Issue 20 - Harrogate Town vs Morecambe

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TODAY’S OPPOSITION

MORECAMBE The club was founded in 1920 and entered into the Lancashire Combination, where they would remain for the next 48 years winning the league title on five occasions before they joined the newly formed Northern Premier League in 1968. Morecambe first entered the Conference in 1995-96 and a play-off win over Exeter in 2007 saw them promoted to the Football League for the first time. Since then, the Shrimps have stayed in the fourth tier, with a best finish of fourth in 2010, losing in the play-off semi-finals. They, along with AFC Wimbledon, are the only teams in the top four levels of English football never to have been relegated in their entire history. Having finished 22nd last season, Derek Adams side were expected to struggle again this term, but they’ve have had a fantastic campaign, and going into the business end of the season, sit in the play-off positions just five points off the

automatic promotion places. Following a mixed start to the season with three wins, three defeats and two draws, an excellent December saw them win five out of six games and become real promotion candidates. That form has continued and the Shrimps remain very much in the mix for promotion to League One for the first time.

FOUNDED 1920

NICKNAME The Shrimps

MAZUMA STADIUM Capacity 6,476

It shouldn’t come as a surprise though, as Derek Adams has a good record when it comes to League Two, having taken Plymouth Argyle up to League One in 2016-17. While the challenge and constraints at Morecambe are different to Argyle, the 45-year-old knows what it takes to get out of this league.

RECORD SCORER Kevin Ellison 88 (2011-2020)

When the sides met in mid-December, at the Mazuma Stadium Aaron Wildig’s second half header was enough for Morecambe as they held out for a 1-0 win and inflicted a third straight league defeat on the bounce for Town.

RECORD APPEARANCES Kevin Ellison 388 (2011-2020)

DID YOU KNOW?

This isn’t actually the first competitive meeting between the two sides at Wetherby Road! We met in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in 1985. The game finished 2-0 to the Shrimps.

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