Historical Football Kits

 

Harrogate Town

Formed 1919

Promoted to League Two 2020

Kit History

 

 

 

Harrogate AFC

 

1919

 

Club disbanded 1932

harrogate afc 1919-20

1919-1920 f

harrogate afc 1920-21

1920-1922 e f

1922-1924

harrogate afc 1924-25

1924-1932 e f

 

 

 

Harrogate Hotspurs

 

1935

harrogate hotspurs 1954-46

1935-1948 e f

 

 

 

Harrogate Town

 

1948

harrogate town 1949-50

1949-1950 f

1950-1953

harrogate town 1953-54

1953-1954 f

harrogate town 1954-55

1954-1955 f

harrogate town afc 1957-58

1956-1957 a f

harrogate town 1960-61

1957-1964 e f

harrogate town 1964-65

1964-1965 e f

harrogate town 1967-68

1967-1968 e f

harrogate town 1969-70

1969-1970 f

1970-1972

harrogate town 1972-73

1972-1973 e f

1973-1975

harrogate town 1975-76

1975-1976 e f

harrogate town 1976-1977

1976-1977 e f

harrogate town 1977-78

1977-1978 f

harrogate town 1978-79

1978-1979 f

Litesome
harrogate town 1979-80

1979-1981 e f

Litesome
harrogate town 1981-82

1981-1982 e f

Litesome
harrogate town 1982-83

1982-1983

harrogate town 1985-86

1984-1986 b e f

Spall
harrogate town 1986-87

1986-1987 e f

Umbro
harrogate town 1987-88

1987-1988 b f

Umbro
harrogate town 1988-89

1988-1990 b f

harrogate town 1991-92

1991-1992 b f

Spall
harrogate town 1992-93

1992-1993 b f

1993-1994

harrogate town 1995-96

1994-1996 f

Uhlsport
harrogate town1996-97

1996-1997 b e f

harrogate town 1998-99

1998-1999 e f

Uhlsport?
harrogate town 1999-2000

1999-2000 b

harrogate town 2000-01

2000-2001 b

Sponsor tbc
Beaver International
harrogate town 2001-02

2001-2002 a b c

Beaver International
harrogate town 2002-03

2002-2003 e

Errea?
HARROGATE TOWN 2003-04

2003-2005 b e

Errea
harogate town 2005-06

2005-2006 b

Errea
harogate town 2006-07

2006-2007 e

Errea
harrogate town 2007-08

2007-2008 b e

Canterbury
harrogate town 2008-09

2008-2009 b e

Nike
harrogate town 2008-09

2009-2010 b c

Lotto
harrogate town 2010-11

2010-2011 e

Zoo
harrogate town 2011-12

2011-2012 e

Joma
harrogate town 2012-13

2012-2014 b

Jako
HARROGATE TOWN 2015-16

2014-2017 b

Kappa
harrogate town 2017-18

2017-2019 b

Kappa
harrogate town 2019-20

2019-2020 d

New Balance
harrogate town afc 2020-21

2020-2021 d

New Balance
harrogate town 2021-22

2021-2023 d

 

Background

harrogate afc 1919-20Harrogate AFC was actually constituted at the start of the 1914-15 season but their first fixture, away to Bishop Auckland on 5 September 1914 was called off at the last minute after the majority of Harrogate's team joined up following the outbreak of war.

The club was re-formed in 1919 and joined the West Riding League. Their registered colours were amber and black and they were known as The Sulphurites. (Harrogate is a spa town whose medicinal waters are rich in sulphur which also happens to be yellow.) The following season they stepped up to the newly formed Yorkshire League and moved into their present ground at Wetherby Lane (now Wetherby Road). They continued to field a reserve team in the West Riding League. In 1925 the team won their first senior honour, the West Riding County Challenge Cup. They won the Yorkshire League championship in 1927 but at the end of the 1931-32 season the club disbanded for lack of funds and support.

In 1935 a new club known as Harrogate Hotspurs was formed, fielding sides in the Harrogate League and the West Riding County Amateur League. When the Second World War broke out, the Hotspurs joined the West Yorkshire League.

In 1948 the club changed its name to Harrogate Town to better reflect their status as the town's premier club and in 1957 they joined the Yorkshire League.

After two decades of modest achievement they became founder members of the Northern Counties East League and began a programme of ground improvements starting with the installation of floodlights in 1982. Five years later Harrogate joined the Northern Premier League and in 1990 the club finally became a limited company in order to raise funds to build a new main stand.

harrogate town fc crest 2001The 2001-02 season was a turning point. After 15 years in the NPL (now the Unibond League) First Division, Harrogate won the title with ten points to spare and promotion to the Unibond Premier Division. Fittingly a crest, based on the Harrogate coat of arms, was worn for the first time during this campaign.

Two seasons later Harrogate earned a place in the newly formed Conference North. in 2010 they finished last and were due to be relegated but were handed a reprieve when Northwich Victoria were demoted for breaching the Conference's financial regulations. Relegation loomed again at the end of 2011-12 but they were saved on the final day thanks to a 5-0 win at Corby Town.

In 2017, after a long run of poor form, the board announced that the club would go fully professional. This harrogate town afc crest 2017led to a clear out of part-timers who were replaced by new signings. Success followed and in May 2018 they won the Conference North play-offs. The rebranding exercise extended to a smart new crest that reflected the club's yellow and black colours and (this being Yorkshire) a white rose.

Harrogate reached the National League play-offs in 2019 but were eliminated by AFC Fylde. The following season was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic with Harrogate finishing second on points-per-game which meant they entered the play-offs at the semi-final stage. After beating Boreham Wood they defeated Notts County 3-1 behind closed doors at Wembley Stadium to earn promotion to the English Football League.

You are welcome to Contact Me with corrections and additions.

Sources

Photograph Phil Harrison, Official Harrogate Town Historian.