Harrogate Town promoted to the Football League
Harrogate Town have been promoted to the Football League for the first time in the club’s history after they beat Notts County 3-1 in the National League playoff final.
Goals from George Thomson, Connor Hall and Sunderland loanee Jack Diamond was enough to see out County, who were looking to bounce straight back up to League Two after being relegated last season.
But instead, it will be the Sulphurites joining Barrow – who were crowned National League champions – in England’s fourth division for the 2020/21 season.
Founded in 1914, Harrogate have been slowly climbing their way up the football pyramid and in the 2003/04 season, they became founding members of the Conference North, the sixth tier of English football.
The club announced near the end of the 2016/17 season that they would be going full-time the following year. As a result of this change to professionalism, many players departed and several new midfielders and defenders were signed before their pre-season friendly against Leeds United.
The season later – their first season as a professional club – Harrogate won the National League North playoffs after beating Brackley Town to earn them a place in the National League.
They finished sixth in their first season in the fifth tier, but were beaten by AFC Fylde 3-1 in the playoff eliminators. This season the club qualified for the playoffs again, but this time they made the semi-finals after finishing second. They faced Boreham Wood and beat them 1-0, before heading to Wembley and triumphing in today’s playoff final.
