DONE DEAL: Harrogate and Knaresborough clubs agree unusual transfer

Harrogate Town AFC have agreed to hand over the Wetherby Road stand to neighbours Knaresborough Town, as the Harrogate club begins work on a replacement stand at its CNG stadium home.

The stand was pieced together from a patchwork of materials from old bike sheds at Beckwithshaw Knoll, redundant sheets and scaffolding from the power stations and left overs from the development at Harrogate NHS Hospital.

Now, it will take pride of place at Manse Lane, home of Toolstation Northern Counties East League Division One side Knaresborough.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Town said of the departing stand: ““The lads who designed and built it in their own time and at no cost to the club were George Dunnington, current president at the club, Alf Dunnington our very own “Mr Fixit”, Geoff Butler a life long servant at Town , the late Philip Atha an engineer from the power stations and Laurie Bentley.

“It seemed a real shame to condemn that hard work, dedication and history to land fill so we set about trying to recycle and re-use the stand.

“We approached Knaresborough Town who in a breath said yes.”

“We look forward to seeing it put in place in due course, a testament to it’s original founders and growing local football bonds.”

Harrogate Town’s new stand is expected to be completed by July 10, well in advance of the new Vanarama National League North season.

Managing Director at Harrogate Town AFC Garry Plant told the ‘Advertiser: “We have the stand and we are determined to deliver, it’s going to be a very busy close season and we are all gearing up for the new campaign.”