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It's going to be a family affair for Simon at Town
IT'S no secret that Harrogate Town's attendances over the last few years have hardly raised the roof.
An average gate of around 400 in the sixth tier of English football, no end of appeals from chairman Bill Fotherby or former boss Neil Aspin ever changed that.
Now a new era is dawning with the arrival of rookie manager Simon Weaver, the 31-year-old set for his first stint in management after leaving Ilkeston Town.
Uprooting from Doncaster, Weaver's large family will be among next season's new home supporters – Town's new manager joking that the CNG Stadium will soon be "bursting at the seams."
Well-travelled Weaver is settling into his first week in the Harrogate hotseat after replacing outgoing boss of five years Aspin who has departed for FC Halifax Town.
Harrogate's new chief began his career as a trainee at Sheffield Wednesday and after a brief loan spell at Doncaster Rovers he was released and joined
the non-league circuit, first at Ilkeston and then at Nuneaton Borough.
The defender then got his big league move joining Lincoln City followed by spells at Macclesfield Town, Kidderminster Harriers, Scarborough, York City, Tamworth, Boston United, King's Lynn, Redditch United and most recently Ilkeston again.
His time at Scarborough and Kings Lynn in particular required a long trek from home town Doncaster and that trek became even more arduous 13 months ago when Weaver and his partner Sally moved up to Wetherby to be nearer his sister Helen and family who live in Walton.
How that move north has worked out a treat – Weaver now appointed Harrogate Town manager and facing a rather shorter journey to work.
In his words: "8.1 miles to be exact."
The daily commute is about to get a whole lot easier for Weaver, as is his family life with parents and older brother Andrew also migrating from Doncaster and heading up the A1 to Wetherby.
A dedicated family man often on the golf course with dad Irving, Weaver has promised his nearest and dearest will be dedicated supporters of his new club, and the household ethic is a dimension he wants implementing.
"It's exciting times and my family are all looking forward to watching Harrogate on a Saturday afternoon," said Weaver.
"They will tell their friends and then their friends can tell some more. We're already on our way there and we are going to be bursting at the seams!
"We are a close family and that is what I want to create at the club – a family kind of feel so that people can feel very welcome.
"I also want the players to feel like they belong to something special because I know the strength that can be gathered from having a strong unit at home.
"I'm aware of the attendances but we have got a few ideas behind the scenes. I want to go out into schools and local businesses and tell them that there is a local club for all these people.
We want more people to come through the door for the right reasons, to come and see real, bright, young English players and hopefully that can put a smile on people's faces."
Taking on his first job in management, Weaver could be forgiven for feeling a little apprehensive and concentrating purely on getting those all important first results.
However, the six-foot-one stopper – registered as a player/manager – is also looking at the bigger picture of making his team appealing to supporters.
"I'm watching on Sky all the time and you can get people being really fairly critical about the game when they see some of the players in the higher echelons in the sport," added Weaver,
"I want my teams to not only set an example on the playing field but also to be full of character, energy and enthusiasm and well mannered. Hopefully, we will endear ourselves as a group of young men on the local scene."
Weaver is also determined to give anybody interested in his football club the time of day.
He added: "On a personal level, hopefully I will exude enthusiasm and energy for the job.
"I want to meet anyone that is interested or supports the club and I really am grateful for this opportunity of management. We want more people to come through the door for the right reasons, to come and see real, bright, young English players and hopefully that can put a smile on people’s faces.”
Concentrating
Taking on his first job in management, Weaver could be forgiven for feeling a little apprehensive and concentrating purely on getting those all important first results.
However, the six-foot-one stopper – registered as a player/manager – is also looking at the bigger picture of making his team appealing to supporters.
“I’m watching on Sky all the time and you can get people being really fairly critical about the game when they see some of the players in the higher echelons in the sport,” added Weaver,
“I want my teams to not only set an example on the playing field but also to be full of character, energy and enthusiasm and well mannered. Hopefully, we will endear ourselves as a group of young men on the local scene.”
Weaver is also determined to give anybody interested in his football club the time of day.
He added: “On a personal level, hopefully I will exude enthusiasm and energy for the job.
“I want to meet anyone that is interested or supports the club and I really am grateful for this opportunity of management. I am going to give it 100 per cent and I will be more than welcoming to speak to anybody about the club.
“I want the community on board, this is a local club and I want people to come down and bring their children.
“Hopefully, we can get a few more people through the door and get them watching a team that is not only confident and youthful but also gritty so they can be successful.
“Hopefully people can get a taste of this and the club.”
Weaver doesn’t sound like a rookie but a rookie manager he is, for all his 268 appearances as a professional footballer –the highlights of which were two play-off finals with Lincoln.
Weaver endured relegation with Tamworth and Scarborough but scored the winning goal for Ilkeston in last month’s UniBond Premier play-off final – booking their place alongside Town in next season’s Blue Square Premier.
Having worked under the likes of Ron Atkinson and David Pleat at Sheffield Wednesday and most latterly the likes of Keith Alexander at Lincoln, Weaver has already taken much on board.
“I have always taken notes and mental notes in particular because I wanted to make that step up in time,” he said.
“Fortunately, I have worked for several good managers in my career and I have always tried to take on board as much as possible.”
Through the likes of Atkinson and Pleat, Weaver has learned from some of the best but the new manager is hoping to continue his education under the charismatic individual responsible for giving him his first post in football management.
Having employed the likes of legendary Howard Wilkinson at Leeds United, Weaver is relishing the opportunity to work under chairman Bill Fotherby with the family feel set to extend right throughout the boardroom at Harrogate Town.
“He’s been fantastic,” added Weaver. “I know he is a big name in the game and in a helping context I am sure he is going to put an arm around my shoulder too.
“With all the experience he has got – he has worked with some fantastic managers before – that is fantastic news for me.
“I am going to be leaning on him sometimes and he is going to be leaning on me as he wants me to deliver.
“It’s all part of the idea behind what we are trying to build here – a real family feel – and he is the father figure for me.”
lee.sobot@ypn.co.uk
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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