Harrogate Town celebrates promotion with open-top bus parade

These 12 pictures show amazing scenes as Harrogate Town tour streets in open-top bus

Hundreds of fans lined the streets, cheering and singing as the bus - provided by the Harrogate Bus Company - took it’s lap of honour.

Leaving the CNG Stadium at just after 12 midday, the bus took in The Empress Roundabout, West Park, The Cenotaph, Cairn Hotel and the Fire Station before arriving back at the football stadium about an hour later.

Fans wearing the club’s yellow strip were mainly congregated at the Cenotaph where they cheered as club captain Josh Falkingham showed off the winning trophy.

Town secured their place in next season’s League Two after a 3-1 win over Notts County last week at Wembley in the National League Promotion Final.

A parade was the idea of bus boss Alex Hornby of The Harrogate Bus Company and leading hotelier Simon Cotton who both wanted to make sure the team got the chance to celebrate promotion with their fans.

Last week’s final had been played out in front of an empty Wembley due to the social distancing regulations banning supporters from attending sports events.

Mr Cotton, Managing Director of HRH Group and who runs The Yorkshire and White Hart hotels said today: “It has been a great way of saying well done to the players for what was an historic achievement.

“It was a real shame that fans could not be at Wembley last week for the final to cheer their heroes on, but this has at least allowed the town to share in the celebrations in some small way.

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“Thanks to Alex at Harrogate Bus Company, NYCC, HBC, the police and everyone who has enabled this to happen. We can’t wait for next season now!!!’