THE MEN IN CHARGE

Dave Fell

1999/2000 & 2000/01 (part of each season)

After Paul Ward’s dismissal on 30 August 1999 after six games, Dave Fell became Chairman Maurice Hammond’s fourth Town manager in a year, having managed Harrogate Railway Athletic to promotion to NCEL Premier Division the previous season.

The early signs were encouraging as from 18 September to 19 October NPL Division One outfit Town went nine league games without defeat under Fell moving up to third in the table, however, then lost 3-1 to Chorley failing to equal a club record in the NPL set in 1992/93. Things continued well at the turn of the Millennium with a maximum six-point haul over Christmas and New Year with a 2-1 win at Eastwood Town on Boxing Day and a 1-0 victory over bottom club, Whitley Bay on Monday 3 January 2000 courtesy of super sub Alex Nesovic scoring the historic goal with his first kick of the ball. Town moved up to seventh after their fifth win in six league and cup games with only two goals conceded.

On 10 February Chairman Hammond resigned due to business reasons but it wasn’t long before a new Chairman arrived in former Leeds United’s Bill

Historian Phil Harrison reviews the successes and failures of Harrogate Town’s managers over the years...

impress in a 0-0 draw with Lincoln United, and with only seven games left, he was now looking at younger fringe players. Unfortunately Town only managed one more win and lost their last four games to finish 11th.

For 2000/01 after a successful pre-season what followed was an absolute nightmare as Town, who had started off with eight new players on show, lost their first six league games for the first time since 1970/71 (ten if you include the four straight defeats at the end of the previous campaign). As a result of the disastrous start, Fell was about to be relieved of his duties after a 4-1 defeat at leaders Ashton United who had in contrast won all their first six games. Fell did have success in the FA Cup before finally going out to Billingham Town, which was to be his last match in charge. He was offered the Assistant Manager’s role under the new boss Mick Hennigan (former Leeds assistant to Howard Wilkinson) but declined.

Fell’s 54 games in charge of Town resulted in 17 victories, 13 draws and 24 defeats.