Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver will be 'proud' to return home to take on Doncaster Rovers

Born locally, then raised and educated in Sprotbrough, the 44-year-old also made his senior debut as a professional footballer for Doncaster Rovers at Belle Vue.

Thus, the Sulphurites boss says he will be a "proud” man when he returns home to lead his team into a Yorkshire derby clash with Rovers this Saturday (3pm).

“I was born just a few miles down the road from Rovers’ ground in Doncaster Royal Infirmary,”

“I went to my local junior school, Orchard Primary in Sprotbrough. I then played for Doncaster Boys and left school at 16 to sign for Sheffield Wednesday.

"I was raised a Wednesday fan but I can remember going to games at Belle Vue in the 1980s and some great experiences watching football there.

"I also made my senior debut at Belle Vue as a 19-year-old having come to Doncaster on loan from Wednesday.

"So I’ve a lot of good memories of the place and it’s where I’m from, so coming back here with Harrogate Town to play Rovers will be quite a proud moment for me, really.”

Centre-half Weaver was sent to Donny on a month-long loan deal in February 1997, with Rovers struggling at the wrong end of Division Three.

He made two appearances, in a 1-1 draw at home to Barnet, then during a 2-0 away loss at Northampton.

"I really enjoyed that month out on loan,” Weaver added.

"It was great. It was my first taste of senior football and although I only played a couple of games, I really learned a lot.

"I played alongside Darren Moore and Tim Ryan on my debut against Barnet and did okay in a match that we drew. Then I played away at Northampton the following week in a game that was pretty tough.

"The division was an all-out war-zone back then. I like to think that League Two football has changed quite a bit since then.”

Kerry Dixon was the man in charge of Rovers at the time, but it was controversial ex-chairman Ken Richardson who was first to explain to Weaver what was required of him as a Doncaster player.

"Kerry Dixon brought me in from Wednesday, where I’d been playing in the reserves and it was all pass, pass, pass,” the Harrogate chief continued.

"But I remember the chairman getting hold of me before I’d even made it into the changing room to speak to the manager and telling me very clearly that what I needed to do when I had the ball at the back was get it up into the final third as quickly as possible.

"It was quite illuminating. But, like I have said, even though Rovers were going through a bit of a troubled time and in some financial difficulty, I really did have a great time while I was there.”

This Saturday’s clash between Town and Rovers may see the sides go head-to-head in a competitive fixture for the first time, but Weaver and his Harrogate side have run out at the Eco-Power Stadium before.

The Sulphurites played two League Two and one EFL Trophy fixture at Doncaster’s ground at the start of the 2020/21 season following their promotion from the National League.

Their Wetherby Road pitch was being re-laid at the time, meaning that the club had to stage its first ‘home’ match as a Football League outfit elsewhere.