‘PREM ON ANOTHER PLANET’
FERRYING his two kids around, then burning the midnight oil watching videos of games, is life at the other end of the football scale as lived by Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver.
The Football League’s longestserving manager – he took over at the then non-League club back in May 2009 – Weaver can only look on with bemusement at the manic spending amongst the Premier League clubs during the January transfer window.
With Chelsea leading the way, a biggest-ever winter spend of £815million was registered – which means a staggering £2.8billion has been invested in the past two windows.
For Harrogate with average crowds of just over 2,000, the game is simply one of survival, staying in League Two for a fourth season following their promotion from the National League.
Weaver said: “It’s the same sport, but there are two different worlds when you compare the Premier League to life in League Two.
“The Premier League is global. The demand is there. People turn up and watch it, they see games nearly every night on TV.
“It’s gone through the roof really since the launch of Sky Sports. It’s the product that everyone wants.
“But I don’t look at it in an envious way. I just think, ‘Let’s try and be the best we can be at our level’.
“If we can do well in the FA Cup and get towards mid-table or higher then our appeal goes up, meaning more people will watch us.”
At fellow strugglers Rochdale, who are trying to preserve their proud record of being a Football League side since 1921, boss Jim Bentley (above) said: “This is the hardest job I’ve ever had but it’s not all doom and gloom and there’s no panic at the moment.”
Weaver added: “There’s nothing to stop you dreaming, in football lower down the leagues. If we all work hard we’ve got a chance. Even in our division there are big differences in budgets and attendances. There’s Bradford City with average crowds of 17,000. We know we are competing with the historical big boys.
“We’ve had six loan players from Huddersfield and some have made a real difference. It’s about building links, the more established we become. We’re up at the top of the charts when it comes to the exposure we can give the loan players, which obviously pleases the loaning club.
“It means we get exciting young players – because of the strength at the top level there is a squeeze on talent, which we can benefit from.”