Wetherby Road

Wetherby Road, known for sponsorship purposes as the EnviroVent Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Harrogate, England. It is mostly used for football matches, being the home ground of Harrogate Town A.F.C.. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 people,[3][4] and is situated on the A661 Wetherby Road, adjacent to Harrogate District Hospital.

EnviroVent Stadium

Wetherby Road
Full name	The EnviroVent Stadium
Location	Wetherby Road Woodlands Harrogate North Yorkshire HG2 7SA
Coordinates	53°59′30″N 1°30′52″W
Owner	Harrogate Town
Operator	Harrogate Town
Capacity	5,000 (1,000 seated)[1]
Record attendance	4,280 (Harrogate Town 0–3 Harrogate Railway, 1949–50 Whitworth Cup Final)[2]
Construction
Opened	28 August 1920
Renovated	2014
Expanded	1990, 2014, 2020
Tenants
Harrogate Town (1920–present)

History

While Harrogate Town formed in 1914, their original ground was on Starbeck Lane with the club later moving to Wetherby Road. The club constructed the Main Stand in 1990, and the most recent development has been the Hospital End stand, built in 2014. Since September 2020, the ground has been sponsored by local ventilator manufacturers, EnviroVent.[5]

The record crowd of 4,280 was at the 1949–50 Whitworth Cup Final against Harrogate Railway, while the record league attendance was 3,000, at the 3–0 win over Brackley Town in the National League North playoff final in May 2018 .[6]

Due to English Football League regulations requiring natural turf, Harrogate played their first home games after their 2020 promotion at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster. On 17 October, they returned to Wetherby Road and won 1–0 against Barrow in the first EFL game at the ground.[7]

Description

A socially distanced crowd in the new East Stand in 2020

The pitch is aligned north–south. On the east side is the all-seated Main Stand, and on the west side are the turnstiles and a smaller all-seated stand with facilities for sponsors and the directors. Until 2014, there were no structures on the northern (hospital) side of the ground, but spectators could stand alongside the pitch. In 2014, a covered stand with standing facilities was added. The clubhouse is on the south side.[8]

Access

The nearest railway stations are Harrogate and Hornbeam Park, with services to Leeds and York, although both are around 20 minutes walk away. The stadium is served by the Harrogate Bus Company route 770, connecting the stadium with Harrogate bus station, Wetherby, Boston Spa, Seacroft and Leeds. There is a stop directly outside the stadium advertised for the football ground and hospital. According to the town's disc zone, parking in the area is restricted to two hours, being under disc zone 'H' (hospital).

References

1. "Harrogate Town AFC - The CNG Stadium". Harrogate Town AFC. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
2. "Full History". Harrogate Town A.F.C. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
3. "Harrogate Town : EnviroVent Stadium". Retrieved 3 September 2020.
4. "Wetherby Road- CNG Stadium". Football Ground Map. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
5. Chalmers, Graham (3 September 2020). "Harrogate Town reveals stadium's new name in major sponsorship deal with EnviroVent". Harrogate Advertiser. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
6. "Club records". Harrogate Town A.F.C. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
7. Howell, Rhys (19 October 2020). "How did Harrogate Town's brand-new grass pitch perform during Saturday's League Two win over Barrow AFC?". Harrogate Advertiser. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
8. "Harrogate Town". footballgrounds.com. Retrieved 25 November 2016.