Harrogate Town has been awarded a general safety certificate to hold full capacity games next season once all coronavirus restrictions are lifted.

The club completed works to expand its 5,000-seater EnviroVent Stadium following promotion to League Two last year, but even without any Covid disruptions this many spectators could not have been allowed in until now.

This is because any Football League or Premier League ground in England with a capacity more than 5,000 must be granted permission by their local authority.

While coronavirus restrictions have kept Town’s gates closed since January, the club’s managing director Garry Plant was awarded a general safety certificate by North Yorkshire County Council on Tuesday.

It marks a major boost for fans as it means the club could hold full capacity games during the 2021/22 season if the Government’s roadmap out lockdown stays on schedule.

Mr Plant told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“The best day is match day and we haven’t had a single one with fans this year so we can’t wait to see the stands and terraces full once again.

“We have missed our supporters so much. It is the Bradford City game this weekend – can you imagine how much of a great atmosphere that would have been?

“The council have been extremely supportive of our plans – especially the safety advisory team – and we would like to give them a big thanks.”

Under the government’s roadmap, from May 17 larger outdoor sports venues will be allowed to operate at up to 25% capacity with a maximum of 10,000 spectators.

Restrictions will be eased further from June 21, but with all adults not expected to be offered at least their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine until the end of July, full venues at major sports events are understood to be unlikely until late summer at the earliest.

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With Harrogate Town’s season set to end just nine days before May 17, it means supporters will have to wait until August before they can return to the EnviroVent Stadium.

Restrictions mean players will be greeted by empty seats again when they walk out at Wembley to contest the 2019/20 FA Trophy final against Concord Rangers on May 3.

The club’s historic win over Notts County to secure promotion to league football was also played behind closed doors at the London stadium.

Elizabeth Fitzgerald, trading standards officer at the county council, said the club’s “massive success” in reaching League Two should be celebrated not just in Harrogate, but across North Yorkshire.

She said:

“They have done marvellously and we want to help them as much as we can with guidance and advice to get things back under way with people back through the doors once again.”

County councillor and Pannal Ash Junior Football Club president Cliff Trotter has described as “absolutely scandalous” plans to remove a football pitch from a housing development in Harrogate.

Government agency Homes England owns the former Police Training Centre on Yew Tree Lane.

It wants to scrap plans for a community football pitch and increase the number of homes on the site from 180 to 200.

The site currently has three football pitches and a disused cricket ground.

It was originally planned that one football pitch would be kept and used by local sports teams, and potentially adopted and managed by Harrogate Borough Council.

But according to planning documents, Sport England and the Football Foundation have said they consider it “unlikely” that the pitch would be actively used, instead advising Homes England to consider using the pitch for more housing.

‘Beggars belief’

Cllr Trotter formed Pannal Ash junior football club in 1978. It now has around 600 boys and girls involved with teams for ages 6 to16.

He told the Stray Ferret it “beggars belief” that the pitch will be removed, as the club is “desperately short” of quality surfaces to play on.

The club has a home at Almsford Playing Fields in Oatlands but the club’s large number of players means it also has to arrange matches elsewhere, such as on the Stray, which can get waterlogged during wet weather.

One club team has to travel as far as Green Hammerton, near York, to play home matches.

Cllr Trotter said:

“We’re desperate for more pitches with all the kids we have.”

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Instead of retaining a pitch, Homes England has agreed to pay £595,000 to improve facilities at Pannal Sports Community Park, which opened last year on Leeds Road.

‘Limited opportunities’

However, Mike Orton, a coach for Pannal Ash Junior FC, said that ground is for a different club called Pannal Sports Junior FC, and there are limited opportunities for other clubs to play there.

He told the Stray Ferret that Pannal Ash Junior FC would have made good use of the pitch at the former police training centre and questioned why it is set to be turned into housing. He said:

“Everybody needs a good facility. If Pannal Sports has a great facility then everybody will want to play for them. The opportunity should be spread around all clubs.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Pannal Sports JFC for a response but had not received one by the time of publication.

A Homes England spokesperson said:

“As part of our plans for the development of the former Police Training Centre in Harrogate, Homes England is agreeing to provide funding for sporting facilities, which will form part of a section 106 agreement.

“We will continue to engage with statutory consultees and the local authority on these plans to identify where this funding can be used to meet the local need.”

After nine months away, Harrogate Town fans are gearing up for a return to the Envirovent Stadium.

Football supporters have been absent from grounds since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with matches played behind closed doors.

For Town fans, it has meant missing out on the club’s promotion to the Football League for the first time.

Now, the club will welcome back a small amount of fans for the game against Forest Green Rovers tomorrow with social distancing measures in place.

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Jordan Ford, of the Harrogate Town Supporters Club, said he was “itching” to get back in the ground.

He said:

“It’s not the same watching it on TV and it will give us a chance to tell the players well done for last season.

“From a supporters club and all of our members point of view, I think the club have done a sterling job in getting everything sorted. Everything has been clear in terms of updates.”

The government gave the go ahead for fans to return to football grounds as the country returns to a tier system last week.

Saturday’s game will be a test event with around 450 season ticket deposit holders expected to attend.

However, no tickets will be available on general sale.

Only those in tier one or tier two areas will be able to attend the game, ruling out much of the areas surrounding North Yorkshire that are in tier three.

The club has introduced one way systems, hand sanitising areas and signage for spectators.

Sport and leisure clubs in the Harrogate district have reacted with delight to this afternoon’s government announcement that they can reopen next week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed lockdown will end on December 2 and the country will return to a tier system.

Gyms, sports clubs and non-essential shops will all be able to re-open.

Chris McVey, chair of Pannal Ash Junior Football Club, which has 400 boys and girls, said it hoped to resume training on the weekend of December 5 and 6.

“It’s good news but to be honest I’m still bemused by it all. I don’t know why the boys and girls couldn’t train. I don’t know what their fitness levels will be like after a month off but it will be great to be back.”

Harrogate Gymnastics Club tweeted it was ‘brilliant news’.

Phillip McKay, owner of independent Ripon gym Intrim, agreed. He told the Stray Ferret:

“When you see people queueing for McDonald’s and gyms closed, it doesn’t make sense. Gyms have so many health benefits.”

Mike Barnett, coach of Harrogate Ladies rugby club, said:

“The announcements are really positive for the players physically and also mentally as they are doing something they love with their friends again. We are still not at a place to do matches but they will be pleased to get back together.

“We just need to wait for the official line from the RFU and what tier Harrogate is placed in.”

There was good news for Harrogate Town fans too, with the government also raising the prospect of some fans possibly being allowed to return to outdoor events. Harrogate Town celebrated the news on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/HarrogateTown/status/1330915072407957504

Government guidance today said adult sport would be permitted outdoors in tier one areas but must follow the rule of six indoors.

Outdoor sports can also take place in tier two areas but only one household can take part in indoor activities.

Tier three also permits outdoor sports but limits household mixing and encourages people to avoid contact sport.

The chairman of Harrogate Town has warned the club faces financial difficulties as fans continue to be banned from grounds.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said current Covid restrictions could last for six months.

For football clubs like Harrogate Town, this means having to face up to the prospect of empty stadiums for the foreseeable future.

This presents a big financial challenge for Town chairman Irving Weaver.

Mr Weaver said the uncertainty meant Town and other clubs faced a “cliff edge scenario”.

He said:

“When crowds mean 30% of revenue that’s a black hole. The furlough scheme was a big help but in the next six months we are looking at a problem that all clubs need help with.

“The subsidy grant we received was really helpful and the income from our games on TV wasn’t budgeted for so these two things have got us on our way. Our streaming figures are growing too, which we also didn’t budget for. All of this has helped make up for a loss of crowds.”

The club has has raised its concerns about the impact of playing without fans for a further six months.

The club’s recent promotion to the English Football League was its second in three seasons. But fans have only been able to celebrate the club’s recent successes at home or socially distanced in pubs, and missed out on a trip to Wembley.

With no idea when fans will next be able to attend, Mr Weaver is concerned some may not return.

He added:

“We need to grow our fans, especially if we want to attract players who want a big crowd.

“We are probably worrying more than most, but missing all this excitement is a big loss for fans. I think the solid fans will stay but we also want new people, which becomes difficult when they can’t experience the roar of a crowd at a match.”

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Mr Weaver assured fans that these tough times will be overcome. He said:

“I want to say that ‘we are still kicking and we really want you to come back!’

“We will keep going and keep the atmosphere. We want to maintain our desire to succeed”

Boroughbridge junior football club is calling for more girls and disabled players to join its teams training resumes  next month.

The club has several successful teams but hopes to increase numbers in the girls and ability for all teams. The girls team need more members aged 7-13 years.

The ability for all team includes children with various disabilities. The club aims to support each child’s needs and give them the opportunity to play a sport that they may see as unattainable.

Each team plays in local junior leagues but children are welcome to train for fun if they don’t feel confident to play in a league straight away.

The club’s ability for all team are encouraged to enjoy the game regardless of disability.

Christopher Fahey, chairman and coach at the club, said:

“We’re currently looking to build our girls and disabled teams. For the girls teams we need girls aged 7-13 years to join and train with us. In time they could join our competing teams in the Harrogate League. If they don’t think they are ready for the league they can just come along and then train for fun.

“Our all abilities team usually trains together. The children have various disabilities and are all aged between 6-15 years. We tell everyone to just come down to train and we will support them.

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The club is hosting a free girls-only session to attract new players on August 1.

The club can be contacted via its facebook page or website.