Harrogate Town

An earlier version of the club was formed just after World War I and played in regional leagues before disbanding in 1932. They came back after the second war but were still in regional leagues until they made what is now the National League North in 2010. Still, they were part-time and, as an example, of their stature, that year the manger’s father teamed up with a player’s father to take over control of the club.

They went full-time professional in 2017, and in 2018 they made the National League, tier 5, via the playoffs. Two years later they beat Notts County in the playoff final and made the Football League for the first time ever. They’ve been in League Two since, thought just barely. They have finished twice and never above 13th, but in 2023 they made the FA Cup Third Round for the first time ever.

All this to say that, really, it’s a village club, only recently professional, and at the moment doing the best they ever have.

2024-25 SEASON: 18th in League Two, 3rd Round FA Cup, 2nd Round EFL Cup

2025-26 SEASON: League Two (promoted in 2020)

As with a lot of the fast-rising small clubs, they have probably left all their traditional rivals behind. One can imagine some heated spats with various West Riding of Yorkshire League clubs back in the day, but today, their Wikipedia page doesn’t even have the word “rivals” on it, and when we asked someone at the game about it, the main response was a shrug.

Harrogate Town Women play in the North East Regional Women’s Premier League, which is tier 5. Home games are at Rossett Sports Centre on the south edge of town. For more, see the club’s website.

Nothing specific we noticed on our visit.

Officially now it’s the Exercise Stadium, because a fitness company sponsors it. Traditionally, it’s named for its location, Wetherby Road, and we want you to know that one day, while we were taking a photo of the main entrance, a truck covered in hay bales went by.

Capacity is around 5,000, smallest in League Two, and typical of such small clubs, there are several pieces to it which don’t always go together well. It’s mostly terracing, with two sets on one side and two on the other, along with some actual seats on one side. There’s another set of terracing behind each goal, one of which will house the away fans.

In 2022 they announced they would spend £3.5 million on a new stand, but no other details were released.

TOURS: None.

GETTING THERE: It’s a 20-minute walk from the train station in the center, though it’s a particularly nice walk, some of it passing through a park called The Stray. There is also a bus station just down the road from the station, and from there you can catch a #7 bus (Leeds City Centre) to the ground.

PUBS: There’s a friendly little bar at the ground, but two much better options are along the walk from the center: Three’s a Crowd and Coach and Horses. They both have food as well, although Three’s a Crowd is actually in the Michelin Guide! The town center has a lot of good options, as well; it’s more or less built for dining, shopping and relaxing. The famous Hale’s Bar dates to the 17th Century; the Fat Badger is highly rated for its food; and the Alexandra has outdoor seating with views of The Stray. The simplest option is actually at the station: The Harrogate Tap serves more than 100 kinds of beer.

GRUB: If you mention Harrogate to English people, many of them will mention Betty’s Tea Rooms, which has been there since 1919. But it’s far from the only place in town. I am not really a tea person, but some people said I should tell you about Goldsborough Hall, Hotel du Vin, Mama Dorren’s, The Ivy, and Scarlett’s.

Yorkies near the ground has good fish and chips.

As with towns that market themselves to the generally well-heeled, Harrogate has a lot of nice restaurants. In addition to Three’s a Crowd mentioned above, Michelin-listed places in town include Stuzzi (Italian), Horto (“modern British”), and Paradise Cafe (“seasonal,” whatever that means.) Piccolino is a recommended Italian place. Check visitharrogate.co.uk for a lot more choices.

AROUND TOWN: Aside from all this eating and drinking, there is a wealth of lovely old buildings in town, and yes, there are still spas about. The Turkish Baths in town looked intriguing, and both Grantley Hall and Rudding Park also popped up on searches for food and tea.

Generally, it’s a lovely town, with lots of nice walks, so if you’re in town anyway, go check out the football!