ABOUT
T WN
ISSUE FIVE WINTER 2021-22
IN DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH Nathan Sheron Lewis Page Jack Diamond
VIDEO FEATURES
• INSIDE: MATCHDAY • PICK OF THE GOALS FROM 2021 • FA CUP AWAY DAYS • FOCUS ON DIARRA • JACK’S BACK PART III • YELLOW BLACK ARMY BEER • XMAS WRAP CHALLENGE
GETTING TO KNOW SHERON AND DIAMOND INDIA
PALE ALE
Harrogate’s Number 1 Family Estate Agent
About Town I 1
ABOUT
T WN
Contents
Winter 2021/22
FA CUP AWAY DAYS
24 I FOCUS ON DIARRA VIDEO FEATURE
NATHAN SHERON
PLAYER INTERVIEW
26 I JACK’S BACK PART III VIDEO FEATURE
12 I GETTING TO KNOW NATHAN SHERON
27 I GETTING TO KNOW JACK DIAMOND
VIDEO FEATURE
VIDEO FEATURE
4
I
VIDEO FEATURE 6 I
14 I INSIDE: MATCHDAY VIDEO FEATURE
32 I JACK DIAMOND PLAYER INTERVIEW
16 I PICK OF THE GOALS FROM 2021
37 I BLACK SHEEP BREWERY YELLOW BLACK ARMY BEER
VIDEO FEATURE
18 I LEWIS PAGE PLAYER INTERVIEW
2 I About Town
VIDEO FEATURE
38 I XMAS WRAP CONTEST VIDEO FEATURE
Thanks for checking out our latest mag! In our last edition I mentioned how great it was to have supporters back and that has never been more true than during our historic FA Cup journey this season. While you always hope for a home draw, back to back away draws at Portsmouth and Luton gave the supporters, and us as a media team, the opportunity to visit new grounds, hopefully our two away days videos capture the spirit of the trips. The last few months have thrown up the opportunity to work closely with SkyBet, who are of course League Two title sponsors, and have been kind enough to give us advice and guidance through meetings at their Leeds HQ. Inside you’ll find their Inside Matchday documentary filmed around our fixture against Salford in November. There was quite the film crew in attendance at that match as those of you who attended may remember, though for some reason interviews with Hamil and I never made the final cut, maybe for the best in hindsight!! This editions interviews with Nathan Sheron, Jack Diamond and Lewis Page are a really interesting read and go into their unique journeys to Harrogate in great detail, a fantastic piece of work by Media Assistant Henry Whitaker. A big thank you to all the media team - Matt, Danny, Brody and Rich as well as Henry for their work over the past few months, it’s been a true team effort. One piece of content we just had to include was Jack Diamond’s ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ inspired return to the club! This was well received not only by our own supporters, players and staff, but also the wider football community. Enjoy the issue!
Hal
Hal Boxhall-Dockree, Media Manager
Harrogate Town Football Club
The Envirovent Stadium, Wetherby Road Harrogate, HG2 7SA Tel: 01423 210600 Email: enquiries@harrogatetownafc.com BOARD Chairman Vice Chairman Chief Executive Officer Directors Associate Director Finance Director Marketing & Brand Director Commercial Director Life President Vice Presidents
Irving Weaver Howard Matthews Sarah Barry Angus Taylor Dave Riley Mike Partridge Julian Davis Ryan Scott Joanne Towler George Dunnington Clive Dunnington David Batty
FOOTBALL First Team Manager: Assistant Manager: Goalkeeper Coach: Chief Scout: Head Physiotherapist: Assistant Physiotherapist: Sports Psychologist: Fitness Coach: Ladies First Team Manager: Academy Manager: Youth Development:
Simon Weaver Paul Thirlwell Phil Priestley Lee Barraclough Rachel Davis Cyra Smith Phil Lee Darren Simpson Carey Huegett Paul Stansfield Josh Falkingham Josh Walsh
OPERATIONS Club Secretary: Community Development: Supporters’ Liaison Officer: Head Groundsman: Club Administrator: Ticketing Manager: Facilities Manager Retail Manager Club Chaplain: PA Announcer
Abbey Smith Iain Service Tom Blackburn Phill Holdsworth Iain Bullock Tricia Lightfoot Hamilton Mattock Mark Rowley Claire Kontominas Rob Brett Alan Tootill
MEDIA Media Manager: Hal Boxhall-Dockree Media Assistants: Henry Whitaker Brody Pattison Danny Pugsley Club Photographer: Matt Kirkham Graphic Designer/Programme: Rich Saltmarsh
About Town I 3
AWAY Town made history in this season’s Emirates FA Cup, reaching the Third Round for the first time in their history... Having beaten Wrexham in Round One, Town were handed a tough away tie at League One side Portsmouth, where late drama unfolded…
SECOND ROUND
PORTSMOUTH 04.12.21 / FRATTON PARK
Jack Diamond’s late winner sent us to Luton in the Third Round for a first ever meeting with Championship opposition, we were there to capture a historic day…
THIRD ROUND
LUTON TOWN
09.01.22 / KENILWORTH ROAD
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6 I About Town
NATHAN
SHERON
Nathan Sheron, Harrogate Town’s no-nonsense defender who wears his heart on his sleeve and loves a good old-fashioned tackle. From spending 10 years with Liverpool FC’s academy to becoming Fleetwood Town’s first-ever youth team player to come through the academy and feature for the first team, this is the story of Sheron’s journey to Harrogate Town. Interview by Henry Whitaker Born and raised in St Helens, Merseyside a town known more for rugby league than football - Sheron had a ball at his feet from as early as he can remember. He’d play in the garden with his older brother, and in the park behind his house with whoever was there wanting a kick about. Being the nephew of Mike Sheron - a former Premier League striker who made just under 500 appearances for clubs including Manchester City, Norwich City and Blackpool - Nathan Sheron had the footballing gene in his DNA and at the age of just seven, joined Liverpool FC’s academy following trials through his school.
Ryan Browne/Shutterstock
As a Liverpool fan, it was already a dream come true for a young Nathan Sheron, and the defender recalls the first few years being all about enjoying football and learning the fundamentals. “I remember going down to Kirby with one of my mates for trials. He was dangling off the goal post and I was running laps around the goal as at that age I was a fast little forward,” Sheron says. “I
just enjoyed playing during the early years. There wasn’t any pressure from my parents, they just said go and enjoy it.” As Sheron reached his teenage years, things began to gather pace as he and his teammates were now missing days of school to train at Kirby. He’d be mingling with the likes of Ryan Kent, Harry Wilson, and Trent Alexander Arnold - all who have gone onto play in the Premier League - and it was a lifestyle any young aspiring footballer would love. For Sheron, there was never a doubt in his mind that he wanted to become a professional footballer. “My parents were keen for me to get my schoolwork done as I was academically bright and they didn’t want football to stop that,” he explains. “I’d come back at 8pm and go straight to my room to do homework but there was never a second thought in my mind about becoming a professional footballer, football is what I wanted and it was that or nothing.” At a club like Liverpool where the hunt for silverware and success is enormous, new players
About Town I 7
come through the door each season and that doesn’t stop at the first team. By the time Sheron had turned 16, he was beginning to see more players joining the academy team from other clubs in the country and abroad, signing for big fees. The likes Sergi Canos - who’s now at Brentford - was just one of many who made the task of breaking into the first team for the local academy boys so much harder. “It made it hard as you were pushing yourself to do better only to then see a new guy come in for a big fee in front of you, it wasn’t nice,” Sheron admits. “It was the ‘oh no not another one’ feeling each time a new signing came in but most of the time you’d be able to fight them off as mentally we were just stronger than them. The older you got though the higher the quality of players you start to find yourself around and you begin to fall off a bit. It’s so hard to keep up with, it was a ruthless environment,” he continues. “As soon as you were out the team, they weren’t really interested in you.” Nonetheless, at 16, Sheron signed a two-year youth team scholarship with Liverpool and was looking forward to getting his professional career started. However, just a couple of months into his contract, Sheron and his dad were called in for a meeting by at the time academy coach Neil Critchley, who informed Sheron’s dad that they didn’t see a future for the youngster at Liverpool and that instead, it would be best for him to move onto another club. 8 I About Town
For the boyhood Liverpool fan who had been at the club for 10 years, it was a day to forget. “Liverpool are a massive club and you can understand why all the signings keep coming in but you do feel after being there for 10 years you’ve been put aside, it wasn’t nice,” Sheron says. “I’d just moved into full-time football, something I dreamed of since being a little kid but I just couldn’t get a game in the youth team. The coaching staff said I could see out my scholarship or look for a move elsewhere which is what I did and the best thing I could have done.” Sheron went on trial with the likes of Sheffield United, Wigan and Shrewsbury but Fleetwood Town is where he signed. He lived in digs with his new teammates and found the experience to be completely different to life at Kirby. From having everything put on a plate for him at Liverpool with the best facilities you could imagine, at Fleetwood, it was a case of training at an old rugby ground, helping to complete all the jobs in the rain and snow after each session. It was something that Sheron loved. “Those jobs kept me grounded and helped me become a man, it put that respect into you,” Sheron explains. “I just wanted to get playing, it was simple as that. I’d missed just playing every Saturday like I did as a kid and at Fleetwood, I was playing three times a week and I just got the enjoyment back. Being a Liverpool fan, I could have stayed at the
club and taken the easy option, which some lads do as they like the tag of playing for Liverpool and that lifestyle. Lewis Travis was in the same boat as me and he’s now playing week in, week out for Blackburn. Leaving the club got us into the real world and exposed us to men’s football.”
I’d been a defender all my career so far but some said I was too small to be one. In the first game of preseason against Salford, I played the final halfhour in midfield and within five minutes I’d bust my head open. He (Barton) loved that though as maybe he saw a bit of my playing style in him.”
When Sheron’s youth team contract ended, he signed a professional contract with Fleetwood Town, along with just one other player from the academy. With Fleetwood not having an under 23s side, Sheron was sent out on loan to Chorley FC in November 2016 for a month before then stepping up to the National League on loan with Chester and then Southport. The youngster was getting a real taste of men’s football at an early age but it was something he was embracing and thriving on.
After continuing to impress the Fleetwood boss throughout preseason, Sheron soon made his league debut for the Cod Army, featuring for 20 minutes against Oxford United on matchday two of the campaign.
“Chorley was my first experience of men’s football as I was going into the changing rooms with fully grown men, big brutes,” Sheron chuckles. “You can go one way or the other but I loved it. The environment was brilliant and the management was all perfect for me for a first loan. Gainsborough Trinity was my first match and it was a horrible afternoon where we really had to ground out for the win, but I loved it and from then on that was what football was about for me, rolling the sleeves up and getting stuck in.”
Two months later and two days before his 21st birthday, the versatile player made his first league start but it came at centre back coming up against Wycombe Wanderers and striker Adebayo Akinfenwa. It was a match that Sheron described as an “eye-opening” debut. Nonetheless, Sheron held his own and was now a key man in Barton’s team, filling in at right-back, centre back and central midfield. He went on to make 26 appearances that season which included a derby day victory over rivals Blackpool. It looked like Sheron had now turned the corner and was set to establish himself as a Football League player but come the start of the 2019/20 season, things began to unravel.
Sheron made his senior debut for Fleetwood on 8 November 2017, in an EFL Trophy match against Carlisle United and in doing so, became the first graduate of Fleetwood’s Academy to play for the first team. He would then go on to feature two more times for the Cod Army that season while Uwe Rosler was manager. At the start of the next season, however, it was not Rosler in charge of Fleetwood but instead former Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton. Barton - originally from Merseyside himself - took a liking to Sheron’s aggressive style of play and saw him as the ideal holding midfielder in his side, a position Sheron had not played before. “It was a shock when Joey came to Fleetwood,” Sheron says. “You’d seen his reputation as a player but we had no idea what he’d be like. About Town I 9
Pool via SNS/Shutterstock
Sheron playing for St Mirren against Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership in August 2020
Barton had signed a bunch of new players including Paul Coutts and Jordan Rossiter as the Cod Army looked to push for promotion into the Championship. It meant Sheron quickly slipped down the pecking order. By January, the St Helens born man hadn’t made a single league appearance and was so allowed to join Walsall on loan for what was an “opportunity to just play games”. Sheron featured eight times for the Saddlers before Covid brought the season to a premature end. Sheron then asked Fleetwood if he could return to the Lancashire side to train as they prepared for the playoffs but when they said no, Sheron knew his time with the club was nearing an end. “It was a kick in the teeth as I’d experienced firstteam football and got a taste for it. I understood the club wanted to kick on but it just shows how ruthless football is,” he confesses. “During the Covid period, there were lots of Zoom sessions and running around the blocks for me. That wasn’t great as I knew my time at Fleetwood was pretty much done.” Now into the 2020/21 season, Sheron was on the lookout for a loan move and it soon came with 10 I About Town
the opportunity to move up to Scotland and join St Mirren on a season-long loan. He was told by manager Jim Goodwin that he was after a defensive midfielder who would “head and kick everything”, something Sheron proudly admits he’s quite good at. The midfielder featured against Rangers - managed by Steven Gerrard who Sheron briefly trained with during the 2013/14 season - but after a few results that didn’t go The Buddies way, Sheron was out the side and now living in Scotland during a pandemic with nothing to do other than turn up for training. He asked if he could go back to Fleetwood but the club were strapped for cash and so Sheron was stuck in Scotland until Barton got the sack in January 2021. The interim manager recalled Sheron to see what he could offer but when Simon Grayson was appointed soon after, Sheron was once again frozen out of the side. “I was buzzing to be back as they had a few injuries and I thought it was a chance to play but Simon Grayson comes in and just had no interest in me at all,” Sheron recalls. “That again was a knockback which was hard to take as I was back home ready to take the chance but never got it.
It gave me more determination to play though,” he adds. “I asked Grayson to go out on loan but he said he wanted me as cover for injuries but I was tired of hearing the politics and b*****t.” Sheron’s contract expired in the summer and for the first time in his career, he was without a club. His agent told him that several clubs were interested in taking the Merseyside man on, but nothing concrete came his way until he trialed with Harrogate Town at the start of July. He quickly impressed manager Simon Weaver with his attitude and work rate, as well as being able to fill several positions on the pitch, and after featuring a few times during preseason, Sheron signed a permanent deal with Harrogate Town. “During the trial I just loved the environment,” Sheron expresses. There’s trust in me and with the atmosphere of the lads, it’s what you want as a player. I just wanted to get the contract signed and sealed as injury or the unknown could have ruined that.” Sheron continues, “In the past, the honesty
has been lacking or coaches have said things just to keep you quiet but here with the conversations I’ve had with the Gaffer, it feels genuine and I’ve just got to keep my head down and take the chance each time it comes.” So far this season, the 24-year-old has featured half a dozen times and impressed in Town’s last outing, a 3-1 away win against one of his former clubs Walsall. The next step for Sheron will be to cement his place in the starting XI and help the team build momentum as we edge closer to the halfway point of the season. “I just want to play as many games as possible and enjoy myself,” Sheron says in his final comments. “I want to be part of something and hopefully, that can happen this year. This is a great group to be a part of and we’re all pushing in the same direction, which is so important. We had a great result last weekend and the aim now is to keep building that momentum and achieve something special.”
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As part of our ‘Getting to Know’ series with Stadium sponsors EnviroVent, we’ve been asking the all important questions to Nathan Sheron
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NATHAN SHERON
FE
GETTING TO KNOW
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In November we welcomed the League of 72 SkyBet cameras to The EnviroVent Stadium for a behind the scenes view of our League Two clash with Salford City…
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INSIDE: MATCHDAY
Contemporary new homes
M A K E
I T
Y O U R S
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PICK OF THE GOALS FROM ‘21 EO
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Town bagged 82 goals in competitive fixtures in 2021. We take a look at some of the best, enjoy!
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18 I About Town
LEWIS
PAGE To sign a 25-year-old yet to reach his peak but with Europa League and League One experience already under his belt, it would be a coup for clubs throughout the EFL. This summer, Town did exactly that following the arrival of left-back Lewis Page. The Enfield born defender joined Weaver’s squad after leaving Exeter City at the end of last season, having previously played for Cambridge, Charlton and West Ham where he shared the pitch with the likes of Declan Rice and Dimitri Payet. A career that has had highs as well as injury lows, this is the story of Lewis Page’s journey to Harrogate Town. Interview by Henry Whitaker Page grew up in North London and was a selfconfessed “sporty kid”. He played football, cricket and golf to a high standard and before he reached his teenage years had to decide which sport he wanted to focus on. The defender first kicked a football playing for Bishop Stortford Swifts and by the age of nine had already been scouted by West Ham United. Page was also involved with Hertfordshire’s County golf team, competing with other youngsters whose handicaps would put the local club member to shame. Ideally, Page would have played both sports for longer but a continuous clash of dates meant he had to pick one over the other. He chose football - not a bad decision. In his early years with the Irons, especially the first, Page admits it was a case of getting used to surroundings and trying to fit into a group that had been together since six years old.
“The first year was me getting used to the tempo,” Page recalls. “I remember playing a school game in the afternoon before then going to West Ham in the evening and the difference in levels was huge so I had to get used to that. It wasn’t until I was 15/16 where I felt I could handle things physically.” The now left-back had always played on that side of the pitch, sometimes as more of a winger but the majority of his time was spent marking opposition wingers from the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United. It was a big test for Page who admits he was a small kid, but it was all part of the challenge and becoming as technically good as possible until his body started to fill out. Page reveals how his lack of physicality almost cost his youth team scholarship as he reckons three out of the six coaches believed that would let him down. However, the defender was offered a scholarship and played almost every game in his first year.
About Town I 19
West Ham United is famous for producing talented players from their academy; Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Mark Noble are just a few. In Page’s youth team, he played alongside the likes of Declan Rice, Reece Oxford, Martin Samuelsen and Josh Cullen, all of who now play at a high level - Rice, in particular, was a near ever-present for England’s Euro 2020 campaign. The Iron’s youth team came second in their under 18s league playing against the best academies in the country, and a few years later they’d go on to win the Under-21 Premier League Cup. Before that though, Page would sign his first professional contract with the East London club. “It’s been my biggest moment, 100%,” Page states. “I remember getting in the car and getting a call from my agent saying I’d been offered two years and I was absolutely buzzing. I immediately started ringing all my mates and family and that’s what makes it my favourite moment. They were happy for me and I was moving into digs with some of the other lads so that was a nice feeling knowing I was going to be with my mates, having a laugh and doing what I love with them.” 20 I About Town
Like many footballers, a huge part of them making it professional is down to the time, energy and support from their parents. For Page, it was no different and he speaks fondly of his dad Martin, in particular, who would always encourage him to achieve the dream. “There were times throughout the academy years where I just wanted to pack it in as I didn’t think I could handle it but I don’t think my dad would have kept taking me 3-4 nights a week if he didn’t think I had a chance. He’s probably my biggest critic, giving me the classic rundown of what I did right and wrong on the journey home but if I didn’t have him doing that I think I would have taken my foot off the pedal, he kept me on it.” Sam Allardyce was the man in charge when Page signed his pro deal but it was Slaven Bilic who would hand him his first-team debut. The defender often found himself training with the first team despite only being 18 years old and it was a “massive jump” being around the likes of Dimitri Payet and Andy Carroll, but an experience he loved. Pages’ West Ham debut came in July 2015 in the club’s first Europa League qualifier match of
the season with the defender playing the full 90 minutes in the Irons’ 3–0 victory over Lusitanos. It was a day that will live long in the memory of Page, who weeks before making his debut, sensed the chance was coming. “We came back to pre-season really early, before June had ended so I thought there was a good chance I’d be in the squad for the qualifiers. An injury to one of our fullbacks meant I came into the starting XI and I played really well, probably one of my best performances. I was just full of adrenaline for the entire time,” Page continues. “Upton Park was packed as it was our first European game in years so it was a great atmosphere. I was s******g myself though, I was properly nervous. I knew roughly 10 days before that it was coming so I had all that time for it to build up and the night before I was a bit stressed.” Page went on to feature in the second leg of the third qualifying round but found himself on the losing side as Romanian side Astra Giurgiu beat West Ham 4-3 on aggregate. The day was made even worse for Page when in the closing stages of the match, he got a nasty ankle injury which kept him out of action for over two months, following an unnecessary challenge on the defender in the dying moments of the match.
On his return to action, Page spent time with the under 21s, mainly to build up his fitness before venturing out on loan. He joined Cambridge for a month in January 2016 and played six times before his spell was up. The plan was for him to stay longer but breaking his toe during training put an end to that plan. The month was a good experience for the then 19-year-old, however. It was his first taste of men’s football in England and the physicality was something he hadn’t experienced before, coming up against Adebayo Akinfenwa on his EFL debut can be best described as a ‘baptism of fire’. After another spell on the treatment table, Page was again with the under 21s and featured in the side’s Under-21 Premier League Cup victory. West Ham would beat Liverpool in the semi-finals to then face Hull City over two legs. A penalty shoot-out was needed to decide the winners and it was the Irons who came out on top. That brought an end to the 2015/16 season and the following campaign, Page was back with the first team and part of their pre-season tour in America and then Austria. It was another new experience for the defender who was ready to start playing football week in, week out. “My plan was to go on loan to a League One club,” he explains. “While in America we played some good teams and in Seattle, we were playing in front of 55,000 fans. That year was also the opening ceremony of the Olympic Stadium and I came on for 10 minutes against Juventus which was a great experience.” The day after featuring against ‘The Old Lady’, Page was on his way to Coventry for a six-month loan. He would feature more than 20 times before January came around and although doing “OK” himself, he was part of a Coventry side which were struggling on and off the pitch. He returned to West Ham for just a couple of days before receiving news that League One side Charlton Athletic wanted to sign the About Town I 21
defender permanently. Once the manager and owners had given the green light Page saw the move as a “no brainer”. “I had sat on the bench for a long time while at West Ham and they had just brought in Arthur Masuaku for a big fee so I knew I wasn’t going to get a chance,” Page explains. “A Premier League side has money and every position on the pitch had players they’d brought in for silly money so I never thought they’d change anything for me. I don’t think anyone was playing from the academy at that moment so it made my mind up for me.” Page arrived at The Valley and was thrown straight into the team, featuring eight times before a horrible hamstring injury ended his season. While shepherding a ball out of a play, he got a slight nudge from an opponent and then when trying to slow down, it felt like his leg had “blown up”. The left-back couldn’t walk and a scan soon revealed the hamstring had completely ruptured. It meant an expected three to four months on the sidelines but it turned out to be half a year when a small slip during rehab meant he needed to go under the knife again. It was a nightmare situation for the young defender who was desperate to get back playing. 22 I About Town
The saving grace for Page was that he still had two years remaining on his contract, meaning there was time for him to work his way back into the team. Lee Bowyer was now in charge of The Addicks and the former Leeds United and West Ham player chose to include Page as soon as he was deemed fit. The 25-year-old featured towards the end of the 2017/18 campaign and started the following season with minutes and momentum under his belt. However, Page’s injury hell would not yet be over as the defender was battling with an niggling hip injury which came to a head against Scunthorpe United in October 2018. The former West Ham man wouldn’t play another competitive game until 2020. “It just wasn’t healing,” the defender stresses, “and with that area, it’s heavily involved when playing football so I had to slowly build myself up. It was really tough as I had been playing well and the coaches were wanting me to play but I couldn’t even sit up. It was one of the most frustrating times,” He continues. “I had played with it for three months and everyone knew I had it. I wouldn’t train Fridays but I’d take tablets on matchday to get through the pain but it just got gradually worse and popped.”
“I thought about stopping football completely but I got back playing in March for the under 23s. The lads had got promoted so we were now in the Championship and I thought it was the chance to start again. Then in the last pre-season game, I injured my hamstring again so that killed me. Trying to get back to fitness, I just didn’t feel right. My legs constantly felt tight and then I’d just get injured. I thought about packing it in, not that I knew what I’d have done otherwise. I just didn’t want to feel the stress and agro from it all.” The defender wouldn’t play a competitive game throughout the 2019/20 season and when that ended prematurely due to Covid, Page knew his time at Charlton had come to an end. They didn’t offer him a new deal and so the left-back was on the lookout for a fresh start. He went on a trial with Plymouth Argyle and impressed the coaching staff at Home Park. Page was offered a monthly rolling contract due to his injury history but when Exeter then came to the table with a year deal, the defender swiftly moved to the South West of the country. Page went on to have a much better season, playing 35 times for the Grecians. It was the consistency he wanted and needed if he was to restart his career. He was offered a new deal at the end of the 2020/21 season but Page sought to look at alternative options, one being Sunderland where the defender was set to trial for a week. However, three days into that, he felt tightness in his hamstring. Timing had crippled his chances of a move back to League One.
gain as Simon Weaver soon declared his interest in the 25-year-old. After a chat with the manager, Page saw the move as a great opportunity and on July 16 2021, he became a Town player. So far, it has been a stop-start debut season for Page. Since making his league debut for the North Yorkshire side on the opening day of the season, he’s been in and out of the starting XI due to an innocuous cut to the cheek and a minor hamstring tweak. Nonetheless, the defender has found himself a key figure down the left and proved to be instrumental in away victories against Leyton Orient and Mansfield Town. Page feels he’s now in a place where he knows what his body can and can’t take, and it’s now a case of working that perfect balance to help himself and the team kick on this season. “We’ve discussed why the injury has happened but I feel like I’m getting there now. We’re in the process of working out what works best for me and over the years, I’ve decided what works best for my body. I’ve really enjoyed it here so far and moved up to Leeds, it’s great up here. It’s been a positive start for the team and on a personal note, I want to reach that 35 game mark.” “I’d like to get a few more assists and a couple of goals which will hopefully help the team finish as high as possible. If we get to the playoffs or better then that’s great. All we’ve got to do is keep aiming as high as possible.”
Sunderland’s loss would prove to be Harrogate Town’s About Town I 23
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We put the focus on new loan signing Brahima Diarra who has instantly become a fan favourite at The EnviroVent Stadium
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DIARRA DIARRA DIARRA
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26 I About Town
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“I’m not leaving!” leaving!”
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In January, Jack Diamond was recalled by parent club Sunderland, only to arrive back at The EnviroVent Stadium for the remainder of the season weeks later, leading to wild scenes at Town HQ…
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JACK’S BACK PART III
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GETTING TO KNOW
JACK DIAMOND Continuing our ‘Getting to Know’ series in association with Stadium sponsor EnviroVent, we aimed 10 quick-fire questions at Jack Diamond
About Town I 27
28 I About Town
JACK
DIAMOND Diamond by name, Diamond by nature. That was the description by BT Sport commentators as Harrogate Town loanee Jack Diamond scored Town’s third and deciding goal which sealed the club’s promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history. On loan from Sunderland, at the time 19-year-old Diamond provided pace and sparkle throughout the 2019-20 season and now two years later, the winger has returned looking to help the club once again push for glory. This is Jack Diamond’s journey to Harrogate Town... Interview by Henry Whitaker Born in Washington, County Durham, Diamond grew up surrounded by a heavily passionate football fanbase. From a very young age, he was kicking a football and watching TV boxsets of Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Pele tear teams apart with their individual brilliance. The close control and quick feet caught Diamond’s eye and the youngster found himself trying to replicate those greats on five aside pitches, where he’d aim to get one on one with an opposing player before dancing past with ease.
Newcastle, it felt like they wanted us just because Sunderland did. My dad was always telling me I had to enjoy myself first, that was the priority,” Diamond continues. “I had played with a lot of people who came out of academies because they didn’t enjoy it and I know a lot that don’t play anymore as they just burn out mentally. It’s a ruthless environment as you’re valued on how good you are and it can turn a lot of people off, but my parents were all for it and were keen for me to do something I was good at.”
He soon found himself with Darlington’s u10s in their centre of excellence before that closed and from there, the winger played for his local boys’ club until the age of 14.
Diamond went into the Sunderland set up with a “point to prove” as he explains how most of the team had been together for years and were a close bunch. He arrived at the Academy of Light as a centre midfielder but soon found himself playing further forward in the number 10 role. His ability to pick up possession and carry the ball at pace made Diamond a standout player and he was soon jumping through the age groups ahead of time.
At this point, Diamond was beginning to notice he was attracting attention from Premier League teams. First came Sunderland who just after one trial game wanted him to sign onto the academy. Newcastle then offered Diamond the same opportunity but the Washington lad chose the Black Cats as the place to further his development. “It felt like it was all happening at once,” Diamond says. “Both offered the same thing but I felt like I knew Sunderland a bit more and with
For the coaches, the challenge was to now find a place in the older academy teams to keep Diamond progressing. They decided to play him on the left wing with the freedom to drift inside, it’s a position he’s played ever since. About Town I 29
At 15 years old, Diamond was given his first contract (a year earlier than the norm) which was made up of a standard two-year youth team scholarship followed by a one-year pro deal. It was at this age where Diamond believes he started to really “kick on”. “At that age, people are built so different and I was still small and skinny but it’s a vital time in a player’s development. I dealt with it well playing with older players and it led to me playing with the u18s which gave me a taste of the more physical side of the game. It was a hammering on my body so I took on every bit of information. I was always battling against myself and the others in the academy,” Diamond adds. “At the end of the day, it’s a very selfish place. Everyone is fighting for that same goal and it doesn’t feel like it’s about the team, it’s about self-improvement and trying to get one up on your teammates.”
one, to keep pushing. It’s a bigger deal now when I think about it, but at the time, it was just the next thing I needed to do. I never took a moment to think about it.” The winger was now spending the majority of his days with the u23s and after a collection of strong performances, found himself in the mix with the first team, learning off the likes of Ireland international Aiden McGeady, who Diamond says wanted to help him as much as possible. Jump forward to October 2018 and Diamond had made his professional debut for Sunderland, coming on as a substitute at the Stadium of Light in the Checkatrade Trophy against Carlisle. The winger explains how that throughout the match the nerves were building as the big moment was set to come his way.
After completing just one year of his scholarship, Diamond signed his first professional contract and was edging closer and closer to the first team.
“I just remember warming up so much. I was nervous and sweating just waiting for the moment. I came on with about 15 minutes to go and I was everywhere, just trying to get on the ball. I did well and I was buzzing with that.”
“It was the reward for doing well,” Diamond states. “My goal was to never see a contract out or for it to be in anyone else’s hands. Even if I had got a new contract early, I was already looking to get the next
A first start came a month later against Morecambe in the same competition and Diamond was very much so “enjoying the taste” of men’s football. The remainder of Diamond’s 2018/19 season was
30 I About Town
with the u23s but the plan was in place for the youngster to go out on loan the following season. He was told by former Sunderland player and now club ambassador Kevin Ball that the loan was the “best thing for his development” and although doing well for the u23s was promising, he now had to do it for a first team. A 19-year-old Jack Diamond would join Harrogate Town for the 2019/20 National League season, looking to help the side push for promotion to the Football League. The winger recalls his first day meeting the squad at the EnviroVent Stadium wherein a couple of hours the team would play against Chorley FC. “It was a completely new environment for me,” Diamond explains. “I saw men sitting in the dressing room and I come in and I thought they’re probably looking at me like ‘here’s another academy player coming in thinking he’s all this’. I was nervous, not for the football as I back my ability, but for settling into the environment. I just wanted to get on the pitch, and once I did, it got easier and easier. The lads here are great and I don’t think you’ll find many clubs that are so close-knit and so honest. A big thing when I arrived was that everyone wanted me to do well for the team but also myself so I could kick on in my career. They’re very humble and selfless people, here for me as I am for them.” Diamond featured against Chorley and then began to make the left-wing position his own. However, despite positive showings, the all-important end product seemed to be lacking and by New Year’s
Day, the winger had failed to get on the scoresheet. It was something Diamond had been told to improve upon in the past and it was driving him crazy. It all changed, however, on an away trip to Darlington in the FA Trophy, where the winger scored his first goal for the club as Town won 2-0 and progressed further into the competition. It was the boost Diamond needed. “My performances were good and it had always been the case for 2-3 years that my end product needed improving”, Diamond admits. “It was hammered into us to the point where I’d go mad when someone said it, I was having dreams about it, it was constantly in my head. I remember saying just after Christmas that I just needed one goal to get things going.” The winger went on to get three goals from the next six league matches and was part of a Town team that looked destined to knock Barrow off the top of the table. Then Covid-19 hit. Diamond recalls the moment the first game got called off as he got a text while waiting for the coach in Wetherby. From there it was uncertainty after uncertainty for the young winger as he had no idea whether he’d get the chance to help finish the season with Town. There were talks about automatic promotion, playoffs, null and void but when the playoffs were announced and Diamond got the all-clear to return to North Yorkshire, he became “fixed” on helping the team get promoted. A 1-0 victory at home against Boreham Wood set up the final at Wembley Stadium against Notts
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County and we all remember how that went. A blistering start from Town saw Simon Weaver’s side 2-0 up at half-time before a free-kick from Notts County just after the break reminded everyone the tie wasn’t over. As the Magpies pushed for the equaliser, space was appearing and in the 70th minute, Town took full advantage. Jack Muldoon carried the ball down the right before delivering the inch-perfect cross into the penalty box for Diamond to glance the ball past the keeper. The winger runs over towards the camera, strikes a pose, and then embraces his teammates. It was the goal that confirmed promotion. Diamond returned to Sunderland for the 202021 season and felt ready to make the step up to League One. The winger had a strong pre-season and was then sporadically used by Phil Parkinson at left wing-back until Parkinson’s sacking in November. Diamond admits that he “wanted more” after previously having a full season of football under his belt and the winger even asked on a couple of occasions if he could go out on loan, but the management staff were adamant Diamond would have a part to play. The arrival of Lee Johnson just before Christmas saw Diamond get an instant run in the team and he provided both goals and assists as the Black Cats tried to keep up the pace with their promotion32 I About Town
chasing rivals. Having just turned 21 at the start of 2021, Diamond is still a young player learning the ropes and so found himself in and out of the side as the campaign progressed. When the season reached its end, Sunderland were in the play-offs and Diamond featured in their semi-final second leg against Lincoln City but they lost the contest 3-2 on aggregate. It would be another season in League One for the former Premier League side. “It was a very up and down season,” Diamond admits. “I had a good run of games but the team changed around a lot, and as a young player, you need consistency and that comes from playing games. I think I did improve during that period of ups and downs but it was just hard to find consistency.” Now approaching the start of the 2021/22 season, Diamond was again set to fight for his place in the Sunderland starting XI and this time make that left-wing position his own. He featured against Town during pre-season, but a week before the transfer window was due to shut, the winger had a conversation with Johnson who informed him that another winger was being brought in on loan and that would probably reduce Diamond’s time on the pitch. The option was to stay or to go out on loan. Diamond chose the latter.
As soon as Harrogate Town fans heard that information, suddenly any Tweet, Facebook post or pre-match interview would have fans replying ‘announce Diamond’, ‘where’s Diamond?’. It was a move that if successful, would have fans overjoyed. Behind the scenes, assistant manager Paul Thirlwell had been in contact with Sunderland throughout pre-season letting them know that Town would be interested in Diamond if he did become available. Once he was, the deal moved at a rapid pace. On Monday the contract was finalised and on Tuesday afternoon, Diamond arrived at the EnviroVent Stadium for media duties and to meet his old pals. It was the transfer the manager wanted, the transfer the fans wanted and the transfer they all got. For Diamond, returning to Town wasn’t just about being somewhere he has mates already but being at a club he believes can achieve so much this campaign.
in sync and made for an enjoyable day,” Diamond says. “It’s such a tight stadium that when it’s full it sounds really good, we love playing at home as it feels like a den and creates a great atmosphere.” With his entire future ahead of him, 21-year-old Jack Diamond can no doubt be optimistic and confident about what lies ahead. With aspirations of making it to the very top, the winger has no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. “I want to keep kicking on and improving and help the team get as close we can for promotion. On a personal level, I want to build on my numbers but the main aim this season is to push for the promotion spots and hopefully the automatic ones. Long term I want to play in the Premier League, that’s the big goal. There are steps I need to keep reaching for and at the moment it’s to play football regularly. As simple as it is, that’ll improve me and help me get to where I want to be.”
“The relationship between me and the people at the club did help in my decision, but it was near the bottom of the list for me when choosing a club,” Diamond explains. “First things first, I want to play and I know Thirs (Paul Thirlwell) and the Gaffer also want me to play, so that was important. They don’t settle for average and I know if I’m not performing well, I won’t play. The club are also at the top end of the table so it makes total sense for me to come back. Straight away it felt like I was back in the family. There were new faces as well but everyone was really excited for the season. I’ve got a lot of friends here, but the first thing was that the team was flying and I needed to show enough that I could even deserve to start. It was apparent straight away how competitive and strong the squad is.” Four days after returning to the club, Diamond was thrown straight into the starting XI against Mansfield Town and showed just why the Town coaching staff were so keen to bring him back. Direct running, a hard work rate and individual brilliance capped off a Man of the Match performance from the winger in the 3-1 victory against the Stags. Diamond’s first goal since his comeback came against Oldham and he then played an instrumental role in Town’s 6-1 demolition of Scunthorpe United earlier this month. It was the type of display Diamond believes no team would be able to deal with. “We were electric and while we’re like that I don’t think anyone can stop us. Everything we did was About Town I 33
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