Harrogate Town harbour ambitions of challenging at top end of National League in 2026/27, says Simon Weaver
Simon Weaver is confident that Harrogate Town are well-equipped to challenge for an immediate return to the Football League this term.
Relegated from League Two on the final day of last season, the Sulphurites begin their quest to bounce straight back when they kick-off their 2026/27 National League campaign at home to Solihull Moors this Saturday afternoon.
And although they have lost three key players in the shape of Jack Evans, Reece Smith and Chanse Headman, the Wetherby Road outfit have strengthened their squad considerably over the summer.
With the number of new recruits now into double figures, Weaver has undoubtedly created competition for places, and believes that his side will head into the new term capable of realising their ambitions.
"We want to be competing in that top seven. The aim is to be pushing at the right end of the division," the Town boss told the Harrogate Advertiser.
"Since the moment we got relegated from League Two, my thinking has been about how we get back to that level.
"I know that a lot of people talk about hangovers from relegation seasons, but everything here is geared towards giving us the best chance of being up there near the top end of the National League this year.
"It’s a tough league, and yes, we have lost three very good players this summer who I would like to have kept hold of, but I am confident in the squad we are putting together.
"If you look at the way we finished last season, our form was mid-table League Two form. I think that we have added quality to that group and have greater competition for places, so if we can score more goals this time around, then I think we can do well.”
Town’s preparations for 2026/27 have gone particularly well, with their six pre-season fixtures yielding five wins and one draw.
And they will be desperate to carry that momentum into this weekend’s match and get off to a positive start to the new campaign as they attempt to mount a bid to secure an immediate return to the Football League.
Although they have not met this weekend’s opponents since playing out a 2-2 draw with them on the opening day of the 2019/20 season, Town have plenty of history with Solihull.
The sides have faced-off 21 times in competitive fixtures, Moors having won 10 of those games. Harrogate have enjoyed seven victories, while four of those previous encounters ended all square.
The Sulphurites are unbeaten in the last three clashes between the clubs at Wetherby Road, having triumphed 3-1 in 2018/19 and 6-0 in 2015/16 following on from that 2-2 draw in 2019.
One of the stronger outfits in the National League in recent years, Solihull have only managed mid-table finishes in the past couple of seasons having placed fifth in 2023/24 and reached the play-offs.
Last term, they finished 14th out of 24 in the fifth tier, winning 14, drawing 14 and losing 18 of their 46 league matches.
They got off to a poor start, coming out on top of just one of their opening nine National League fixtures and struggled for consistency all year.
Much like Harrogate, who have recruited 11 new faces over the summer, Moors will have a new look about them this season after manager Chris Millington carried out something of a squad overhaul.
The most recent of their 10 additions was former Manchester United defender Tyrell Warren, who joined the club from Grimsby having played 25 times in League Two in 2025/26.