Seeking help from life long harrogate fans

Hello, I'm a journalist student at Leeds University and I am finding a local story. I have chosen to do it on Harrogate Town FC but specifically more about the change in ownership before the 2011 -2012 season. I noticed that you just avoided relegation that season (2011/2012) however just missed out on play offs this year, so did the change in ownership help the team and what has it done for the community? Has it been positive or negative or a bit of both?

Also I was wondering if anyone could give me a bit more information on the owners, Irving Weaver and Tad Nowakowski

Anything you can give me will help me

Thanks a lot

Thanks, what is Irving doing off the pitch to improve things?

The Weavers picked this club up from the brink of disaster when Fotherby walked out and they do seem to be very ambitious....They seem to have big long term plans to drag the club into the 21st century with the introduction of a youth set up also trying to connect with the local schools, football clubs etc. They also have ambitions to improve the ground - recently levelled the pitch and refurbished the 1919 bar, hopefully we will see an addition of a new stand.

The difference this season is purely down to the calibre of players that the club have attracted, or quite possibly the increase in wage budget to attract those players. The future does look bright and if the plans are put in place then hopefully we should have larger crowds, better youth players and a higher league status in years to come.

OR the Weavers get bored and the bubble bursts!

BTW - Tad is on the board, doesn't own any part of the club that I'm aware of...I'm sure he is a nice guy, but is easily rubbed up the wrong way if his son's performance is criticised.

If you can make it to Harrogate Town FC at 5.30 on Sat they are having an end of season presentation evening in the 1919 bar..You will find the fans you need to reach out to in person (will make or break your career aspirations).

trevdee wrote:The Weavers picked this club up from the brink of disaster when Fotherby walked out and they do seem to be very ambitious....They seem to have big long term plans to drag the club into the 21st century with the introduction of a youth set up also trying to connect with the local schools, football clubs etc. They also have ambitions to improve the ground - recently levelled the pitch and refurbished the 1919 bar, hopefully we will see an addition of a new stand.

The difference this season is purely down to the calibre of players that the club have attracted, or quite possibly the increase in wage budget to attract those players. The future does look bright and if the plans are put in place then hopefully we should have larger crowds, better youth players and a higher league status in years to come.

OR the Weavers get bored and the bubble bursts!

BTW - Tad is on the board, doesn't own any part of the club that I'm aware of...I'm sure he is a nice guy, but is easily rubbed up the wrong way if his son's performance is criticised.

If you can make it to Harrogate Town FC at 5.30 on Sat they are having an end of season presentation evening in the 1919
bar..You will find the fans you need to reach out to in person (will make or break your career aspirations).

DO you think you'd be able to expand on 'brink of disaster'? How bad was the club and what was wrong?

The club was on the 'brink of diaster' because Bill Fotherby, so far as I know, had largely funded the club himself for the previous several years, we had made progress (two promotions), but when Bill decided he had spent enough we were facing, apparently, having to request two relegations because we had no other meaningful source of income. The arrival of Irving was almost literally a life saver. Luckily for us he seems to be fully committed to the club, and is putting into place the infrastructure etc. that we have never really had before. Mr Fotherby was somewhat fixated on getting a new ground, and little was done at Wetherby Road during his tenure. As Trevdee says, we now have new floodlights, a level pitch (the previous slope was a bit of a joke in non-league circles), plans for new terracing etc. We are developing an Academy system as well. Crowds are a problem (Harrogate not really being a 'football town'), but attempts are being made to reach out to the community (again for the first time in a meaningful way). I think we have one of the best owners in non-league football, ambitious but level-headed, and the future does look very promising.

Pretty much covered by all posts on here.

What i will add is that when Fotherby cut the budget, the previous manager and all of the players left. Simon was brought in under Fotherby's reign and had didly squat budget plus no players. We were reprieved from relegation twice and then when Irving came in, all of the above started to happen.

I don't know how much you know about non league football, but generally crowds are small and most sucessful non league clubs are held up by their chairman (barring a couple like Chester). if you look at Gainsborough, their bubble is about to burst, the chairman has signalled his intent to step away from the club and is cutting the budget drastically to be sustained by their gate income (so by about 80%). They will be lucky not to get relegated in this league unless they bring in some unknowns who excell.

Thank you all very much for your input - Trevdee and paul street could i possibly have your email address as I am going to quote what you have given and I need proof. Thanks

What has happened to the truth and free speech!!!! No reason why my post should of been removed!!!!!!!!!!

V' wrote:What has happened to the truth and free speech!!!! No reason why my post should of been removed!!!!!!!!!!

beats the hell out of me

Maybe I touched a nerve and Tad had it removed