Harrogate Town A.F.C.
After the First World War, Robert Ackrill Breare instigated a meeting to discuss putting the club back together.Around the holiday periods, they took part in friendlies against higher league opposition including Liverpool at their Anfield ground, and another at fellow Yorkshire side Sheffield United in front of 15,000 fans.The West Riding County Challenge Cup was won by Harrogate in 1925, with their 3–1 victory against Fryston Colliery at Elland Road.After the Second World War, the club was renamed Harrogate Town and played in the West Yorkshire Association Football League.During their first season in that division they finished sixth, and for the first time in the club's history they reached the first round of the FA Cup, losing 5–1 to Farnborough Town of the Football Conference.[2] At the end of the season the club finished fifth and qualified for the promotion play-offs, but lost 1–0 to eventual winners Stafford Rangers.As a result, Weaver and other club officials decided that the players at the end of the season should be given full-time contracts to improve chances of promotion.[6] As the 2019–20 National League season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, table positions were determined on average points-per-game, of which Harrogate Town had 1.78, placing them second and meaning they again qualified for the play-offs, this time in the semi-finals.[7] On 2 August 2020, at Wembley Stadium, the club faced Notts County in the play-off final and won 3–1, earning promotion to the English Football League for the first time in their history.[8] On their way to the FA Trophy final, Harrogate defeated Hartlepool United, Darlington, Eastleigh, AFC Fylde and Notts County.As a result of the almost 12-month delay in staging the final, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Harrogate Town became the first EFL side in history to participate in the competition.[13] On 5 April 2021, their home match with Port Vale was the first English Football League game where a woman officiated as the referee.This was not completed by the time that the 2020–21 season commenced and the club arranged a temporary groundshare at Doncaster Rovers' Keepmoat Stadium.