Admission: Children: £3 Adults:£6
Score: Harrogate Railway Athletic 1-0 Ossett Albion
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 146
Capacity: 1, 338
Seated: 288
Covered: 388
Town/City: Forest Lane Head Harrogate
Opposition: Ossett Albion
Date: 2.4.10
Club Shop: yes
Floodlights: yes
Step: 8
Harrogate is a large town in Southern North Yorkshire.
The highlight of course is the Turkish Baths. These are significant as through decades Harrogate had been a spa town.
These days though the waters of the town have been less than popular and the town focuses on holding conferences and meetings.
Alongside the Turkish baths on the same subject are the Royal Baths the Royal Pump room and Mercer art gallery which used to be the town's earliest surviving spa building.
Something else of interest in the town is the Stray which has a good football history as well.
The large grass space now holds Pannal Sports' A team matches.
The area is mainly used by hikers and dog walkers to walk across.
Nearby is also the Valley Gardens containing dozens of different plants. About 2 miles out of the town is the Botanical gardens which some say are even better.
Harrogate Railway Athletic were founded just after the second world war by some workers at what is now Starbeck station. The club have made sure they've kept with the roots as the ground is right next to the railway line and up the road from the station.
However they didn't come onto the football map until 1955 when they joined Yorkshire League division 2. They made an instant impact and after three seasons they were promoted to Division 1. This was short lived though as they were relegated back on go 1.
Despite getting promotion in the 1963/1964 season Railway missed out on runners up spot on goal difference. However once more they were relegated back to Yorkshire division 2 after 1 season. In the 1969/1970 season they were relegated to the newly formed Yorkshire division 3.
This was followed 3 years later by them leaving the Yorkshire league.
After a 7 year absence they rejoined the Yorkshire league at division 3 once more.
In 1982 they were among the teams that founded the North Eastern Counties League. They started at the bottom in division 2 north. Bizzarely in the 1st season they finished bottom with 7 points, then the next season they were champions and gained promotion to the North Eastern counties league division 1 north.
A repeat of the 1963/1964 season happened in the 1986/1987 season as Railway missed out on runners up spot on goal difference but were still promoted to the premier division.
6 years later they were relegated back to division 1. This was followed by 4 frustrating seasons in this league before finally, in their 5th consecutive season there they were champions and got promotion back to the premier division. In the 2002/2003 season Harrogate Railway reached the 2nd round of the FA cup where they were knocked out by Bristol City.
In 2005/2006 the side finally managed to break through and clinched promotion to Unibond division one north.
Since then they have played in the Unibond division 1 north since then and just avoided relegation last season.
Today Harrogate Railway were playing in a fierce relegation match. Before the match there was 8 points between them and Ossett Albion and another 3 points for The Rail would surely secure their step 8 status. The players walked out onto the field in front of a poor crowd of 146. I've seen higher attendances at my home club Northallerton Town.
Harrogate Railway went one goal up after 10 minutes and it looked like the ball had come off the outside post at first. Then I realised that the net was pinned onto the backboard so the ball bounced right out again. So much for learning from the referee's mistakes at the Bristol City-Palace game.
The match was then based around the middle of the pitch. I noticed both sides were very badly disciplined as foul after foul came in, yet no one was sent off. The didn't seem to be many die hard Railway fans at the match as there wasn't much cheering. But I did notice that there were a few Ossett fans with Ossett scarfs. A huge wave of relief went round the ground as the final whistle went to insure Harrogate picked up 3 points. They are now surely safe and have put Ossett Albion and Rossendale United down.
Meanwhile at the top of the table Lancaster City and FC Halifax Town have both secured play off places. They will now be contesting for the promotion and title spot. Currently Lancaster City are in 1st spot with FC Halifax Town breathing down their necks in 2nd, the top play-off spot.
Colwyn Bay in 3rd have surely given up hope of a promotion spot, they are on 67 points, 13 behind Halifax. Curzon Ashton are 4 points behind them in 4th as are Skelmersdale United who are behind them on goal difference. Leigh Genesis are the only team outside the play off places with any hope of still securing one.
Station View is located in Forest Lane Head. This is an area in the East of Harrogate.
If you travel South West on the A 59 after you enter Harrogate you'll see the road Station view on your right just after Starbeck station. Go up here and you'll reach the ground at the end. There is a club flag and a Unibond League flag flying above the entrance. The turnstile is on the corner and is painted in the club colours, green and red.
The turnstile is a block with a window with a slot underneath to pass money under. On display is the day's match programme. You pay your admission and go through the football league style turnstile. You'll come out at the South east corner of the ground.
Ahead of you is hard standing that holds about 130 fans. On the far touchline on the left is hard terracing that's 3 steps high, it holds what I guess to be about 200 spectators. In the centre of the touchline is what I make to be the smallest main stands I've ever seen. The stand is modern with just 38 green plastic seats contained inside. The writing above labels it as The Shaun Glennon Stand and the club name Harrogate Railway Athletic AFC. On the right hand side of the stand is normal hard standing. Aside from the extra terracing and seated stand this side of the ground holds 195 fans. The north side of the ground on the left has capacity for 265 standing fans, 200 of which are covered. On the right is seating. In the centre is 40 red plastic seats for away fans. it is very unusual these days for teams at this level to have a section for away fans. On the right of this is more red plastic seating for 210 fans. On the near touchline is hard standing for 195 fans. On this side there is the clubhouse, the changing rooms and a tiny club shop with surprisingly a lot of merchandise and souveniers. There are toilets in one corner of the ground. There are 6 floodlight pylons with 3 on each side.
This isn't the most exciting ground but can be of interest for its tiny main stand.
