Bees Ful of confidence
EFL promotion is the icing on the cake for Weaver heroes
PUT the kettle on in Bettys Tea Rooms, let’s have a brew and toast the Football League’s new boys with a fat rascal.
Simon Weaver led Harrogate into the EFL for the first time in their 106-year history and in the spa town’s famous cafe they will have to put more buns in the oven to cope with the appetite for celebration. Inspired before the play-offs by a pep talk from England coach Gareth Southgate, who lives in north Yorkshire’s leafy fringes, Harrogate were worthy winners of the Vanarama promotion shootout at Wembley. Manager Weaver’s father, Irving, is the Sulphurites’ chairman. Now would be a good time to ask his dad for a pay rise – or more pocket money, as it’s also known. And after 11 years in the hotseat at Wetherby Road, Weaver (far left, punching the air) will go straight in at No.1 next term as the League’s longest-serving boss.
He said: “When I became manager, our weekly wage budget was £1,600 and I had to stop paying myself at one point so we could afford to sign another player. We had to beg, steal or borrow – but you can never put a ceiling on ambition in this game.
“Everyone deserves to let their hair down tonight. I’m not going to say I’ll celebrate with a cup of tea, I’m going to enjoy the moment.”
For heartbroken Notts County – until last year the oldest League club in the country – the sabbatical outside English football’s mainstream will run into a second year.
Their manager Neal Ardley (above) said: “We need to come back stronger next season and make sure we start with a real determination that we don’t go through the same pain again.”
But Harrogate were fantastic. They only turned professional three years ago and will start next season ground-sharing elsewhere because they have to rip up their 3G pitch.
Weaver’s underdogs stormed in front inside five minutes, George Thomson darting to the near post to prod in Ryan Fallowfield’s low cross.
And County were all over the shop when Connor Hall stretched to meet Thomson’s free-kick after 28 minutes and double the advantage. It would have been all over, bar the scones and butter, if Aaron Martin’s close-range effort had not hit a post. But Harrogate were briefly rattled after the break. The Magpies’ Callum Roberts curled home a brilliant free-kick within 50 seconds of the restart and then grazed a post.
But 20 minutes from time, Jack Diamond made it 3-1 to Harrogate (left, with trophy and his goal) from Jack Muldoon’s cross, and 37-year-old sub Jon Stead was only denied a fourth by the woodwork.
BRENTFORD midfielder Emiliano Marcondes believes Fulham will be scared going into tomorrow’s Championship play-off final.
The Dane scored in the semi-final win over Swansea and in the Bees’ 2-0 win at Craven Cottage in June. They also beat Fulham 1-0 in December.
“Fulham will fear us because we’ve won against them in the league twice and they have not scored,” said Marcondes (above).
“We’re so ready. We’ve been dreaming about playing in this game all season. I don’t feel any pressure. I’m really confident, because I think we’re the better team.”