In every matchday programme this year, Club Historian Phil Harrison has been looking back at our first season 100 years ago.
With no more fixtures set for March, we take a look back at this month 100 years ago...After the 1-0 defeat to Methley in the Semi-Final of the West Riding County Challenge Cup on 6th March 1920, Harrogate's next game wasn't until Saturday 24th March against Ripon City in the Whitworth Cup Final, which attracted a large crowd of spectators at Starbeck Lane.
Harrogate played Neville in place of Robertshaw and Trainer/Manager Codd (from Second Division league team Leicester Fosse) replaced Wilson.
Ripon kicked off but opening play was very scrappy. From a corner Codd put over a beautiful cross and Womack smartly rushed the ball into the net. From another ‘flag kick', the paper wrote, Codd centred and the tall Jenkinson headed in. Following mixed play top scorer Hudson managed to roll the ball into the net for number three and a minute later with the help of Codd, Hawkesworth smartly added number four. There
were no further goals second half and Harrogate won their first ever trophy.
Harrogate: Fox, Neville, Bell, Baines, Jenkinson, Howell, Womack, Dobson, Hudson, Hawkesworth, Codd.
Ripon: Darwin, J. Darwin, Lumley, Swain, Render, Bell, Spree, Dalton,F. Robson, Broadley, Robson.
At the end of the match the 1920 Whitworth Cup (the senior local trophy which generally attracted over 3,000 fans by the 1940s and 50s) was presented to H. Jenkinson the winning captain of the newly formed Harrogate AFC club by Mr. M.Rickinson, Vice President of the Harrogate club amidst loud cheering.
Mr Usher Chairman of the Harrogate FA said it was probably the last time that the ground would be used as the land was wanted for housing.
Local man Ernest Baines played in the final and went on to play 216 games for the club 1919-28 leaving at the age of 33. During his time he captained the side from 1923-28 and was the skipper of their double winning side of 1926/27 when they won the Yorkshire league Title and West Riding County Challenge Cup at Elland Road.
His son Colin is still alive today aged 96 who I often visit. Ernest and his brother Harold owned Baines
Garage on Cheltenham Mount with the name still showing today.