Tag: efl

Chesterfield win the Battle of the ‘rites’.

On my way back from visiting the impressive Locomotion, I called in to the Wetherby Road ground to see Harrogate Town play Chesterfield  in the EFL Two.

Although there was high grey clouds cover it was dry and  warm with the temperature hitting 22 degrees. This is a stadium shoe horned into a piece of land next to the main road and surrounded by houses. Because there isn’t a  car park, the residents have to endure supporter parking outside their houses and slow moving traffic before and after the game. A move to an out of town site would most probably benefit everyone.

The stadium has 3 covered seated stands down one side, covered, half standing, half seating behind one goal with all covered standing at the other end. The other side of the ground is all covered too with a small seating area, the rest standing apart from some portacabins in one corner. A lot packed into the space.

The pitch was a brilliant green flat expanse of grass.

Having been impressed with what has been achieved here, I was shocked to find my seat was behind a floodlight pylon. This not only affected me but also others around me. I put up with it for the first half but moved to standing behind the goal for the second half.

In comparison to Chesterfield, Harrogate Town didn’t form until mid 1919 but only a year later they were one of the teams to start the Yorkshire League but remained in the West Riding League before moving that team to the Midland League and folding it soon after. concentrating on the Yorkshire League they became champions in 1927 but moved again to the Northern League but disbanded in 1935. The use of the Harrogate Town name was first used with a resumption of a team after the Second World War then playing in the West Yorkshire League and a move back to the Yorkshire League happened in 1957.

With the re-organisation of local Leagues in 1982 Harrogate town were inaugural members of the newly formed Northern Counties East and just five years later were founder members of a new League again, this time the Northern Premier League, First Division. In 2002 they were promoted to the Premier Division as league champions of Division 1 and continuing their innovations were founder members of the Conference North in 2004.

2011 was a transformative year for the club with the take over by Irving Weaver father of Simon Weaver, the manager. After the club changed to full time contracts in 2017 they went on to win the league play-offs. Covid now played a part in their rise when with the season curtailed and with an average points per game of 1.78 were put into the play-offs where at Wembley in 2020, they eventually overcame Notts County to claim a place in the English Football League. They have remained in the EFL League Two ever since, an amazing rise.

Chesterfield formed in 1866 claim to be the 4th oldest league club still in existence. A chequered history of league status and liquidation led to their reincarnation when they re-joined the football league in 1921. They have been up and down the leagues in their history but reached a low point in 2018 being relegated to the National League. Off the field problems were resolved by a take over in 2020 by a Community Trust who with great local support have steered the club to a new era of major ownership by local Paul and Ashley Kirk. Now back in the EFL they look to rise up the leagues again.

Harrogate Town 1 Chesterfield 2

Saturday 22nd August 2025, English Football League Two. Kick off 15.00 pm.  9th v 4th.   Town/Sulphurites v Spireites.

Harrogate Town FC Wetherby Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 7SA

Chesterfield looked sharp from the off, playing long balls out wide for a speedy front 3 and overlapping full backs. It was the left back who swept forward after 5 minutes with the ball eventually being passed to Ronan D’Arcy who changed direction 5 times before slotting the ball along the ground into the right hand corner. Chesterfield’s three front runners continued to put pressure on the home defence and caused them continual problems. At the other end Harrogate came more into the game but apart from one shot that whizzed by the right hand post didn’t look like scoring. Duke-McKenna playing out wide on the left was Harrogate’s main threat and managed to whip in some good crosses, but no one was there to connect with them. The Chesterfield supporters, 1050 out of a crowd of 3276, continued to make the most noise as the teams left the field at half time.

Something in the waters in Harrogate they say, and Harrogate must have drunk some at the interval because they looked a different team. The back four started to tie up Chesterfields front runners after an early burst and push forwards themselves. The home crowd silenced the away fans when on 50 minutes Duke-McKenna collected a pass on the edge of the goal area and drilled it past Hemmings in the Chesterfield goal.

Harrogate kept up the pressure and gained the initiative which Chesterfield tried to stem with substitutes. On 80 minutes Harrogate substituted Bradbury, who looked like their tallest defender, and only two minutes later from a corner on the left the ball came to Dunkley, the tallest player on the pitch, who unopposed headed in from the centre of the goal to give the away side the lead for the second time. Chesterfield played out the game for a good win on the road to move them up to second in the league.

This was an enjoyable game and a friendly ground with good facilities apart from the floodlight post. One of Harrogate’s nick name is the Sulphurites and Chesterfield The Spireites but neither of their fans would chant that. However you could say that Chesterfield won the battle of the ‘rites’.

Unfortunately no chips but there was a really good food selection. I chose a free ice cream, an Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich. Not a fan of Orio’s although I know they are very popular and have not changed my mind after this.

At half time I had a coffee and a KitKat at the Hydration Station, a nice touch that.

The mascot was an alligator? I have since researched that they are Harri-gator, I should have guessed that.

The programme was £5 and was packed with 70 glossy pages, very informative. It was the same one for all Harrogate’s home games in August, a novel good idea, maybe stats a little out of date by the time of this game.

A4 size was great as a magazine but a little large to put in a pocket

Chesterfield weather the storm.

Storm Bert ruined my plans but I was lucky to take up a Community ticket offered by Chesterfield FC through a local school.

The continual rain and wind battered me as I walked down a hill from where I had parked, but at least it had removed all of the snow. I still had to wrap up despite the temperature changing from freezing the day before to 13 degrees.

I have to own up to this being my favourite modern stadium. Despite all of the quirks and history of the old Saltergate ground, which was iconic, I still prefer the newer incarnation. I bought a program from a couple who stand there in all weathers and hurried into the North Stand. My cheap ticket was brilliant, last row, at the back, next to an aisle. It also meant that the sweeping rain lashing across the pitch didn’t touch me in this all seater stadium.

Chesterfield and Barrow, their opponents, both seem to have found their feet in League 2 and I hope neither drop back into the National League in the near future. Chesterfield sat 11th and Barrow 12th after 16 matches with 22 points each.

Chesterfield formed in 1866 claim to be the 4th oldest league club still in existence. A chequered history of league status and liquidation led to their reincarnation when they re-joined the football league in 1921. They have been up and down the leagues in their history but reached a low point in 2018 being relegated to the National League. Off the field problems were resolved by a take over in 2020 by a Community Trust who with great local support have steered the club to a new era of major ownership by local Paul and Ashley Kirk. Now back in the EFL they look to rise up the leagues again.

Barrow Fc were founded in 1901 playing in local Lancashire Leagues where they stayed until the First World War. Restarting after hostilities they won the Lancashire League and were welcomed into the football League’s Third Division North where they were mainly in the bottom half up to the Second World War. They struggled again and were placed in the newly formed Fourth Division in 1954 but in 1967 they finished a magnificent third and gained promotion to Division three. But this rise only lasted two years and by 1972 had to seek re-election to stay in the EFL. They were beaten by Hereford in the ballot with many complaining that the logistics of travelling to the outpost that is Barrow being the main reason for their defeat.

Initially playing in the Northern Premier League they were able to be accepted into the newly formed equivalent to todays National league in 1979 but only a few years later they were back in the Northern Premier League. From 1983 to 2020 they went up and down the Northern Premier and the National Leagues until in 2020 via the play offs they finally made it back into the Football League system, finally writing the wrong of 50 years previous being voted out. During their years in the Non-League system they did find cup glory when in 1990 and 2010 they won the F.A. Trophy at Wembley.

Chesterfield 1 Barrow 0

English Football League Two, Saturday November 23rd 2024, 15.00 pm kick off.

Chesterfield; Royal blue shirts white shorts… Barrow; Yellow and Black vertical stripes to front of shirts with black backs and shorts. Spireites v Bluebirds

Mr Blue Sky blared out as teams came on to the pitch, which seemed like a joke considering the conditions, but that is their normal  entry music.

The rain just kept pouring down and after Chesterfield’s initial spurt it was Barrow who were on top. In fact on 33 minutes a long ball by Farman, the Barrow keeper was flicked on by Dallas past the home defence and goalkeeper Ryan Boot to somehow only hit the post and roll along the goal line as everyone seemed to stand still. Finally a Chesterfield player regained their composure and cleared. That was the only real chance of the half where effort and skill were being tested by the conditions.

The second half not only saw the teams change round but also the sway of the game as Chesterfield started to dominate. Early on the Barrow keeper tipped a well hit shot onto the bar and over. The rain stopped and started throughout the game but Chesterfield kept up the pressure and from their second corner in a row, this one from the left, Jamie Grimes, the club captain, soared above everyone to head the ball into the centre of the goal and the net with 88 minutes on the clock.

The 263 Barrow fans who had made the long journey in terrible conditions looked desolate and must have felt miserable on the way home having being so close to earning an away point. The remaining 7438 saw Chesterfield creep into the last play off spot and create dreams for the future.

One thing that does disappoint me at Chesterfield is that there are no chips!