A third league clash within the space of seven days awaits this weekend as recently-relegated Harrogate Town make the trip down to Hertfordshire.
Having secured promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history in 2020, the Sulphurites established themselves in Sky Bet League Two with regular lower mid-table finishes. However, their seven-year stay in the EFL came to an end last season as they finished 23rd with a final-day defeat to Barnet confirming their return to the Enterprise National League.
A veteran striker who has played a pivotal role in the most successful period in Harrogate’s history, Jack Muldoon’s experience will be key in helping them bounce back at the first time of asking.
Spells in non-league with the likes of North Ferriby United and Worksop Town caught plenty of admirers, making the move into professional football with Rochdale in the summer of 2014.
After one season at the Crown Oil Arena, moves to Lincoln City and AFC Fylde followed but joining Harrogate in 2018 was where he really found a home.
Now their longest-serving player, the 37-year-old started in their Isuzu FA Trophy triumph at Wembley Stadium having netted 13 goals in the previous campaign to fire the Sulphurites to promotion.
Equally integral to their consolidation in the Football League, Muldoon has made the second-most appearances of any player in Harrogate’s history with 354 to his name.
An ever-present at The Exercise Stadium since initially joining as a player back in 2009, Simon Weaver orchestrated Harrogate’s remarkable rise after taking on the player-manager role that year.
He propelled the Sulphurites into unchartered territory with promotion from the National League North via the play-offs in 2016 before going up once again into the top tier of non-league two seasons later.
A season of consolidation was firmly on Weaver’s agenda, but their progress continued as they secured a sixth-placed finish before being defeated by AFC Fylde in the play-off semi-final.
However, their Football League dream came to fruition a season later as they edged past Notts County in the play-off final. Although they suffered relegation last term, Weaver is the man entrusted with guiding Harrogate back to the Football League.
We haven’t locked horns with the Sulphurites since the 2019/20 campaign with the first meeting coming in North Yorkshire in a 0-0 draw.
The subsequent meeting was a thrilling affair at Meadow Park where despite Alex Bradley cancelling out Tyrone Marsh’s opener, Kabongo Tshimanga netted the decisive strike in added time to secure a 2-1 victory.
We were to lock horns on one further occasion that season in the play-off semi-final but Harrogate prevailed with a narrow 1-0 victory, with Muldoon’s strike proving the difference as they went on to secure promotion to League Two.
The game kicks off at 15:00 and will operate under full segregation.
Adult – £20.00
OAP – £18.00
Under 20 – £14.00
Under 16 – £10.00
Under 14* – £6.00
Under 5* – £2.00
Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
*Must be accompanied by a paying adult or OAP.
Access to the Stadium is available via turnstiles 1 to 6 at the North-East of the Stadium for home supporters and via turnstiles 9 and 10 at the South of the Stadium for visiting Harrogate Town supporters. Turnstiles 7 and 8 will not be in operation.
Turnstiles 3 to 6 at the North-East corner will open at 12:00 for home fans who will have access to The Glass House only. We will be showing Spurs v Aston Villa (12:30 kick-off) in The Glass House ahead of the match. Turnstiles 1 and 2, as well as 9 and 10, will open one-and-a-half hours prior to kick-off at 13:30 when the Stadium opens.
The Glass House will open for home fans at 12:00 and can be accessed via turnstiles 3 to 6. Spectator accommodation will open at 13:30. Stadium catering will be available in the north-east corner, adjacent to The Glass House. The north-east and north-west toilets will also be open.
Written by Jack Patmore.
