23. Nethermoor Park-Guiseley

Guiseley 1-0 Harrogate Town
Conference North
1.1.11

Admission: Adults: £9.00 Children: £5.00
Programme: £1.50 (36 pp)
Attendance: 624
Capacity: 2,300
Seated: 340
Covered: 850
Town: Guiseley, West Yorkshire
Shop: Yes
Step: 6

Well another year has come and gone with 2011 bringing yet more cold weather to the New Year's day fixture schedule. On the Thursday I checked the Guiseley website to find pipes had burst with the water seeping onto the pitch and freezing deeming the pitch unplayable. However by the next evening, the problem had been fixed and the pitch had been cleared up. The game was on.
The next morning, as there were no buses running, I had to be dropped off at Northallerton station from where I got a train to Leeds and a connection to Guiseley. It was then a 10 minute walk through the derelict streets of Guiseley to Nethermoor Park. I know it was New Year's Day, but the streets were completely empty with the football ground being the only area of any activity. There are a couple of turnstiles in the North West corner and the North East corner. The programme can also be purchased here.
Guiseley have had plenty of success in recent years. In 2004 the club won the Northern Premier League Division 1 giving them promotion to the Premier Division. In 2008/2009, they reached the play offs, but were knocked out by Nantwich Town. However last season they won the league by 1 point and were promoted to the Conference North.
This season they look to challenge for promotion as a win would see them go top.

Once inside the ground from the North West going clockwise, there is flat standing behind the North Goal. At the end there are more turnstiles and a tea bar. Once you've turned the corner you will also see the hospitality suite on the left. You will then see the seated stand. This is a modern steel design (not an srena stand, but similar) and contains 340 blue seats with GAFC picked out in white. The flat standing continues to the corner. Behind this goal is 1 step of terracing that looks like it used to be a pavement. It continues all the way down. On the East side is a small covered terrace with about 5 steps of terracing and could probably hold between 100 & 150. The dugouts are on this side, as is the club shop. At the far end of this side is the clubhouse which is shared with the cricket club. In front of this is a 7/8 step terrace that cazn hold around 350.

Neither side really deserved to win the game. Guiseley scored the only goal through O'Neil with 20 minuites to go, therefore taking them top of the table.
Harrogate's away support of 4 was louder than the 620 Guiseley supporters put together. Theonly noise they made was a 5 second roar when they scored.

After the match I made my way back to Guiseley station where I got a train back to Leeds from where I went back to Northallerton along with several dozen Middlesbrough supporters who had been at Leeds that day.

The programme is done on glossy paper with a couple of player pictures adorning the cover with match details in the bottom left corner. There are 14 pages of ads ikn the 36 page production.
There is a view from the board, manager's viewpoint, Conference North news, tables, results and scorers, news on the reserves and ladies teams, Harrogate Town history, club results (including attendances), a team sheet, supporters' club page, a plan of the ground, Harrogate Town player profiles, Guiseley news and sponsorship.
A fairly good effort with plenty on both teams. 8/10

If you're going to visit Nethermoor Park, dop it now. With the club rising through the leagues, the ground will be modernised with the terraces probably first to go.

Guiseley matchday pictures