Sunday 22nd October 2023
Third Qualifying Round
Harrogate Town vs Wigan Athletic
The next ‘Another Place’ turned out to be Harrogate – arguably the poshest place in Yorkshire (alongside Emmerdale, obviously). In 1858, Charles Dickens described the spa town as ‘the queerest place with the strangest people in it, leading the oddest lives of dancing, newspaper reading and dining’. In 2023, I would describe it as containing ‘plenty of mature people, in flashy walking gear, masses of greenery and tea shop queues reminiscent of the chippy on a Friday night’. Big Charlie and I are clearly cut from the same cloth. This is the first time in the competition that I’ve had to wait for the draw to be made (what with the second qualifying round being drawn at the same time as the first one) and I’ve never been here before, so I’m thankful for this opportunity presented by the Third Qualifying Round draw that sees Wigan Athletic and I travelling here for new experiences.
Discovering new and interesting places through watching games is a massive attraction of football for me. Aside from the unique stadiums you see and the different crowds you can melt away in, you get to explore a new place, soaking up local culture and perhaps even learning something new. Some of these places are well-tread areas of the country, others wouldn’t be visited at all if it wasn’t for their football team – and the great thing about the FA Cup is that each round throws up a lottery of where you might go next. You can plan months in advance for league fixtures, but you’ve got a matter of weeks (if even that) to plan for a cup game. With the draw being unseeded and nobody guaranteed a home tie (which isn’t all that common in cup competitions elsewhere in the football world), your team could end up anywhere, adding an extra layer of excitement and anticipation. The downside to this for a supporter is that you’re often rushing to arrange travel, with costs so often the sticking point. The costs aren’t too bad for me with Harrogate, but even with a 2pm kick-off, I can only catch two services to get there in time. And let’s just say train travel isn’t exactly reliable, and it’s a Sunday…it’s a lottery alright!
Thankfully I arrive with no issues whatsoever (well, aside
from getting a rail replacement to
Manchester to make my connection, anyway!) Despite
it being a Sunday morning, Harrogate is bustling with people of all ages (but
mostly the mature walkers in fancy gear). There are several tea shops with
queues snaking out of the door and down the street. Yes, tea shops – not
your Starbucks, Costa Coffees or any other chain shop you might see in every
town across the country, but ye olde tea shops that have doubtless been
there since the 19th century, unchanging except to abide by
contemporary health and safety regulations. The main one I pass belongs to Bettys and
Taylors – the company that owns several brands, including the much-celebrated
Yorkshire Tea. When you come from (and visit) towns that look identikit – what
with their glass shopping centres and betting and vape shops outnumbering the
people that hang around them – seeing a unique place such as Harrogate, with
its busy Sunday crowds, ornate stone buildings and wide-open spaces, takes you
back a bit.
Despite the demand for spa towns diminishing throughout the mid-late 20th century, Harrogate has remained a cultural jewel in the North Yorkshire crown. As touched upon, greenery and gardens are massive here – both in a literal and figurative sense, persevering the town’s character. The Valley Gardens is considered the town’s ‘main park’, Harlow Carr gardens are managed by the Horticulture Society, while The Stray is protected by an Act of Parliament (the Stray Act 1985) that states if any part of the gardens are changed because of development purposes (such as widening roads), then whatever is removed must be replaced by an equivalent area of land elsewhere in the town.
The arts are
well-represented here too, with the Harrogate International
Festivals attracting tourists with its wide-ranging roster of events. The
most notable artistic event here came in 1982 – following Buck Fizz’s
skirt-tearing win for the UK the previous year, the brand-new Harrogate
International Centre was chosen as host of the Eurovision Song Contest. 17-year-old
Nicole Hohloch (known as ‘Nicole’) won for Germany with the ballad ‘Einbißchen Frieden’ (‘A Bit of Peace’) – an apt winner of a contest held in a town
that is celebrated for its calm and serene demeanour!
With the weather
being somewhat chilly today, I give all these cultural delights and tea shop
queues a swerve, instead electing to go for a drink and a sit down in the
nearby Wetherspoons. In keeping with the rest of the town that I’ve seen so
far, even this edition of the cheap-and-cheerful pub brand is grand. The pub
takes up a large portion of what was the town’s former Royal Baths – after
entering through the doors, you have to descend a quite extravagant twin stone
staircase to get to the bar. Imagine going up one of these after a few pints!
Not long after I got a drink in, its status as a ‘fancy place’ is confirmed in
my mind as I witness a young woman pose multiple times on the balcony with a
glass of prosecco and a cheeky grin as her friend took photos for her Instagram
or Myspace or whatever. I’m only mentioning this anecdote because, rather amusingly,
just before this incident, much of the Wigan team – decked out in their club
tracksuits – pass me, ascending the staircase. Hopefully, they’ve been on the
spa water and not the booze! More minerals, less Magners, that’s my fitness
tip.
Harrogate Town Women play on the main 3G pitch at Rossett Sports Centre (curiously, sharing the same name as Marine’s ground in the last round!) – the community facility is a part of Rossett School which is located just over a mile from the town centre. England Lionesses star, Rachel Daly, used to go to school here and appropriately enough, the main pitch was named in her honour just a couple of weeks ago – so today’s match is being played on the ‘Rachel Daly 3G Pitch’! Aside from the main pitch, there’s an indoor centre, as well as several smaller 3G pitches that are hosting some lads training, as well as some other scratch games. I time my arrival to perfection – I’m just walking through the car park in front of ‘The Rachel Daly’ as the players go off and line up for their ‘FA Cup entrance’.
Formed in 2006, Harrogate Town Women play in the Premier Division of the North East Regional League, the fifth tier of women’s football in England. Affiliated to the men’s side, the women’s section have their own dedicated player development centre, providing opportunities for young girls to play and train alongside first-team players and coaches at the same time. A smart idea that will doubtless help to inspire and improve players, creating an attachment to the club in the process. ‘Growing together’ seems to run through this football club, as it’s only been within the last decade that the men’s side has turned professional. Playing in the National League North, Harrogate Town decided to go full-time from the start of the 2017-18 season – immediately paying off as they won promotion to the top division of non-league football that same season. By 2020, they were playing in the Football League for the first time in their 101-year history and have since established themselves in the fourth tier. With the growth and progression of the men’s side and the catchment area around this part of North Yorkshire, I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that we could see Harrogate Town Women also grow into a strong club in the years to come.
As I take my place at the side of the 3G pitch, I must admit that it doesn’t feel like an 'occasion' that a cup match should be. With the women’s side being officially affiliated to the men’s club, I half-expected this match to take place at Wetherby Road, the men’s ground on the other side of Harrogate. I think it would have been the perfect opportunity to showcase the women’s side, getting more home supporters down to cheer them on in the effort to reach the first round. Imagine how inspiring that would be to the players? Instead, we’re all squeezed behind a barrier on one side of the pitch, looking out on the artificial pitch that’s surrounded by fences. The Wigan supporters (parents) are here in full force, so I take my position with them around the halfway line and clap enthusiastically as the teams enter the enclosure. Despite what I just said about this not feeling like ‘an occasion’, the Harrogate players have a mascot apiece to walk out with, so perhaps I was a bit hasty!
The match officials led out the teams and they’re one number lite – only one assistant walked out with the ref. Instead, someone who I presume is a home club official takes up the other flag and positions himself at the side where we’re stood. As the game kicks off he’s asked by someone in the crowd about the missing assistant ref, ‘gone to the toilet, I think’ he answers. Lo and behold, the actual linesman turns up a few minutes in, apologising to and thanking his temporary replacement, looking sheepish while flashing a grin at everyone. You won’t get this in the WSL! As it happened, the temporary linesman officiated over a good spell for the home side – they look good at moving the ball around and play two through-balls beyond the Wigan defence but are just overhit.
After responding to the early pressure with the first clear-cut chance of the match that’s hit just wide, Wigan take the lead on 12 minutes. A through-ball splits the defence, an attacker rounds the onrushing goalkeeper but still with a lot to do, the visiting forward has to brush off the pressure from a couple of defenders before smashing the ball in from a wide angle. It’s been a great opening, very good football with passes crisscrossing between players, everything played on the ground – and now both keepers are called into action, both making good saves. First, Harrogate have their first shot on goal that looks every inch a goal, but the Wigan goalkeeper positions herself well to punch the ball over the bar. Then Wigan find themselves in the clear once again, but the shot from just inside the area is tipped over by the home goalie.
In what is a recurring theme in these early rounds, the parents have been trying to referee the game – and on one occasion, they’re probably in the right! It seems that Wigan win a corner, the parents obviously shout for it – and so does our late linesman friend. The (actual) referee gives a goal-kick, however, which riles up the parents who shout at him – nothing too bad, no bad language, thankfully, just a ‘come on ref’ or ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’! Immediately, one of the parents questions the linesman about the corner, ‘I know, I told him’, he says, indicating his flag. It turns out he’s got this James Bond flag that has a button on it which communicates with the ref (which I learned later is a ‘buzzer’). I can’t help but feel that it was quite concerning that he was just ignored. Does this happen at professional level?
It remains one-nil to Wigan as the ref blows for half-time, and while Harrogate have had most of the ball, the difference here is how quickly each side is passing the ball about. Wigan are quicker all over the pitch, with their attackers constantly looking to find space on the break, the home side doesn’t look half as swift upfront. I also don’t think the pitch is helping – I very rarely watch matches on 3G pitches but I’ve noticed today that the ball is moving around slower than it would on grass. I’ve enjoyed the competitiveness though, so it’s all to play for at The Rachel Daly as the crowd heads down to the indoor sports centre to warm up.
I also go inside the sports centre at half-time to use the toilet (but mostly to have a nosey around) and as soon as I’m through the doors I’m met with a long queue, everyone waiting for the receptionist to make hot drinks from the machine behind her. It’s a far cry from the long queue I passed outside the posh tea shop earlier! I also fancy a brew, but I also need a wee, so I elect to spend my half-time doing that. When I make my way back to The Rachel Daly, people are standing in my spot, with the steam of their brews warming up their faces. Brewless in 8-degree weather, I now have to stand behind some training goals that have been rolled to the side of the pitch. The walk back allowed me to get a good look at how many people are here though and there’s probably more than I thought, perhaps pushing 80 or so. There’s no way of knowing for sure as there was no entrance of any kind, so we all just sauntered in.
Wigan make a good start to the second half, dictating the pace of the game instead of sitting in and letting their opponents have the ball. Early on, they should score – ‘Gracie’, the No11 is put through, she takes a heavy touch but manages to get a shot away – the ball going over the keeper and hitting the bar, before bouncing to safety for Harrogate. The home side put on a bit of pressure with a couple of set pieces, but it’s Wigan who are creating the clear-cut chances – a through-ball sees a forward through again, but the keeper makes a great save by rushing out and smothering the ball. The keeper – who I learn from the Harrogate Women’s Twitter is Claudia Sandford – makes three more saves within the next five minutes; rushing out to save in a similar manner to the last chance, before producing two saves from point-blank range. You could say that she’s keeping them in it here. Sorry.
Harrogate have switched to playing the long ball – they simply don’t have the legs to get beyond the Wigan defence. While pace played a part earlier on, now fitness is becoming an issue – the proliferation of chances for the visitors in the last few minutes indicating the struggle they’ve got at keeping up with the attacks. Wigan finally do get that elusive second goal not long later – for what seems like the fourth time, No14 finds herself through on goal and even though she’s sent wide by the last defender, she picks her spot and strokes the ball past Sandford and into the corner. The parents know how crucial this goal is and cheer wildly, the Wigan coach isn’t as enthused though as he tells his players ‘We need more’.
An issue with watching football at this level is not knowing players’ names – it can’t be helped, what with these clubs being volunteer-run and parent-supported, so creating teamsheets or posting about it on social media will be way down the list of priorities, but I still feel bad that I can’t give these girls credit. One player who has impressed me in this FA Cup run so far is Wigan’s No7, who I deduced later (thanks to parents shouting and the squad list on the FA website) is Casey Green. (although with the Scouse accents, they could have been saying ‘Gracie’, as I believe there are two Grace’s, so I can’t be sure). She’s a classic pacey, tricky winger; right-footed but playing on the left – and the majority of attacks have come through her. Here now, she cuts inside, beats a couple of players and smashes the ball into the corner for what has to be the best goal I’ve seen so far in this competition (and there’s been quite a lot!)
With the third goal the manager was looking for in the bag, Wigan go on to dominate further, scoring two more goals. First, Gracie finds herself through again and with enough time to control the ball, she lifts it over the keeper and in – clearly taking no chances after seeing a few of her shots smothered by Sandford today! The goalscoring is wrapped up by No11 who is put through on goal, and despite a defender getting something on the ball, it bounces fortuitously for the forward to smash home. There’s even time for a late booking – yes, a booking! I haven’t seen a yellow card branded in the competition before today, but after a frustrated Harrogate player gives the ref some backchat, she goes into the book.
It’s been a great performance from Wigan at The Rachel Daly, reaching the first round proper of the Women’s FA Cup for what I believe is the first time. It’s been well worth the trip, seeing these girls represent my home town with such class, so I can only imagine how proud their parents must feel. Hopefully, they’ll get a home draw in the next round and a decent crowd down to watch them, because the football they play is fantastic. Harrogate too were decent – it can be easy to look at a scoreline and say that it was easy, but it was very competitive for an hour. Tactically, there wasn’t a huge gap between the teams, Wigan just possessed the superior physical attributes that allowed them to run riot for the last half an hour. In all honesty, I’m excited for the future of English women’s football if this is the standard we’ve got in these ‘lower leagues’ – hopefully more girls around the country (and boys, for that matter) will be able to take advantage of facilities like the ones here in years to come.
I’m now off to warm up somewhere. Anyone know where I can find a cup of tea?
Harrogate Town 0
Wigan Athletic 5
