Railway members set for crunch vote on club's future

The Locomotives have called an extraordinary general meeting on February 5 to discuss funding issues and a plan to ensure their survival in the future.

And chairman Rob Northfield has revealed that members will have the opportunity to decide whether they want to move forward with an idea that he is set to present to them, one which he describes as “potentially very exciting.”

He added: “It’s too sensitve to go public with before the meeting, but if the members decide that they want to move forward with what I am proposing, then Harrogate Railway can become one of the best community football clubs in the country.

“The future could be extremely bright.”

Northfield has been working hard on a plan to help progress matters off the pitch for a number of months as he tries to ensure that Starbeck outfit remain on a sound financial footing.

The club announced at the weekend that one of their main sponsors, Prestige Projects, had recently pulled the plug on the £425 per week of funding that they committed to at the start of the season.

And while Northfield insists that there is “no cash crisis” looming, he has also suggested that he will walk away from Station View if members are not in favour of his plans to help Railwayprogress.

“I think that most people involved in the club are probably in favour of what I’m trying to achieve , but if the members vote against what I put on the table then I’m not sure that there is much more I can do here,” he said.

“I’m only here as chairman of Harrogate Railway because I want to help out, but if there isn’t the support for my plans to try and develop us as a genuine community football club, then I don’t think there are many more options for me.

“It’s not meant to sound like a threat, but there is the potential that I might not remainas chairman if I feel that I have nothing left to offer.”