence, Armstrong says the main thing he’s looking to bring is “goals” but he was also keen to add that his work rate can be a big help this season.

Luke Armstrong

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FA M O U S F O R O U R WAT E R S

S I N C E 15 71 Famous for our waters since 1571, Harrogate Spring continues an illustrious heritage of providing water from the mineral springs of Harrogate.

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THE AWAY END ROCHDALE AFC FOUNDED

1907

NICKNAME

THE DALE GROUND

CROWN OIL ARENA CAPACITY

10,249

SUMMER INS & OUTS Arrivals

Sam Graham Sheffield United Max Taylor Unattached George Broadbent Sheffield United (Loan) Corey O’Keeffe Mansfield Town (Loan)

Departures Matty Lund Salford City

Stephen Humphreys Wigan Athletic Conor Shaughnessy Burton Albion Paul McShane Manchester United Kwadwo Baah Watford Ollie Rathbone Rotherham United

Formed in 1907, Rochdale AFC joined the Football League in 1921 and since then, has remained in the bottom two tiers of English Football. The club’s first promotion came in 1969, earned by a team largely assembled by manager Bob Stokoe, though it was Stokoe’s assistant, Len Richley who finally took Rochdale up and they stayed in the third tier till 1974 before relegation back to the bottom tier. Keith Hill became arguably the club’s most successful manager to date, leading Rochdale to a fifth place finish in 2007/08, securing a play-off place but losing the final 3–2 to Stockport County. The following season, Rochdale again reached the play-offs but lost to Gillingham in the semi-finals. The next season ended a 41-year wait for promotion as Rochdale secured the third automatic promotion spot. Rochdale continued their progression under Keith Hill, finishing 9th in the League One, however after Hill joined Barnsley in June 2011, relegation followed at the end of that season. Rochdale were promoted to League One again in 2013-14, and the 2014–15 season was the club’s most successful yet, eventually finishing eighth. Last season didn’t go to plan with Rochdale occupying the bottom four places for much of the campaign and relegation followed in May, ending a seven year stay in the third tier. In the off-season, Robbie Stockdale replaced Brian Barry-Murphy as manager whilst a number of key players including last season’s joint top scorers Matthew Lund and Stephen Humphreys, who scored 11 goals each, have moved on. Stockdale is tasked with rebuilding the squad and getting Rochdale back up to League One at the first time of asking.

IN THE DUGOUT Robbie Stockdale

Appointed: July 2021 Age: 41 Robbie Stockdale started his coaching career at Grimsby Town in 2010 before going on to join Sunderland in 2012 where he spent six years and was part of the first team set up under Sam Allardyce, as well as having three stints as caretaker manager. After leaving the Black Cats, he was appointed as Paul Heckingbottom’s assistant at Hibernian in 2019, before reuniting with Allardyce in 2020 when he joined West Brom as first team coach. Having progressed through the youth ranks at Middlesbrough, the former defender enjoyed a successful playing career, notching up over 250 appearances at clubs including Boro, Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham, Rotherham United and Hull City. He was also capped five times by Scotland during his career.

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PLAYERS TO WATCH Eoghon O’Connell Age: 25

DEF

Aaron Morley Age: 21

MID

Jimmy Keohane Age: 30

MID

Jake Beesley Age: 24

FWD

IN A PT A C

An assured ball-playing centre-half, the 25-yearold arrived at the Crown Oil Arena from Bury in July 2019, having played over 50 times for the Shakers. The Irishman started his pro career at Celtic when he was 16. After graduating from their Academy, he went on to make 13 first team appearances for the Hoops, before moving to then League One Bury in June 2017. During his six years at Parkhead, he also had loans at Oldham Athletic, Walsall and Cork City. Last Summer, he was named Dale captain following the departure of Ian Henderson.

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A product of the Rochdale Academy, the young midfielder made his first team debut in October 2016 and in March 2017, signed his first professional contract with the club following his 17th birthday. The 2019-20 season was his breakthrough season at Rochdale when he made 18 appearances. Last season he was ever present in Rochdales’ matchday squad, making 44 appearances in all competitions. An exciting talent, the 21-year-old provided most assists for Dale last season, setting up seven goals during the campaign.

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13 The 30-year-old started his senior career at Wexford Youths, before moving to England, where he signed for Exeter City in August 2011 where he made nearly 90 appearances in four seasons with the Grecians. After a brief stint at Woking, he returned to his native Ireland with Sligo Rovers and then Cork City before moving back to England in February 2019 to join Rochdale. He was more or less everpresent in last season’s League One campaign and weighed in with an impressive 10 goals from midfield last season.

9 Joining Dale last September from Solihull Moors, the 24-year-old started his career at Chesterfield after coming through the youth ranks there, before joining Salford City in 2017. He spent three years with The Ammies, enjoying loan spells at Boston United, Bradford PA and Solihull, joining the Moors permanently in January 2020 before moving to Rochdale. He scored six goals in 29 appearances last season and will be key for Dale this season with the departure of top scorers Stephen Humphreys and Matty Lund over the Summer.

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THE REST OF THE SQUAD 1

Jay Lynch

Bradley Wade

Jimmy McNulty

Stephen Dooley

Alex Newby

Conor Grant

Max Taylor

Sam Graham

Matt Done

Abraham Odoh

Ethan Brierley

POSSIBLE LINE-UP George Broadbent

BEESLEY

Corey O’Keeffe

ODOH

NEWBY DOOLEY

DONE

KEOHANE

MORLEY MCNULTY

O’CONNELL

O’KEEFFE

LYNCH

HOW’S THEIR FORM 22

›

BARNSLEY

L1-2

14 Jul (H) Friendly

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ROTHERHAM UNITED

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D3-3

D2-2

AFC FYLDE

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30 Jul (H) Friendly

W1-0

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CLASSIC CAMPAIGNS

FOOTBALL HISTORIAN LEIGH EDWARDS PICKS TEN MEMORABLE CAMPAIGNS FOR ROCHDALE IN THE POST-WAR ERA...

1961/62

Tony Collins managed Rochdale to the League Cup final in 1961/62. Newcomers included Louis Bimpson, Colin Whitaker, Jock Winton and Doug Wragg, with Rochdale racing to the top of the Fourth Division after winning four of their opening six games. They defeated Southampton 2-1, Doncaster Rovers 4-0, Charlton Athletic 1-0, York City 2-1 and Blackburn Rovers 4-3 to reach the League Cup final, losing 4-0 on aggregate to Norwich City. Rochdale gained seven successive wins before fixture congestion led to a midtable finish. Leading marksman Ron Cairns, Ted Burgin and Colin Whitaker were ever-present.

1968/69

Rochdale won promotion for the first time in their history in 1968/69. Summer signings included Joe Ashworth, Chris Harker, Vinny Leech, Colin Parry, Vince Radcliffe, Derek Ryder

and Norman Whitehead, with Reg Jenkins scoring twice as Rochdale started with a 3-2 win over Scunthorpe. They drew ten of their next 12 Fourth Division matches and Len Richley replaced Carlisle-bound Bob Stokoe as manager, with Dale slamming six goals past the two Bradford clubs and Grimsby. Tony Buck arrived from Newport and Rochdale lost just once in 22 games, clinching third position with a 3-0 victory at home to Southend.

1969/70

Rochdale finished in their highestever League position in 1969/70. Bobby Downes and David Cross made their debuts as Dale kicked off with a 3-0 defeat at home to Orient. Steve Melledew was sold to Everton in September but eight straight wins catapulted Rochdale to the top of the Third Division, with the side unchanged for 15 matches. Len Richley resigned after a policy disagreement and was replaced by Dick Conner, with Reg Jenkins netting a hattrick in a 5-0 victory over Halifax Town. Chris Harker, Colin Parry, Billy Rudd, Derek Ryder and Graham Smith were all ever-present as Rochdale finished in ninth.

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1970/71

Dick Conner plotted Rochdale’s memorable FA Cup run of 1970/71. Skipper Billy Rudd was swapped for Bury’s Alf Arrowsmith and other newcomers included Tony Godfrey and Peter Gowans. Rochdale gained a 3-3 draw at top-flight Crystal Palace in the League Cup, then drew 1-1 at home to Aston Villa and won 4-1 at Halifax on Boxing Day. They beat Oldham 2-0 and Darlington 2-0 in the FA Cup before goals by David Cross and Dennis Butler secured an epic 2-1 third round win at home to top-flight Coventry. Dale lost to Colchester in a fourth round replay but a 12 match unbeaten run took them clear of relegation danger.

1978/79

Rochdale completed a dramatic ‘Great Escape’ from re-election in 1978/79. Dale had finished bottom of the Football League the previous season, seven points adrift of Southport who had been voted out. Clearly they couldn’t risk another disastrous campaign but by Christmas had won only two games and lost 1-0 at home to Droylsden in the FA Cup first round. Rochdale triumphed 4-0 at Scunthorpe under caretakerboss Peter Madden, then Doug Collins became player-manager in January and plotted a remarkable climb to safety during the closing weeks of the season. Dale won seven of their last eight games to finish in 20th position.

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Barnsley-bound Steve Parkin as manager and new signings Alan McLoughlin and Paul Simpson helped Dale qualify for the play-offs in fifth. They lost 4-3 to Rushden & Diamonds in the semi-finals.

2002/03

1989/90

Terry Dolan guided Rochdale to the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in 1989/90. Newcomers Tony Brown, Willie Burns, Dave Cole, Wayne Goodison, Micky Holmes and Peter Ward made their debuts as Rochdale began with a 2-1 victory at home to Burnley. Dale had inconsistent form in the Fourth Division despite the arrival of Steve Elliott and Steve Johnson, but defeated Marine 1-0, Lincoln City 3-0, Whitley Bay 1-0 and Northampton Town 3-0 in the FA Cup before narrowly losing 1-0 at eventual finalists Crystal Palace in the fifth round. Goalkeeper Keith Welch was ever-present for the third successive season.

2001/02

Player-manager Paul Simpson guided Rochdale to the FA Cup fifth round in 2002/03. Rochdale started with a 1-0 victory over Leyton Orient and Paul Simpson grabbed a hat-trick in their 5-2 win at Wrexham. They triumphed 4-3 at home to Cambridge, then beat Macclesfield 3-1 to climb to second place in late September. Rochdale plummeted down the table after winning only one of their next 15 matches, with Simon Grand and Gavin Melaugh gaining regular first-team slots. Dale defeated Peterborough 3-2, Bristol Rovers 3-2, Preston 2-1 and Coventry 2-0 in the FA Cup before losing 3-1 at Wolves in the fifth round.

2009/10

Chris O’Grady and Chris Dagnall scored 42 goals between them as Rochdale won promotion for only the second time in 2009/10. Keith Hill’s side won only one of their opening four games before

the arrival of O’Grady from Oldham sparked an improvement in results. Rochdale soared to the top of the table with just three defeats in 24 matches and O’Grady grabbed a hattrick in a 4-1 win at Cheltenham. Dagnall emulated his feat in a 4-1 win at home to Grimsby as Dale remained top until a 5-0 hammering at Torquay in April. They clinched promotion in third place with a 1-0 win over Northampton, then lost their last four games.

2013/14

Rochdale regained League One status in 2013/14. Keith Hill’s side won just one of their first five games but then won seven of their next eight to go top of the table. Dale slipped out of the promotion frame after winning only twice in eight matches before returning to the top with just three defeats in 21 games. They also triumphed 2-0 at home to Leeds United in the FA Cup third round but lost 2-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round. Dale clinched promotion with a 2-0 victory at home to Cheltenham Town in their penultimate match. Scott Hogan was leading marksman as Rochdale finished in third position.

Rochdale qualified for the Third Division play-offs for the first time in 2001/02. Matt Doughty, Kieron Durkan and Gareth Griffiths made their debuts as Rochdale kicked off with a 2-1 victory at Oxford United and raced to the top of the table with a seven-match unbeaten start. Richard Jobson arrived from Tranmere in September and helped Dale regain pole position with a 3-1 win over Mansfield. John Hollins replaced

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FROM THE VAULTS

Club Historian Phil Harrison delves into the archives to take a look at previous matches against today’s visitors from across the Pennines... Although today is the first ever League meeting between the two sides, Town have met Rochdale three times before in pre-season friendlies, all at Wetherby Road. The first meeting was on Thursday 30th July 1987 with Rochdale coming out 3-1 victors in front of a crowd of 300 with Kevan Ibbotson grabbing the goal for Town. Former Leeds United player Eddie Gray was manager of the Dale that season. The next meeting was on Thursday 10th August 1989 during the 1989/90 pre-season. The match ended in a 2-2 draw with former Town player Terry Dolan manager of the Dale on that occasion. They met again in pre-season the following year on Saturday 5th August 1990 with Rochdale coming away with a 2-0 win.

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For more details about Harrogate Town AFC Community Foundation, please email community@harrogatetownafc.com or visit our website at www.htafccommunity.co.uk

WELCOME BACK FROM EVERYONE AT HARROGATE TOWN AFC COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

It is amazing to see supporters have returned and once again enjoying the experience of live sport. For the Community Foundation this is hugely important, one of our main objectives focuses on fostering happy and connecting communities. It might be a slow process, but we are optimistic that this season will be a huge one for HTAFC and the Community Foundation as we continue to grow!

HENRY WHITAKER JOINS FULL TIME AFTER KICKSTART PLACEMENT

YOUNG PEOPLE LOVING NCS EXPERIENCES OVER THE SUMMER

Grace Robinson and the NCS (National Citizen Service) Team have successfully delivered the Charities first ever programme, that took place in June and July. Reaching 77 young people within Harrogate & District with an incredible opportunity to learn new skills, broaden their knowledge and give back to the local community. NCS delivery has been made possible by the EFL Trust, providing funding and support.

After completing his Kickstart Placement we are delighted that Henry Whitaker has joined us in a split role with the Club. He will focus on raising the awareness of the Charity and capturing some of the impact that we are having locally. Henry will continue supporting the Club in their Media and Marketing operations too. Welcome Henry!

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SCHOOLS PROGRAMME GROWTH WITH NEW STAFF JOINING

The hard work carried out by Tom Blackburn – Community Officer has led to a record number of primary schools signing up to access Premier League Primary Stars in school coaching sessions. With young people ready to be inspired, engaged through workshops, competitions and challenges. This growth has also meant that we are recruiting new staff to bolster our team! If you have coaching or teaching experience and want to help us inspire the next generation of fans, please get in touch.

HTAFC AND FOUNDATION INCREASE AWARENESS AT THE GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW! Members of the Club and Foundation enjoyed 4 days at the Great Yorkshire Show. Our stand was split with Community volunteers sharing the great work undertaken in the community and Claire Kontominas the Clubs Retail Manager selling the latest merchandise. This was a brilliant opportunity to take the Harrogate Town AFC brand to a new audience speaking to thousands of people over the four days and making plenty of new friends.

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I TOWN LADIES

We were delighted to confirm the appointment of Carey Huegett as Ladies First Team Manager in June and the former Town player and PDC coach, takes the position having been heavily involved in girls/women’s football for the last 24 years. Huegett’s footballing journey started at the age of seven with Leeds United, where she spent 20 years as a player, captain, coach, assistant manager and mentor. As a player, as well as representing Harrogate Town and Leeds United, Huegett received national recognition at age 13, a journey that would continue up to the age of 21. At the time of appointment Carey said: “I would like to thank Harrogate Town for giving me the opportunity to work at such a fantastic club. As my hometown club, it has been brilliant to witness the men’s team enjoy so much success, something which I hope to see the Ladies teams experience in the near future. I am delighted that the club and I share the same ambition and vision for women’s football at Harrogate Town, and I am really excited for what the future holds. My mission is to help Harrogate Town take the next step on the ladder of success by creating a pathway for players from a young age right through to the first team. I want to see women’s football at Harrogate Town go from strength to strength - starting with promotion.”

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We caught up with Huegett a month into her role… “Four weeks have passed and I already feel a part of the Harrogate Town family and I cannot thank everyone enough for how they have embraced me. On the pitch, we had a really successful set of trials where we were able to recruit a mixture of experience, youth and quality as well as genuine, honest, hardworking and all-round good people. It’s always hard to beat a team who never give up and have each other’s backs, and these were the foundations I wanted to build on. The girls have given me everything so far in pre-season; they’ve been pushed to their limits yet their attitude, desire, togetherness and willingness to learn has been first class. I’m proud of how the girls have responded and there is a real sense of unity. Despite enjoying a 6-2 win this week, there is no time for complacency and we will continue to work hard to ensure we are fitter, faster, stronger and more ruthless than ever before, so on 5th September, when our season starts - we are ready.

Leeds Utd Women U23s

Rotherham Utd Women

Town Ladies

Sun 15th Aug / 2pm

Sun 22nd Aug / 1pm

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I ACADEMY REPORT

ACADEMY FIXTURES 2021-22* EFL Youth Alliance (North East) Fri 6 Aug

Burton Albion (A)

Sat 14 Aug Lincoln City (H) Sat 21 Aug Huddersfield Town (Cup) (H) Sat 28 Aug Grimsby Town (A) Sat 4 Sep

Doncaster Rovers (A)

Sat 11 Sep

Huddersfield Town (H)

Sat 18 Sep

Bradford City (A)

Sat 25 Sep Tranmere Rovers (Cup) (A) Sat 2 Oct

Rotherham United (H)

Sat 9 Oct

Salford City (Cup) (A)

Sat 23 Oct Mansfield Town (H) Sat 30 Oct Scunthorpe United (H) Sat 13 Nov

Doncaster Rovers (H)

Sat 27 Sep Huddersfield Town (A)

I write this having just returned from the Academy of Light after our first game of what has been an interesting pre-season. Firstly, I have to say that the boys have been superb and worked extremely hard in every session and both Lead Coach Ross McKay and I have been really happy with them. We are a young group of scholars, who are all 16 at present and then we have a mixture of BTEC pupils and U18’s who are studying A-Levels at sixth form and training with us at West Riding County FA. The group is in the early stages of formation, but it is already clear to see that we have a talented bunch of lads who are willing to listen and work hard in order to improve. Pre-Season started very well up until a Covid outbreak meant that we had to shut down the Academy for ten days as all of us had to selfisolate. This has without doubt had an impact on the group’s progress and meant that we had to cancel a couple of pre-season friendlies, but if the boys continue to develop and display a strong work ethic we will be ready for our first game of the season against Burton Albion.

Sat 4 Dec

Grimsby Town (H)

Sat 18 Dec

Burton Albion (H)

Sat 8 Jan

Lincoln City (A)

Sat 15 Jan

Bradford City (H)

Sat 12 Feb

Rotherham United (A)

Sat 19 Feb

Mansfield Town (A)

In our first pre-season game against Sunderland, although we lost 6-2, there was a lot to be pleased about. The game could have been 4-4 at half time, but we did not take our chances and they were clinical in taking theirs. In the second half we drew the game 2-2, but showed great character and learnt an awful lot. There were many stand outs, but what impressed more than anything, was the way we didn’t fold when down at half time and instead we took the game to Sunderland and asked questions of their defence. There will be bumps in the road this year, but we will continue to develop as a group and I am confident of fast improvement if the last three weeks are anything to go by. We have further pre-season games to look forward to against Guiseley and then Park View Academy on Monday before preparing correctly for our first league game at Burton Albion. We can’t wait to get going!

Paul

Paul Stansfield Academy Manager

*Fixtures subject to change. Home fixtures are played at West Riding County FA, Fleet Lane, Leeds LS26 8NX. Please refer to the website for up to date fixture details including kick-off times.

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Date

I FIXTURES & RESULTS 2021-22

Opposition

Comp

Res

Att

Pts Pos

Starting XI

AUGUST

Sat 7

Rochdale

Tue 10

Rochdale (R1)